On 21 November, Davit Keshelava, deputy practice lead of ISET Policy Institute’s Macroeconomic Policy Research Center (MPRC), took part in a Georgian-Austrian Business Forum that was organized by Advantage Austria Tbilisi (while acting as part of the Trade Mission in Georgia and Azerbaijan). During the forum, Davit presented a brief overview of the Georgian economy, placing special emphasis on (1) Georgian real GDP growth, the factors behind it and the forecasts; (2) the sectoral decomposition of economic growth; (3) the relocation of  Russians and Belarussians to Georgia; (4) the statistics of international visits and remittances; (5) recent developments in the labor market; alongside (6) inflation and the monetary policy.

The event was opened by Gerhard Lackner, the Austrian Trade Commissioner for Turkey, Georgia & Azerbaijan; and followed by the Secretary General of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Karl Heinz Kopf; the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Georgia, Thomas Mühlmann; the Tbilisi Office Manager from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), Alexander Karner; and the Regional Director of EBRD in the Caucasus, Catarina Bjorlin Hansen. 

The Georgian-Austrian Business Forum hosted also nine individual Austrian companies operating, across the sectors, of pumps and equipment, hydroelectric power, communication and information systems, quality assurance, biomethane and biogas plant manufacturing, natural hazard protection, and in pharmaceuticals.