Tbilisi – The Diaspora Business Forum was held on 10, 11 and 12 December, through the financial support of the European Union, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

The forum aimed to promote the involvement of the diaspora in the economic development of the country, to stimulate cooperation between compatriots living abroad and local businesses, to establish business contacts and increase access to new markets for local businesses. The participants of the event - compatriots living abroad and foreign guests - have the opportunity to get acquainted with the investment and entrepreneurial environment of Georgia, state programs and initiatives to support business.

The opening part of the Diaspora Business Forum took place on 10 December at the Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi. EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzel greeted the participants with a video address. The forum was officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Vladimer Konstantinidi and the IOM Georgia Chief of Mission, Sanja Celebic-Lokovac. The event was attended by state agencies ("Produce in Georgia", Georgian Agency for Innovation and Technology), representatives of the private sector and up to 15 diaspora communities from Germany, France, Canada, the U.S. and foreign guests.