President Saakashvili met with U.S. real estate tycoon Donald Trump in New York on September 21 to discuss the billionaire’s potential investment in Georgia.
Saakashvili’s press office reported that the Trump Organization, company in charge of Trump’s property development and management projects, would invest in development of Trump Tower in Georgia.
An exact location has yet to be identified; potential sites include Tbilisi and Adjara Autonomous Republic on Black Sea coast, according to the Georgian President’s administration.
Saakashvili first met with Trump to discuss investment opportunities in Georgia in April, 2010.
A visit of the Trump Organization’s executive vice-president, Michael Cohen, followed in July, who toured several sites for potential projects in Tbilisi and Batumi. The trip was arranged by Silk Road Group.
Silk Road Group, Georgian conglomerate with business interests in transportation, telecommunications, banking and property development, will act as the Trump Organization’s local partner in Georgia.
Saakashvili is in New York for UN General Assembly session.
On September 20 he addressed a three-day summit reviewing progress of Millennium Development Goals, telling the participants that aid programs should be tailored to local conditions and recipients should be allowed to develop their own aid priorities to make the aid more efficient. In the speech he also spoke about reducing poverty in Georgia, as he put it, from 42% to 18% in last six years and about fight against corruption. He also urged the international community to help Georgia in implementing its state strategy on occupied territories.
On September 21, Saakashvili visited the NASDAQ stock market and rang its closing bell.