The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the EU Delegation in Georgia are organising a conference on ‘Georgian SMEs and Free Trade with the EU’, taking place in Tbilisi on 22 March in the framework of the EU4Business EBRD Credit Line.
The conference will bring together senior representatives of the government, international financial institutions, and small and medium size enterprises, to discuss the opportunities for the private sector brought by free trade with the EU. The conference will look at the successful results achieved following the implementation of the EU4Business-EBRD credit lines and the companies benefiting from the programme will share their experience.
Opening remarks at the conference will be delivered by:
- Dimitry Kumsishvili, First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
- Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission’s directorate-general for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)
- Bruno Balvanera, EBRD Director for Caucasus, Moldova & Belarus.
They will be followed by a review of progress in access to finance for SMEs over the last year, followed by a moderated discussion on ‘Free Trade with the European Union – ways forward for Georgian companies’, a Q&A session and a networking lunch.
The conference starts at 9.30am, running until 1.30pm, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Tbilisi.
The EU4Business-EBRD Credit line, via local partner banks, offers SMEs finance to invest in upgrading their production, boosting growth and increasing their competitiveness. This is complemented by grant incentives of up to 15 per cent along with technical assistance in form of advisory services of local and international consultants and the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses.
Date
22/03/18
Participation
For attendance, please email tsintsan@ebrd.com by COB Tuesday 20 March