Impressions of our second Consular Session

H.E. Consul General of Georgia Maia Bartaia receiving Honorary Membership in the Rotary Club of New York

presented jointly by President Mujdat and his wife Huelya.

During the second session of our Consular Series at the Turkish House, we were honored by the presence of H.E. Maia Bartaia, Consulate General of Georgia in New York City - President of the SOFC.

H.E. Bartaia holds a Master of Arts in International Politics from European Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CERIS) in Brussels, Belgium, and a Law Degree with distinction from Tbilisi State University. She was asked therefore by our moderator Çigdem Binal who is a Partner at Activate Consulting how that legal factor plays into her role as a Consul General.

After that the Consular General spoke about the long history of the country, the fact that it has its own unique alphabet and language that is only spoken in Georgia.

Georgia is situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The country regained its independence in 1991, declaring its aspiration to join the European and Euro-Atlantic world and to regain its place in the European family to which Georgia has always belonged.

Georgia is situated in the Eastern European region of South Caucasus. In the southeast, it has a border with Azerbaijan, in the south with Armenia and Turkey, and in the north with Russia. The western part of Georgia meets the Black Sea, which connects Georgia physically to the European Union. The ancient capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, was founded in the fifth century.

Georgia comprises a total area of 69,700 square kilometres, with a population of 3,720,000. Pristine nature covers the vast part of the country, with 26,060 rivers and over 40 protected areas. With diverse climate zones, Georgia is a year-round destination. Here, subtropical and mild climate zones coexist. In summer the temperature fluctuates from 29 ° C to 33 ° C, with an abundance of sun. Winter temperatures average -2 ° C to 4 ° C.

Many famous writers and poets have taken inspiration from Georgia’s stunning nature and astonishing diversity. The country is increasingly popular among foreign travelers. In 2016, more than six million tourists visited Georgia. This is not surprising, as Georgia has just about everything a traveler might dream of: snowcapped mountains guarding clear lakes, alpine meadows, canyons painted by flowers and fruit and defined by rushing rivers, palm coasts, ancient caves, mineral waters and sulfur water pools. A visitor’s paradise, for sure!

Also mentioned were the exquisite wines, like Saparavi that are the oldest wines in the world aged in clay vessels.

After the presentation several group fotos were taken shown below. We express our continued gratitude to the Turkish house and also to Counsellor Tengo Kvashilava who facilitated getting this respected guest presenter.