A place where everything unites perfectly in cohesion and where, most importantly, there is real quality, comfort and a new vision of a lifestyle - is Uptown Tbilisi.

Uptown Tbilisi is an in­novative project of Rakeen Development currently being constructed in Tbilisi, Digomi district. It is being built at high speed despite all hinder­ing factors which have proved detrimental to the develop­ment of the construction mar­ket in Georgia recently.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development issued a $12 million loan to Margebeli JSC, Georgian agribusiness holding, to finance the company's expansion and to help it become more energy efficient.

The EBRD is increasing the availability of financing to private businesses in Georgia by extending its first local currency loan in the country for on-lending to micro and small enterprises (MSEs).
The Bank is extending a Georgian Lari (GEL) loan equivalent to $1 million to Crystal, a non-bank microfmance institution, to support the organization in its drive to expand operations and further develop its portfolio of MSE credits, particularly in rural areas and in the agricultural sector.

November sales showed 14% decrease in sales activity as the month ended with 200 less sales than in October. However disappointing may be the slowdown, November results still surpassed those of one year back by 70%. On the other side, it exceeded the pre­war July 2008 results only by 8%. In other words, though the real estate market has made significant progress over the last year, the achievements are modest since the pre-war times.  The major problem with the market remains decreasing number of luxury property sales or lack of high sum transactions.

The European Bank for Reconstruc­tion and Development (EBRD) is expecting to invest over USD 450 million throughout 2010 in Geor­gia's pipeline, energy, corporate and financial sectors. Olivier Descamps, the EBRD Business Group Director for Southeast Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, says that currently the financial crisis is transforming to an economic crisis. "We have to real­ize the total situation of the region. I think that crisis recovery in the region is also going to be slow.

The recovery of Georgia's real estate sector has become noticeable since the end of October. However, this tendency has not been followed by significant growth in sales. Mainly demand is on newly constructed and finished apartments, the number of which in the city is too small. Thus, prices on finished apartments in the city center have increased by 15 percent since Au­gust! Since August demand has grown on the secondary market as well, prices have not in­creased.

Spanish businessmen will open regional representations in Georgia — such is the result of Prime Minister's and Economic Minister's visit to Spain, where PM Nika Gilauri and Minister Zurab Pololikashvili held negotiations with Spanish businessmen in the frame of the business forum.

Tbilisi (GBC)- Georgia and Israel have resumed air traffic connections. The first Tbilisi-Tel Aviv flights were performed on October 29. Disagreements between Georgian Airways, a Georgian airline, and Arkia, an Israeli Airline, were resolved by the trans­portation administrations of the countries at an October 28 meeting in Israel.

The U.S. assistance to Georgia's defense reforms is "a long-term commitment" with current focus on training, education and doctrine, Alexander Vershbow, the U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said in Tbilisi on October 20.

Hollywood star, Andy Garcia left Tbilisi today.
Garcia stayed in hotel 'Courtyard Marriott'. He played Saakashvili in Hollywood film on Russian-Georgia war.

NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, met with President Saakashvili in New York on September 22 and “discussed the internal situation in Georgia,” according to NATO press office.

In remarks before the meeting with President Saakashvili in New York on September 21, U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, reiterated Washington’s support to Georgia’s territorial integrity and democratic reforms.

President Saakashvili, accompanied by Foreign Minister, Grigol Vashadze, is will hold series of bilateral meetings in New York on a sideline of UN General Assembly (UNGA) before addressing the Assembly on September 24.

The World Bank Group said its board of directors decided to launch a new Country Partnership Strategy with Georgia for 2009-2012 in frames of which the Bank will lend Georgia USD 740-900 million through its various arms.

A record 131 economies around the globe formed business regulation in 2008/09, cording to the Doing Business 2010 report, prepared by world's largest sources of funding international Monetary Fund and World Bank. Georgia ranks 11th globally on the ease doing business, by implementing reforms in two areas: dealing with construction permits and trading across borders.

Memorandum on cooperation between businesspersons has been adopted. The 7-point document has been signed in Sheraton Metekhi Palace hotel.

Foreign Investments USD 1.56 bln in 2008

Fitch Affirms Georgia at 'B+'; Off RWN; Outlook Stable

Radisson SAS Iveria Hotel with its USD 100,000,000 project cost had already booked 10% of its rooms before the opening ceremony last week.

New Minister of Economy Zurab Pololikashvili possibly will present his strategy plan on September.
As the minister stated before sitting that he will hold press conference on strategy plan and priorities on agenda on September.
Zurab Polilikashvili stated that one of the priorities will be tourism supporting issue. 

An Israeli-Georgia business group is working to dramatically increase Israeli tourism next year. The Israeli-Georgia Chamber of Business says that 50,000 Israeli nationals will pour into Georgia in 2010 compared to last year's 5,000. And the chamber is reportedly developing a number of business mod­els to ensure that its ambitious pre­dictions come true.

Described by the government of Georgia as "historic," a deal signed on April 10 by the Georgian Energy Min­istry and Georgian Urban Energy, a Turkish company, envisions the con­struction of the Paravani hydro pow­er station (HPP) in Samtshe-Javakhe-ti, in south-west Georgia.

On May 12, a Georgian-Israel business forum entitled "We Build Together" was held at the Courtyard Marriott, to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary. Therefore, 60 Israeli-led investment projects currently in progress in Georgia were presented at the conference.
The investment projects are being carried out in many sectors, including agriculture, technology, tourism, aviation, and in the dominating real estate sector.
The forum was organized by the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business, where participated over 150 representatives of 100 Israeli companies. The general sponsor of business forum was TBC Bank, we are cooperating with for 12 years.
The business forum opened with speeches by the president of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business, the minister of Economic Development of Georgia, and the Ambassador of the state of Israel to Georgia. There were also speeches by several other representatives from Georgian and Israeli private sector and representatives from governmental structures.

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