EAM Jaishankar unveils statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Tbilisi, Georgia amid bilateral talks

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Georgia on Saturday. The ceremony was held in Tbilisi Park and he was accompanied by David Zalkaliani, the Georgian Foreign Minister. 

The External Affairs Minister is on a two-day visit to Georgia to hold diplomatic talks with the top leaders of the country. Georgia is considered important by Indian strategists as the small country is located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. In a different ceremony, Jaishankar handed over the relics of 17th century St. Queen Ketevan. These relics were found 16 years ago at the St. Augustine Convent in Old Goa and now, have been finally returned permanently.

Earlier, the relics were loaned to the Georgian government for various ceremonies and exhibitions. Since 2017, the Georgian government has made multiple requests for the permanent transfer of the relics. India decided to finally return the same as a respect for the cultural relevance of the relics on the people of Georgia. The relics were returned back in the presence of his Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili. 

Apart from these iconic gestures, the ministers discussed cooperation in economic activities, tourism, trade and held a dialogue on improved connectivity between the two countries. After the meetings, Jaishankar said, “It was a very good discussion. We discussed economic cooperation, tourism, trade and connectivity. Our relationship is doing well. There're some big Indian projects in Georgia.”