“It is symbolic that celebration of the Day of the Georgian Diaspora coincides with the Independence Day, which once again emphasizes that the country and the Diaspora are inseparable" - Ilia Darchiashvili

On 27 May 2023, a forum dedicated to Diaspora Day "Strong Diaspora for Georgia's Unity, Peace and European Future" was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili opened the official part of the event. He  thanked the officials of the executive and legislative authorities and representatives of the Patriarchate, who are actively involved in dealing with diaspora issues related to the.

According to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the name and spirit of the Diaspora echo the challenges facing the country and the ambitious steps the country has taken towards joining the European Union. Ilia Darchiashvili also spoke about the special importance of the Georgian diaspora’s involvement in this process. He noted that the diaspora is well aware of the importance of European values and of the benefits the European family can bring.

"Recognition of Georgia's European perspective has taken our relations with the European Union to a new stage. We are actively implementing the 12 priorities defined by the European Union and will spare no effort to ensure that by the end of the year Georgia is granted a candidate status," said the head of the Foreign Ministry.

In his speech, Ilia Darchiashvili spoke about the importance of three important grant programmes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - "Support for diaspora initiatives", "Support for Georgian dancing and sing groups abroad" and "Be a young ambassador of your country". According to the Minister, within the framework of the Diaspora Forum, a discussion will be held for working groups on three thematic panels: 1. Education and culture - "National identity in the Georgian diaspora", 2. Business and economy - "Georgian diaspora for regional development" and 3. "Youth and modern means of communication".

The Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke about the role of Georgian Orthodox churches and parishes abroad and the great potential of the Georgian diaspora in using the multifaceted platform of public and cultural diplomacy and noted that the diaspora has the opportunity to increase awareness of the country and promote the country's foreign policy.

"The State recognizes the important role of the Georgian diaspora in the development s of our country. The development of Georgia can hardly be successful without the Georgian diaspora” - Ilia Darchiashvili said. 
On a final note, Ilia Darchiashvili thanked the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) for their support of joint events and projects.