A monument to the great Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbaiuly was opened in Georgia

A monument to the great Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbaiuly was opened in Georgia

Tbilisi, April 28, 2022 - An official opening ceremony for a monument to the great Kazakh poet and thinker Abai was held in the Georgian capital to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Georgia.

The solemn event took place within the framework of the 11th meeting of the Kazakh-Georgian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, which is taking place these days in Tbilisi.

The Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kairbek Uskenbayev, Vice Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Gennady Arveladze, Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Georgia Baurzhan Mukhamejanov, representatives of the city hall, ministries and agencies of the two countries, the media and the business community, as well as cultural figures and local residents.

Ambassador B. Mukhamejanov noted that in 2021 in Kazakhstan and internationally the 175th anniversary of Abai Kunanbaiuly was celebrated. In that year, one of the streets of Tbilisi was named after Abai, and a collection of his poems was published in Georgian for the first time. "Today we are opening a monument to a great son of the Kazakh people in the homeland of the great poet of the Georgian people, Shota Rustaveli. I express my hope that the new monument will become a symbol of friendship between the two nations," said the Kazakh diplomat. He thanked the self-government of the capital and personally Mayor Kakha Kaladze for solving the matter and supporting the implementation of the project.

Minister K.Uskenbayev emphasized that, as co-chairman of the Kazakh-Georgian intergovernmental commission, he was glad to attend the festival of culture as part of his working visit to Tbilisi.  "For us, this is yet another confirmation of good-neighborly relations and mutual understanding. Indeed, Abai has become such a golden bridge that unites our peoples. And I would especially like to thank the Georgian Government for its assistance in the development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation between our countries," said the Kazakh Minister.

From his side, the Vice-Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, G. Arveladze, congratulated everyone on the solemn event. He said that it was a tribute to the Kazakh people. He expressed confidence that this event would be another important brick in the close cultural relations between Kazakhstan and Georgia.

During the event the anniversary medal "30 Years of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan" was awarded to the Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Georgia George Jakhutashvili, as well as a letter of appreciation from the Embassy to the author of the monument, a famous Georgian sculptor Jumber Jikia.

The monument was created with the financial support of the Kazakh-Georgian Economic Association, Batumi Oil Terminal LLC, Rompetrol Georgia, Halyk Bank Georgia, Capitol Group LLC, and Atlas Hotel.