National Bank of Georgia to host From Trust to Close Cooperation conference marking the lari’s 30th anniversary

The National Bank of Georgia announced it will host a large-scale international conference in Tbilisi to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the lari, Georgia’s national currency. The event, titled From Trust to Close Cooperation, will bring together central banks, international financial institutions, academia and the private sector. The conference is expected to draw more than 300 participants from 30 countries, including central bank governors from Belgium, Iceland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia, Israel, India and Saudi Arabia, alongside Georgian government and parliamentary officials. Participation also includes the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as executives from Gojo & Company, Ant International and The Global Finance & Technology Network, plus representatives from Georgia’s financial sector and business associations. The conference will be opened by National Bank of Georgia Governor Natia Turnava, with a keynote address by Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, and panels covering the global financial system and monetary policy, regional cooperation for financial sector development, and the evolving role of central banks. As part of the anniversary programme, the National Bank of Georgia will also run events and initiatives throughout the year, including issuing 30th anniversary commemorative coins (gold, silver and copper-nickel), introducing a collector’s banknote and commemorative stamp, publishing an updated scientific-analytical journal and catalogues of Georgian currency and the lari, and undertaking nationwide educational and scientific activities. The lari was introduced on 25 September 1995 and became the sole legal tender in Georgia on 2 October 1995.