The National Bank of Georgia held a large-scale international conference in Tbilisi to mark 30 years since the lari entered circulation, using the anniversary forum to convene policymakers and market participants around challenges and opportunities in the global financial system. More than 300 guests from nearly 30 countries attended, including central bank leaders from across Europe, the Middle East and wider region, alongside representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank. Opening the conference, Governor Natia Turnava linked greater regional cooperation among financial systems and regulatory authorities, including across the Middle Corridor, to the pressures of global fragmentation and regionalization, and recalled key milestones in the currency’s establishment, including its introduction on 25 September 1995 and its designation as Georgia’s sole legal tender on 2 October 1995. The programme also included addresses by Georgia’s President, Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker, as well as remarks by economist Jeffrey Sachs, with panels covering monetary policy, financial innovation, emerging risks and the evolving role of central banks in regional cooperation. The anniversary programme will continue through the year with the planned release of commemorative “Lari 30” coins in gold, silver and copper-nickel, a special banknote and postage stamp, updated publications including a scientific-analytical journal and currency catalogues, and nationwide educational and scientific events.

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