Azernews.Az

By Jamila Babayeva

Georgian President visited Azerbaijan's Gabala region as part of his official visit to the country.

The visit took place on February 13, AzerTag state news agency reported.

At the Gabala International Airport, the Georgian President was welcomed by Nazim Ibrahimov, chairman of the State Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Ramiz Hasanov, chairman of the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology, and Patents, Sabuhi Abdullayev, head of the Executive Authorities of Gabala region, and other officials.

Giorgi Margvelashvili visited the Heydar Aliyev Congress Center in Gabala, and was informed that all the necessary conditions for holding international events had been created there.

Margvelashvili also visited the Gabala canning factory, where he was informed that the factory covered a total area of 12 hectares, and was inaugurated in 2007.

The factory manufactures nearly 100 types of products, which are exported to more than 30 countries.
He viewed the new production workshops at the factory and some of the products as well.

Afterwards, Margvelashvili visited Tufan Alpine Skiing Summer and Winter Recreation Complex in Gabala, and was informed of the first phase of the work that entailed the construction of four cable lines and five out of 10 ski slopes, and also the work that will be carried out in the second phase.

Margvelashvili also viewed the lower station of the Riverside cable line.

As part of his visit, the Georgian President traveled to Gakh region as well.

He first visited the 18th-century Saint George`s Church in Gakhingiloy village, and was informed that the Church was under the protection of the government as a historic monument of local importance. He lit a candle and made a donation there, and then met the villagers and listened to a Georgian folk song performed by local musicians.

The Georgian leader then proceeded to the Conference Center of El Resort hotel, where he met the Georgian population of the region.

He was informed on the tourism potential of Gakh region, which has witnessed the construction of a number of state-of-the-art hotels and recreation facilities in the last few years.

The Georgian president called his meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev very fruitful, and expressed confidence that his visit would contribute to further development of relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Margvelashvili was told that the Gakh region was home to more than 7,000 Georgians, and that all the national minorities in the region were greatly respected and the representatives of different religions co-existed in peace.

The Georgian President then proceeded to the Mashabash village, where Georgians make up the majority of its population. Margvelashvili viewed a newly built school there.