Over 1.6 million Georgians live abroad

Over 1.6 million Georgians live outside Georgia, reported Mirza Davitaya, State Minister for Diaspora Issues, at the joint sitting of the parliamentary committees for relations with compatriots abroad, for foreign relations, and for issues of education, science, culture and sports.

He added that Georgians, residing in Azerbaijan and Turkey, were not included in the figure.

Only 1, 008,207 compatriots, residing abroad, are registered officially.

According to Davitaya, in 2010 the priority for his agency will be luring diaspora's investments in the country's economy, working out special projects for diaspora representatives and popularizing these projects.

They projects cover support to folk ensembles, cultural heritage, Sunday schools, TV for representatives of Georgian diaspora.

/Georgia Times/