Georgia’s Kvirikashvili Thanks US for Support under Millennium Challenge Compact

TBILISI - The Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, thanked the United States (US) ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly and the US government for their support under the Millennium Challenge Compact and for 25 years of strategic partnership.

"As a result of the work carried out under the $140 million compact, the lives of 1,700,000 Georgian citizens will change for the better. Among the results of 2016, the San Diego University programs deserve special mention, as it turns our young people into competitive professionals on the international market. We have also received $12 million for the development of our existing professional education program,” the PM stated at the annual report event for the Millennium Challenge Account-Georgia (MCA-Georgia) on February 22nd.

Kvirikashvili said that supporting human capital development, which is one of the goals of the Millennium Challenge Compact, is of the utmost importance to the country's economic progress. "We value the support for education, especially since education is our Government's number one priority,” he said. He also commended young people's growing interest in innovation and modern technology. The PM also promised young people his full support in implementation of their innovative ideas. “I pledge support for their initiatives, every single one of them. Also, I would like to invite everyone to the Tech Park which was launched a year ago and welcomes all interested young people," he said.

Kvirikashvili expressed hope of further deepening cooperation with the US and stressed that the support of American partners will make it possible to introduce substantial change in the country's life.

At the event, MCA Georgia's CEO Magda Magradze gave an overview of the MCA Georgia's performance in 2016. MCA-Georgia was created with the mission to implement Georgia’s second Compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). MCC is an innovative and independent US foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty. The Compact is the largest investment in Georgia’s education sector to date, and aims to develop Georgia’s human capital for economic growth and reduce poverty. The $140 million Compact will be implemented over five years. It was launched in July 2014. The Compact is an international agreement signed between the Government of Georgia and MCC, and ratified by the Parliament of Georgia. The MCA-Georgia implements projects in vocational, general, and higher education with a focus on increasing the quality of education and increasing Georgia’s human capital in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.