On Jan. 24-25, 2004, Georgia celebrated Mikhail Saakashvili's inauguration as president of the state. The EAJC delegation w
On Jan. 24-25, 2004, the state of Georgia celebrated Mikhail Saakashvili's presidential inauguration. EAJC delegation was invited to attend the ceremony. The delegation included Josef Zisels, chairman of the EAJC General Council and the VAAD of Ukraine, and Djemal Adgiashvili, the EAJC Presidium and General Council member.
Mikhail Saakashvili's inauguration as president of Georgia took place on Jan. 25. After the ceremony, a concert was held at Georgia's National Opera House. Later in the evening, Mikhail Saakashvili, president of Georgia, hosted a reception for delegation heads. During the reception, Joseph Zisels, who headed the EAJC delegation, presented the president with a letter from the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (see. Enclosure), signed by Alexander Machkevich, president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Mikhail Chlenov, general secretary of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, and Mr. Zisels.
Enclosure
To: The President of Georgia,
Mr. Mikhail Saakashvili
Dear Mr. President,
On behalf of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), which unites the Jewry of Eastern Europe, the Euro-Asian and Asian-Pacific regions, we congratulate you on your inauguration as president of Georgia, and we wish you and the Georgian people peace and good fortune.
The history of Georgia's Jews goes back over 2.5 thousand years has justly become one of the most glaring parts of the Jewish story. By preserving national traditions and living as members of Georgian society, Georgia's Jews have contributed much to the world's culture, sciences and arts. The successes of Georgian Jews are well known, particularly in the fields of medicine, business, government service, and "the Jewish street."
There was a period when Georgian Jews played a powerful part in the movement for repatriation in the former Soviet Union. And today, we can see that the country's Jewish community takes an active part in the work of our Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. We have always perceived the Jewish community of your country as a model of cooperation between different groups of the Jewish nation - the Russian-speaking Ashkenazim, Cartvel Sephardim, and descendants of Persian Jews.
We hope the new epoch your country has entered today will strengthen the Georgian state, lead the Georgian people to prosperity and consolidate the authentic and diverse Jewry of Georgia in its permanent dialogue with the state authorities and society.
We are ready to contribute to the positive development of Georgia under your leadership, and also to the development of world Jewry, Georgia's relationship with Israel, and strengthening interfaith and international harmony in the country.
Alexander Machkevich,President, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress,
President, Jewish Congress of Kazakhstan
Mikhail Chlenov,General Secretary, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress,
President, VAAD of Russia
Josef Zisels,General Council Chairman, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress,
Chairman, VAAD of Ukraine
