Tbilisi Mayor: Italy will always remain my second home

“Italy was and will forever remain my second home, whose door I open with countless memories of happy days and the feeling of victory,” said Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of Georgia’s new General Consulate in Milan.

Kaladze’s remarks highlighted not only the personal significance of Italy for him, as a former AC Milan footballer, but also the broader ties between Georgia and Italy. “I am confident that opening Georgia’s General Consulate in Milan will further strengthen and deepen our friendly relations, open new opportunities for cooperation in all areas, and, of course, simplify consular services for our citizens in Milan,” he said.

The opening ceremony, held at the historic Visconti Palace, was also attended by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala. Kaladze thanked Italy for its steadfast support of Georgia’s sovereignty and stressed Georgia’s determination to protect its national interests. “Georgia is an independent, free country, and our government will always act in the interests of our people,” he declared.

The new consulate underscores the growing friendship between Georgia and Italy, which established diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago. Kaladze concluded by offering his congratulations to Italy for its National Day, celebrated on June 2, and expressed Georgia’s readiness to adopt Milan’s best practices in urban development and collaboration.