“I would like to see the greatest reunion in this country,” says Iago Bitarishvili, founder of the famous Georgian winery Iago’s Wine. He spoke about unity, freedom, and business sentiment in an interview with BMGTV.
Reflecting on the current political climate and the slowdown in Georgia’s European integration process, Bitarishvili emphasized the importance of shared goals and collective spirit in driving national progress.
“One hundred percent coincidence in goals and values is impossible,” he said. “But if a country has a great goal and moves toward it together, we will achieve much better results, for the nation and for every citizen. Remember when the Georgian national team qualified for the European Championship? Everyone was happy, even those who didn’t understand football. One or two people cannot be happy; when you see everyone around you celebrating, you feel happy too.”
In his conversation with BMGTV, Bitarishvili expanded on the symbolic meaning of Georgia’s European path, stressing that freedom and reconciliation should form the foundation of the country’s development.
“We were also happy about qualifying for Europe in football because that moment had symbolic meaning. Half of Georgia came to the matches. Our culture, values, and spirit are already European. A lot has changed since the Soviet period, we have changed. Progress, good living, and a dignified old age are found in countries where there is freedom and democracy, and today, those are the Western countries,” he noted.
When reminded of his earlier statement that “there is no enthusiasm for doing business in the country,” Bitarishvili acknowledged that challenges remain but stressed perseverance.
“Mood affects every business. Without optimism about the future, investment is difficult. To say that everything is fine would not be true. But there are things you cannot give up or abandon because you’ve devoted your life to them and for us, that’s wine, a tradition this country has preserved for 8,000 years.”
