The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, came to Berlin for a whirlwind 24 hour visit on 2 June 2014. German Chancellor Angela Merkel received him with military honors at the Federal Chancellory. They went off to talk, and then gave a press conference. A few hours later, Garibashvili met the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Bode Museum on Museum Island. The evening was about giving back stolen cultural goods. To my great surprise, Georgia was giving back two books, part of a large collection recently found in the university library in Tiblisi. Silly me, I thought Germany might have some things it wanted to return.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili was received by German Chancellor Angela Merkel with military honors.
…and the close up.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Chancellor Angela Merkel at the afternoon press conference.
Merkel listens carefully and looks sceptical as Garibashvili speaks.
The flags of Germany, Georgia and the European Union fly at the Federal Chancellory. The German Bundestag and its flags are in the background.
Irakli Garibashvili gives back recently surfaced books of German origin to the German Foregin Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and German Foregin Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier sitting next to each other before the event began.
