News from Berlin - On 2 June 2014, at a ceremony held in the Bode Museum in Berlin, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili handed over to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, two priceless books from the 18th century. The books are part of a larger collection which consists of over 70,000 volumes originating from both, public and private sources. It was stolen from Germany during World War II and discovered no earlier than 2006 at the University Library in Tbilisi.

Prime Minister Garibashvili availed himself of this opportunity to express his strong wish to enhance the mutual German-Georgian relations. He also underlined that Germany was one of the first countries that recognised Georgia’s independence in 1991 and therefore is an important partner for the nation. Shortly before signing the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union (on June 27, 2014), returning the lost books is considered a significant step in intensifying mutual relations.

News from Berlin - Berlin Global