Honorary Georgian Consul Thelmo Cunanan has established Georgia’s third sister-city relationship with the Philippines and with Asia. The latest official partnership is between the City of Telavi in the province of Kakheti and the City of Laoag in the province of Ilocos Norte. The sister-city agreement, which was approved unanimously by the councils of both Telavi and Laoag, was signed by Mayor Platon Kalmakhelidze, with Consul Cunanan and Levan Akhvlediani, Chairman of the Philippines – Georgia Business and Friendship Association, signing as witnesses. The ceremony took place at Telavi City Hall.

After the signing of the document, Mayor Kalmakhelidze and Consul Cunanan discussed ways to improve ties with the Philippines, particularly in the field of tourism, business development, and wine production. Telavi is the capital of the wine-making province of Kakheti, in eastern Georgia. The city, which is a major tourist destination, is one of the centers for wine marketing and distribution. Laoag, on the other hand, is one of the major economic centers of the northern Philippines and home to one of the country’s international airport. Laoag also has a local wine industry, based on indigenous berries. Mayor Kalmakhelidze also expressed interest to visit the Philippines, with a reciprocal visit by his counterpart, Laoag Mayor Chevylle Farinas, in the discussion phase.

Consul Cunanan and Mayor Kalmakhelidze exchanged gifts, with the former presenting the Mayor with delicacies from the Philippines and the latter gifting Consul Cunanan with fine Georgian saperavi wine.