ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, his wife the first lady Marty Kemp and a state delegation will set off for the country of Georgia and France on an international mission this week.
It follows on a similar trip to Israel last month, in which Gov. Kemp met with Primer Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.
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According to a release from the Governor's Office, the trip by Kemp will mark the first time a sitting U.S. governor has visited the country of Georgia.
The trip will begin in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, and end in Paris.
According to a release, in Georgia Kemp will meet with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garbiashvili (in Georgia, the president is the highest-ranking government official, unlike in Israel where it is the prime minister), Georgia's Minister of Defence Juansher Burchuladze and U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Rian Harris.
The Peach State's delegation will include Major General Tom Carden, the adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard and Georgia Department of Defense.
"The overall mission will focus on reinforcing strategic partnerships while promoting economic development opportunities with industries in Europe," a release said. "Governor Kemp and the delegation will conduct bilateral meetings with national officials, visit a humanitarian shelter built in partnership with the State of Georgia’s National Guard, meet with members of the Marietta Fire Department currently leading swift water rescue training exercises, and hold other meetings designed to strengthen the relationship between the state and the country."
In a statement, the governor said he would be visiting national guardsmen stationed in Georgia and meeting with Georgian officials "to reinforce our commitment to our partnership with their military."
"That partnership has endured for over 28 years, as we remain a friend and ally to freedom-loving people around the world. I'm also eager to promote our No. 1 state for business to the job creators and major industry leaders we'll meet during this busy trip. In all of the back-to-back conversations, we'll be able to share why Georgia is the best state in which to invest and bring opportunity," Kemp said.
In France, Kemp and representatives from the Georgie Department of Economic Development will attend the Paris Air Show and "meet with aerospace industry companies who have already invested in or are considering investing in the state."