Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the United States, Tamar Taliashvili, participated in an event celebrating the signing of a memorandum between the U.S. Department of State and the UFC. During a roundtable discussion, she addressed the participants.

In her remarks, the Georgian Ambassador emphasized the importance that the Georgian government places on developing sports and the broader sports ecosystem, as well as on hosting and participating in international competitions. She used the Paralympic movement as a prime example, noting that, due to relevant reforms in Georgia, it has seen unprecedented growth over the past decade.

Tamar Taliashvili also highlighted how successful Georgian athletes serve as informal ambassadors for Georgia, acting as bridges in fostering relations between countries. She mentioned that Georgian fans are particularly excited about UFC Freedom Fight 250, scheduled for June 14. Georgia takes pride in the achievements of its athletes, including Ilia Topuria, Merab Dvalishvili, Giga Chikadze, and Roman Dolidze.

The Ambassador also brought attention to Georgia’s rich martial arts traditions, such as Georgian wrestling, which UNESCO recognizes as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The event featured remarks from Sarah Rogers, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and David Shaw, UFC Executive Vice President. They discussed the significant role of sports diplomacy in strengthening relationships between countries and peoples and highlighted the UFC’s efforts in uniting fighters from nearly every nation.

The ceremony took place at the Donald Trump Institute of Peace, which was opened by the institute’s president, Darren Beattie, who underscored the importance of sports in fostering people-to-people diplomacy.

Ambassador Tamar Taliashvili also attended the ceremony at the invitation of Marco Rubio, marking the signing of the memorandum between the U.S. Department of State and the UFC.