John Parkerson, Honorary Consul of Hungary and Director of International Programs at Clayton State University, and Mike Sakowitz Twomey, President and Executive Director of the Morrow Business and Tourism Association, attended the 9th Annual Georgia European Union Summit (AGEUS) on Thursday evening, November 5, 2009 in Macon Georgia. Founded in 2001 by Christopher N. Smith, attorney at law and Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Denmark for Georgia, the AGEUS serves to bring together select international leaders from European and non-European countries with various Georgian economic, business, and governmental leaders. The event was produced by Macon’s International Cherry Blossom Festival. The annual summit offered attendees an exceptional opportunity to network directly with a large number of consuls and international business leaders involved in increasing trade between their countries and Georgia.


Mr. Claes Hammar, Minister for Trade and Economic Affairs at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC, was this year’s keynote speaker. The summit program also presented two awards: The 2009 Georgia Distinguished Exporter Award, presented to ChemFree Corporation of Norcross, Georgia and the 2009 AGEUS Award for Individual Contribution, awarded to Dr. Bruce Allen, Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Representations from Germany, Hungary, France, UK, Lichtenstein, and Greece were in attendance, as well as representations from the Georgia Department of Economic Development and various other state and Federal agencies.