In my professional life I had several occasions to meet with senior policy makers and leaders in several countries. Recently I participated in a meeting with a delegation from Georgia led by the Prime Minister Nikoloz Gilauri (accompanied by the Minister of Energy, the Director General of the Bank of Georgia and other diplomats and advisers).
Usually heads of governments are political figures, more at ease in forging compromises, dealing with allies (or foes) and mediating among conflicting interests. Rarely they take a keen interest in the details of policy issues and display a grasp of complex issues. That's why it was refreshing for me to see that Mr. Gilauri is an exception.
He asked questions, he demonstrated experience, he understood the implications of legal systems. In short, he was not the typical wheeler-dealer, but a competent professional. Which gives hopes that a country marred by a war with an autocratic and aggressive regime can raise to the challenge and modernize its economy.