According to Michael Honigstein, the Political and Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia: "All the actions taken by the NBG may not be popular, but Georgia benefited greatly from the fact that the National Bank of Georgia held the reins of the fight against inflation." "Many times the central bank resisted the temptation not to fight for short-term results, because these results would surely damage Georgia and its economy in the long term". "One reason why Georgia's sovereign rating upgraded from stable to positive was that the international Financial institutions trust the National Bank of Georgia". "Is inflation much higher than the target rate?" Yes, it is. Is it the same as in many other countries in the world? Yes, it is. However, the NBG has managed to maintain its reserves, manage debts correctly, keeping the GEL at a stable rate while the dollar has appreciated; this, like everything else, It has pros and cons, but to sum it up, if we say that Georgia is in a good state today, the National Bank of Georgia has made the biggest contribution to this." "Georgia's citizens may not even realize it, but international financial institutions really see how valuable an asset its central bank was in very difficult times for Georgia. No matter who is appointed, this society will definitely ask the question - is the Governor of the National Bank of Georgia independent? How much will they withstand political pressure? How much will they resist the pressure from the business sector, who also often strive for short-term benefits?" "It is important for the NBG Governor to be person whose professionalism is beyond doubts and who is free from political affiliation, so that the National Bank of Georgia can maintain the trust that they gained over the years."