Georgian PM in Davos
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, January 23
Georgia’s Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, took part in the World Economic Forum 2017 in Davos, Switzerland, where he held several meetings with political leaders and the heads of large organizations and companies.
At the meeting of Kvirikashvili and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, the PM emphasized that Georgia considered Ukraine its regional partner and was committed to deepening political, trade, economic, and cultural ties.
The sides noted that this year marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
During the conversation, the leaders of the two countries reiterated their support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and Ukraine.
Moreover, Georgia’s PM met with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic.
The parties discussed key issues pertaining to the relations between the two countries and emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation in different directions. Special attention was paid to the economic and tourism potential and prospects of deeper cooperation in the fields of innovations and technology.
The key issues of Georgia-Croatian relations were discussed at the meeting of Georgian Prime Minister and Prime Minister of Croatia, Anrej Plenkovic.
The parties emphasized the current dynamics of the political, cultural, and security cooperation between the two countries. Special attention was paid to prospects of deepening trade and economic relations.
The sides agreed to deepen tourism cooperation and geopolitical trends, security, and regional developments were also discussed at the meeting.
Premier Kvirikashvili and Sir Suma Chakrabarti, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the EBRD delegation said they would continue cooperation with Georgia now and in the future. Chakrabarti announced that the Bank would provide increased investment and financial assistance to the country.
“I hope that we can provide to Georgia nearly 300 million euros this year, so this is a very good relationship, and it is not just about investments. It is also about trying to change policies, difficult things, which will make Georgia even more attractive for investors,” the EBRD President said.
Climate change and energy security issues were the main topics discussed at the meeting of Kvirikashvili and Anders Runevad, the executive director of global energy company Vestas Wind Systems. Hydro-electric and other renewable energy opportunities were also discussed by the sides.
“Georgia is a regional leader in licensed program use, development of innovations, and protection of intellectual rights,’’ multinational technology company Microsoft Vice President, Toni Townes-Whitley, stated during a meeting with the Georgian Prime Minister.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili familiarized the Vice President of Microsoft with the Government's four-point reform agenda, with the promotion of startups and use of modern technology and innovations in business development.
The Georgian delegation also had a meeting with Robert Dudley, CEO of British Petroleum (BP), one of the world's energy giants.
The South Caucasus Pipeline expansion, a part of the second phase of the Shah Deniz project, played a central role in that discussion. The project involves expanding pipeline capacity to allow a further 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The gas transported through the South Caucasus Pipeline is targeted for Europe.
The World Economic Forum 2017 was held on January 17-20 and gathered political leaders, economists and heads of almost 1000 large companies and organizations to discuss global, regional and economic agendas for 2017.
