PM Kvirikashvili Says Georgia Is Open for Business
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, November 30
(TBILISI)--On the second day of Tbilisi Belt and Road Forum, that gathered 2,000 participants from over 60 countries and representatives of 500 foreign companies, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, praised the country’s investment climate and its role in important regional projects.
“Our government has done its best to turn the country into a regional center of trade and global investment,” Kvirikashvili said in his speech, adding that Georgia is a reliable partner for energy transit and one of the main participants in important strategic projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa pipeline, as well as the Southern Gas Corridor.
Kvirikashvili also underlined Georgia’s important role in Middle transport corridor of the New Silk Road that places the small South Caucasus country in a strategic position on land and sea trade corridors linking Asia to Europe.
Kvirikashvili reiterated that Georgia is a “unique country” across the region, which has free trade agreements with the EU, China, Turkey, the EFTA and CIS countries.
“Georgia is a relatively small market…However producing in Georgia means not only having access to the local market, but also to 2.3 billion consumer markets with whom Georgia has free trade agreements,” he added.
“Today, investment in heavy and light industry, as well as in technologies and services, is a priority for Georgia. We hope that global businesses will consider Georgia as the starting point for producing and distributing their goods,” said Kvirikashvili.
While delivering speech, the Chair of the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce, Lu Jianzhong, echoed Kvirikashvili’s statements, saying Georgia is a stable country that plays a key role in the development of the New Silk Road.
“Georgia is a very stable country, with an effective government, favorable tax policy and good investment environment. It is a very good place for business and investment,” he stated.
Georgia hosted the second annual Tbilisi Belt and Road Forum on November 28-29.
The main aim of the event is to provide a platform for discussions on various important issues related to trade facilitation between Europe and Asia.
