Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Tbilisi, October 24 (Xinhua) — The Belt and Road Initiative is of great importance to Georgia, and the country intends to continue deepening cooperation with China within its framework. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated this in an interview with Xinhua during the 5th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum.
"Historically, Georgia has connected West and East, Europe and Asia. We are making every effort to restore this historical function for Georgia to the greatest possible extent. We are pleased to be continually strengthening our connectivity capabilities through the Belt and Road Initiative, so we can demonstrate our important role. We are also pleased to be expanding our cooperation and trade and economic partnership with China. We attach particular importance to this, and the statistics are very positive, the trend is very positive. We are deeply committed to further strengthening cooperation with China," he said.
According to the head of government, Georgia welcomes all Chinese companies, and investment sectors such as energy, digital technology, and real estate are highly promising. The prime minister noted that the country has created a favorable investment climate, a liberal economic policy, and low tax rates, creating excellent opportunities for Chinese businesses.
I. Kobakhidze recalled that several years ago, Georgia and China signed a free trade agreement, which contributed to the rapid growth of bilateral trade. "We export various goods to China. Of course, participation in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) helps further promote trade with China. We will present a wide range of products and expect that Georgian exports to China will grow in the future," he said.
Speaking about the development of Georgia's transit function, the Prime Minister stated that without China, this process would be more difficult. "China's participation in our infrastructure projects is crucial for us. We are pleased to cooperate on the construction of the Anaklia deep-water port on the Black Sea. We are also pleased that transit traffic between China and Georgia has significantly increased overall, especially over the past two years," emphasized I. Kobakhidze. According to him, Georgia intends to continue its efforts to strengthen transit cooperation with China and is fully open to its further expansion.
The 5th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum was held on October 22-23 under the motto "Invest in Connectivity – Develop Stability." The forum focused on transport and logistics cooperation between Europe and Asia, the development of the Middle Corridor, investments in digital and energy infrastructure, international trade, innovation, and technology.
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