MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, met with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Georgia, Gareth Ward. Deputy Minister, Genadi Arveladze, also attended the meeting.

The Minister emphasized the existing dynamics in bilateral trade and economic relations in sectors such as trade, transport and logistics, the financial sector, tourism, and civil aviation. The trends in economic relations between the two countries were noted with special emphasis on bilateral trade – in 2024, trade turnover between the two countries amounted to 170 million USD, which is 7% more than in the same period of the previous year. Export figures also increased – in 2024, local exports to Great Britain increased by 43%.

As noted at the meeting, in 2024, 448 million USD in investments from Great Britain were made in the Georgian economy. The Minister emphasized the need to intensify cooperation between the business circles of the two countries. According to her, the governments of the two countries should support the private sector so that they get to know each other better and implement joint projects. In this regard, Mariam Kvrivishvili focused on the importance of holding more business forums and trade missions. The free trade agreement signed between Georgia and Great Britain within the framework of the Strategic Partnership Agreement and the importance of deepening cooperation in this direction were also highlighted.

Mariam Kvrivishvili particularly focused on the launch of the first direct flights between Georgia and Great Britain at the beginning of 2025 and noted that the entry of British Airways and EasyJet into the Georgian aviation market gave new impetus to economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the tourism sector. According to her, in the first two quarters of 2025, Georgia received 26% more visitors from Great Britain.

The Minister also spoke about large infrastructure projects, including the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, the Black Sea submarine cable, the new Tbilisi International Airport, and others. She emphasized the importance of these projects for the country’s economic development and noted that they can play a huge role in integrating Georgia into regional transport-logistics and energy systems.