MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili met with Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, visiting Georgia.

During the visit, the Turkish Minister participated in the sixth session of the Georgia-Turkey Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation. Mariam Kvrivishvili and Abdulkadir Uraloğlu co-chaired the session.

The Ministers discussed priority areas of bilateral trade and economic relations. The conversation covered the development of cooperation between the countries in sectors such as bilateral trade, transport and logistics, civil aviation, and tourism. It was noted that Turkey is the number one trading partner and a consistently leading investor.

Productive cooperation in the field of transport was highlighted. It was noted that the effective use of the transit corridor and the formation of a regional logistics hub are priority directions for the Georgian government, whose further development is closely related to the country’s overall socio-economic development.

The close and productive cooperation between the two countries at both bilateral and multilateral levels was given a special emphasis. It was noted that Georgia and Turkey are actively involved in several initiatives for the development of transport corridors between Europe and Asia, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – the Middle Corridor – which is gaining increasing relevance in terms of deepening regional connections, promoting global trade, and fostering economic development.

Mariam Kvrivishvili introduced her Turkish colleague to the government’s vision for strengthening the country’s transport and logistics capabilities and provided detailed information on the progress of specific projects that will contribute to the country’s development in this direction. These include the modernization of the railway, the construction of the East-West Highway, the development of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, the new Tbilisi International Airport, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. The meeting stressed the need for more active efforts to increase the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor and attract additional cargo to it.

At the meeting, the ministers expressed their readiness to operationalize the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway in a full scale.

Cooperation in the civil aviation sector was also named as another priority area. It was noted that in the January-June period of 2025, the number of passengers transported between the two countries on direct regular flights amounted to over 615 000, which is 5,97% higher indicator than of the same period of 2024. It was emphasized that currently, four Turkish airlines operate more than 100 flights per week between the countries, and air cargo transportation is also functioning successfully. It was mentioned that work is underway with Turkey’s largest airline, Turkish Airlines, to launch a new route that will further increase cooperation in both the aviation and tourism sectors.

As noted at the meeting, increased air traffic significantly contributes to the development of tourist traffic between the two countries – according to 2024 data, over 1,3 million visitors came to Georgia from Turkey, making Turkey the second-largest source of international visitors to Georgia.

The meeting also reviewed cooperation between the two countries in investments, land transport, hydrography and maritime affairs, railways, etc.

Mariam Kvrivishvili invited the Turkish Minister to the fifth international Silk Road Forum, which will be held in Tbilisi on October 22-23.

Deputy Ministers of Economy and Sustainable Development Guram Guramishvili and Genadi Arveladze, as well as the Ambassador of Georgia to Turkey, Archil Kalandia, also attended the meeting.