MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Consultations were held with a delegation from the GCC Secretariat to prepare for the launch of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Georgia. Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Genadi Arveladze was in charge of the Georgian side, while General Director of Free Trade Agreements Abdulrazzaq Al-Raid led the Gulf Cooperation Council delegation.

The parties discussed the structure of the Free Trade Agreement and specific areas such as trade in goods, trade defense measures, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and technical barriers to trade.

Genadi Arveladze stated that consultations with the Gulf Cooperation Council are proceeding productively and, most importantly, within the set deadlines. “We have already discussed important directions with the GCC side. Georgia welcomes the launching of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with the Council’s member states. We believe that the agreement will be beneficial for both Georgia and the Council member countries. We hope that the GCC will prepare a report in a short period and present it to the organization’s Council of Ministers in the first quarter of 2026, which, in turn, will support the feasibility of starting negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement” – Genadi Arveladze noted.

It is noteworthy that the meeting held in Tbilisi was preceded by a visit of the Georgian delegation to Saudi Arabia, on December 16 of this year.