MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili introduced Georgian ports, marine infrastructure and current and planned projects in this sector to the visiting delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan led by Prime Minister, Abdulla Aripov.

Together with Levan Davitashvili, the delegation was hosted in Batumi and Poti by the Head of the Government of Adjara Tornike Rizhvadze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Guram Guramishvili, and the Director of the Maritime Transport Agency, Aleksi Akhvlediani. Uzbekistan delegation has the opportunity to tour the Poti Port and aquatoria on a coast guard ship, and also got acquainted with the infrastructure and work of the Batumi port and the Anaklia Deep Sea Port Project.

“Together we examined Georgia’s maritime transport infrastructure and capabilities. We visited Batumi and Poti ports and Anaklia port, which will be implemented by the state. We strongly hope that we will have opportunities for cooperation with the Central Asian republics - we are talking about new, strategic cooperation with the Central Asian countries, especially Uzbekistan, which has a growing production of mineral fertilizers, various chemical and mining products, and their export to Europe in the shortest way can be carried out through Georgia. That is why we touched upon the issues of implementation of joint enterprises, joint projects,” – Vice Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili commented.

Government delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov was on a two-day official visit to Georgia. At face-to-face as well as extended format meetings held with the heads of the Georgian government, the parties discussed the existing partnership relations between the two countries, including trade and economic ties. It was emphasized that Georgia and Uzbekistan have been stable partners for years, however, there are even greater, multifaceted prospects for the growth and development of relations, the realization of which is useful and important for both countries. In addition, members of the Uzbek government expressed their interest in the Middle Transport Corridor and the development of this route.

It was mentioned that the Uzbekistan delegation is interested in close cooperation with Georgia in various fields of economy, including tourism, transport-logistics hubs, textile production, etc. direction, as well as by implementing investment projects in several sectors. During the visit to Poti, the members of the Uzbekistan delegation visited the Free Economic Zone and the textile factory.

Within the framework of the visit of the Uzbekistan delegation, an Agreement on Establishment of Georgia-Uzbekistan Business Council was signed between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Georgia and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

“I believe that cooperation with Uzbekistan is of great importance in the development of Georgia as a transport, transit and logistics centre. Today we also visited the Poti Free Economic Zone, and the prospects of cooperation were highlighted, in particular in terms of creating joint ventures, in order to use Georgia’s Free Trade Regimes as optimally as possible together with Uzbek partners,” – Levan Davitashvili noted.