MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Georgia and Qatar are set to begin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). According to Levan Davitashvili, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, this decision was reached during his meeting with Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry.

The meeting, held within Levan Davitashvili’s visit to Qatar, covered a broad range of trade and economic cooperation issues between the two nations. These included investments, energy, tourism, transport, and communications. Alexander Khvtisiashvili, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, also participated in the discussion.

“During the meeting with the Qatari Minister of Commerce and Industry, we discussed key issues of economic cooperation. On a practical level, we agreed that existing agreements between our two countries should be implemented, and a specific framework will be established for this. Throughout the year, we will have business delegations visiting both Georgia and Qatar to further deepen trade and economic relations” – the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development said.

Davitashvili emphasized the crucial decision to initiate FTA negotiations with Qatar. He clarified that this would be an independent format, similar to Georgia’s agreement with the United Arab Emirates, rather than a comprehensive FTA with all Gulf countries.

According to Levan Davitashvili, discussions on this matter between the two countries could potentially take place as early as this year, within the framework of the 5th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum. The First Vice Prime Minister invited the Qatari delegation to participate in the forum, which will be held in Tbilisi on October 22-23.

“Of course, this will be an additional stimulus for deepening economic cooperation. We hope that a Qatari delegation will visit Georgia, and concrete negotiations will take place within the framework of the international Tbilisi Silk Road Forum. All of this, naturally, will strengthen economic ties between the two countries” – Levan Davitashvili noted.

The Georgian delegation, led by the First Vice Prime Minister, participated in the Fifth Qatar Economic Forum. The Forum was held under the patronage of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, with the support of Bloomberg, gathering over 2 500 global leaders from around the world. Within the Forum, the Georgian delegation took part in several sessions featuring high-ranking political leaders and heads of international companies, including, among others, Ryan M. Lance, Chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips; Donald Trump Jr., Vice President of 1789; and Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO of Asset & Wealth Management at J.P. Morgan.

“The Qatar Economic Forum is a very interesting platform where many international guests, both business and government representatives, gather, giving us the opportunity to share information about Georgia’s economy and investment environment with potential investors. The meetings with delegations from the United States, Europeans, and, of course, representatives from the Persian Gulf were very insightful. All of this will help increase Georgia’s economic attractiveness in the eyes of investors” – the First Vice Prime Minister remarked.