MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Deputy Ministers of Economy and Sustainable Development, Genadi Arveladze and Inga Pkhaladze, met with Carl Kress, Regional Director for South and Central Asia, North Africa, Europe, and Eurasia at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), to discuss prospect and priorities of further cooperation. 

Particular attention at the meeting was focused on the Middle Corridor, the ongoing and planned projects of the Georgian government for its development as well as the possibilities of technical support provided by the American agency in this process. 

It was emphasized during the meeting that the development of the Middle Corridor and the integration of Georgia’s transport infrastructure into international transit schemes is a government priority. In this regard, the significance of developing regional initiatives such as CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program), TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia), the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), and others was highlighted. 

The Georgian side focused on projects of regional importance, the full operation of which will increase the development of our country as a transport hub. Among such projects mentioned were the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, the modernization of Georgian Railway, the completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the full operation of the East-West Highway, the construction of the new Tbilisi International Airport, and others. The meeting also highlighted projects that increase Georgia’s function as a transit hub in various sectors, including the Black Sea submarine cable project, which will connect Georgia to the EU energy market. 

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency expressed interest in projects aimed at the further development of the Middle Corridor. Emphasis was placed on identifying needs and providing support that will help increase the competitiveness of this transport corridor, as well as the possibility of attracting American investments in this process.

It was noted that in addition to Georgia, the working visit of the agency representatives includes studying opportunities in Armenia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, aimed at the development of transport corridors. 

Givi Zedelashvili, the Head of the Trade Development and International Economic Relations Department of the Ministry, Aleksandre Sokhadze, the Head of the Energy Policy and Investment Projects Department of the Ministry, Ivane Abashidze, the Director of the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia, Lasha Abashidze, the General Director of Georgian Railway as well as representatives of the USTDA Turkey office and the U.S. Embassy in Georgia participated in the meeting.