MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Georgia-Uzbekistan Business Forum was held in Tbilisi, opened by the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Mariam Kvrivishvili, and the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Laziz Kudratov.

From the Uzbek side, the business forum was attended by around 70 companies representing construction, logistics, agriculture, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, textiles and other key sectors, while about 250 companies from Georgia participated in the forum.

Mariam Kvrivishvili explained that bilateral relations between Georgia and Uzbekistan are developing rapidly.

“Initiatives of this type, which combine both G2G and B2B relations and help the business sector establish close ties, are of particular importance to ensure that we achieve more tangible results in terms of our economies’ growth every quarter. One of the main priorities of the Georgian government is to ensure not only sustainable but also diversified economic growth. When we talk about diversification, we always highlight our main strategic partners,” – Mariam Kvrivishvili stated in her speech at the Georgia-Uzbekistan Business Forum.

Furthermore, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development emphasized in her address that the trade and economic ties between Georgia and Uzbekistan are increasing almost monthly, including in such sectors as transport, tourism and many other fields. As Mariam Kvrivishvili noted, a one-year development plan will be signed within the framework of the Uzbek President’s visit to Georgia.

“It is a great honor for me that during this visit, we will jointly sign a one-year development plan that defines the connectivity of our countries. The vast majority of this plan is dedicated to how to increase trade, strengthen the transport and logistics sector, develop the hospitality industry and encourage other types of investment in relevant fields. I believe that today’s and tomorrow’s meetings will make a significant contribution to establishing more contacts between you. The economy grows when we have a strong private sector, and of course, one of our primary roles is precisely to support relations between businesses,” – Mariam Kvrivishvili said.

According to the Minister, the Government of Georgia will invest approximately 7 billion USD by 2032 and will continue to invest in the transport and logistics sectors.

“This includes the modernization and construction of highways and roads, it means the construction of our country’s most strategic project - the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, and the modernization of Georgian Railway, which involves adding about 45 new locomotives and up to 1500 trains. We are also building a new international airport in the capital, which will have a capacity of 20 million passengers,” – the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development stated.

According to Mariam Kvrivishvili, the development of these projects will ensure an increase in cargo turnover, especially along the Middle Corridor.

“We continue large-scale investments to not only have the capacity to carry more cargo but to transform and change our positioning: to be not just a transit and logistics hub, but a country capable of accumulating cargo, manufacturing products, and remaining a reliable ally for our partner countries when it comes to connecting East and West. In general, the current dynamics in the transport and logistics sector are highly promising. We see that our partnership and connections, especially with Central Asian countries, bring some of the fastest-growing statistical indicators directly in terms of cargo turnover,” – Mariam Kvrivishvili stressed.

In the concluding part of the Georgia-Uzbekistan Business Forum, B2B meetings were held.

The Business Forum was organized by the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry together with the Investment Promotion Agency of Uzbekistan.