MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

The delegation of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, led by Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili, met with Zhou Haibin, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, in Beijing.

The meeting highlighted that Georgia and China maintain a strong and mutually beneficial partnership in the transport sector, characterized by close cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats.

The parties agreed to establish a Georgia-China Investment Dialogue Mechanism, which will facilitate investment from China. This will be an intergovernmental format between the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and the NDRC, with a particular focus on investments in the transport and logistics sectors.

Special attention was paid to the importance of the Middle Corridor and Georgia’s role as a link for cargo flows between China and Europe. It was noted that the Anaklia Port will have strategic importance in this regard for both countries and for the partner states of the Middle Corridor.

The parties also discussed the modernization and capacity of the railway, as well as the general transport infrastructure development plan for the next 4 years, which will allow Georgia to double its cargo throughput and reduce transit time. The parties agreed to work actively on attracting investment in the energy and entrepreneurial sectors as well.

Existing mechanisms provided by the roadmap signed within the framework of the "Belt and Road Initiative" were discussed. It was noted that the implementation of activities defined by the roadmap will enter an active phase. The parties also agreed to further intensify cooperation within the joint venture Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd, which involves specific measures for rail transport from China to Europe and the promotion of attracting additional cargo.

Mariam Kvrivishvili and Zhou Haibin positively assessed the efforts of the government and private sectors of the both countries toward deepening strategic cooperation. They noted that the intergovernmental dialogue for attracting investment will be a vital mechanism for promoting large-scale investment from China, discussing new initiatives and strengthening trade and economic ties.

Deputy Ministers of Economy and Sustainable Development Genadi Arveladze and Irakli Nadareishvili, as well as the Envoy of Georgia to the People’s Republic of China, Besik Sharashidze, participated in the meeting alongside Mariam Kvrivishvili.