PM Garibashvili Participates in Davos Panel Discussion
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili participated in a panel discussion entitled “Eurasia Middle Corridor: From Pathway to Highway” held within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 19.
Infrastructure Projects
PM Garibashvili began his address by talking about the war in Ukraine and noted that this “catastrophic war” has shown that countries need to diversify their economies. In this context, he focused on the significance of the Middle Corridor, saying, “we have an excellent relationship with Azerbaijan, with Kazakhstan; with Turkey, we have a strategic partnership. And, I think, the chemistry is here, and we have a strong foundation to work together.”
He also spoke about several ongoing infrastructure projects that “will facilitate transportation.” The PM also focused on port infrastructure, noting that “port capacity of the Black Sea of Georgia is quite big, but we need to increase it.”
In this context, PM Garibashvili also mentioned the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project, noting that the Government of Georgia will start its construction and “51% of this port or consortium we want to build will be owned by Georgia – by the Government of Georgia. The rest – 49% – will be put on an international tender.”
- 12/12/2022 – PM: Government to Keep Anaklia Port Majority Stake
The Georgian Prime Minister also focused on the agreement for the development of the 1,100-kilometer-long Black Sea strategic submarine electricity cable signed recently by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Romania and Hungary. He noted that this “very interesting” and “ambitious” initiative, which is backed by the European Union, will help increase the flow of goods in the corridor. “This route is the shortest route to connect Asia with Europe,” he added.
“Two months ago, we were in Kazakhstan and we have agreed on a roadmap on how to develop this corridor and how to remove all artificial barriers. I am very optimistic that we will have a bigger potential and all these countries will benefit from this,” the Prime Minister said.
Garibashvili also noted that the country is modernizing its railway, stressing that the railway capacity will be about 48 million tons by the end of 2024. “Besides that, together with Azerbaijan, we are now building a Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. In fact, several months ago, Azerbaijan provided additional funds to complete this project. So, it will also be ready by 2024. This is another 5 million tons of cargo. So, these are strategically very important projects.”
Business Climate
PM Garibashvili also briefed the participants on current business climate in Georgia, saying that “right now we are ranked 7th in the world in terms of doing business. He also noted that there are four Free Industrial Zones in Georgia that “is a great opportunity for foreign companies to bring factories, industries and invest in Georgia.”
“We want to link this opportunity to the renewables because Georgia is rich in hydro resources. Right now, we use only 27% of hydro. We have developed a strategy and want to invest a lot in renewables: in hydro, solar, wind,” he added.
Regional Situation
By the end of his address, the Prime Minister spoke about the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, noting that “Georgia is truly a neutral, unbiased and objective mediator.”
“This region belongs to us – Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia. We can really transform it into a region of opportunities: peace, stability and prosperity,” he added.
Also Read:
- 19/01/2023 – PM Garibashvili Meets EU Commissioner Hahn in Davos
- 18/01/2023 – PM Garibashvili Meets Serbian President
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
