Davitashvili Visits United States, Participates in World Bank, IMF Spring Meetings
Levan Davitashvili, Georgian Dream First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, participated in the 2025 spring meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on April 22–23 in Washington, D.C. As part of the meetings, Davitashvili held high-level talks with Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank, and Alfonso Garcia, Vice President of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to discuss current and future cooperation between Georgia and the two international financial institutions.
As part of his ongoing visit to the United States, Davitashvili has held meetings with Ashok Pinto, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets; Joshua Huck, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Silvia Savich, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; and Andrew Peek, Senior Director for European Affairs at the White House National Security Council and Jim Burrows, First Vice President of U.S. Exim Bank.
After Davitashvili’s visit ended, the Georgian outlet globalnews.ge asked the State Department for comment on the meetings. In its response, the State Department declined to comment on the closed-door talks, but noted that the U.S. has clearly shown what steps the GD government can take to confirm that it is serious about developing relations with the United States.
Meeting with World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde
On April 22, Davitashvili met with World Bank executive Anna Bjerde. He was joined by GD Minister of Finance Lasha Khutsishvili, President of the National Bank of Georgia Natia Turnava, GD Deputy Minister of Economy Vakhtang Tsintsadze, GD First Deputy Minister of Finance Giorgi Kakauridze, and GD Deputy Minister of Finance Ekaterine Guntsadze.
According to Davitashvili, the sides discussed key strategic initiatives, including the high-voltage submarine cable project linking Georgia to Europe, and a nationwide internetization program aimed at boosting long-term competitiveness.
“We received a promise of long-term cooperation from the World Bank, which is very important for the country’s economic growth and maintaining progress in general,” Davitashvili said in commenting on a meeting. “We are talking not only about financing, but also about the technical support component, which will help Georgia increase its competencies in general.”
The Ministry of Economy said in a press release that the discussions focused on the impact and opportunities created by the World Bank’s current and upcoming projects in Georgia. Emphasis was placed on the institution’s role in supporting macroeconomic stability, civil infrastructure development, and the implementation of structural reforms.
The meeting also included preliminary talks on shaping a new cooperation framework aligned with Georgia’s economic priorities.
Meeting with IFC’s Vice President Alfonso Garcia
On April 23, Davitashvili met with Alfonso Garcia, Vice President of the IFC, to explore the corporation’s expanding role in Georgia’s private sector development, the official press release of the Ministry of Economy said. GD officials attending included Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili, Deputy Ministers of Economy Genadi Arveladze and Vakhtang Tsintsadze, First Deputy Finance Minister Giorgi Kakauridze, Deputy Minister Ekaterine Guntsadze, and First Vice President of the National Bank Ekaterine Mikabadze.
Davitashvili noted that the IFC is considering priority initiatives, particularly in support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with local banks acting as intermediaries for IFC-funded loans.
“The second direction is already priority projects and priority sectors—larger projects that will be financed directly by the International Finance Corporation. This is about financing the private sector, not the public sector,” he said. Davitashvili also emphasized energy as a key sector for direct IFC investment, along with industrial production, mineral fertilizers, and the chemical industry. He also pointed to Georgia’s digital ambitions.
“We see great potential for private investment in telecommunications infrastructure,” Davitashvili said, highlighting Georgia’s bid to become a regional digital hub.
According to the Ministry, IFC-supported projects are expected to drive economic development, job creation, and competitiveness in Georgia.
Following the meeting, GD Deputy Minister Vakhtang Tsintsadze stated: “We expect that strengthening this cooperation will qualitatively take the development of our country to another level and create additional jobs. This cooperation will also contribute to maintaining a high economic growth rate in the country and, in general, the further development of the country’s priority sectors.
Talks with U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Ashok Pinto
The Ministry of Economy reported that Davitashvili, along with Arveladze, met with Ashok Pinto, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets, to discuss prospects for expanding trade and economic cooperation between Georgia and the United States.
Davitashvili highlighted Georgia’s role as a key transit and trade hub for American goods, noting that U.S. products are re-exported from Georgia to Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the wider region. He said Georgia could be “a very interesting trade partner for the United States,” while describing the U.S. as a large consumer market that is attractive for Georgia’s exports.
According to the ministry, the Georgian side proposed signing a “new framework memorandum” to enhance bilateral trade, which will be developed in coordination with the private sector.
The Ministry also announced plans for a Georgian business delegation to visit the USA later this year, with active involvement from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The American trade mission is scheduled to take place in Georgia as well.
The meeting covered cooperation in key sectors such as transport, logistics, and energy, and also addressed new initiatives in technology, innovation, and startups, the press release added.
Meeting with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joshua Huck
As part of his visit, Davitashvili held a meeting with the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Joshua Huck, and discussed the prospects for political and economic cooperation. During the meeting, it was noted that “the Georgian government and the new U.S. administration are fully aligned on key issues. This alignment in vision and ideology will help us build a promising cooperation agenda,” stated Davitashvili as the Ministry reported.
Huck has been one of the vocal critic of Georgia’s democratic backsliding. Testifying before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on July 23, 2024, he raised concerns over the Georgian Dream government’s adoption of the foreign agents law, its efforts to demonize civil society, and the spread of disinformation targeting the United States and European partners. He called the authorities to repeal the law, which “symbolizes the country’s anti-democratic shift”, and stressed the importance of holding free and fair parliamentary elections.
Meeting with Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative Silvia Savich
On April 25, GD Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili met with Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Silvia Savich. GD Deputy Minister Genadi Arveladze also attended the meeting.
According to a statement from the ministry, the discussion centered on strengthening bilateral trade ties, with Georgian side emphasizing the importance of holding a “high-level dialogue on investment and trade” to address trade and investment-related issues.
According to press release, Davitashvili underscored Georgia’s strategic role not only as a trade partner but also as an economic hub for re-exporting American goods to different regions, particularly Central Asia. He noted that light vehicles and certain agricultural products are among the key items re-exported through Georgia.
The meeting also addressed the tariff policies of the new U.S. administration. The parties agreed to continue sharing information on tariff-related issues. Davitashvili noted that the recent tariff changes are expected to have only a minor impact on Georgian exports to the United States, according to the statement.
U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2 declared “Liberation Day” while announcing reciprocal tariffs, with a baseline 10 percent tariff applied to Georgian goods. Georgia also imposed a 10 percent tariff on U.S. products. The new tariffs are expected to affect the prices of key Georgian exports, including ferroalloys and manganese.
Meeting with Senior Director of the White House NSC, Andrew Peek
On April 26, GD Vice Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili met with Andrew Peek, senior director for European affairs at the White House National Security Council, during a visit to Washington. He was accompanied by Genadi Arveladze, GD deputy minister of the economy.
“The meeting at the White House was particularly and exceptionally important and informative within the framework of our visit to the United States,” Davitashvili said after the meeting. “It was very important to discuss with the new administration the priorities of the Georgian Dream government has, which are fully aligned with President Trump’s vision… Given the close convergence of our positions, there are many prospects for cooperation.”
The statement issued by the Ministry of Economy further noted that, according to Davitashvili, “it is unfortunate that the strategic partnership agreement between the two countries was formally suspended during the previous administration” while emphasizing that there is “a very strong position in the leadership of the new administration that this strategic cooperation should not only continue, but also deepen and move to a new stage in terms of quality and quantity, which will be beneficial for both countries.”
However, no U.S. officials have publicly confirmed any discussions about restoring the suspended agreement.
The U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership was suspended on Nov. 30, 2024, as announced by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, following the GD government’s decision to halt the EU integration process and its violent crackdown on pro-EU demonstrators. At the time, Miller condemned the GD government’s actions, citing the “excessive force used against Georgians rightfully protesting this betrayal of their constitution — the EU is a bulwark against the Kremlin.”
Meeting with First Vice President of U.S. Exim Bank, Jim Burrows
On April 26, Davitashvili met with Jim Burrows, first vice president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and other senior members of the bank’s management team. Davitashvili was joined by GD Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili, President of NBG Natia Turnava, and GD First Deputy Minister of Economy Genadi Arveladze.
“We talked about deepening economic cooperation at the U.S. Exim Bank. I think that the United States and Georgia have a really great potential for cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, transport, logistics and technology,” Davitashvili said following the meeting.
According to a statement issued by Ministry of Economy, the meeting focused on opportunities for cooperation across various sectors of the economy, with an emphasis on attracting American companies to the Georgian market and boosting investment. The statement also noted that the Georgian side “welcomes the development of economic ties with the United States, including the expansion of bilateral trade.”
The release further stated that GD officials presented the country’s recent economic trends and outlined the key directions of economic policy pursued by the Georgian Dream government and the National Bank of Georgia in recent years. “The conversation also touched on ongoing structural reforms the aim of which is to promote the country’s sustainable development, support the increase in the competitiveness of the private sector, and ensure inclusive economic growth,” the statement said.
Georgia’s geostrategic importance as a transport and logistics hub was also highlighted. The ministry noted that officials emphasized the recent increase in cargo turnover along the Central Transport Corridor and provided Exim Bank representatives with detailed information about strategic infrastructure projects designed to enhance Georgia’s competitiveness and transit potential.
The release concluded that “At the meeting, Exim Bank representatives expressed their readiness to cooperate more intensively with the Georgian side, taking into account the needs that will contribute to the deepening of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.”
Note: The news was updated on April 26, 19:00 to include Davitashvili’s meeting with Andrew Peek, senior director for European affairs at the White House National Security Council, and with Jim Burrows, first vice president of the U.S. Exim Bank. The news was further updated on April 29 at 13:00 to include the State Department’s comment to globalnews.ge.
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