Finance Minister: Georgia–Turkmenistan cooperation set to drive major trade and investment boom between the two regions

“Close cooperation between Georgia and Turkmenistan will play an exceptional role in further stimulating trade and investment between their respective regions,” the Georgian Minister of Finance, Lasha Khutsishvili, announced during his address at the Georgia-Turkmenistan Business Forum.

Khutsishvili elaborated on the vast trade and investment potential between the two countries, expressing confidence that the bilateral business forum would be instrumental in driving private sector growth.

The Finance Minister highlighted the economic policies implemented by the Georgian government, which have yielded an average annual growth rate exceeding 9.3% over the past five years, with growth standing at 7.8% for the first five months of this year. He noted that Georgia’s fiscal indicators remain highly robust: by the end of 2025, the current account deficit had narrowed to an historically low 2.6%, while the fiscal deficit fell to 1.4%, keeping public debt at a low and safe level.

“Our successful fiscal and economic policies have enabled us to allocate 7% to 8% of our GDP to capital expenditure over the past decade. This has allowed us to deliver critical infrastructure, including the East-West Highway, new power transmission networks, and the modernisation of our railway infrastructure. Upgrades of this scale play an indispensable role in securing the connectivity and expanding the capacity of the Middle Corridor,” the Finance Minister stated.

During his speech, Khutsishvili also emphasised the significance of regional-scale infrastructure projects and outlined the prospects for developing an energy-focused Middle Corridor.

“Georgia is actively working on the Black Sea Submarine Cable project. This initiative will connect the South Caucasus power grid to the European energy network via Georgia, unlocking entirely new opportunities for the region. In turn, this will offer Central Asian nations a unique avenue to transform a new, dedicated ‘Energy Middle Corridor’ into a reality through these joint connectivity projects,” Khutsishvili concluded.