Georgian PM and Vice President of China meet business representatives from both countries

The Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Han Zheng, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China, met representatives of the Georgian and Chinese business communities, the Government Administration reported.

The official reception, organized by the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, focused on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries and the positive momentum in the development of trade and economic relations.

The Prime Minister of Georgia once again emphasized the profound importance of the visit of the Vice President of China in further strengthening bilateral relations.

“We attach the utmost importance to developing relations between Georgia and China. We are pleased that economic cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and Georgia has been growing significantly, particularly over the past few years, as reflected in concrete figures.

Trade is expanding rapidly and Chinese investment in Georgia continues to increase. We will continue to create every possible condition for Chinese businesses to operate successfully in our country. We will make every effort to further strengthen trade and economic cooperation between our two countries.

We are also pleased to enjoy a very close political partnership. Several years ago, we signed an Agreement on Strategic Partnership, followed more recently by an Agreement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. All the achievements we are discussing today are tangible results of this political cooperation.

However, we do not intend to rest on what has been achieved so far. We are determined to further develop the strategic partnership between our countries and strengthen the friendship between our nations and peoples.

I am confident that the Vice President’s visit to Georgia will contribute significantly to the further development of our bilateral relations,” stated Irakli Kobakhidze.

Han Zheng, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China highlighted the fruitful cooperation between Georgia and China and spoke about the growing volume of trade between the two countries.

“China and Georgia are countries with ancient histories and civilizations. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, ties between our countries have developed dynamically, while practical cooperation across various sectors has yielded significant results.

In June of this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili jointly announced the elevation of bilateral relations to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This decision opened up new prospects for the development of China-Georgia relations.

I held meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Georgia. These meetings were exceptionally sincere, friendly and productive. We were deeply impressed and encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by Georgia’s leadership and representatives of various segments of society for the further development of China-Georgia relations.

Today, as the global political and economic order undergoes profound and complex changes, countries face growing challenges to their development and to international free trade. Under these circumstances, strengthening cooperation becomes even more important, while also requiring greater foresight and a long-term vision.

In recent years, trade between China and Georgia has grown steadily, while the scope of investment cooperation has continued to expand.

High-quality Georgian agricultural products are gaining an increasingly strong presence in the Chinese market. Likewise, Chinese products, particularly new energy vehicles, are enjoying great popularity among the Georgian population.

The Free Trade Agreement between China and Georgia has played an important role in developing bilateral trade and economic relations. In April of this year, our countries officially signed a Protocol on Upgrading the Free Trade Agreement, marking a qualitative new stage in bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

We are ready to import even more high-quality Georgian products and facilitate the optimization and further development of trade.

We will support strong and competitive Chinese companies in making sustained investments in Georgia and expanding their operations in the local market. We must create a favorable environment for cooperation between businesses from our two countries.

I hope that representatives of the Chinese and Georgian business communities will continue to serve as a bridge between our countries and play an active role in strengthening our friendship,” stated Han Zheng.

Mariam Kvrivishvili, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia spoke about the positive momentum in the development of trade and economic cooperation between Georgia and China.

The event was opened by Giorgi Pertaia, President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, also delivered remarks.

The official reception was attended by representatives of the Georgian and Chinese business communities.