Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia met Masatsugu Asakawa, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today, who is visiting Tbilisi within the scope of the Conference of Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC).

The meeting was focused on cooperation with the ADB and notably in various sectors of the economy. According to the Head of Government, Georgia treasures the ADB portfolio, which consists of 18 investments in a total value of 1.9 BLN USD, while the overall ADB portfolio is 4.5 BLN USD.

Dignitaries reviewed the current economic stance of the country, along with its fiscal and budget parameters. It was noted that it is vital to maintain the positive trend that the country achieved in 2023 and evidenced in the economic growth indicator. According to Irakli Garibashvili, the empowered private sector is decisive for economic advancement and ADB plays a crucial role in this process.

It was also noted at the meeting that the Government of Georgia invests in reforms to simplify doing business and to implement infrastructure projects. As a result, it leads to the identification of the potential borne by the country as a transit, logistics, tourism and business hub.

The Prime Minister of Georgia thereby highlighted that it is a milestone achievement for Georgia to host the Annual Meeting of the ADB in 2024.

The meeting held within the Government Administration was attended by Rachel Thompson, Executive Director and Member of the Board of Directors at the ADB; Eugenue Zhukov, Director General of the Central and West Asia Department at the ADB; Lesley Bearman Lahm, Resident Representative of the ADB in Georgia; Revaz Javelidze, Head of Government Administration.