“Over the past ten years, we have made significant strides in developing our country’s connectivity,” said the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, during a panel discussion at the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum.

According to the Prime Minister, Georgia’s objective is to continue expanding its connectivity potential, with ongoing infrastructure projects serving this very purpose.

“We are committed to cooperation from beginning to end, and I am pleased that today the Prime Ministers of all three South Caucasus countries are united around the idea of peace. As has been rightly emphasised here, peace is a vital prerequisite for development, and we must continue to act in this spirit.

The video presented extensive information about our country’s plans; however, I would like to add that these plans are ambitious, with Georgia investing heavily across various sectors. This includes highways, railway infrastructure, ports, and airports. Naturally, all these projects will contribute significantly to regional cooperation.

Georgia plays a crucial natural role in our region. We connect at least seven landlocked countries to the Black Sea and, consequently, to the West and Europe. We are striving to maximise the potential our country possesses in this regard.

The current situation is quite promising. We are actively making progress on all fronts, and the statistics show that over the past ten years, we have achieved considerable advancements in improving our country’s connectivity.

For instance, in container transportation, there was a fifteenfold increase in cargo transit from China between 2023 and 2024. Regarding energy connectivity, we have also made considerable strides. Over the past decade, more than 2.5 billion barrels of oil have passed through our country from the Caspian Sea to the west, along with 127 billion cubic metres of natural gas. Of course, these figures are impressive and play a crucial role in fostering our country’s economic development and strengthening international economic ties.

Our goal is to develop this potential even further, to the greatest extent possible. The infrastructure projects currently underway are aimed at achieving this,” said the Prime Minister.

According to the head of government, Georgia also has ambitious plans in the fields of energy and digital connectivity.

“When it comes to energy and digital connectivity, we also have ambitious plans. We aim for our country to become a digital hub within the region. One of the key projects is the Black Sea submarine cable initiative, which is being implemented in collaboration with our partner countries. All of this will enhance our country’s role as a transit hub.

We are doing our utmost to contribute to the development of the Middle Corridor concept. I believe this is of great importance for all the nations surrounding us. It is essential for strengthening economic ties between Europe and Asia, and our country is prepared to play its part in this endeavour,” stated the Prime Minister.