The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, stated that attending the first session of India’s autumn parliamentary sitting was significant, as the Georgian Parliament was formally represented at the event.

“Against the backdrop of the warm welcome we received in the Indian Parliament, it is worth noting that this was the first high-level Georgian visit to India. The goal of the visit was to give new impetus to bilateral and inter-parliamentary relations. I hope that the Speaker of the Indian Parliament will also visit Georgia,” Papuashvili said.

According to him, India—now the world’s fourth-largest economy—is an important trading partner for Georgia, particularly regarding the growing use of the Middle Corridor.

“The potential that India has for using the Middle Corridor is enormous. We discussed cooperation between our parliaments, including sectoral collaboration between committees. We invited our Indian colleagues to Georgia to hold joint meetings with our foreign relations and sectoral committees. We also discussed the legislative framework that supports the development and utilization of the Middle Corridor,” he noted.

Papuashvili added that the dynamics of bilateral relations were also reviewed during a meeting with India’s Minister of External Affairs.

He highlighted that the two sides discussed the appointment of India’s first-ever resident ambassador to Georgia.

“As you know, India decided last year to open an embassy in Georgia. For the first time in our bilateral history, India will have an ambassador in Tbilisi. We spoke today about the appointment process, which is underway, and we look forward to welcoming the ambassador soon. We also discussed the momentum in bilateral relations. The next round of foreign policy consultations between our foreign ministries will take place soon.”

According to Papuashvili, work is also advancing on visa liberalization, a potential free trade agreement, and investment opportunities connected to Georgia, the wider region, and the Middle Corridor.

“I am pleased that we had a friendly and constructive meeting with the Minister of External Affairs, who has previously visited Georgia,” Papuashvili stated.