2017-03-27
On March 27, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili participated in the Meeting of the GUAM Heads of State in Kyiv.
During the meeting, the participating countries signed two important documents: 1) On the Approval of Establishment of the Working Body for Coordinating the Actions of the Signatory Parties to the July 20, 2002 Agreement on the Establishment of the Free Trade Area and on the Development of the Terms of Reference for the Coordinating Body, and 2) the Agreement between the Customs Administrations of the GUAM Member States on the Mutual Recognition of Individual Results of Customs Control over the Movement of Goods and Transport across the Borders of the GUAM Member States. On behalf of Georgia, the documents were signed by Genadi Arveladze (Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development) and Vakhtang Lashkaradze (Deputy Director General of the Revenue Service).
The GUAM Heads of State summarized the meeting during the subsequent press conference.
The Prime Minister of Georgia emphasized the importance of boosting cooperation within GUAM and emphasized the need to tap into the organization's potential.
"The participants of the forum unanimously recognize that the organization needs a fresh impetus and more active approaches from different sectorial fields, the private sector, and authorities to ensure the full use of the potential of GUAM and our countries," Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of the documents signed after the meeting of the Heads of State and pointed out that these documents will promote the full use of the potential of the Free Trade Area.
"We can say that today new life has been breathed into GUAM, and we are all very optimistic about the organization's future," Giorgi Kvirikashvili stressed.
During the press conference, the Head of Georgian Government thanked Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman for the timely initiative to organize the first GUAM Business Forum and the meeting of Heads of State in Kyiv.
The Prime Minister also spoke of the importance of joint efforts by the GUAM member states in relation to the issue of territorial integrity.
"As it was emphasized during the meeting, our common challenges, which are related to the unsolved conflicts in the GUAM region, obligate us to consolidate our efforts to ensure broad international support and reaction to the facts of violation of the member states' territorial integrity and sovereignty," Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated.
According to the Prime Minister, Georgia, as the Chair state of GUAM, will continue actively supporting deeper cooperation within the organization to achieve the common goal of strengthening GUAM and ensuring development and prosperity in its member states.
The GUAM Heads of State also participated in the business forum facilitated by the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Georgia was represented at the forum by 20 companies, including transport, light industry, construction, distribution, and pharmacy.
The Prime Minister pointed out that Georgia is the regional leader in terms of investment attractiveness and stability, and invited the forum's participant businesspersons to Georgia.
"Georgia has created one of the best investment environments with effective state services, a corruption-free state, and a free, fair, and open business environment, as evidenced by various ratings by international organizations, and our positions continue to improve," Giorgi Kvirikashvili said.
During the working visit, the guests were hosted by Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.
The President of Ukraine congratulated the citizens of Georgia on the coming into effect of EU visa waiver.
"We are doing our best to keep pace with you," Petro Poroshenko told Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
The Head of Georgian Government invited his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Groysman, to Tbilisi, to participate in the Silk Road Forum. Groysman is planning to hold an official visit to Georgia this coming fall.
During his working visit to Ukraine, Giorgi Kvirikashvili also met with Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip who invited the Head of Georgian Government to hold an official visit to Moldova.
Prime Minister's Press Office