2018-09-11
At the Tbilisi International Conference organized by the McCain Institute and the Economic Policy Research Center, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze emphasized in his reply to a question about Georgia's role in the modern world that we must focus on the European market because the EU is our major trade partner, and this is what our strategy is about.
Chief Columnist for Financial Time Edward Luce inquired whether or not more attention must be paid to the One Belt-One Road initiative in light of Georgia's location on the crossroads of civilizations, also the fact that China is actively building infrastructure to connect East Asia to Europe, this way possibly becoming a counterbalance to Russia.
According to the Prime Minister, Georgia enjoys free trade with China, a country doubling its presence in eth countries along the modern Silk Road.
"Georgia is a gateway for many landlocked countries in Eurasia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan-eight landlocked countries. Of course, Georgia has its role in these infrastructure projects. China will become more and more active in the economies of these countries, but for us, as I mentioned, our aspirations to become part of the EU affect also our economic strategy. That is why we believe that the European market should be main for us, and let me remind you that the EU is our main trade partner, and we have to increase our exposure over the European market, and that's our strategy," Mamuka Bakhtadze emphasized.
Prime Minister's Press Office