Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said in his speech at the official reception to mark the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China that it is important that Georgia has historically been a natural bridge between Europe and Asia. He added that the country is an integral part of the ancient Silk Road and its strategic location allows Georgia to contribute to the revival of the Silk Road through the "Middle Corridor" under the umbrella of the "Belt and Road Initiative".
The head of government highlighted the well-established and fruitful cooperation between Georgia and China, which is evident in various areas of mutual interest - from infrastructure and trade to education and tourism.
"I am pleased to highlight our already well-established and fruitful cooperation, which is evident in various areas of mutual interest - from infrastructure and trade to education and tourism. It is important to note that historically, Georgia has been a natural bridge between Europe and Asia and an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. Today, our strategic location allows us to contribute to the revival of the Silk Road through the "Middle Corridor" envisioned under the umbrella of the Belt and Road Initiative. Accordingly, we are making significant investments in infrastructure to ensure that we have the opportunity to generate sufficient capacity in the coming years. Another clear example of our commitment is the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, an international platform for high-level and multilateral dialogue. With this in mind, I am pleased to note that our commitment to the Belt and Road Initiative has once again been confirmed by the signing of the bilateral cooperation plan between the governments of Georgia and the People's Republic of China," the Prime Minister said.
Garibashvili added: "When considering the depth of our cooperation, it is important to note that trade has always been one of the cornerstones of our bilateral relations. It should be noted that the Free Trade Agreement between Georgia and China, which came into force in January 2018, has played a decisive role in ensuring increased trade between our countries, which has reached $2 billion annually since its signing. As a result, China has consistently ranked among Georgia's top three trading partners. In addition, our cooperation at the governmental level is at the highest level; various ministries, agencies and regions are actively involved in this effort. This multifaceted cooperation undoubtedly demonstrates our commitment to common goals.
The Prime Minister also spoke about his visit to China in July, which he described as an important stage in bilateral relations, raising them to the honorable level of strategic partnership and based on mutual respect and understanding, - said the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili in his speech at the official reception on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The Prime Minister noted that during his historic visit to China he had the honor to hold important meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li to identify new ways of cooperation.