PM Bakhtadze at the World Economic Forum in Davos

Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze promoted Georgia’s economic potential and its prospects for European and Euro-Atlantic integration at the panel discussion “Eurasia in a New Global Context,” held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum held in the Swiss ski resort of Davos on January 22-25.

Bakhtadze said Georgia is “a gateway” in the region, and “a natural candidate to become a regional hub for business, transportation and logistics.” “Therefore, we are investing so heavily in infrastructure. We regard ourselves as a bridge from Europe to Asia. Our historical roots are European and our outlook is also European but at the same time, Georgia is at the crossroads of civilizations,” Bakhtadze said at yesterday’s panel discussion.

The Prime Minister noted that despite its aspiration to become the full member of NATO and European Union, Georgia finds “a very big value unlocked in Central Asia.” He said, with its Free Trade Agreements with China and EU, Georgia wants to facilitate “increasing volumes of trade between Asia and Europe.”

The PM expressed belief, that Georgia’s NATO and EU membership would be “in the best interest of the region,” which, he said, has all economic preconditions to be “very successful,” but it needs more stability.

Baktadze also spoke of Georgia’s partnership with United States, which he said is at “all time high level.” He said the two countries are deepening relations in the spheres of security as well as economy and business.

In his remarks, PM Bakhtadze touched upon Russia’s “aggressive steps against Georgia” as well, noting that Georgia’s response “to this most painful challenge” is “consolidation of our democracy, and rapid and sustainable development of our economy.”

In Davos, PM Bakhtadze held series of meetings with political leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. According to his press office, the two leaders discussed “joint transport and infrastructure projects of regional importance as well as the prospects of deepened economic ties,” among others through the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway project.

The Georgian PM’s press-office also reported meetings with business executives, including Executive Director of China Minsheng Investment Group (CMIG) Lv Benxian, Managing Director of Stena Rederi AB Carl-Johan Hagman, Chairman of the Board and Party Secretary of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited Xu Lirong, Chairman of Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Zeng Qinghong, President of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Gilbert F. Houngbo, CEO of Koç Holding  Levent Çakıroğlu, Vice Chairman of Corporate & Investment Banking at Citigroup Inc. Jay Collins, CEO and Vice Chairman of Agility Tarek Sultan, and CEO of Acciona Energy Rafael Mateo.

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