Indian External Affairs Minister Visits Tbilisi

Top Indian diplomat Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is paying an official visit to Tbilisi on July 9-10, marking the first visit of an Indian External Affairs Minister to independent Georgia.

Georgian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister David Zalkaliani welcomed the Indian counterpart in Tbilisi International Airport, where FM Jaishankar handed Georgian Government the relics of revered 17th century Kakhetian (eastern Georgian) queen, St. Ketevan the Martyr, for eternal resting in Georgia.

The two foreign ministers held meeting on July 10 in the Palace of State Ceremonies (former Presidential Palace in Tbilisi’s Avlabari District), discussing bilateral cooperation, including the potential to further develop ties in economic, cultural, education and transportation fields.

Minister Jaishankar also met today the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili. Following the meeting, the parties hosted a joint press conference, where PM Garibashvili said they had discussed economy, trade, transport, investments and connectivity issues.

PM Garibashvili said Georgia will offer “more appealing” investment conditions to Indian investors, and added that hosting several thousand Indian students was of “utmost importance” for Georgia.

On his part, the Indian External Affairs Minister underlined Indian investments in Georgia in hydro-energy and ore-mining spheres, as well as Indian investors’ interest in the agriculture, also adding that this interest owes to the Georgian Government’s efforts and the ease of doing business in Georgia.

Minister Jaishankar also thanked Georgia for supporting India in the UN and other international, multilateral or bilateral platforms.

Earlier today, the Indian External Affairs Minister also met with Indian community representatives residing in the town of Tsnori, in the easternmost Kakheti region.

The Indian External Affairs Minister arrived in Georgia from Moscow, Russia, where he met Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss wide range of regional issues, including the Caucasus.

Georgia and India established formal diplomatic relations in September 1992. To date, India has no resident mission in Tbilisi, and its Ambassador to Armenia residing in Yerevan is concurrently accredited to Georgia.

In February 2021, Indian Ambassador Kishan Dan Dewal met with then Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia to discuss the embassy opening in Tbilisi, as well as the intensification of Free Trade Agreement talks.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)