PM Garibashvili holds fruitful meetings in America

Georgia’s efforts to implement a promising trade deal it made with the European Union (EU) was scrutinised by a top European official when he met Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in New York.

Yesterday’s meeting between European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and the Georgian official ended on a positive note after the pair discussed the implementation of the Georgia-EU Association Agreement (AA).

President Rompuy leads the European Council, which is the official body responsible for defining the general political direction and priorities of the EU. In his scope President Rompuy showed particular interest in the progress of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement, which was part of the AA deal and partially came into force on September 1, 2014.

The leaders met in the framework of the United Nations General Assembly ongoing session in New York.

At the meeting Garibashvili informed Rompuy about how Georgia worked to implement the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan, which would make it easier for Georgian citizens and those living in Georgia’s occupied regions to travel to Schengen countries, and vice-versa. The importance of this opportunity was stressed by Garibashvili, said the Prime Minister’s press office.

Meanwhile during his New York trip, the Georgian leader held numerous meetings with country leaders and other high officials including President of Iran Hassan Rouhani, Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal and Prime Minister of Kuwait Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

The Georgia and Kuwait PMs agreed to conduct a joint economic forum on behalf of the two countries in the "near future”.

The key issues of Garibashvili’s meeting with Al-Sabah of Saudi Arabia surrounded how their respective countries could develop their level of economic cooperation, Georgia’s economic potential and how the country can develop its tourism sector.

The parties agreed they would discuss more specific aspects of dual economic cooperation at the upcoming bilateral economic forum.

Also in New York, Garibashvili met heads of the AECOM Technology Corporation, an American company that offers global services in architecture, design, engineering, and construction services for public and private clients.

Company representatives said they were interested in the construction project of Georgia’s Anaklia Port, announced by the Georgian Government in August, and would participate in the project’s Expression of Interest phase.

The parties noted the importance of Anaklia Port was increasing in relation to the revival of the Silk Road project.

The Georgian PM has one more day to spend in the United States and meet world leaders before he returns home on September 27.