Georgia’s PM addresses Chinese media: New Silk Road offers vast opportunities for countries involved

Georgia’s geopolitical importance, its role in the New Silk Road project and its free trade agreement with China were some of the things Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke about in his interview with China Central Television (CCTV).

Kvirikashvili stressed Georgia had a major plan of infrastructural modernisation, which would increase its regional competitiveness.

The Georgian leader also talked about the importance of China's ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative – a vast development strategy starting in China and spanning across Eurasia.

"The ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative is a very important initiative for us. It offers a lot of new opportunities to countries along the Silk Road,” Kvirikashvili said.

He added Georgia considered the Silk Road project as not only an initiative to restore one concrete road spanning East to West, but to also unite a whole network of many roads.

"We are talking about competitiveness, increased contact between humans, [and] infrastructure modernisation,” Kvirikashvili said.

He believed Georgia had the potential to become a regional trade and logistics hub, which would boost trade between Europe and Asia.

In the interview the Georgian high official highlighted the importance of having online platforms that would make information available for investors.

"We believe electronic platforms are an important space where information about our projects are available for investors, including Chinese investors, [and] increases the visibility of all countries along the Silk Road,” Kvirikashvili said.

In the same interview, Kvirikashvili stressed he believed a free trade agreement between Georgia and China would attract more foreign tourists to the Caucasian country.