Georgia offers US to open regional office of commerce in Georgia

Georgia’s Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili has offered the United States Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Louis Ross to open the US Regional Office of Commerce in Georgia, which would cover South Caucasus states as well as the countries of the region.

At this point, the Commerce Office covering Georgia and the region is located in Turkey.

Kumsishvili highlighted that the interest of US companies in Georgia as well as the Caucasus region has significantly increased recently. Therefore, it would be appropriate to open a Commerce Office in Georgia to further facilitate the development of bilateral economic relations between Georgian and US business circles.

At the meeting Kumsishvili also discussed the development of the transit corridor passing through Georgia and the involvement of the US state and private sectors in this process.

Kumsishvili and Ross talked about Georgia’s transit capability and the transit corridors (TRACECA, Trans Caucasia International Transport Corridor or so called middle corridor; Lapis Lazuli; Persian Gulf – Black Sea corridor, etc.) passing over the territory of the country and accented the efforts of the Georgian government aiming at development of those transit corridors.

The meeting of Kumsishvili and Ross is the first official meeting held between such high-ranking US and Georgian officials from the economic sector. The meeting was held yesterday during the Georgian governmental delegation’s visit to the US.