Prime Minister: Georgia has ambition to become logistics centre for Europe and Asia

Georgia has proven itself as a reliable transit country and we have an ambition to become a logistical centre connecting Europe and Asia.” 

These words were spoken by Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to a crowd of international experts at the World Economic Forum in China.

The Georgian official spoke at today’s session titled New Silk Road, during the five-day event in China’s major port city Dalian. 

Prime Minister Garibashvili, who started his official meetings earlier today, stressed Georgia would play a "crucial role” as an energy and transport route within the New Silk Road project that envisaged finding the shortest and easiest connecting routes between Europe and Asia. 

Garibashvili emphasised that American and Chinese companies were interested in constructing a deep-water port in Georgia that would meet 100 million ton trade turnover annually. The new port would help increase Georgia’s role as a transit nation.

Construction of the port will cover seven phases. We have launched negotiations with interested parties.  Georgia is on the verge of several billion investments,” Garibashvili said. 

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. Photo by Prime Minister’s webpage. 

Additionally Garibashvili underscored his country’s significance for transporting Chinese products to Europe. 

Several months ago a pilot train from China arrived to Georgia in nine days.   This means a reduction in transit time and subsequent cost reduction for China.”

The aim of the Georgian Government is to make the country a centre of peace, trade and logistics,” he added. 

Also today PM Garibashvili held several meetings with leading Chinese companies that planned to invest several million in various projects in Georgia.