Reuters: Georgia may issue Eurobonds in 2016

Georgia may issue Eurobonds in 2016 and seek additional financial resources from international institutions to cope with an economic slowdown triggered by problems in neighbouring countries.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke these words in an interview to international news agency Reuters earlier this week.

Kvirikashvili said his Government would conduct a series of roadshows in the United States (US) and elsewhere to attract foreign investments to an economy hit by financial problems in neighbouring countries.

"There will be a number of roadshows this year, including the roadshow in the United States that we are planning for the second quarter of this year and also in regional countries," Kvirikashvili said.

"I can't predict whether we will need to issue Eurobonds, but if speeding up infrastructure projects requires attracting additional investments, including via Eurobonds, of course, we will do that, maybe later this year."

Watch the full interview here.

The Georgian Prime Minister also said his Government planned to ask international institutions for additional financing for infrastructure projects.

He also touched on the lifting of international sanctions for Iran and said this could bring a new dynamic to the region. He believed Georgia's location at a crossroads between Europe and Asia put it in a position to boost cooperation between Iran and Europe.

"Iran is ready to discuss cooperation in different fields, including in the energy sector, which can be very interesting for Europe to diversify its energy supplies," he said.

Kvirikashvili also believed that within one decade it would be possible to see Georgia's economy, revenue and per capita GDP as comparable to eastern European standards.