Mayor-elect of Tbilisi, EBRD regional director discuss future cooperation

The mayor-elect of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, has met with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Director for the Caucasus, Moldova and Belarus, Bruno Balvanera.

The pair discussed how they could cooperate in the future to make Tbilisi a greener and more developed city.

The discussion focused on several concrete projects and topics, including:

• Tbilisi Green City Action Plan
• Public Transport
• Waste management
• Municipal infrastructure

Following the meeting Kaladze said that two fields had been identified where the EBRD could financially assist Tbilisi. These are the rehabilitation of Tbilisi’s metro and switching the city to LED lights, and energy-efficient outdoor lighting.

"I am very optimistic and believe that very soon we will have the most beautiful and clean city with renewed infrastructure”, he said, adding that he is going to use help from international financial institutions to achieve this.

Balvanera said that the purpose of today’s meeting was to define how to cooperate in the future. He said the parties identified their priorities and agreed to continue cooperation in several fields.

Earlier, Kaladze also met with representatives from the European Investment Bank.