Georgian officials, European Free Trade Association discuss Free Trade Agreement in inaugural meeting

Georgian officials and the European Free Trade Association held the first meeting of their Joint Committee in Geneva on Saturday to discuss the Free Trade Agreement between the two sides.

Georgia’s Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development said Genadi Arveladze, the Deputy Minister, had led the meeting that saw the parties exchange information on the implementation of the Agreement, with particular emphasis placed on the achievement of the objectives set out in the chapter on trade and sustainable development.

Views on the economic reforms implemented, bilateral trade relations between the sides and the prospects for their development were also discussed, in addition to developments in the field of e-commerce and its addition to the agreement.

Annex 2 on Rules of Origin and Methods of Administrative Cooperation, as part of the Free Trade Agreement between Georgia and EFTA countries, was signed at the meeting by the decision of the Joint Committee.

The Annex does not change the rules in force between Georgia and EFTA but creates the possibility of an alternative use of the updated version of the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Preferential Rules of Preference - for the benefit of the economic operators who choose to do so.

The Joint Committee of the European Free Trade Association and Georgia was established within the framework of the EFTA-Georgia Free Trade Agreement, signed on June 27, 2016 and in force since September 2017.