PM highlights Georgia’s “fastest-growing” economy at UN Sustainable Development Goals Summit

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday highlighted Georgia as a “global hub for business and finance” and one of the world’s “fastest-growing” economies while addressing the United Nations General Assembly’s Sustainable Development Goals Summit in New York.

Garibashvili highlighted Georgia’s double-digit economic growth by presenting the figures recorded in 2021 and 2022, telling the event growth also remained “high at 7.2 percent between January-July of 2023”.

He noted his Government had devised a localisation plan in 2021 to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals “at the grassroots level”, adding 32 out of 64 municipalities in Georgia were contributing to SDGs through the plan and every municipality was expected to join it by 2025.

Photo: Gov't Administration

Garibashvili said the localised effort was aligned with the Government’s Vision 2030 development strategy for the country, which outlined key priorities for development in compliance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda.

Our Government additionally seeks to build coordination capacities and transparency mechanisms. To this end, we have created a monitoring system for the UN Sustainable Goals national agenda for real-time updates on SDG targets”, he told the Summit.

The Georgian PM also said his country’s position as a “responsible global actor” advancing the 2030 Agenda was reflected in its “numerous policies” aimed at reducing poverty, promoting social inclusion, improving education access, developing renewable energy, and utilising eco-friendly tourism practices.