PM at UN Economic Forum in Baku: maintaining peace, supporting economic development Government’s “main goal”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said the “main goal” of his Government was to “maintain peace, ensure stability and support economic development” in comments at the Economic Forum of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia, running in Baku.

Garibashvili said his Government had been able to achieve the goals as a result of “pragmatic, thoughtful foreign and sound economic policies” despite “instability due to security challenges in the region and in the world”.

In recent years, the economy of our country has grown by 10 percent, and more than 10 percent in 2021 and 2022”, he said, adding the growth continued in 2023 at seven percent and inflation at less than one percent.

At the end of the year, gross domestic product per capita is expected to be more than $8,000, which is a double figure in the last three years. In 2024 the GDP per capita will be more than $8,500”, he noted.

The international reserves of our country have equalled the historical maximum in July of this year, and unemployment and poverty indicators have fallen to a historically low level”, Garibashvili told the event. 

The Georgian PM expressed interest in “even closer” relations with the Central Asian region by “fully using the existing potential”. He also noted the dynamics of recent years were “very positive”.

Garibashvili said Georgia’s trade turnover with Azerbaijan had increased by 16 percent last year, and by the same figure over the first 10 months of the current year, adding trade turnover amounted to $1.230 billion. 

He also noted trade turnover with all five countries of Central Asia had increased by 50 percent last year and 150 percent in the first 10 months of 2023, reaching $1.4 billion.

The Georgian official spoke at the Forum after being invited as a special guest by the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.