Deputy Economy Minister: passenger, cargo transportation deal with China to facilitate Middle Corridor
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Guram Guramishvili said the passenger, cargo transportation deal with China would contribute to the development of the Middle Corridor. Photo: Ministry of Economy
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Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Guram Guramishvili on Friday said the Agreement on International Passenger and Freight Transportation, reached with China, would contribute to the development of the Middle Corridor - a multimodal transport corridor connecting China to Europe through the South Caucasus - and boost trade between the countries.
From today, carriers registered in Georgia who transport cargo by land are given the opportunity to carry out direct transport operations in the territory of China. [This will] significantly increase the competitiveness of Georgian carriers in new markets”, Guramishvili said.
He added the development of the Middle Corridor as well as other transport routes passing through Georgia was a “priority” of the Georgian Government's economic policy.
Our goal is to promote smooth traffic between countries and attract additional cargo flows by developing the mentioned transport routes. Such initiatives create new opportunities for Georgian carriers and exporter and importers, which is also very important”, Guramishvili said.
The Ministry of Economy said the agreement would facilitate attracting additional cargo routes to Georgia and encourage the introduction of Georgian products to the Chinese market through reduction of transportation costs and shipping time.
The body shared statistical data of the first 10 months of the year that showed about 528,900 tonnes of cargo were transported between the countries by road and sea, registering a 4.1 percent increase year-on-year.
A new report published on Wednesday by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, identified renewables, transport and logistics and digital transformation as key sectors to boost Georgia’s private sector-led growth and help the country reach high-income status.
Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, on Sunday said high-level visits and contacts between the governments of China and Georgia were contributing to the deepening of cooperation in “various fields”, and further pointed out “we are already seeing tangible results”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said Georgia was emerging as “a multi-dimensional regional hub” and highlighted several important projects, including the construction of the Anaklia deep sea port and the Georgia-initiated Black Sea submarine cable international project.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said the long-standing project for the development of a deep sea port in the country’s Black Sea town of Anaklia remained as his Government’s “main and ambitious priority”.
Zurab Pataradze, the Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, on Friday said negotiations on the Black Sea submarine cable project - intended to connect the grids of the South Caucasus and European Union member states - was in an “active phase”.
A delegation from Georgian Railway attended the general meeting of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, aimed to connect supply chains and logistics between China and Europe, in Ankara.