Georgian Economy Minister, Chinese official sign memorandum on development of Middle Corridor

Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili and Zhao Chenxin, the Vice Chair of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding on development of the Middle Corridor, a multimodal transport corridor connecting China to Europe through the South Caucasus.

The Ministry said the memorandum aimed to deepen cooperation between the two countries to ensure “further activation and effective functioning” of the Corridor, with the document signed during Davitashvili’s working visit to Beijing.

The signing of the memorandum gives us the opportunity to establish closer trade and economic ties with China, attract additional investments in the country, and increase exports of Georgian products to China”, Davitashvili said.

In addition, the signing of the document confirms the willingness and interest of the Chinese side to actively use the Middle Corridor as an alternative transport route to connect with Europe. As a result, we will be able to attract more cargo to our Corridor, which will increase the importance of Georgia as a regional hub”, he added.

The Ministry added the parties would work together to attract additional cargo to the Corridor by optimising routes, developing infrastructure and improving transport services, as well as by strengthening cooperation on customs, transport security and digitisation.

The memorandum will contribute to the growth of cargo flows via the Middle Corridor from China to Europe and vice versa, and to the strengthening of trade and economic relations between the two countries, it also said.

The officials also discussed priority directions of bilateral relations between the two countries, highlighting the strategic partnership agreement signed last year had moved the relations of the two countries to a “much higher level of cooperation”.

The Ministry also said the meeting discussed ongoing “major” transport and logistics projects in Georgia, including modernisation of the railway, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, a railway route that passes through Georgia and is the logistical part of the corridor that connects Europe and Asia, and the Anaklia deep sea port project, earmarked to be built in Georgia’s Black Sea town to ensure increased logistical capability between Asia and Europe.

Davitashvili noted development of transport and logistics infrastructure represented the Georgian Government’s “priority”.

The meeting also emphasised the importance of increasing the involvement from the Chinese side, including the launch of regular railway traffic, for the further development of the Middle Corridor.