Economy Minister says Georgia, US keen to deepen ties

Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday said the United States was a “strategic partner” of his Government, adding both countries were “keen” to deepen economic and other ties.

We are eager to see more results. We put in a lot of effort every year to review our existing trade agreements and make progress. We believe there should be more liberal regimes for important export products for Georgia, and we hope to see this improvement soon”, Davitashvili said.

The Minister added there were “continuous talks” with American partners about “advancements in free trade” and “elimination of trade barriers”, while also noting the “current global situation” and trade policy decisions the US was faced with.

Recently, the world has undergone several changes, including the US altering its trade policies towards numerous countries. [The US] must now establish new priorities concerning trade relations. In this context, Georgia, being a strategic partner, will be given due consideration [...] We are committed to ensuring that Georgia's voice is heard in all relevant formats, and that its priorities are taken into account in the new policy”, Davitashvili said. 

He also highlighted the Government’s efforts in deepening bilateral ties with the US.

We keep working to attract high-quality investments from America, [and] promote direct flights. We are fully prepared to make the necessary infrastructure changes in our airports to support this goal. However, we need more support because our efforts alone are not enough”, the official pointed out.

The Minister added it could be “challenging” to start new direct flights commercially, but added promoting trade, tourism and people-to-people relations would be “essential”.

Davitashvili highlighted “successful” cooperation with the US in technology and innovation, and noted the countries had made “progress” in the IT sector, which he said had generated over a billion dollars in revenue for Georgia last year.