Georgian Economy Minister: meetings with Kazakh officials “great impetus” for enhancing ties

Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Wednesday said “each meeting” with Kazakh officials, hosted during Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s official visit to the country, was a “great impetus” for enhancing economic relations between the two states.

Davitashvili noted negotiations were ongoing concerning “significant investments” and “various investment projects” aimed at bolstering economic collaboration.

Kazakhstan is one of Georgia’s important trade and economic partners. However, it should be noted we have not fully utilised our trade and economic potential with this country”, he told the media in Almaty.

Davitashvili said the two prime ministers, Irakli Kobakhidze and Oljas Bektenov, had addressed “all critical aspects” of economic cooperation, particularly focusing on trade growth, during a meeting earlier that day.

There is a great potential for growth in trade between both countries, and the prime ministers discussed this thoroughly”, he said.

In addition to trade, the discussions also highlighted investments. Davitashvili said Kazakhstan had a “history of making notable investments” in Georgia, adding his office was negotiating for further projects.

We hope the increasing trend of foreign direct investment in Georgia from Kazakhstan will continue in the coming years. We are particularly looking forward to investments in projects that are currently underway and expected to progress from 2026 to 2027”, the Minister said.

Another area of focus was cooperation in the transport and logistics sector.

There is significant potential for cooperation between Kazakhstan and Georgia, as both countries are key components of the Middle Corridor. Ongoing collaboration between our railways and various agencies occurs daily. Today’s meeting also emphasised the importance of expanding these opportunities”, Davitashvili said.

High-level coordination will enhance cargo flows through the Corridor, facilitating increased shipments from Central Asia to Georgia. This includes organising multimodal railway transportation from Southeast Asia as well”, he added.

Tourism was also discussed during the meeting, with Davitashvili noting a rise in Kazakh visitors to Georgia. He said the country had welcomed over 180,000 visitors from Kazakhstan in 2024, a trend the Minister said he hoped would continue to grow.