The BRI Partner in the Caucasus

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China 

A visit of the Prime Minister of Georgia to China in July this year was very productive and very meaningful. We've signed around ten documents on bilateral cooperation, which covers different directions.

First of all, we've signed the agreement on cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Georgia is one of the first country to start ooperation with China in this regard. We are ready to play more  active role in this global initiative because Georgia strategic location, we are located on a crossroad between Europe and Asia. Our region is one of the shortest route to transport goods from China to Europe and vice versa.

We are planning to activate, to intensify cooperation with our Chinese colleagues under this global initiative. Also, these documents covered educational sphere, cultural sphere, in other directions as well. The Prime Minister has a very productive meeting with President Xi.

The parties agreed to strengthen and to deepen bilateral cooperation in various directions. During this meeting, parties agreed to elevate bilateral cooperation on a level of strategic partnership. With both the premiers, they had a very interesting talk. They discussed the wide range of bilateral trade, economic cooperation. I'm pretty sure that in coming months and years, our bilateral trade, economic cooperation will be elevated to a qualitatively higher level. And our bilateral trade, Chinese investments into Georgia economy, touristic sector, which is also very important, because tourism has a very big perspective in our bilateral relationship.

We established Free Visa Regime to Chinese citizens. We will witness daily flights from China to Georgia and vice versa. China Southern are there operating this flight. It reflects, and this is the concrete results of the historical visit of the Prime Minister. We have many common, as I mentioned, we have concrete results.

In coming months, the number of Chinese tourists will be increased in Georgia. This is very important because people-to-people contacts and cultural diplomacy is very important.

Definitely, it will boost bilateral cooperation in tourism sector. Also, I would like to mention that during this visit was set up a bust of a famous Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli in BLCU (Beijing Language and Culture University). Shota Rustaveli is a symbol of Georgia and is our Confucius.

We were very pleased that with our joint efforts and with the initiative of the embassy of Georgia to China, this bust was set up in BLCU. 

The Prime Minister and the leadership of the Ministry of Education of China, during the opening ceremony, they mentioned the importance of this activity.

I'm very pleased that we have one more place in Beijing where the Georgian people, and not only Georgians, they will have opportunity to know more about Georgian culture and Georgian history.So this bust will be a symbol of friendship between two nations. This year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative.

In 2015, the Prime Minister of Georgia established the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum. This was the first forum outside of China, which was related to the Belt and Road Initiative. After that, three times we've hosted successfully this activity. And then because of the global pandemic, we postponed this forum, but I'm pleased to mention that this year in October, 27 and 28 of October, we will host the 4th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum From high officials from the government of China, from the business circle, from academicians, many academicians, they are invited on this forum.

We would like to use this forum as a platform to exchange the experience, to exchange the views on this global initiative, and not only because Silk Road is — some other countries also had this kind of concept and this kind of proposal— Silk Road has various directions and many economic corridors. But in Georgia, this forum is very important.

The government of Georgia pays high importance on this activity.We do hope that Chinese delegation will be presented on a high level. Georgia has a free trade agreement not only with China but also with the European Union.

We would like to give some proposals to our neighboring countries,to China as well that to use our country as a platform of bilateral trade between East and West because we have a very liberal taxation system, we have a very attractive business environment, and we have free economic zones.

And just in this regard, we are ready to show our friends and our colleagues, our opportunity and our benefits, advantages of Georgia.So this forum will definitely promote not only Georgia economic potential, but also the countries who will be involved, according to my information, from Europe, from Middle East, from Asia, many countries will participate, and they will send their delegations on this forum.

So this will be a platform of exchange of the views and platform of new corporations, which will be related as well with the Belt and Road Initiative because this is a global initiative. For Georgia, for our government, it's very important to be involved in global and regional projects and the Belt and Road Initiative.

It's one of the great opportunity in this regard. I know your country is really fascinating, a beautiful country with a cultural heritage. Visa free is really really good.

Author ：Archil Kalandia