Georgia Interested in Starting Free Trade Regime Negotiations with Japan

Georgia’s Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Tarō Kōno, during which meeting he stated that Georgia is interested in launching negotiations over free trade with Japan.

The PM stated discussion of this issue will advance the relations between the two countries to a new level and will help Georgia's more effective integration into the global economy.

The parties also focused on ongoing negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement between Japan and Georgia, which is at the final stage.

As Bakhtadze said, the agreement will create an opportunity to attract more investments from Japan.

“In the foreseeable future, negotiations on the bilateral investment agreement will be finalized that will enable us to attract more high-tech investments from Japan. In addition, negotiations on visa liberalization with Japan have already begun which will advance Georgia-Japan relations onto a qualitatively new level. I would like to express my immense gratitude to the Government of Japan for allocating finances for the implementation of the East-West Highway Project,” the PM stated.

By Thea Morrison

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