PM Summarizes Davos Visit

"Davos is a format where business leaders and politicians, as well as civil society representatives, discuss global topical issues; we had important meetings with our counterparts, our European partners, where we discussed Georgia's European aspirations, the problem of occupation, and developments on the occupation line," Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said when summing up his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The head of government noted that Georgia should become a member of the EU, however, the country has some "homework" to do. 

As the Prime Minister pointed out, at the Eastern Partnership Summit scheduled for 2020, Georgia will present a concrete vision of how it sees the further process of EU integration, and these were the main topics discussed with the Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, and Croatian presidents and prime ministers.

"Our political partners appreciate the progress made in terms of democratization in Georgia; they are closely watching the electoral process, saying that elections should be exemplary and that responsibility is absolutely clear to us," the Prime Minister said. "In addition, we have talked a lot about the security context, especially in the context of the Black Sea, and Georgia can today make a significant contribution to the concept of European security. Our partners appreciate this, as well as the quality of Georgia's integration with NATOб and say that the results of 2019 in NATO-Georgia cooperation are truly impressive".

Gakharia noted it is very important that transnational financial corporations positively assess the current financial situation of Georgia and the degree of financial sustainability of the country. He added that during the visit, specific conversations took place with companies interested in Georgia or whose entry into the country is of great importance.

"There was a meeting with the Vice President of Coca-Cola, who talked about specific investment plans and ongoing projects. Of course, we pledged our full support to new projects, as this is particularly important in terms of jobs. We also had a meeting with representatives of Citi Bank, where we discussed the sustainability and further development of the Georgian financial sector, the reforms we are undertaking in the financial sector. It is very important how transnational financial corporations evaluate the current financial state of Georgia and the degree of our financial sustainability," he said.

The Prime Minister said that meetings were held with large companies operating in the energy sector.

“Renewable energy is a trend in the world today. We have many suggestions for common projects. Georgia is pursuing market liberalization reform in the energy sector, which is of great interest to companies that have extensive experience and are willing to implement new projects in Georgia. Swiss chocolate maker Camille Bloch has already selected 650 hectares of land in Georgia to implement a hazelnut plantation project. I hope that all the meetings that we held within the framework of the visit will be followed by further follow-up and end with concrete results,” he noted.

By Ana Dumbadze 

Related Story: PM Emphasizes Georgia's European, Euro-Atlantic Aspirations in Davos