Georgia’s Prime Minister Meets with Belarus’ Lukashenko
MINSK, Belarus - Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili on Tuesday met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during his official visit to Belarus’ capital Minsk.
Lukashenko said at the start of the meeting that Belarus and Georgia should in the near term work towards raising annual bilateral trade to USD 200 million.
"I recently visited Georgia, where we discussed many important issues. But most importantly we looked into each other’s eyes and realized that we have many opportunities to cooperate. We made a decision to go down that path and I promise you that we will not pull back,” Lukashenko said.
Georgia and Belarus reached an agreement in 2014 that would boost annual bilateral trade from USD 55.9 to USD 200 million.
At the time, Georgian and Belarusian officials emphasized the need for deeper cooperation in trade, transportation, communications, and the IT industry.
In addition to economic issues and bilateral trade, the two presidents also discussed regional security issues.
"We are more than ready to develop our trade and economic relations. There is a huge investment perspective. Your personal contribution to this relations is significant and we appreciate your support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," Kvirikashvili said when addressing Lukashenko.
Lukashenko’s visit to Georgia in April 2014 was the first by a Belarusian head of state.
Edited by Nicholas Waller
