Georgian Parliament Speaker Visits Saudi Arabia to Establish Economic Ties

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Davit Usupashvili, visited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to strengthen ties with the Arabian Peninsula country.

On March 22nd, Usupashvili met Saudi Arabia’s King Salman in Riyadh to discuss cultural and economic relations.

Following the meeting Usupashvili emphasized that the Georgian delegation had productive meetings where the parties noted that Saudi Arabia expressed interest in a close relation with Georgia.

“We were pleased to note at the meetings that such a strong and influential country as Saudi Arabia, having the vote in solution of world issues, is interested in close relations with Georgia,” Usupashvili commented.

King Salman confirmed that Saudi Arabia supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and will continue to support the UN General Assembly Resolution on “Status of the IDPs and Refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia.

“King Salman noted and underlined that we will have support of Saudi Arabia in the resolution on Refugees. He issued instructions to the Ministers to work harder with business circles to represent Georgia as a friend country and their will and attitude is very important that they want to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, as well as to contribute to economic development,” Usupashvili continued.

He was referring to a non-binding resolution on internally displaced persons, which Georgia has tabled at the UN General Assembly annually since 2008.

Saudi Arabia, which was usually was among those abstaining, voted in favor of the resolution in 2014 and then again in 2015.

The sides also discussed the spring water problem in Saudi Arabia.

“Georgian companies, Georgian businessmen can think about plans in close collaboration with Arabian businessmen to help them solving the problem,” Usupashvili stated.

Usupashvili met with President of the Shura Council, Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh and introduced him to the current problems, challenges and the situation in the occupied territories.

By Tamar Svanidze

Edited by Chloe Diamond