Georgian Economy Minister, UK Ambassador discuss cooperation

The current dynamics in bilateral trade and economic relations, particularly in sectors such as trade, transport and logistics, the financial sector, tourism, and civil aviation were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and Gareth Ward, the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the country.

The trends in the economic relationship between the two countries were highlighted, including bilateral trade - in 2024, the trade turnover between Georgia and the UK reached $ 170 million, which is a 7 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous year. Export indicators also improved - in 2024, local exports to the UK increased by 43 percent.

It was noted at the meeting that in 2024, 448 million USD in investments were made from the UK into the Georgian economy.

The Minister stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the business sectors of the two countries. According to her, the governments of both countries should support the private sector in order to encourage mutual understanding and joint project implementation.

Kvrivishvili emphasised the importance of organizing more business forums and trade missions. The strategic partnership agreement between Georgia and the UK, particularly the Free Trade Agreement signed under its framework, was also discussed, along with the importance of deepening cooperation in this direction.

Shei placed special emphasis on the launch of the first direct flights between Georgia and the UK, scheduled for early 2025. She noted that the entry of British Airways and easyJet into the Georgian aviation market has given a new impetus to economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the tourism sector.

According to her, in the first two quarters of 2025, there was a 26 percent increase in visitors from the UK to Georgia.

The Minister also spoke about major infrastructure projects, including the Anaklia deep-sea port, the Black Sea submarine cable, the new international airport in Tbilisi, and others. She highlighted the importance of these projects for the development of Georgia's economy and noted their potential to play a significant role in integrating Georgia into regional transport, logistics, and energy systems.

The meeting also included discussions on the current regional situation and related challenges.