Tbilisi Mayor: relations between Georgia and China, cities to deepen further

Kakha Kaladze, Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday thanked the Chinese side for its hospitality and expressed hope for further deepening relations and cooperation between Georgia and China.

“During the visit, I had the opportunity to meet with the Mayor of Nanjing. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Chinese side for the very warm welcome and hospitality. The main topic of our meeting was future relations between the cities, and we also discussed the possibility of establishing a sister-city relationship. I would like to once again express my gratitude for the hospitality and cordial reception. I am confident that relations between our countries and cities will deepen further and become even more engaging”, Kaladze said.

He emphasised Nanjing’s historical significance and modern urban development, noting the importance of sharing the city’s experience with Tbilisi.

“Nanjing is one of China’s oldest cities. It once served as the capital, and it is fascinating to observe its evolution, pace of development, new initiatives, and advances in IT, as well as infrastructure and urban planning”, Kaladze said.

“Clearly, there are challenges here too, just as there are in Tbilisi. We will do our utmost to adopt the best projects implemented in Nanjing, introduce similar initiatives in Tbilisi, and address the challenges that, unfortunately, still persist in our city”, he continued.

The Georgian Dream official also discussed the main focus of the visit - a specific public transport project - and announced that CRRC, the Chinese company that won the tender to manufacture new carriages, had already begun production. As for the main topic of the visit, the public is aware that we announced a tender for carriages, which was won by CRRC, a major Chinese company and one of the largest in the world. Production is already underway, a portion of the carriages has been manufactured and will soon be shipped to Georgia. Very shortly, Tbilisi residents will have the opportunity to travel in these new carriages”, Kaladze said.

“I am delighted and very happy, and I congratulate everyone who takes pleasure in the city’s development and welcomes the implementation of projects that are vital for our city”, he concluded.