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New Silk Road a necessity: Georgia PM

Published: 23 Oct 2019 - 08:35 am | Last Updated: 03 Nov 2021 - 12:32 pm
Peninsula

Mohammed Osman | The Peninsula in Tbilisi

With the participation of over 2,000 delegates from up to 60 countries, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia, yesterday opened the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum at the Opera House, Tbilisi. 

The two-day forum was attended by high-level Qatari delegation headed by Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti and Qatari media representatives.

The huge number of participants reflects the importance given to the Silk Road initiative and role being played by Georgia and its partners including Qatar to implement the plan into action. Qatar as one of the countries creating a partnership in project is going to host a similar forum next moth under the patronage of HE the Minister of Transport and Communications.

At the opening session of the forum, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the initiative of New Silk Road is to connect Europe with Asia, and the participation in this project is among the top priorities of his government. The Georgian PM stated that in the modern world the creation of new transport corridors between Europe and Asia “is not only an opportunity but also it is a necessity.”

After highlighting the historical role played by Georgia in the development of the Silk Road, Giorgi Gakharia pointed out that economic integration and globalization is in action in today’s modern world, and development of trade and economic relations between countries have become among the top priorities of governments. He added that his country is proud of being part of this trans-regional and trans-continent project of the Silk Road. He further emphasized that the Silk Road initiative serves the goal of close economic, state-to-state cooperation.

He also highlighted his country’s support to the Silk Road initiative saying that Georgia was one of the first countries which applauded the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (also known as a new Silk Road), to create new trade corridors between Europe and Asia and improve existing ones.

This is the third Silk Road forum to be held in Tbilisi since October 2015. In his speech at  the opening session he expressed his confidence that the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum is “an important opportunity” and a platform which enables countries involved in the Silk Road initiative, international organizations and the private sector to discuss economic challenges facing them across the regions and find out means to overcome these challenges and share experience.

He added: “We believe that the forum will help Georgia carry out its function, to be a connecting bridge between Europe and Asia, more effectively”. 

“Georgia has taken huge steps over the past several years to develop its transport and logistic fields and infrastructure, to refine laws and integrate itself into global transport systems, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia noted.
For her the part the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, Maya Tskitishvili said there are eighteen infrastructure projects worth $3.4bn will be carried out to boost Georgia’s transit potential.

 Speaking at the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum yesterday, Tskitishvili noted the importance of the construction of the East-West Highway in the country, which will ensure faster and safer movement in the country, adding that these projects will also help to build “a more liberal economy, more connectivity between countries, more contacts with the regions”.

The forum include a number of sessions which highlights understanding stability and sustainable growth partners, Trade 2win, Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and many other important issues.