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#GeorgiaChina September 21, 2015 #114
caucasus business week
THINGS GEORGIAN PM DID IN CHINA
China seems to be the next big thing for Georgia. Last week Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has completed his 5-day visit to China for the World Economic Forum in Dalian. While in China, the Georgian PM did quite a bit of impressive things that might have slipped your attention if you weren’t following updates on his visit as intensively as the Georgian journalists have been. The PM made sure to tell his Chinese counterparts that Georgia is eager to cooperate and would be an ideal partner in the region. The PM had meetings with such impressive figures as the Premier of China Li Keqiang, President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Jin Liqun, Huawei’s Senior Vice President, heads of Chinese Silk Road Fund and the like. Here are some highlights from PM’s visit to China, where he:
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Talked FreeTalked Anaklia Trade NegotiaPort Investtions with China ment OpportuniGeorgia will be the first country in the region to launch negotiations with China about free trade, ties from China said Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili
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in Dalian. From the Georgian side, the Memorandum was signed by the Director of JSC Vagonmshenebeli, Badri Tsilosani, whereas, the signatory from the Chinese side was the President of Dalian Locomotive and Carriage Building Plan, Min Xing.
Met with the Chinese TV
Signed a Jump-Started One of the meetings was with representatives of Memoranafter meeting his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang the POWERCHINA investment corporation. The on September 10. PM’s Administration said the company had “conExport of Geor- dum of Cooperacrete plans” to invest in Georgia, and had showed particular interest in Anaklia Port. gian Wine to Chi- tion Between DaRaised Subject nese Port City of lian and Ajara of Asia InfraReceived an Memorandum of Cooperation was signed in the of the working visit on September 10. It Dalian structure InvestHonorary Doc- Georgia will soon begin exporting wine to one frames was signed by the Chairman of Ajara AR Governof China’s major port cities, Dalian. Georgian ment Archil Khabadze and Mayor of Dalian Xiao ment Bank and tor Degree from Wine Company (GWC) signed a Memorandum Shengfeng. with Dalian Free Trade Zone today to solidify the The agreement provides equality, cooperation and sharing knowledge and experience based on Georgia Coopera- Beijing University deal. Garibashvili said Georgia already enjoyed posi- mutual benefit in economic, agriculture, health tive relations with China but he hoped to forge care, tourism, culture, education, transport, ention deeper cooperation in the future, stated the Prime vironment protection, service industry, city planAt the September 11 meeting, the AIIB president Met with the Minister’s press service. The volume of Georgian ning and other fields. Jin Liqun stated that Georgia will be among the wine to be exported to Dalian was not specified. first countries that the newly established AIIB Huawei and will start making operations. Visited the Jin Liqun said he had visited Georgia twice. AcMitsubishi RepreNegotiated a cording to him, the country has made a significant progress in the past period. “The Asian InfrastrucGreat Chiture Investment Bank is interested in Georgia’s sentatives $200m Investtransport, logistics and energy sectors,” he said. Delegation of a large international corporation nese Wall Irakli Garibashvili in his turn stressed Georgia’s Mitsubishi will visit Georgia- This statement was ment into Tkibuli strategic geographic location, its amicable busi- made by the chairman of the board of Mitsubishi ness environment, and the Free Trade Agreement Yorihiko Kojima with Georgian PM Irakli GaribInvited the Thermal Power ashvili. with Europe. Huawei, the telecommunications giant that has Chinese been successfully operating in Georgia for the last Plant fifteen years, expressed its interest in a so-called One of China’s largest enterprises has expressed Stressed Geor- “safe country” concept. This means that Huawei its interest in investing almost $200 million USD Delegation to Visit is interested in building safety infrastructure and in Georgia’s energy sector. gia’s Role in building Internet systems in Georgia’s cities and State-owned enterprise Dongfang Electric has Georgia the countryside. pledged to contribute about $180-$200 million Georgia is preparing to host hundreds of highNew Silk Road for construction of a 150 megawatt Thermal level officials from China and the surrounding Power Plant (TPP) in Georgia’s western Tkibuli region at the upcoming Tbilisi Silk Road Forum region. Project Talked Georon October 15 -16, where global leaders will disDongfang Electric is one of China’s most influen“Georgia has proven that we are a reliable transit cuss how to reinstate the ancient Silk Road route tial corporations that engage in the manufacturing country. Georgia’s economy is growing, we are between Europe and Asia. gian-Chinese of power generators and the contracts of power building and strengthening the democratic instiThe Silk Road Fund, with a $40 billion USD budstation projects locally and around the world. tutions, and providing for the business and media get, focused on exploring new trade-economic Locomotive Confreedom,” Georgia’s PM stated at the “New Silk benefits and opportunities to connect European Road” Session held within the World Economic and Asian economic markets, is among the instruction Forum in Dalian. vited guests.
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“We are definitely ready to become the part of the New Silk Road route. Our aim is to use Georgia’s strategic location as best we can,” said Garibashvili.
The Georgian-Chinese venture to manufacture the locomotives with asynchronous engines and their spare parts will be built in Georgia, according to the Memorandum of Cooperation signed