The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation organized an economic delegation led by His Excellency Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State, to Tbilisi, Georgia. During the visit, His Excellency Al Sayegh met several high-level officials, including HE Irakli Garibashvili, Georgian Prime Minister; HE Levan Davitashvili, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia; and HE Alexander Khvtisiashvili, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
During the meetings, both sides discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Georgia and ways to develop cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, clean energy, climate change, sustainability, tourism, education, culture, sports, and diplomacy.
Additionally, His Excellency Al Sayegh pointed to increased economic cooperation between the UAE and Georgia, including through bilateral negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to begin by the end of September 2022. In this regard, His Excellency noted that UAE-Georgian economic relations have witnessed remarkable development in recent years, as total non-oil trade grew between 2020 and 2021 by 52% to reach USD 223 million.
His Excellency Al Sayegh also commended the conclusion of an agreement in June 2022 to exempt Georgian citizens from obtaining a visa when entering the UAE, noting that the agreement will lead to an increase in investment and tourism between the two countries.
Both sides also discussed regional issues and efforts to address challenges facing the international community.
During the visit, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the UAE-Georgia Joint Business Council, which was signed by HE Abdullah Al Mazrui, Chairman of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Giorgi Pertaia, President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Tornike Zirakishvili, Deputy Director of Enterprise Georgia. The MoU aims to bolster coordination and cooperation between the private sectors of both countries, encourage economic exchange visits, and support bilateral commercial and investment partnerships.
The UAE delegation included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the UAE Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), Abu Dhabi Investment Office, and Abu Dhabi Ports, as well as other entities and business professionals.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation
