MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Another session of the Advisory Council on Trade Issues was held at the Radisson hotel. The council brings together representatives of various business associations. The event was initiated by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and supported by the G4G project of the USAID / GEORGIA and it was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Genadi Arveladze. Representatives of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia also participated in the meeting.

The conversation with the private sector aimed at identifying Georgia’s export potential within the Free Trade regimes with the European Union and the People’s Republic of China and promoting Georgian export to these markets as well as the issues raised by the private sector concerning the non-tariff barriers on trade with these countries. “When signing Free Trade Agreements we pay special attention to the strengthening of trade with these countries and promoting the export of Georgian products and improving the structure,” – Arveladze said. Deputy Minister highlighted the importance of Georgian export having access to the diversified different markets.

The Deputy Minister noted that the Agreement reached with the EU also implies the identification of the sectors and products where Georgia is competitive and where the EU will further facilitate us in overcoming technical and trade barriers that prevent our products from being introduced at the EU market. According to Arveladze, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce expressed interested in having significant outcomes from signing the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, which came into force last year.

Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development said that in cooperation with the GIZ, several sectors have already been identified. “We have identified certain sectors where we think that the value chain can be included in the EU direction. These are three sectors that have been identified: furniture manufacturing, light industry sectors and the ICT,” – Genadi Arveladze stated.