MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Natia Turnava and the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Kitack Lim talked about the improvement of Georgia's maritime transport regulation, construction of a new port infrastructure and introduction of a single window service, as well as further opening of the international labor market and opportunities for employment of Georgian mariners in the world's leading ship-owner companies. 

The meeting was held within the framework of the annual assembly of the organization. It was also attended by the Director of the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia, Tamar Ioseliani and the Permanent Representative of Georgia to the International Maritime Organization, Tamar Beruchashvili.

At the meeting, Natia Turnava thanked the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization for the support the mentioned union has shown in the direction of reforming Georgia's maritime transport sector. According to the Minister, Georgia is a maritime country, however, its port infrastructure, as well as its system for training in maritime specialties and further employment is constantly improving. “The Government of Georgia, together with its partner countries and donor organizations, is implementing significant programs and projects aiming to introduce modern methods of management to the local maritime transport system and increase the competitiveness of our country, as one of the main providers of maritime services, on the Black Sea. In this regard, the support we receive from the International Maritime Organization is important and we hope that this fruitful cooperation will further deepen,” - the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development stated. 

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Organization also welcomed the ongoing projects in Georgia and noted that Georgia is a good example of how much success a country can achieve while pursuing sequential reforms. He also appreciated the tradition of holding the international maritime forum in Batumi, which takes place every two years and has already become an important regional forum, where the representatives of the world-class ship-owner companies and the government officials from the leading maritime nations consider the issues related to the development of this sector. 

Finally, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Natia Turnava, invited the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Kitack Lim, to the forum that is scheduled to be held in Batumi in 2020.