Batumi hosts Georgia-Ukraine Business Forum
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, July 21
Business potential of Georgia and Ukraine was discussed at the investment forum held in Georgia’s Black Sea city of Batumi on Wednesday.
The forum was attended by Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, the head of the Adjara Autonomous Republic’s Government Zurab Pataradze and around 250 business representatives working in logistics, tourism and agriculture in Georgia and Ukraine.
Margvelashvili said that Georgia and Ukraine have become strategic partners and the forum will further deepen cooperation between the two states.
“Georgia and Ukraine have clear and interesting environment and they are European oriented countries in terms of business. Both countries have signed the Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) deal with the EU; both countries also have visa-free regimes with the Schengen Zone,” he stated.
The Georgian President addressed the businessmen gathered at the forum and urged them to study Georgia’s potential, adding the power that operates the state that creates the prospect of future is business.
“Business solves employment, business creates economic growth, solves social problems and develops our states,” he added.
While delivering his own speech, Poroshenko said his visit proved that Georgia and Ukraine are very close partners and friendly states.
“Today, Ukraine and Georgia are leaders of the Eastern Partnership. We have carried out many reforms and changed these countries cardinally. Ukrainians and Georgians have received visa free travel ...this is the final farewell to the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire, and now we are back in the family of European nations,” he stated.
The President of Ukraine talked about the potential of economic development of Georgia and Ukraine and asked Ukrainian businessmen to investigate Georgia's capabilities.
Within the forum, an agreement was signed between the officials of the Georgian region of Adjara and Ukraine’s region of Odessa on deepening further cooperation in 2017-2019.
The Ukrainian President and his delegation arrived in Tbilisi on Monday. After the joint investment forum, Poroshenko completed his official meetings in Georgia.
