The FINANCIAL — The Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) continues to further the interests of local businesses, deepen ties with international business communities and contribute to the development of the Georgian economy by fostering entrepreneurial spirit.
In April this year the GCCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (SRCIC) delegation to allow the Georgian organisation to become a member of the SRCIC.
The deal means Georgia’s business society is now able to develop partnerships with other international commercial networks involved in the SRCIC. Furthermore, head of GCCI Nino Chikovani became vice president of SRCIC.
The SRCIC was established in 2015 in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and includes large companies from 36 countries.
“Focusing on the strategy of ‘one belt and one road’, the SRCIC is promoting the establishment of a positive, open, efficient and convenient economic channel to create an opportunity and platform of common prosperity and regional economic cooperation among countries along the Silk Road,” said Chikovani.
“SRCIC started this process from Georgia and this fact once again underlines the importance of our country’s historical role as a gateway between Europe and Asia,” she added.
Both GCCI and SRCIC agreed Silk Road will enable Georgia to develop its economy, establish new links and showcase its investment and touristic potential even better to the wider world. Both sides expressed hope that via the New Silk Road project, Georgia will reclaim its function of being a nexus between Europe and Asia.
The GCCI has been arranging a number of business forums and B2B (business to business) meetings, giving the opportunity to Georgian business society to deepen cooperation with foreign partners, or establish new communications.
At the beginning of June Austria’s capital Vienna hosted the Georgian-Austrian business forum where Chikovani met her Austrian counterpart Marta Schultz. X At the meeting Chikovani stressed Georgia’s favourable business environment and the country’s investment potential. Chikovani encouraged Austria’s business society to look into investing in a number of areas in Georgia. More than 60 Austrian companies participated in the business forum.
Meanwhile, on 16 May Chikovani visited China where she signed an agreement on strategic partnership in a bid to deepen cooperation between the countries in the fields of trade, tourism, culture and investments.
While in China Chikovani participated in the opening ceremony of the fourth Georgian wine house in China.
The Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry arranged the visit of Iraqi company Al-Ghad Tourism and Investment Group to Georgia where Iraqi investors met Georgian companies in Tbilisi from 25-28 April. The Iraqi investors expressed interest in Georgia’s cheese and dairy production, sheep export to Iraq, real estate, hotel construction and international shipping.
Meanwhile, a group of Jordanian businessmen visited Georgia in March to learn about the investment opportunities of the country. Representatives of Jordan’s business and exporter’s associations and the leaders of about 40 companies are in Georgia. The Jordanian delegation included investors from the fields of manufacturing, agriculture, textiles and hotel infrastructure.
President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nino Chikovani met the 12 Jordanian businessmen from six Jordanian companies. At the meeting Chikovani introduced Georgia’s investment opportunities to potential investors. The sides also discussed bilateral trade and economic relations.
Chikovani hoped the Jordanian delegation’s visit to Georgia would have a positive result which would deepen economic ties between the two countries.
“Georgia is offering attractive opportunities to run European businesses, invest and implement innovative ideas to foreign investors. We have arranged a number of business meetings recently, tried to attract the attention of investors and, ultimately, Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to the country. Before meeting the Jordanian businesses we also offered a lot to Belarusian investors,” Chikovani said.
Georgia and its chamber of commerce participated in the Georgia-Belarus Business Forum on 22-23 March in Belarus’s capital Minsk. Fifty Georgian and Belarusian businesses participated in the bilateral forum. Speaking to participants, Chikovani highlighted the advantages entrepreneurs could benefit from if they invested in Georgia, of which she singled out an open, transparent and inclusive business environment, easy customs and tax system, and non-corrupt government.
Georgian and Kirgiz chambers of commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March this year. The MoU aimed to make the two countries’ trade-economic relations more active and establish business contacts between the two countries’ private sector representatives. Both chambers promised to deepen cooperation between the business companies, exchange information about current economic processes, and organise events of different formats in a bid to introduce both countries’ export and investment opportunities.
Earlier, Georgia called on Latvian entrepreneurs to expand mutual cooperation and investments at the Georgia-Latvia business forum held in March in Latvia’s capital Riga. The forum was organised by the two countries’ chambers of commerce.
Georgia revealed its investment opportunities in Budapest, Hungary, at the Georgian-Hungarian Business Forum, again in March. Georgian companies were able to meet the Hungarian companies and establish business ties. B2B meetings were arranged in the fields of construction, agriculture, food, information technologies, healthcare and industry.
There was potential for Georgia and Estonia to deepen trade and economic cooperation, said Chikovani after the Georgia-Estonia Business Forum held in February that brought together dozens of businessmen, which aimed to enhance the fruitful bilateral cooperation that already existed.
While speaking about the target areas of future cooperation, Chikovani said Georgia was particularly interested in sharing Estonia’s experience in information technologies, communications and electronic services, of which Estonia is a world leader.
“The deputy general director of GCCI met several Estonian companies such as Ericsson, Group Logistic, Opennode, and Sakutehno. They expressed business interest towards Georgia after getting the information about Georgia’s business opportunities from the representatives of GCCI,” Chikovani said.
In February another business forum was arranged, between Georgia and the Czech Republic this time. During the Forum GCCI and the Czech Republic’s Chamber of Commerce signed a Memorandum to deepen cooperation. The Forum was attended by 31 Czech and 85 Georgian companies.
GCCI continues to arrange many other business forums and meanwhile also supported the most influential business awards ceremony in Georgia – Golden Brand Awards.
Chikovani said it was an honour for her to support the Golden Brand Awards and encourage Georgian businesses to continue their successful activities and win many other awards in the coming years.
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