The First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Levan Davitashvili, met with Ashok Pinto, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce of the United States, to discuss the prospects of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. The information was provided by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.

According to the ministry, the meeting took place during the First Vice Prime Minister’s visit to the United States and was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Genadi Arveladze.

The meeting focused on the new positive agenda and initiatives for economic cooperation between Georgia and the U.S. It covered trade and economic collaboration both bilaterally and regionally.

“During the meeting, we discussed initiatives that I believe are interesting for both Georgia and the U.S. These initiatives concern further promoting trade. Georgia is not just a small consumer market and a trade partner for the U.S. where American products are sold, but Georgia and the U.S. can collaborate on a broader scale. Georgia is an important trade hub, and American products, in the form of reexports, are distributed to Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the entire region. Therefore, Georgia can be a very interesting trade partner for the U.S. Also, of course, the U.S. is a huge consumer market, and for our exports, the U.S. is very attractive,” said the First Vice Prime Minister.

During the meeting, the Georgian side proposed signing a new framework memorandum of understanding between the two countries.

As the First Vice Prime Minister pointed out, the memorandum will reflect the initiatives the Georgian side has presented to American partners and will be specified and implemented in collaboration with the private sector.

“A visit by Georgian businesses to the U.S. is planned for this year, which will assess investment opportunities in America. The U.S. Department of Commerce will be actively involved in this process and will host Georgian companies. Also, in the second half of the year, in September, a trade mission from the U.S. will visit Georgia, and our ministry will also be actively involved,” said Levan Davitashvili.

The meeting also touched upon cooperation in key sectors such as transportation, logistics, and energy. Attention was also given to new initiatives in technology, innovation, and startups.

“I think these are areas where we need to develop specific action plans,” noted the First Vice Prime Minister.

During the First Vice Prime Minister’s visit to the U.S., meetings have already been held with representatives from the U.S. State Department, Department of Treasury, as well as high-ranking officials from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.