WAM | 13 September 2022

UAE economic delegation led by Ahmed Al Sayegh visits Georgia

ABU DHABI, 13th September, 2022 (WAM) — The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation organised an economic delegation led by Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State, to Tbilisi, Georgia.

During the visit, Al Sayegh met several high-level officials, including Irakli Garibashvili, Georgian Prime Minister; Levan Davitashvili, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia; and Alexander Khvtisiashvili, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

During the meetings, both sides discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Georgia and ways to develop cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, clean energy, climate change, sustainability, tourism, education, culture, sports, and diplomacy.

Additionally, Al Sayegh pointed to increased economic cooperation between the UAE and Georgia, including through bilateral negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to begin by the end of September 2022. In this regard, he noted that UAE-Georgian economic relations have witnessed remarkable development in recent years, as total non-oil trade grew between 2020 and 2021 by 52 percent to reach US$223 million.

Al Sayegh also commended the conclusion of an agreement in June 2022 to exempt Georgian citizens from obtaining a visa when entering the UAE, noting that the agreement will lead to an increase in investment and tourism between the two countries.

Both sides also discussed regional issues and efforts to address challenges facing the international community.

During the visit, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the UAE-Georgia Joint Business Council, which was signed by Abdullah Al Mazrui, Chairman of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Giorgi Pertaia, President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Tornike Zirakishvili, Deputy Director of Enterprise Georgia. The MoU aims to bolster coordination and cooperation between the private sectors of both countries, encourage economic exchange visits, and support bilateral commercial and investment partnerships.

The UAE delegation included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the UAE Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), Abu Dhabi Investment Office, and Abu Dhabi Ports, as well as other entities and business professionals.