Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili announced on April 6 that the Government intends to start negotiations with India on launching the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.

Speaking at the Government session, PM Kvirikashvili stated that Georgia’s Economy Minister Giorgi Gakharia will visit New Delhi soon and that talks on the Free Trade Agreement will be launched “in a few months,” once the Government finalizes the “preliminary study” of the issue.

“We enjoy Free Trade Agreements with our neighbors, Turkey, the European Union, the countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Most probably, we will sign the [Free Trade] agreements with China and Hong Kong in the near future. We would [also] like to start exploring India in this regards,” PM Kvirikashvili stated.

“This is a very important topic, because Georgia has a potential to become a regional hub and we should make full use of this opportunity,” he added.

India is the leading trade partner for Georgia among South Asian countries. Georgia’s trade turnover with India stood at USD 99 million with exports increasing by 54.9% y/y to USD 22 million and imports up by 52.8% y/y to USD 77 million in 2016.