Georgian official says China key to country's export diversification

Georgia's Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Irakli Nadareishvili has called China a core partner, in an exclusive interview with CGTN Digital's He Beibei.

Speaking on the sidelines of the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, Nadareishvili pointed to the numbers. Bilateral trade hit $2.3 billion last year under the two countries' free trade agreement, and ties have been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. AI, the digital economy and services, he said, are where the next growth is coming from.

Georgia sits as a key gateway on the Middle Corridor, and it's investing accordingly – a deep-sea port, the East-West Highway, a modern railway. Nadareishvili also flagged renewable energy and an undersea cable to Romania that would carry green energy to Europe.

For Georgia, he added, China is central to export diversification, and services trade could open a new chapter alongside technology and AI cooperation.