Irakli Kobakhidze at a meeting with the Vice President of China: "We see a special, value-based connection with China, and this motivates us to work toward the further development of our bilateral relations"

Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia met Han Zheng, Vice President of the People's Republic of China who is paying an official visit by being accompanied with a delegation to Georgia.

According to the Government Administration, the Prime Minister of Georgia emphasized the profound importance of the visit of a high-level Chinese delegation to Georgia and expressed his gratitude to the Vice President.

"We attach profound importance to the partnership and friendship that have developed between our countries. We highly appreciate China's attitude towards Georgia and your visit is yet another demonstration of this relationship.

Our diplomatic relations span 34 years and we are pleased that the Agreement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the People's Republic of China and Georgia was signed as we mark the 34th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. We are also pleased that this agreement is delivering concrete, tangible results.

Several years ago, our countries established a strategic partnership and since then, we have made significant progress in various areas of bilateral relations.

We attach great importance to deepening political cooperation between our countries. We are grateful for China's support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and we once again reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the One China principle. Strengthening political cooperation is of paramount importance to us.

We also place particular emphasis on developing economic cooperation between our countries and are pleased to see very positive trends and growing indicators in this regard. Trade and economic relations continue to expand year after year and we are keen to deepen this cooperation even further in the future.

We are pleased that, according to data for the current year, China has become Georgia's largest investor, demonstrating the strong confidence of Chinese businesses and the Chinese side in Georgia's economic environment.

This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss ways to further develop bilateral cooperation. We are interested in deepening our partnership to the fullest extent possible, including within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative," stated Irakli Kobakhidze.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister also highlighted Georgia's strategic geographic location.

"Georgia serves as a natural bridge between Europe and Asia, between the West and the East. From this perspective, we believe there are significant opportunities to further develop relations between our countries.

We are also interested in expanding cooperation across a wide range of other sectors, including culture, education, science, sports, healthcare, agriculture and environmental protection.

We are pleased to see very positive developments in these areas as well, with relations between our countries and their respective institutions continuing to strengthen.

Our relationship with China is of profound importance to us.

In today's world, China is the only peaceful superpower, fully committed to progress, modernization, advancement and development.

Accordingly, we see a special bond between our countries based on shared values. Naturally, this common foundation provides us with strong motivation to work towards the further development of our bilateral relations.

Mr. Vice President, I am confident that your visit will give fresh impetus to the development of our bilateral relations. We stand ready to make every effort to deepen our cooperation," noted Irakli Kobakhidze.