China-Georgia forum held to explore economic, trade opportunities

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- An economic and trade forum between China and Georgia was held here on Monday, with some 230 participants exchanging views on exploring the potential for further bilateral cooperation.

The forum was jointly held by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

President Ren Hongbin of the CCPIT expressed hope that the two countries can seize the opportunities brought by the strategic alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Middle Corridor plan of Georgia and launch more high-quality platforms for mutual benefits based on the wine business, investment, and other key areas.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili looked forward to more Chinese companies investing in Georgia and conducting extensive cooperation in trade, transportation and logistics, infrastructure, and renewable energy.

China and Georgia have made solid progress in economic and trade cooperation in recent years, with the former being Georgia's largest export market and third-largest trading partner.

On Jan. 1, 2018, the China-Georgia Free Trade Agreement came into effect. It is the first free trade agreement signed between China and a country in the Eurasian region.