Garibashvili holds historic meeting with Saudi Crown Prince

“Positive dynamics” of cooperation and prospects for deepening economic cooperation were discussed in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister. 

The meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh highlighted the “increased role and importance” of Georgia as a “transit hub” connecting Asia and Europe, and a transport corridor with “great potential”, the Government Administration said. 

The officials also reviewed prospects of deepening the existing cooperation in tourism, with Garibashvili noting it as a “rapidly growing” sector of the Georgian economy, with Saudi citizens enjoying visa-free travel to the country and the number of visitors from Saudi Arabia increasing “every year”.

“I am grateful to Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for the warm welcome and productive talks in the frame of my visit. We discussed current regional and global challenges and the possibility of expanding the partnership in areas of our common interest”, Garibashvili said.

Garibashvili also stressed Georgia was an “attractive country” for both Saudi state investment funds and private business, and said his Government would welcome more investors from the country.

Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili hailed Garibashvili’s ongoing visit to Saudi Arabia as “truly historic” for a further strengthening of bilateral ties between the countries.