Kobakhidze: Kyrgyzstan is developing at a rapid pace, which creates new opportunities for our economic ties

The route will be operated by Georgian Airways four times per week. During the summer navigation season, flights on the Tbilisi–Batumi–Tbilisi route will be conducted every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday using Boeing 737 aircraft.Departures from Tbilisi International Airport are scheduled at 09:00 on the specified days, while return flights from Batumi International Airport will depart at 19:30. The flight duration is approximately 45 minutes.

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Sheri (commercial name "Sheriff Crypto Exchange") is the first and only VASP_ to be fined and suspended, after less than 2 years of operation.Sheri was fined 465,000 by the National Bank of Georgia for several violations, including not monitoring the client's income, not determining the purpose of transactions, and not verifying the origin of the virtual asset of the virtual asset service provider (VASP).The majority of crypto traders choose an exchange platform. Although there are offices, Sheri belonged to this category and, accordingly, served clients at the office (Pekini Ave., Tbilisi) with a cash desk.Digital wallets, also known as VASPs, perform purchase and sale transactions through an operational, so-called hot wallet. There is also a cold, so-called Ledger, which is referred to in fintech circles as a simple wallet. It is digital, but less modernized. Certain procedures are performed manually and selected by a part of the clients who think that it is safer and feels more protected than the latest versions.The regulator imposes the same requirements on cash-based providers, VASPs are required to have software mechanisms for client verification and crypto wallet screening.The Ashkashidzes (founders of Sheriff) are working on converting several digital currencies, including Ethereum and Bitcoin, mainly the digital dollar USDT, into GEL and USD (and vice versa).Currently, 40 Wasp exchanges are registered with the National Bank of Georgia. The latest license was obtained by Vnisi Digital Assets.

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According to Creditinfo, in the last reporting month (May), the credit score of 460 customers decreased. For the first time, the deposit of funds was delayed for a period of more than 1 month.As of 01.06.2026, the leasing portfolio has increased to 879 million GEL.In total, in the Creditinfo database, there are 1.992 million active borrowers (banks, MFOs, SGSs, microbanks...) loan records, and 93.6% - 73.% billion of the total portfolio (GEL 78.8 billion) of banks' investments fall on loans.There are several active companies in the leasing market, mainly subsidiaries of banks: TBC Leasing, BB Leasing, Teraleasing, Crystal, Alliance Group. There is also a large automotive group, Tegeta Leasing.

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In 2025, 4.4 thousand events were held in the country, of which 130 were out-of-town (outside the city).The number of events held abroad amounted to 153 units.The number of performances held in 2025 decreased by 9.8% compared to the previous year and amounted to 4,073 units. More than half of the performances (70.4%) were held in Tbilisi.According to Geostat, the total number of spectators attending events in 2025 decreased by 2.5% compared to the previous year and amounted to 620.3 thousand. Tbilisi was distinguished by the highest rate of audience attendance (66.3%), while Imereti was in second place (9.6%).In 2025, 261 museums and museum-reserves operated in Georgia, of which 104 units were memorial museums, 74 units were historical (local history), 23 units were art museums, 13 units were museum-reserves, 2 units were literary, and 45 were other types of museums.In 2025, the largest number of museums operated in Tbilisi (22.6%). The second and third places in this indicator are occupied by Imereti (15.3%) and Kakheti (14.2%) regions.In 2025, the number of visitors to museums increased by 4.5% compared to the previous year and amounted to 2 million people. On average, there are 7.7 thousand visitors per museum.In 2025, the number of excursions to museums decreased by 0.9% and amounted to 44.6 thousand, while the number of exhibitions increased by 7.1% and amounted to 1,006 units.

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The main part of the high-level meeting was devoted to deepening cooperation in the trade-economic, investment and transport-logistics spheres.Main focus on synchronization of transit routesOne of the central topics of the talks was the integration of regional transport projects. The parties discussed the prospects for the further development of the “Middle Corridor” and mechanisms for attracting additional cargo flows on this route.According to the Prime Minister of Georgia, the Georgian side is following with great interest the implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, which is progressing at a rapid pace. According to Irakli Kobakhidze, the railway line will significantly contribute to strengthening connectivity between Central Asia and the Black Sea region. He also noted that Georgia is making large investments in domestic infrastructure to expand its transit function.Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov confirmed that connecting the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway corridor with Georgia’s port infrastructure is one of the priority areas on the bilateral agenda. Zhaparov called on Georgian business circles to more actively discuss investment projects in the logistics, agriculture, construction, digital economy and tourism sectors of Kyrgyzstan, where the country creates favorable conditions for investors against the backdrop of sustainable economic growth.Intergovernmental Commission and the Prospects for Direct FlightsAs part of the visit, the second session of the Georgia-Kyrgyz Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation was held in Bishkek. According to the parties, the resumption of the work of the commission is a timely step that will contribute to increasing trade turnover and establishing direct business contacts.The talks focused on the importance of increasing bilateral flows in the tourism sector. It was noted that the launch of direct air traffic between Georgia and Kyrgyzstan would provide an additional stimulus to both economic cooperation and deepening people-to-people ties.Political dialogue and bilateral documentsAt the end of the meeting, Irakli Kobakhidze and Sadir Zhaparov signed a joint statement. Bilateral intergovernmental documents were also signed, which define the legal basis for future cooperation.The Prime Minister of Georgia thanked the President of the Kyrgyz Republic for his unconditional support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. In turn, Sadir Zhaparov expressed gratitude for the Georgian side's support for Kyrgyzstan's international initiatives related to the sustainable development of mountainous regions.Irakli Kobakhidze invited the President of Kyrgyzstan to pay a reciprocal official visit to Georgia.

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According to the ministry, the relevant bilateral memorandum was signed by the Director of the Veterinary Service of Kyrgyzstan, Adilet Sotovaldiev, and the Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Davit Songulashvili.The signed agreement provides for the simplification of veterinary and sanitary requirements in the procedures for the export and import of live animals, meat and other livestock products between the two countries.In addition to simplifying trade procedures, the document envisages a joint fight against infectious animal diseases and strengthening veterinary security systems. It is also planned to hold joint events and improve the qualifications of profile specialists of the two countries.According to the Kyrgyz side, this step will not only ensure high veterinary security, but also give a significant impetus to the expansion of international trade opportunities of the two countries and the modernization of the livestock sector.According to official data from the Geostat Foreign Trade Portal, a sharp increase in the export of meat and meat by-products from Georgia to Kyrgyzstan has been observed recently.In particular, if in 2024, products worth 101.9 thousand USD were sold from Georgia to Kyrgyzstan, in 2025 this figure increased 6 times and reached 648 thousand USD.As for the reverse flow, official statistics show that in 2024-2025, no meat was imported from Kyrgyzstan to Georgia at all, and this figure is zero.

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The parties discussed existing economic and financial cooperation between Georgia and China, ongoing collaboration in the direction of financial markets and services, and opportunities for deepening future partnerships.The National Bank of Georgia and the People's Bank of China highlighted the progress achieved under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year."Since the signing of the MoU between the People's Bank of China and the NBG, we see significant progress in cooperation in many directions. The steps taken towards the development of financial markets and financial services between the two countries, Including, in the direction of diversification of international reserves are particularly noteworthy," added Natia Turnava.During the meeting, they also spoke about the economic and trade relations between Georgia and China. It was emphasized that China is one of Georgia's top trading partners. The volume of exports and imports, as well as Chinese investments and tourist flows, have significantly increased."Economic cooperation between China and Georgia is developing dynamically, creating a solid foundation for further deepening our collaboration in the financial sector," noted the Governor of the National Bank of Georgia.During the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their readiness to continue active cooperation to further strengthen financial and economic ties between Georgia and China.

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The symposium was attended by governors and senior representatives of around 30 central banks and monetary authorities from around the world, including representatives from the central banks of France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom,  Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.This large-scale international event serves as a high-level platform where representatives of central banks, international financial institutions, and the private sector discuss global macroeconomic and financial developments, modern reserve management strategies, prospects for the development of the international monetary system, and current and long-term trends in financial markets.During the symposium's first session, "Global Macroeconomic and Financial Market Developments," Natia Turnava reviewed structural changes in global financial markets, the impact of geopolitical processes on investment decisions, and modern challenges in central bank reserve management.In her speech, the Governor of the National Bank of Georgia noted that the global investment environment has become increasingly complex as geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation, and macroeconomic uncertainties continue to rise."The prolonged trade tensions and military conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, as well as global supply chain disruptions, have become significant sources of market volatility and investment risks. Today, persistent geopolitical developments are increasingly becoming economic variables rather than external risks, which directly influence inflation, capital flows, exchange rates, and investment strategies," stated Natia Turnava.The NBG Governor paid special attention to the management of foreign exchange reserves, noting that in the face of growing geopolitical risks, safety has become the top priority for reserve management. She assessed that the attractiveness of gold has increased, as reserve managers seek assets that are less exposed to sovereign and geopolitical risks.She added that the trend of reserve portfolio diversification is evident globally. There is also a noticeable increase in the attractiveness of Asian capital markets."For central banks, reserve management is guided by three fundamental principles: safety, liquidity, and profitability. While all of these objectives remain important, the relative importance of safety has increased significantly in recent years. This is why many central banks are seeking to enhance portfolio resilience and greater diversification across reserve currencies and asset classes," noted Natia Turnava.The NBG Governor also highlighted that investments in gold have significantly and positively contributed to the return on Georgia's international reserves. She further explained that the National Bank of Georgia implements geographic and currency diversification of markets for reserve placement, and in this context, alongside traditional markets, Asian markets and currencies are attracting growing interest.According to Natia Turnava, in such an environment, disciplined risk management, consistency, and flexibility may be among the most important drivers of long-term investment success.

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