THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE ADMINISTRATION

Imereti State Commissioner Zviad Shalamberidze held a video conference with the representatives of Guizhou province of China.

At the meeting, the parties discussed opportunities for mutual cooperation in the fields of agriculture, education, trade, business and infrastructure.

Imereti State Representative, Zviad Shalamberidze, spoke in detail about the region, among which he emphasized the investment potential.

Also, significant time was devoted to the direction of education. The governor noted that there are 3 higher educational institutions in Kutaisi, and one of them is an international university, the investment of which is one billion euros. The teaching process is conducted in English and students are lectured by visiting professors from Munich. Therefore, it is important for us to cooperate in the field of education, which will promote the mobility of both students and academic staff.

Speaking about cooperation in the field of education, the governor noted that professional education is also an important direction for the country.

Zviad Shalamberidze also spoke about the tourism potential of the region. He added that Imereti is an interesting and attractive area and this is confirmed by the increased number of passengers at the Kutaisi airport. In order to receive more visitors, large-scale rehabilitation works of the airport are planned for 2023, after the completion of which we will get a new runway of 3.5 km. In addition, the new runway will allow us to receive large-sized planes, which will contribute to the deepening of trade relations with different countries and the growth of cargo turnover. I would also like to mention that there are no direct flights between China and Georgia, we can take a step forward in this direction and discuss direct air traffic to Imereti and Guizhou province.
"Worldwide interest in wine produced in our region is growing every year. Our region is distinguished by the production of a unique variety of wine. It should be noted that Imeretian wine and wine producers were represented at the international wine exhibition in New York, USA, therefore we will be happy to present Imeretianl wine at your exhibition and promote import-export" - noted Zviad Shalamberidze during the meeting.

During the meeting, the party representative received an invitation from his Chinese colleagues to the Guizhou International Alcohol Exhibition.

Guzhou is a landlocked province in the southwestern region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou has a population of 38.5 million, ranking 18th among Chinese provinces.

The province is rich in natural, cultural and environmental resources. Its natural industries include timber and forestry, while energy and mining form an important part of its economy. It is also one of China's fastest growing economies. In 2021, Guizhou's GDP will reach 1.96 trillion yuan (US$308.12 billion), an increase of 8.1 percent over the previous year.