Baku, Azerbaijan, May 15
Trend:
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Jurgen Rigterink discussed further cooperation, Trend reports via the government’s press service.
The EBRD recognized Georgia as a stable partner in the Caucasus.
The meeting took place in Brussels, within the framework of the events on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Eastern Partnership program, in which Georgia is a participant.
“Georgia is the leading country in the region in terms of economic growth, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development attaches great importance to partnership with it,” the government’s press service quotes Bakhtadze.
"During the conversation, attention was paid to successful cooperation between Georgia and the European Bank, as indicated by the diversified portfolio of the EBRD in Georgia. The head of government thanked the first vice-president of the EBRD for supporting Georgia," the report said.
Reference was made to the projects and plans that the bank plans to implement in Georgia. The widescale education reform, which implies an increase in funding for this sector to 6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (a quarter of Georgia’s state budget), was particularly noted and positively assessed.
The work of the Investors Council was also mentioned, which is an important platform for relations between the government and investors. The EBRD Vice-President thanked the Georgian Prime Minister for supporting this format and for actively participating in it.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of the largest donors to Georgia. The bank implemented 224 projects, investing over €3.2 billion.