Xi, Georgian leader agree to advance bilateral ties

President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that he highly values developing China's relationship with Georgia and stands ready to work with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili to further promote bilateral ties for the benefit of the two countries and their peoples.

Xi made the remark as he and the Georgian president exchanged congratulations on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In his message, Xi said that over the past three decades, China and Georgia have made solid progress in cooperation in all fields, effectively communicated and coordinated with each other on international issues and promoted the sound and stable development of bilateral ties.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the two peoples have helped each other in earnest to overcome difficulties, leaving a fine story of solidarity against the pandemic, he said.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, bilateral trade between China and Georgia has increased 400-fold over the past 30 years.

In 2018, the China-Georgia Free Trade Agreement, the first such arrangement that China made in the Eurasian region, went into effect, greatly promoting bilateral trade liberalization and facilitation.

Noting that China and Georgia are partners with a traditional friendship, Xi called on the two countries to take the opportunity of the 30th anniversary to push for more outcomes to be achieved in China-Georgia relations and cooperation in all fields in order to bring more benefits to the two countries and their peoples.

Zurabishvili said her country is actively committed to developing friendly relations with China and is ready to work with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and promote the common prosperity of the two countries.