Xi sends congratulations to new Georgian president

President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to Mikheil Kavelashvili on his assuming office as the Georgian president, expressing willingness to make joint efforts to ensure bilateral ties achieve greater progress to deliver greater benefits to both peoples.

The strategic partnership between China and Georgia has maintained a positive momentum with the continuous consolidation of political mutual trust, fruitful Belt and Road cooperation and effective international collaboration, Xi said in the message, which was published on Friday.

Noting the great importance he attaches to the development of bilateral relations, Xi said he is willing to work together with President Kavelashvili to carry forward the traditional friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to promote the greater development of China-Georgia relations.

Kavelashvili, 53, was sworn in as Georgia's sixth president in a ceremony held at the Parliament building on Sunday, after being elected on Dec 14 by the Presidential Electoral College for a five-year term.

Georgia is one of the first countries to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. According to China's Foreign Ministry, in the first three quarters of 2024, bilateral trade reached $1.65 billion, an increase of 1.9 percent year-on-year.

Xinhua contributed to this story.