PM Kobakhidze: balanced regional development, sustainable urban planning key priorities for Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said balanced territorial development and modern urban planning had become central priorities of Georgia’s national policy alongside the country’s recent economic growth.

Speaking at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Kobakhidze said Georgia’s goal was not only to expand infrastructure and improve living standards, but also to ensure that economic growth remained sustainable, regionally balanced and focused on citizens’ needs.

The forum is being organised by UN-Habitat.

“It is a great honour for me to address the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku,” Kobakhidze said, thanking Azerbaijan for hosting the event and describing the forum as an important platform for sharing experience and supporting a common vision for safer and more inclusive communities.

He said cities today faced a wide range of global challenges, including climate resilience, sustainable development and social cohesion, adding that the way urban spaces were planned and managed would determine the long-term stability and prosperity of societies.

Kobakhidze also highlighted what he described as one of Georgia’s most significant recent achievements - the completion of the national cadastral registration process and the full registration of land plots across the country.

According to him, the reform strengthened the legal framework, improved land administration and created a more transparent basis for economic activity and territorial governance.

The prime minister added that Georgia had also completed the privatisation of residential properties allocated during the Soviet period, saying the move had strengthened urban stability and individual property rights.

Kobakhidze further said that support for internally displaced people affected by war and occupation remained at the centre of Georgia’s urban and housing policy.

“For decades, Georgia has continued addressing the humanitarian consequences of war and occupation by providing housing and social assistance to internally displaced persons from the occupied territories,” he said.

He added that the government continued developing new settlements and transferring housing to affected families as part of its long-term commitment to social inclusion and dignified living conditions.