PM Kobakhidze: Tbilisi Silk Road Forum confirms Georgia’s role as ‘regional economic hub’

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, now in its fifth edition, reaffirmed Georgia’s status as the leading economic and dialogue platform of the region, bringing together political and business leaders from more than 60 countries.

Speaking at the forum’s opening ceremony, Kobakhidze said the event, which first convened in 2015, had evolved into a bridge between politics and business where ideas turn into tangible projects.

“Over the past decade, the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum has become a key link between politics and business. Numerous initiatives born here have transformed into real projects,” he said, citing as examples the 2023 agreement between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to establish a joint railway company and the Asian Development Bank’s $3 billion portfolio in Georgia.

The PM further emphasized that the forum had become a functional platform for regional and global cooperation, hosting high-level guests including the prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the ADB vice president, and the UN Deputy Secretary-General. Their participation, he said, reflects “the global scale and credibility” of the event.

“It is symbolic that the forum is held in Georgia - a country that has always served as a bridge between East and West,” Kobakhidze noted. “In an era of global transformation, the historic idea of the Silk Road acquires renewed significance.”

He added that the 2025 theme, “Investing in Connectivity, Growing in Stability,” aligned with Georgia’s state policy of promoting peace, predictability, and investment confidence.

Kobakhidze also highlighted that peace and stability were Georgia’s “most valuable capital” for attracting investors and ensuring sustainable development.

“Our efforts are focused on maintaining and strengthening peace, to make Georgia a solid axis of the region’s economic and logistics center,” he said.

Highlighting the country’s strategic geographic location and proactive foreign policy, the prime minister noted that Georgia has free trade agreements with the EU, China, the UK, the UAE, and other regional partners.

He also pointed to large-scale infrastructure projects underway, including new ports, railway modernization, and the Black Sea Submarine Cable project - a landmark initiative connecting the South Caucasus’ renewable energy potential to European markets.

For the first time, the 2025 forum also features the Tbilisi Financial Summit, held in partnership with Singaporean stakeholders, aimed at positioning the Georgian capital as a regional hub for finance and technological innovation.

“In the 21st century, connectivity is more than just physical infrastructure. The Middle Corridor is no longer a concept - it’s a reality we are advancing daily,” Kobakhidze said, adding that discussions at the forum would address global trade trends, digital transformation, and energy integration.

The fifth Tbilisi Silk Road Forum hosts around 2,000 political and business leaders from across the world, continuing its mission to foster cooperation, investment, and shared economic growth across Eurasia.