The prime ministers of Armenia and Georgia met on Tuesday for what they called “informal” talks.
The meeting between Nikol Pashinian and Mamuka Bakhtadze took place in Bolnisi, a Georgian town located about 30 kilometers from the Armenian border. Few of its details were made public afterwards.
Pashinian’s office said he “stressed the importance of Armenian-Georgian relations in all areas.” In a separate Facebook post, the Armenian leader said the talks were “very cordial” and described Bakhtadze as “my friend.”
“We decided to hold a Georgian-Armenian business forum in [the Armenian town of] Dilijan in May,” added Pashinian.
A short statement by the Georgian government said the two leaders discussed “good-neighborly relations” between the two neighboring states and expressed readiness to “continue fruitful cooperation in the future.”
Pashinian characterized Georgian-Armenian ties as “brilliant” after meeting with Bakhtadze in Yerevan in September. He said they need to be reinforced by closer commercial links. The Armenian and Georgian governments will strive to help increase the annual volume of bilateral trade to $1 billion within the next few years, he declared.
According to Armenian government data, Georgian-Armenian trade stood at a modest $122 million in January-November 2018.
Facebook Forum