Georgia | Conexio Consulting

The geographical situation of Georgia makes it the bridge between the EU and Central Asian markets. It is a key country for logistics in the region due to the transport of gas and crude oil through its pipelines, its seaports in the Black Sea, and its relatively developed rail systems. As an example, BP has invested 5,000 million dollars over the last 10 years in constructing and modernizing its 3 main gas and oil pipelines. With respect to transport and infrastructure, the Georgian government is stressing the importance of the rail network to connect and improve its communications with neighbouring countries. A good example is the Baku (Azerbaijan)-Tbilisi (Georgia)-Kars (Turkey) railway, to be completed in 2012. Furthermore, in oil and gas transportation the Baku (Azerbaijan)-Tbilisi (Georgia)-Ceyhan (Turkey) pipeline was completed in 2005, with a total investment of 4,000 million dollars. This line -one of the world’s largest – can transport over a million barrels of oil a day from Azerbaijan to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The Georgian government is following an active policy of privatization compared with other countries in the area, with the aim of attracting foreign investment and making state-owned firms profitable and efficient. and promoting employment. These measures have improved the business climate for foreign investors, according to international institutions, and helped the reforms implemented by successive Georgian governments since 2004. Among other achievements, according to World Bank indicators, Georgia is the developing country which has done most to reduce corruption. Another sector that offers opportunities is agriculture, where the government has taken several measures to support direct investment, such as the leaseback of land to investors with specific projects, or at 20% below market prices. The energy sector has the support of government bodies for investment, due to the necessity for new generation plants. Georgia has a free trade agreement with Turkey.