“In every meeting we held, the primary focus was, first and foremost, on assessing the strong positions of the Georgian economy and our resilience,” stated Natia Turnava, Governor of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG), while summarizing her visit to the United States. According to her, it was a intensive week, marked by numerous important, high-level meetings and discussions.

Members of the Georgian delegation included the Minister of Finance of Georgia, Lasha Khutsishvili; NBG Vice-Governors Ekaterine Mikabadze, Ekaterine Galdava, and Nino Jeladze; as well as Deputy Ministers of Finance Ekaterine Guntsadze and Giorgi Kakauridze.

During the one-week visit, Natia Turnava, together with members of the delegation, held meetings with the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bo Li; the Director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, Jihad Azour; as well as the IMF’s Executive and Alternate Directors.

“First and foremost, I would highlight our meetings with the leadership of the International Monetary Fund. During these discussions, issues of regional cooperation were brought to the forefront, and the IMF provides a very strong platform for advancing such cooperation.

We discussed the enhancement of regional cooperation and the role of the Middle Corridor, which has been further underscored by recent geopolitical challenge involving Iran. It is encouraging that there is a broad consensus that Georgia stands out as a country distinguished by its economic and political stability, attractiveness, reformed structures, transparency, and high-quality infrastructure. Georgia is well positioned to accommodate additional cargo volumes and provide expanded logistical services. Most importantly, we have emerged as a new and growing regional financial hub, which is particularly significant against the backdrop of conflict in the Middle East. We are confident that many investors will choose Georgia as a base from which to establish and continue their operations,” noted Natia Turnava.

Within the framework of the visit, the NBG Governor, together with the Minister of Finance, held a meeting with investors from American investment firms J.P. Morgan and Bank of America. The meeting was attended by representatives of more than 20 global investment groups from the United States, Europe, and Asia.

“We held several important meetings with global investors and investment funds. We briefed them on Georgia’s current economic situation, the challenges we face, and our key strengths. We demonstrated why Georgia is an attractive destination for investment. Interest on their part was notably high, which is also confirmed by the investments - including in the financial market - that have already been made in Georgia. Investor interest continues to grow,” stated Natia Turnava.

Furthermore, within the framework of bilateral cooperation, the Governor of the NBG met with the Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, Khaled Mohamed Balama. The parties discussed prospects for future cooperation between the two central banks.

“The meeting with my counterpart, the Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE, is an important step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation and is significant in the context of expanding economic relations between our countries,” noted Natia Turnava.

During her visit to the United States, the NBG Governor also participated in a high-level roundtable discussion organized by the IMF, as well as in a meeting convened for central bank governors and finance ministers of the Caucasus and Central Asia region.

From April 13 to 18, Washington hosted the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The meetings brought together Governors and Alternate Governors of the IMF and the World Bank, along with representatives of the financial sector, central bankers, and finance ministers from nearly every country in the world. Discussions focused on issues of global importance, including the global economic outlook, poverty reduction, economic development, and financial stability.