Governor of the National Bank of Georgia, Natia Turnava, participated in an official meeting between the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, and the Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Li Qiang.

According to Turnava, the meeting was of great importance and represents a major step toward strengthening cooperation between the two countries across multiple sectors, including the financial sphere.

“This is a historic opportunity for Georgia, a country that plays a vital role in the Middle Corridor, making us an attractive partner for China,” said Natia Turnava.

She noted that the discussions highlighted the importance of enhancing interbank cooperation, aligning payment systems, and promoting investment and development initiatives by Chinese banks in Georgia.

Turnava emphasized that it was encouraging to see these issues underscored not only by Georgia’s Prime Minister but also by China’s Premier, Li Qiang.

“Premier Li Qiang directly stated that cooperation in the area of payment systems is a priority. This is also a recognition of our ongoing efforts, as you know, at the beginning of this year, the central banks of Georgia and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation. Since then, we have maintained active communication and collaboration with the management of China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS). Georgian banks are actively applying to become direct participants in the system, which will enable faster, higher-quality yuan transactions without intermediaries. We intend to continue working actively in this direction,” Turnava added.

During the meeting, the parties also emphasized the fruitful cooperation between Georgia and China in the areas of trade, economy, tourism, and technology. Special attention was given to collaboration within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Middle Corridor.

Following the prime ministerial meeting, Georgia and the People’s Republic of China signed several Memorandums of Cooperation covering various sectors.