Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said Georgia and Serbia have made significant progress towards a free trade agreement and are close to finalising the remaining issues before signing the deal.

Speaking at a joint briefing with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Kobakhidze said the two sides had discussed trade, economic and sectoral cooperation, noting that there was considerable untapped potential in bilateral relations, News.Az reports, citing Georgia Online.

“We also discussed trade, economic and sectoral cooperation. It was noted that there is significant potential in this direction, which should be fully realised,” Kobakhidze said.

The Georgian prime minister positively assessed the ongoing negotiations on a free trade agreement between the governments of Georgia and Serbia.

“It should be noted that we have made significant progress in this process. Only a few issues remain to be agreed upon, after which both sides will be ready to sign the free trade agreement, which will be mutually beneficial for the economic development of our countries and for the further deepening of economic ties between them,” he said.

Kobakhidze noted that the agreement would create new opportunities for businesses, boost trade turnover, attract investment from both sides and elevate economic relations to a new stage.

The prime minister also stressed the importance of strengthening transport and logistics links between the two countries.

“We also discussed the importance of developing transport and logistics connections. Georgia is an integral part of the Middle Corridor and is ready to deepen its partnership with Serbia in order to fully utilise the existing transit and trade potential between Europe and Asia,” Kobakhidze said.

News.Az