On 24 May, the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited Georgia; this was the first official visit of a Chinese foreign minister to Georgia since 23 years. According to the Georgian ministry of foreign affairs, the minister came to learn more about Georgia’s future and its potentials.

During his visit, Wang Yi met with foreign minister David Zalkaliani, prime minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and the president of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili.

In his meeting with Zalkaliani the development of cooperation in the fields of trade, logistics and transport was the main topic. Zalkaliani highlighted that Chinese-Georgian relations are developing “dynamically” and that their cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats is “exemplary.” The  ministry of foreign affairs reported that the visit confirmed the “clear vision” of China regarding Georgia’s role in carrying out large-scale projects which are seen to encourage interaction between Europe and Asia. The issue of the Georgian occupied territories was also raised during the meetings and Georgian officials mentioned the “high importance” of Chinese support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At the meeting with prime minister Bakhtadze, the emphasis was put on progressing economic and trade partnerships between Georgia and China. The significance of the global Belt and Road Initiative and the contribution of Georgia within it were also discussed.

Salome Zourabichvili and Wang Yi had a conversation regarding the current situation in Georgia and the country’s relations with the neighboring states. The parties also discussed the importance of the strategic location of Georgia and the challenges faced by the country in regards to sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Georgian president expressed her interest in cooperation as an observer within the China-Central and Eastern Europe Cooperation framework (16 + 1 format) and noted that Georgia’s involvement in the format will once again emphasize Georgia’s European aspirations.