Irakli Kobakhidze said that strengthening ties with Central Asian countries is now a key foreign economic priority for Georgia, as the government aims to position the country as an important transit link between Europe and Central Asia.

“Deepening our cooperation with all Central Asian countries is of particular importance. Through these processes, Georgia will be able to make significant progress in unlocking its own economic potential,” Kobakhidze told journalists after concluding his visit to Tajikistan, The Caspian Post reports, citing News Georgia.

According to the prime minister, Georgia links seven countries to the European market via the Black Sea and must therefore make full use of its transit potential.

“We have a very good dynamic in our relations, and all of this will contribute to the development of our transit function,” he said.

According to News Georgia, Kobakhidze’s visit to Dushanbe came just a week after a trip to Kyrgyzstan - the first visits by a Georgian head of government to both countries in the history of diplomatic relations with Tbilisi.

He is also expected to visit Kazakhstan in the near future, while Tbilisi is preparing to host return visits by the presidents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in July.

Despite limited political contacts, Georgia’s trade with Central Asian countries has experienced a significant boom since 2022, driven largely by the re-export of passenger cars. In 2025, alongside Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan formed the country’s top three export partners.

The Georgian government has in recent years actively promoted the idea of the Middle Corridor, a transport route linking China and Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian and Black Seas, bypassing Russia. Amid the war in Ukraine, interest in the route has increased significantly, with Tbilisi seeking to strengthen its role as a regional logistics hub.