Georgian PM hopes to boost co-op with China
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Prime Minister Nikoloz Gilauri says he hopes that cooperation between Georgia and China will be further boosted to the benefit of both countries.
Gilauri made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on the eve of his visit to China and India.
The Georgian prime minister's entourage includes some Georgian businessmen from the energy and tourism sectors. He is visiting China for the National Pavilion Day of Georgia at the Shanghai World Expo on Thursday.
Georgian and China can have closer cooperation in such spheres as energy, tourism, free industrial zones and port facilities, Gilauri said.
On the domestic economic situation, Gilauri said Georgia has already been out of recession.
"In the first six months of this year, we had a plus 6.5-percent growth," he said. "On average for the whole of 2010, we predict a growth rate of somewhere between 5 and 6 percent. We are expecting the same growth rate for 2011."
"Starting 2012, Georgia will be able to grow by 8 percent to 10 percent," he added.
In 2009, the Georgian economy suffered a 3.9-percent contraction, according to Gilauri.
Georgia witnessed fast development between 2004 and 2007 when the country recorded an average annual growth rate of 9.8 percent.
"The good thing for us is our economy is growing in not only one direction," Gilauri told Xinhua. "We have growth in exports...we have growth in tourism...we have growth in the financial sector with record high deposits; and we have growth in the real estate sector."
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