Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has been in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan over the past week where he met with his counterparts to discuss strengthening bilateral ties, with a particular focus on connectivity. 

This comes against a backdrop of deteriorating relations between the Georgian authorities and the West, following the ruling Georgian Dream party’s suspension of its path to EU membership in November 2024.

Specifically, the Georgian and Central Asian leaders vowed to develop the Trans Caspian International Transport Route project, or Middle Corridor, an alternative transit route that connects East Asia to Europe via Central Asia and the Caucasus while bypassing Russia.

Prior to meeting Uzbek officials, Kobakhidze stated that “cooperation with Central Asian countries in general, and Uzbekistan in particular” was central to development of “connectivity” between the countries, Georgian media reported.

During separate meetings with the chair of Uzbekistan’s Senate Tanzile Narbaeva and Vice Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev, visiting Georgian officials cited several development initiatives in the Caucasus country including plans for a new international airport in Tbilisi and the Anaklia port on the Black Sea, Georgia’s East-West Highway and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, pointing out that these projects “align with the Middle Corridor initiative”.

“We want to maximise [Georgia’s] contribution to development of the Middle Corridor,” Kobakhidze stated.

During a meeting with the Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Georgia and Uzbekistan were described as “stable trading partners”.

Kobakhidze also reiterated Georgia’s commitment to the Middle Corridor to the Uzbek PM and highlighted the transit route’s importance in facilitating regional trade and economic integration on both sides.

Following his meeting with the Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on March 5, the Georgian prime minister wrote on X that he and his counterpart “engaged in a meaningful and productive discussion on bilateral and multilateral relations between Georgia and Uzbekistan, underscoring the special nature of our ties, which are founded on friendship and mutual respect”.

Kobakhidze said that the two “reaffirmed our commitment to deepening cooperation and exploring new opportunities to further strengthen our partnership across both economic and political spheres”.

The Georgian PM and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow also spoke of the importance of connectivity between the two nations as well as the development of the Middle Corridor.

“Deepening close ties with Turkmenistan in pursuit of developing a safe and secure Middle Corridor is high on our agenda. I believe our partnership has the potential to ensure greater peace and economic development for the region and beyond,” Kobakhidze wrote on X following the meeting.

During a meeting with Rashid Meredov, deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, the Georgian First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili noted that, while Georgia and Turkmenistan are “stable trading partners”, “the turnover of goods between our countries is not as large as we would like” and highlighted “much greater potential for our cooperation”.

In early February during a meeting with the Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov in Astana, Kobakhidze highlighted the key role of Georgia-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan cooperation in helping to boost the development of the Middle Corridor.

The project promises to bring significant financial and industrial benefits to Georgia.