Deepening regional cooperation and establishing Georgia as a regional financial and technological hub are priorities of the Government of Georgia. I believe the Tbilisi Finance Summit will contribute to further strengthening regional cooperation, advancing our country’s economic development, expanding investment opportunities and enhancing trade relations among the countries along the Middle Corridor. Prime Minister of Georgia said this in his keynote address at the Tbilisi Finance Summit.

He highlighted the advantageous geographical location of the country, noting that its infrastructure, macroeconomic stability and favourable investment climate provide a solid foundation for Georgia to emerge as a regional hub for trade, logistics, finance and technological innovation.

"The realisation of this potential is supported by strong economic growth. Between 2021 and 2025, average economic growth stood at 9.3%. This trend has continued this year: according to preliminary data, economic growth reached 7.6% in the first eight months of 2026.

It is noteworthy that strong economic growth has been driven, to a significant extent, by the development of relatively high-productivity sectors, including exports of information and communication technology services.

Alongside these positive macroeconomic trends, it is important to highlight the growing role of foreign direct investment in Georgia`s economic development, particularly in the financial sector, where attracting international capital contributes to greater competitiveness, the introduction of new technologies and the strengthening of Georgia’s potential as a regional financial centre.

Today, the financial sector holds a leading position in attracting foreign direct investment to the country", - said Irakli Kobakhidze.

As he noted, major initiatives undertaken by the Government of Georgia and the National Bank of Georgia are helping to strengthen competition in the financial sector and promote innovation and the development of digital services.

"Concrete steps have been taken in recent years, including the development of a regulatory framework for the registration and supervision of virtual asset service providers, as well as rules governing the issuance of stable virtual assets. As a result, over 40 virtual asset service providers are already operating in the market.

Open banking has also been introduced, alongside a licensing framework for digital banks, under which three digital banks are already operating in Georgia.

One of these was established through a Singaporean initiative. At the initiative of the National Bank of Georgia, payment systems have also been modernised, which will help improve access to financial services and provide fintech companies with greater opportunities to implement innovative projects.

At the same time, with the involvement of the National Bank, regional cross-border payment projects are being developed, further strengthening financial connectivity between our countries. We welcome the active cooperation of countries across the region in this area.

These steps provide a solid foundation for developing a modern, innovative and competitive financial ecosystem in Georgia, which is an important prerequisite for the country’s economic growth and integration into international markets", - added Irakli Kobakhidze.