The current COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the trade between Georgia and the EU.

Since 2014, when a free trade agreement was concluded between Georgia and the EU, Georgia has been steadily increasing exports to the EU, so that by the beginning of the pandemic, the European Union was finally Georgia's number one trading partner. In 2020, the volume of Georgia's trade fell by 26%, the largest share of that decline being represented by exports to the EU.

The Christian Democratic People's Party- CDPP (ECPM member party) organized this two- day conference to take an in-depth look at the drastic economic downturn and to discuss possible solutions. On the first day, speakers from the relevant departments of the Georgian Ministry for Economy and the Foreign Ministry presented trade figures for 2020 and first quarter of 2021, with the relevant data analysis. It was followed by a panel discussion with representatives of research centers and think-tanks who offered further analysis and presented strategies for recovery. At the end of the first day, representatives of the business community were able to share their business and trading experiences during 2020.

The second day was dedicated to a wider, geopolitical analysis of the situation, where political leaders voiced their concerns about Georgia's possible increased dependency on the Russian and Turkish markets in the coming years, unless there is a reversal in the current trend. The day ended with a panel of experts and stakeholders who offered possible solutions and made a list of recommendations.

Speakers:

Giorgi Rukhadze, CDPP Chairman, former ECPM Vice-President

Guram Trapaidze, Deputy Minister for Economic Development

Shalva Gurgenidze, Leading Specialist. Minister for Finance of Georgia

Givi Korinteli, Director of Trade Department. Ministry for Economic Development

Irakli Kipiani, Head of UNM Economic Team

Giorgi Papava, Head Specialist. ISET Georgia

Tato Kipiani, Head of Economic Department. Georgian Strategic Analysis Centre

Joni Karbeli, Director, Georgia’s Business Association

Davit Kenchadze, Deputy Director, Georgian Economic Research Centre

Kakha Aladashvili, Deputy Director, Georgia’s Exporters Association

Levan Bokuchava, General Director, Small Business Association of Georgia

Giorgi Loria, Director of EU Department. Ministry of Economic Development

Sesili Avshniani, Deputy Director. EU-­‐Georgia Initiative