“We Have Emerged as a New and Growing Regional Financial Hub” – Natia Turnava Assesses U.S. Visit
“We have been recognized everywhere we went for the strength of Georgia’s economy and its resilience,” said Natia Turnava, Governor of the National Bank of Georgia, while summarizing her recent visit to the United States. According to her, it was an intensive week filled with numerous high-level meetings and discussions.
The Georgian delegation included Minister of Finance Lasha Khutsishvili, Vice Governors of the National Bank Ekaterine Mikabadze, Ekaterine Galdava, and Nino Jeladze, as well as Deputy Finance Ministers Ekaterine Guntsadze and Giorgi Kakauridze.
During the week-long visit, Turnava and the delegation held meetings with senior representatives of the International Monetary Fund, including Deputy Managing Director Bo Li, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department Jihad Azour, as well as IMF Executive and Alternate Directors.
“First and foremost, I would highlight our meetings with the leadership of the International Monetary Fund. Regional cooperation was a key topic, and the IMF provides an excellent platform for advancing this agenda.
We discussed strengthening regional cooperation and the role of the Middle Corridor, which has become even more prominent amid new geopolitical challenges, particularly the conflict related to Iran. It is encouraging that there is a broad consensus recognizing Georgia as a standout country due to its economic and political stability, attractiveness, reformed structures, transparency, and high-quality infrastructure.
Georgia is ready to handle additional flows, provide expanded logistics services, and most importantly, we have emerged as a new and growing regional financial hub—an especially important role in the context of ongoing tensions in the Middle East. We are confident that many investors will choose Georgia as a base for their operations in the future,” said Turnava.
As part of the visit, the Governor of the National Bank and the Minister of Finance also met with investors from major U.S. financial institutions such as J.P. Morgan and Bank of America. The meeting was attended by representatives of more than 20 global investment groups from the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
“We held several important meetings with global investors and investment funds. We discussed Georgia’s current economic situation, its challenges, and its strengths. We presented why Georgia is an attractive destination for investment. Naturally, interest from investors was quite high, which is also reflected in existing investments already made in Georgia, including in the financial sector. Investor interest continues to grow,” Turnava added.
In addition, within the framework of bilateral cooperation, the Governor of the National Bank met with Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates. The parties discussed prospects for future cooperation between the two central banks.
“My meeting with my colleague, the Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE, is an important step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation, especially in the context of growing economic relations between our countries,” Turnava noted.
During her visit to the United States, the Governor also participated in a high-level roundtable discussion organized by the International Monetary Fund, as well as a meeting for central bank governors and finance ministers from the Caucasus and Central Asia region.
From April 13 to 18, Washington, D.C. hosted the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The event brought together governors and alternate governors of the IMF and World Bank, as well as representatives of the financial sector, central bankers, and finance ministers from nearly every country.
