The head of the Georgian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Mikheil Chelidze, says Georgia’s European direction remains “unquestionable” and that businesses are primarily concerned with stability and predictability rather than the country’s foreign policy course. Speaking to BMGTV, Chelidze said an unstable and unpredictable environment is one of the biggest threats to business development.
According to Chelidze, Georgia’s trade relations with the European Union have brought significant economic benefits, including increased exports, greater internationalization of companies, investment opportunities and closer alignment of legislation with European standards. He said the country’s free trade agreement with the EU remains an important advantage for Georgian businesses.
Commenting on concerns that the EU-Georgia Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) and visa-free travel regime could potentially be affected, Chelidze said losing these benefits would represent a major setback for the business sector. “They gave us something very valuable, and it would be a very serious blow if we lost it,” he said.
Chelidze emphasized that the key issue for businesses is reducing uncertainty and ensuring a predictable operating environment. “Businesses like being able to plan. The existence of an unstable environment destroys business,” he said, adding that long-term development requires clear rules and consistency.
