Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Georgia’s rapid economic growth over the past five years cannot be attributed to any single person. However, if the achievement were to be linked to one individual, he said, that person would be Bidzina Ivanishvili. Kobakhidze was responding to a journalist’s question about former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s remarks.
Kobakhidze said Georgia recorded average economic growth of 9.3% over the past five years, calling the performance a result of the government’s broader economic policy rather than the work of any individual prime minister. He said the foundations for rapid growth were laid after 2012, while the results became particularly evident from 2021 following the COVID-19 crisis.
According to Kobakhidze, Georgia’s current growth is the result of policies introduced under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including what he described as the “liberation” of business from widespread racketeering. He said the country underwent two major crises before 2020, including a regional economic and currency crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is not the personal achievement of either the previous prime minister or myself. It is primarily the achievement of Bidzina Ivanishvili, who laid the foundation for this policy,” Kobakhidze said. He added that the recent economic performance is ultimately the result of teamwork, with Ivanishvili having led the team since 2011.
