Tbilisi Free Industrial Zone (FIZ) could play a key role in enabling Uzbek products to enter European markets, according to Soso Nibladze, Managing Partner of the Tbilisi Free Zone. Speaking to BMG, he said that amid the growing importance of the Middle Corridor, Georgia is emerging as a strategic gateway for Uzbekistan to access the EU, particularly given its preferential trade regime with Europe.
Nibladze noted that Uzbekistan is increasingly developing export-oriented industries and has growing ambitions to enter European markets. In this context, he said cooperation between the two countries could be mutually beneficial, especially if Uzbek raw materials or semi-finished goods are processed in Georgia and then re-exported to the EU as final products.
According to him, the free zone model is particularly well suited for such cooperation, allowing for full or partial processing of imported goods. He pointed to FMCG and pharmaceuticals as priority sectors, adding that pharmaceutical trade is already active within the Tbilisi Free Zone and continues to expand.
Beyond pharmaceuticals, Nibladze highlighted textiles as another promising area, where joint Georgian-Uzbek investment projects could help combine resources and production capacity. He added that Uzbek businesses have shown strong interest in such partnerships, as both countries explore ways to strengthen trade, logistics, and investment ties within the broader regional connectivity framework.
