Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, is on an official visit to Turkmenistan. According to the ministry, she will hold high-level meetings with Turkmen government officials and co-chair the 5th session of the Georgia–Turkmenistan Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.
In light of the minister’s visit, BMG reviewed the current state of economic links between Georgia and Turkmenistan. Official statistics show that economic cooperation between the two countries remains limited across key areas such as foreign direct investment (FDI), trade, remittances, and tourism.
FDI
Turkmen investment in Georgia is minimal. FDI inflows from Turkmenistan began in 2012 and have totaled just USD 11.2 million over 13 years. The peak year was 2019 with USD 3 million, while in 2025 Turkmen investors contributed USD 2 million. According to 2024 data from the FDI portal, Turkmen investors mainly target trade, transport, and real estate.
Trade
Georgia’s trade with Turkmenistan grew significantly in 2025, driven by the re-export of cars. Total trade turnover increased by 26.2% to USD 102.5 million. For the first time, Georgia recorded a positive trade balance, with exports exceeding imports. Exports surged by 177% to USD 63.5 million, mainly due to car re-exports.
Top-5 export products to Turkmenistan:
- Passenger cars – USD 30.4m
- Poultry meat and by-products – USD 20.5m
- Packaged pharmaceuticals – USD 2.6m
- Fireworks and pyrotechnics – USD 1.8m
- Bananas and plantains – USD 0.96m
In Q1 2026, exports continued to grow—tripling to USD 7.7 million—again led by poultry and cars.
Imports from Turkmenistan fell 33% in 2025 to USD 39 million but rose sharply by 145% in Q1 2026 to USD 11 million.
Top-5 imported goods:
- Oil and petroleum products – USD 23.6m
- Petroleum coke, bitumen, and residues – USD 5.7m
- Gypsum mixtures – USD 1.8m
- Bituminous mixtures – USD 0.93m
- Nitrogen fertilizers – USD 0.85m
Remittances
Money transfers from Turkmenistan remain small but doubled in 2025 to USD 347,000. Transfers to Turkmenistan from Georgia were USD 133,000 in 2025 and USD 64,000 in Q1 2026.
Tourism
Tourism flows are gradually increasing. Turkmen citizens made 19,170 visits to Georgia in 2025, up 9.2% year-over-year. Post-pandemic recovery has been strong, surpassing the previous record of 13,708 visits in 2018.
