The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, participated in the 51st International Conference of the Banking Association of Central and Eastern Europe (BACEE), held on March 26, 2026, Thursday.
During his speech at the conference, the Prime Minister of Georgia said that today they are seeing increasing investor interest from all over the world in Georgia’s financial sector, Georgia remains an open economy and is ready to deepen ties with international partners for stronger cooperation and new opportunities.
PM Kobakhidze emphasized the importance of the conference to represent the Georgian banking sector and the wider regional financial landscape and thanked the Central and Eastern European Banking Association and “Kartu” Bank for organizing the event.
The banking sector plays a central role in ensuring financial stability, supporting economic growth, and responding effectively to risks and challenges.
Georgian PM noted that despite global challenges, their economy continues to develop steadily and has strong indicators that have exceeded expectations and made us stand out in the world’s sustainability. In 2021-2025, Georgia showed an average growth of 9.3 percent of real total domestic product. Georgia’s strong confidence in its economic prospects was evident in the issuance of Eurobonds this year, where international demand exceeded the supply by five and a half times.
During his speech, he noted that economic progress will also be affected in international capital markets, where stocks of leading Georgian banks are located; at the same time, medium-sized banks, offering a diverse range of financial services to their customers, are working properly.
Georgian banks are steadily expanding in the region and expanding their geographical area. This strengthens the capability of regional connectivity and plays an increasingly important role in promoting deeper financial integration and collaboration,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
The Prime Minister noted, “Today we are seeing increasing investor interest from all over the world in Georgia’s financial sector across both traditional banking and a wide range of financial services providers. This is strengthened by the continuous efforts of the Government of Georgia and the National Bank to promote competition, encourage innovation, and further develop the financial ecosystem.”
According to him, the regulatory framework of the financial sector of Georgia is transparent and flexible, in accordance with international standards. Also, it promotes innovation, reduces barriers for new players to enter the market, and ensures financial stability.
Spoke on the licensing formats being implemented by the National Bank and noted that a regulatory framework for virtual asset service providers has been created, a new opportunity for financial technology and market participants.
Along with the development of the banking sector, Georgian capital markets are also developing. Interest in both state and corporate bonds is growing, leading to the diversification of funding sources. Together, these efforts are shaping a more dynamic, competitive, and future-oriented financial ecosystem and creating new opportunities for sustainable investment growth.
At the 51st International Conference of the Central and Eastern European Banking Association, BACEE Chairman Tomas Lempuli and General Director of “Kartu” Bank Zurab Gelenidze spoke. The event was attended by members of the Georgian Government and representatives of the international and regional financial sector. More than 250 delegates from up to 30 countries and up to 100 different institutions are participating in the event.
