Obama and Saakashvili discuss free trade agreement
Author: By Tamar Khurtsia
President Obama, hosting President Saakashvili in the Oval Office on Monday, said that both countries have agreed to explore a possible free-trade agreement. While no timetable has been laid out in Washington for the process, the news was met with much enthusiasm in Tbilisi.
According to George Welton, Executive Director at American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia (AmCham), which promotes the development of commercial relations between Georgia and the US, it is impossible to judge the scope of benefits that unfettered access to the US market offers. In the past, Weton said, developing ‘tiger’ economies like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have seen their growth significantly enhanced by access to US markets.
Barack Obama, told reporters at a joint press conference with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili following the meeting in Washington, that they had agreed to “a high-level dialogue between our two countries about how we can continue to strengthen trade relations between our two countries, including the possibility of a free-trade agreement.”
Saakashvili was encouraged at the prospect of a possible free trade agreement (FTA) with the US, underscoring the fact that it will “attract lots of additional (economic) activity to my country, and basically help in our nation-building process.”
Mentioning that a lot of work needs to be done with regard to free trade, the US president said the two leaders “think it’s a win-win for the United States and for Georgia as we continue to find opportunities for businesses to invest in Georgia, for us to be able to sell Georgia our goods and services, and Georgia to be able to sell theirs as well.”
Later, in remarks made separately to Georgian journalists after leaving the White House, Saakashvili noted that the “concrete results” of his meeting with President Obama exceeded expectations. “I am very impressed and satisfied by the results of this meeting,” he emphasized.
Moreover, Saakashvili said it was the most fruitful talks he had ever had in the Oval Office. He had met twice with President Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, at the White House – first in July, 2006 and then in March 2008.
Experts and officials have cited Obama’s encouragement as the catalyst of Georgia’s long held desire to expand free trade relations to foreign countries including US.
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