Page 11 - DIVA_No.18_2005

COUNCIL
OF EUROPE

Council of Europe
Cosefi de rEttope

Transport Corridor Europe- Europe and Asia through ments. Investment Council has
Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), Georgia. been created at the Prime
strategic energy corridor and Minister's Office. The Ministry
telecommunication of Economic Development has
network.
The cooperation on establis-
National
This long-term project seeks to hing reliable telecommunica- created
the
modernize and expand the Investment
and
Export
tion network in the region has
transportation infrastructures- Promotion Agency, an integral
already started. Construction of
rail, road, air, sea--so that goods part of which is a "One Stop
can be shipped in higher volu- fiber optic cable across the Shop". The agency will provide
mes, at less cost, and with grea- Euro-Asian transport corridor foreign and local investors with
ter security. The TRACECA pro- will facilitate the development all the necessary information,
of the 21st century infrastructu-
ject also aims to harmonize local general and sector-specific
customs rules, legislative regula- re in South Caucasus region. market analysis and advice;
The Government of Georgia is
tions, and planning. The EU, the
undertaking a set of measures
Bank
for
European In order to facilitate contacts
in order to improve the busi-
Reconstruction between Georgian and foreign
and
ness environment in the coun-
Development (EBRD), the TRA- investors and explain the eco-
CECA partners, and other try and male Georgia an attrac- nomic reforms of international
concerned countries are working tive place to invest. The most community, the Government of
to make this vision a reality. notable of these reforms is the Georgia together with local
above-mentioned Tax Code, business has organized a num-
Georgia is well placed to serve which is taxpayer friendly, ber of international business
as one of the world's major cor- much more simple than the pre- forums in Georgia. The
ridors for the shipment of oil vious one and contributes to Government plans to organize
and gas. Several major interna- creating much more favourable similar business conferences
tional oil companies are inves- conditions for businessmen. abroad. An international busi-
ting heavily in projects to ness forum took place in
extract oil and gas from It is worth mentioning that the London on 11th November
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Government has undertaken a 2004 and another forum is
Turkmenistan. Much of that number of institutional measu- planned for Spring 2005 in
gas and oil will be exported to res aimed at facilitating invest- New York.
1.2005 Diva 13