What did Georgia and China agree to on AI cooperation?

Georgia’s Ministry of Economy and China’s National Development and Reform Commission signed a memorandum setting up a joint AI working group, announced at WAIC 2026 in Shanghai on July 18, 2026.

Where will Georgia's first AI research center be located?

In the Kutaisi Technology Hub, meant to house researchers, startups and international tech companies under one roof, according to Georgia’s economy ministry.

Does Georgia already have a national AI strategy?

Not yet — the government says it is currently drafting the country’s first national AI strategy, with no publication date announced.

What does Georgia mean by a "digital bridge" between Europe and Asia?

It’s Tbilisi’s framing for positioning the country as a data and connectivity link between the two continents — the minister cited submarine cable projects and new data centers alongside the AI cooperation push.

Georgia, China Sign AI Cooperation Pact, Plan Kutaisi Research Hub

Georgia’s Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) have signed a memorandum establishing a joint working group on artificial intelligence cooperation, the ministry announced.

Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili disclosed the agreement on July 18 while representing Georgia at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 and a related high-level meeting on global AI governance in Shanghai, attended by delegations from more than 100 countries. The conference, themed “Partnership in Artificial Intelligence for a Brighter Future,” had opened a day earlier — coverage of Xi Jinping’s keynote detailed China’s pitch for broader access to AI capacity-building.

“Georgia will not remain outside this global transformation,” Kvrivishvili said, according to the ministry’s readout, adding that the government is drafting the country’s first national AI strategy. She said dialogue, trust and international partnership form the foundation of responsible AI governance.

First AI research center planned for Kutaisi

Kvrivishvili also confirmed that Georgia will open its first AI research center at the Kutaisi Technology Hub, intended to bring together researchers, startups and international technology companies. The ministry gave no timeline, budget or initial research focus for the center — details that typically follow once a memorandum like this moves from framework to implementation.

The minister cast both moves as part of a push to position Georgia as a “digital bridge” between Europe and China and the rest of Asia, pointing to submarine fiber-optic cable projects and new data-center investment as supporting infrastructure — the kind of build-out several smaller nations are pursuing as they chase sovereign AI capacity rather than relying solely on foreign providers.

The China memorandum follows a string of recent steps toward formal AI governance in Georgia, including a UNESCO-backed roadmap for phasing in oversight of the technology. Neither the ministry nor the NDRC disclosed the joint working group’s funding, mandate or a timetable for its first meeting.

First AI research center planned for Kutaisi

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