New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): Georgia Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili has called for stronger bilateral ties with India across political, economic, and educational sectors while emphasising Georgia's strategic location and economic potential, underlining the importance of connectivity and collaboration.

'This is my first visit to India, and India is a very important partner for Georgia. We intend to expand our bilateral ties with India, both politically and economically. That's very important for us,' Bochorishvili told ANI.

She then highlighted Georgia's role as a key transit hub between Europe and Asia and its appeal as a destination for Indian tourists and students. 'Georgia is located in a strategically very important region, and we have lots to offer. Georgia is an interesting destination for Indian tourists and Indian students,' she noted.

Bochorishvili also stressed the need for a structured political dialogue to explore untapped potential in trade, logistics, and education. 'We need to explore, and that's why it is important to have a political dialogue... Economy, logistics, and education, and there are plenty of other areas where we can work together and explore even more because India is a developing country, Georgia is a developing country, and we have lots of opportunities in both regions to be connected, and connectivity is very important for us,' she said.

Slovakia's Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar, who is leading a delegation of Slovakian business representatives, expressed optimism about deepening economic cooperation. 'We are here in India and participating not only in the Raisina Dialogue and geopolitical conference but also have a big group of businessmen from Slovakia with me. We have a bigger group to enhance our cooperation between Slovakia and India. I'm pretty optimistic that we will achieve a lot of outcomes through our cooperation. I'm happy that the trade turnover is growing, now reaching more than 1.2 billion euros.'

While speaking to ANI, He also highlighted Slovakia's strength in the automotive sector and its collaborations with Indian suppliers. 'Our aim is to collaborate in the field of automotive, which is very much developed in Slovakia. Probably you might know that Slovakia is a superpower in the production of passenger cars per capita, and from India, there are many suppliers to our companies as well,' he added.

Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, praised India-Estonia relations, calling for deeper collaboration in high-tech, education, and defence. 'The Estonia-India relationship is good. It's outstanding. The foundation has been built. We share democracy. We share a belief in a rules-based international order. We both depend on predictable and stable political and economic relations around the world. But this is just the beginning,' he said.

He further noted India and Estonia's common focus on digital advancements, stating, 'Estonia has made a name for itself for being digitally developed, and so has India. So, I believe that there is a lot for us to achieve that we have yet to tap into... I think what you will see in the future, in the coming weeks and months, is more engagement between Estonian and Indian officials, between our businesses, between our young people, and our societies.'

The remarks from the respective Foreign Ministers come as world leaders, including New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, gather for the Raisina Dialogue, organised by India's Ministry of External Affairs, to discuss pressing global challenges and strengthen international cooperation. (ANI)