Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen has indicated on Tuesday that the investments to be made in Georgia are prominent for the country's future. ''Turkish firms will play a vital role in Georgia,'' said Tuzmen.

Participating in the Turkey-Georgia Joint Economic Commission meeting in Tbilisi, Tuzmen noted that up until recently projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline and Kars-Ahilkelek-Tbilisi-Baku railway could not have been imagined.

Tuzmen held a meeting with the Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli today.

''We hope to increase our trade volume with Georgia to two billion USD in the next three years,'' stated Tuzmen. ''It is our goal to make the Black Sea region a free trade zone.''

Meanwhile, Noghaideli stressed that transportation between Turkey and Georgia is highly important. ''We will renovate the Sarp border pass and construct a new highway between Turkey and Georgia. Turkey-Georgia international highway's part on Georgian territories will be completed by 2010,'' said Noghaideli.