(Yicai) May 30 -- Signing a memorandum of understanding is only the beginning of the friendship between Shanghai and Tbilisi, according to the deputy mayor of the Georgian capital city.

"This MoU is very important for the city of Tbilisi for many reasons," Andria Basilaia said. The relationship between China and Georgia has already reached a strategic level, as there are many important agreements in place, such as visa-free and free trade agreements, he added.

Shanghai and Tbilisi formalized their partnership during the ongoing Shanghai International Friendship Cities Cooperation Forum, which is being held alongside the Global Mayors Dialogue. The MoU, which deepens collaboration across economic development, technology, education, public health, culture, and personnel exchanges.

Tbilisi became the first city in the Caucasus region to establish formal friendship ties with Shanghai.

"It's only natural that cities are signing these memorandums, taking the relationships between countries to the city level," Basilaia noted. "Hopefully, we will be cooperating in many key areas, like transport, urban space development, green space development, and waste management."

Even though Tbilisi has only 1.2 million residents, much less than Shanghai, both cities share similarities in their blend of ancient and modern architecture and rich cultural heritage, Basilaia explained.

Tourism is a key industry for Georgia, but the absence of direct flights between Shanghai and Tbilisi is a challenge for Chinese visitors. "Maybe we can facilitate this process and have discussions with national leadership regarding this decision," Basilaia said.

Last year, Chinese tourists to Georgia surged 83 percent to record 89,000 from the year before, according to data from the Chinese Embassy in Georgia.

Georgia's Ministry of Tourism has sent a delegation to the three-day International Tourism Business China, a trade show centered on the Chinese travel market, which ended in Shanghai yesterday, according to Basilaia. Meanwhile, a delegation from the Ministry of Education is in Beijing at the moment.

Georgia has been adopting a proactive approach to attracting Chinese investment, Basilaia noted, emphasizing the strong support from both local and central governments.

"We've had a lot of Chinese companies engaged in very important construction projects in Georgia, like road projects," he added.

"We also have a dedicated agency called Enterprise Georgia that is working directly with foreign investors to foster investment in Georgia," he explained. "They have tailor-made programs depending on what the investors need, and the city of Tbilisi is also very active in partnership with them."

Chinese enterprises have a total investment stock exceeding USD1.3 billion across various sectors in Georgia, according to data from the Chinese Embassy in Georgia.

Editor: Futura Costaglione