FC Barcelona official involved in Tbilisi Metro development

A top official with FC Barcelona is in charge of developing Tbilisi’s underground rail network.

FC Barcelona vice president Susanna Monje is in Georgia’s capital to attend tonight’s UEFA Super Cup final but is swapping her hat and doing business with Georgian officials.

Today Monje met with local developers in the scope of her role as general director of Spanish holding Grupo Esentium, the company responsible for building a new Metro station in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.

Specifically, Assignia Kobra – a member company of Grupo Esentium – will build a new University Metro Station in Saburtalo district.

The existing Metro line will continue from the Vazha-Pshavela station before reaching the new station, located near Tbilisi State University’s Maglivi X building on University St. The new Metro stop is expected to be operational in two years.

It will cost between €35-41 million (85-100million GEL) to build the new Metro stop. Multilateral finance institution, the Asian Development Bank, will fund 85 percent of the total cost and the rest will be covered by the state budget.

Today, before the UEFA Super Cup match kicks off between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC, Monje met with Georgia’s Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Nodar Javakhishvili and discussed the Tbilisi Metro extension project.

At the meeting the sides talked about the ongoing construction of the new stationas well as ways to improve the water systems in Kutaisi, Poti and Anaklia.

Tonight’s UEFA Super Cup final between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC will kick off at 10.45pm local time at Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in central Tbilisi.