Russia unhappy with US State Secretary’s advice to Georgia on Anaklia Port
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gregory Karasin says that his country is interested in Georgia’s development.photo: Frontnews.en.
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gregory Karasin says that the “tone used” towards Russia by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo during his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze “is not something that is in Russian interests.”
Pompeo expressed hope earlier this week that Georgia will construct the Anaklia deep-sea port, which will help the country avoid Russian and Chinese economic influence.
We are interested in Georgia’s economic, social, cultural and other development. It is up to Georgia to decide what to do with the Anaklia Port. However, what has been said towards Russia and China is not the tone we like,” Karasin said, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
Pompeo and Bakhtadze met in the US on June 11 where they discussed Georgia’s partnership with NATO, cooperation on regional security, Georgia reforms necessary to ensure the rule of law and fair elections, as well as Russia’s ongoing occupation of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Anaklia Port is a 2.5 billion USD project which is being carried out in Georgia and hopes to connect Europe with Asia via the fastest route.
Experts say that the port will also make Georgia more attractive for NATO and boost its chances for NATO integration.
Georgian Infrastructure Minister Maia Tskitishvili says that there is no connection between the Anaklia deep sea port project and the ongoing money laundering investigation involving the founders of TBC Bank. She says that Anaklia Consortium, had faced problems in attracting funds for the 2.5 billion USD project before the investigation was launched involving TBC Bank.
The United States Department of Commerce and the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to enhance bilateral trade relations. The document was signed after the meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and the US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.
What issues remain unsolved between state, financial institutions?
Representatives of the Georgian government, the Anaklia Development Consortium and international finance organisations (EBRD, OPIC, ADB, AIIB) met today to discuss the details of the Anaklia Deep Sea Water project development.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today in Washington D.C. Bakhtadze and Pompeo discussed the possibility of signing a free trade agreement between the US and Georgia.
“Georgia is an independent country and its future is not set by the Kremlin”, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said. In an interview with Imedi TV, PM Bakhtadze referred to the recent statement of the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gregory Karasin. The latter said the “tone used” towards Russia by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo during his meeting with PM Bakhtadze “is not something that is in Russian interests.”
Russian MP Alexey Chepa, who is currently paying a visit to Georgia to attend the interparliamentary session on Orthodoxy, has denied occupation of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) by Russia. Has also called for the return of the Soviet Union, and for the countries of the former USSR to be reunited.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to Georgia Ihor Dolhov temporarily left the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy in protest when the member of the Russian parliament Sergei Gavrilov was addressing the audience in Tbilisi.