Anaklia Development Consortium responds to claim of investors’ ‘8 demands’
Anaklia Development Consortium consists of a specialised firms that will work with the government of Georgia to construct the port of Anaklia. Photo: Anaklia Development Consortium.
Tweet 
Share
The Anaklia Development Consortium has published a statement responding to yesterday’s speech of the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Maya Tskitishvili in parliament, where she said that investors in the project have eight demands before moving forward.
Anaklia Development Consortium stated that Tskitishvili made many “false, biased and distorted statements, which harms this project and its construction process, as well as the international investors, willing to take part in the construction of the port, who took risks and made solid investments just four kilometers away from the conflict zone, near Abkhazia”.
- Find out more about the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project in the article ‘Project of the Century: Georgia starts to build Anaklia Deep Sea Port’ by Mariam Papidze on Agenda.ge.
The consortium stated that such statements from the state humiliate those foreign partners and international organisations which are ready to continue cooperation with “our state”.
Anaklia Development Consortium said that construction works are developing according to a plan. Photo: Anaklia Development Consortium.
We declare in full responsibility that the interests of the state are damaged and its reputation as a reliable and predictable partner is also questioned”, read the statement.
Four donor banks are negotiating with the state about the 8-point agreement regarding the Anaklia project. These banks are the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Anaklia Development Consortium said that when there is an attempt to discredit its largest shareholder, the large US company SSA Marine, this will damage the investment environment of the whole country and not only one project.
And more importantly, such statements may have a negative impact on Georgian-American relations”, reads the statement.
Anaklia Development Consortium said it is ready for construction and business dialogue and believes the bilateral relations will not be damaged in the future.
Georgian Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Maya Tskitishvili says international financial institutions have eight demands that should be fulfilled in order to invest in the project. Tskitishvili said that the investors demand a feasibility study of each phase and say that the port development should not be linked to any specific date and should start only after the feasibility study is done.
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.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze says that statements [by the opposition and others] that the Georgian Dream government does not want the Anaklia deep sea port to be constructed are “cheap and irresponsible political speculations."
A leading British company, BuroHappold Engineering, will be responsible for developing a visionary master planning and development plan study for Georgia’s Black Sea town of Anaklia, which soon will be transformed into a modern, bustling city.
Anaklia Deep Sea Port project has once again become the topic of discussion, the main question now being whether the Georgian government is considering backing out of an agreement signed with the Anaklia Development Consortium in 2016.
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.
A deep sea port in Georgia’s Black Sea port town of Poti will not be built as the construction permit for the port has been cancelled, says Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava.
The government of Georgia will prolong the term for submitting financial closer documents for the The decision to extend the deadline to accumulate the necessary funds was made at today’s government meeting. Georgian Infrastructure Minister Maya Tskitishvili said this is the sixth time the term has been prolonged.Anaklia Development Consortium, which is overseeing the Anaklia deep sea port, by six months.
The Georgian Minister for Regional Development and Infrastructure Maia Tskitishvili says that although the Anaklia port is a “fully private project” the state contribution is “still high”. Tskitishvili says that overall the state has invested $250 million in the project, due to the importance of the Anaklia port for the country’s infrastructure.
/business-sector-q2.jpg)
The Anaklia Development Consortium, overseeing the construction of Anaklia deep sea port, will have three new members in its supervisory board, which are expected to be approved at the consortium’s meeting of shareholders scheduled for later this month.
Conti Group, the US-based construction and development company and founder of the Anaklia Development Consortium together with TBC Holding, is leaving the consortium, announces Georgian media outlet accentnews.ge.