Georgian PM reveals state participation in Anaklia deep-sea port at World Economic Forum

The Prime Minister in December announced the Government was planning to “urgently” launch an international competition for selecting investors to complete the Anaklia deep-sea port on western Georgia’s Black Sea coast, adding the state would implement this project together with “foreign or other companies”. Photo via Government Administration

Agenda.ge, 19 Jan 2023 - 22:02, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said the Anaklia deep-sea port on western Georgia’s Black Sea coast would be 51 percent owned by the state after its completion and an international competition to select investors would be announced for the remaining 49 percent, in his address at a panel discussion of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Garibashvili noted the project should be implemented to increase the country’s capabilities, stressing there have been “communications” with “many potential investors” in this direction, the Government Administration said.

The potential of the ports of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan has been increasing, the Head of the Government said, pointing out that Georgia’s Black Sea Poti Seaport already had the potential to transport 550,000 tonnes and Batumi Seaport - 20,000 tonnes, which was not “enough” and had to be increased.

The Prime Minister in December announced the Government was planning to “urgently” launch an international competition for selecting investors to complete the Anaklia deep-sea port on western Georgia’s Black Sea coast, adding the state would implement this project together with “foreign or other companies”.

The Anaklia Development Consortium was responsible for implementing the original project, however, the Government cancelled the agreement with the company on January 9, 2020, after the latter proved unable to obtain the required $2.5 billion in funds to construct the port. The Government had granted the Consortium postponements of the funding deadline six times before the cancellation.