Georgian PM: important to “remove all barriers” to make Middle Corridor “more attractive”
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said his Government was working with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to make the Middle Corridor a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus. Photo: PM's press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said his Government was working with counterparts from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to “remove all barriers” and make the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus, “more attractive”.
Garibashvili made the remark at a joint press briefing with his Kazakhstani counterpart Alikhan Smailov, who is on his first official visit to Georgia, the Government Administration announced.
We have a specific roadmap that we have already agreed with Kazakhstan. This is a five-year plan, until 2027, [and] we know exactly what Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan should do in turn [to develop the Middle Corridor]”, he told the media.
“We are now making significant investments in railway modernisation, which will be completed very soon and will double the capacity of our railways”, Garibashvili said.
The PM also mentioned the Anaklia deep sea port project, earmarked for the Black Sea coastline town, adding construction of the major infrastructure would start “around October”.
Smailov also highlighted the role of Georgia and Kazakhstan in connecting Europe to Asia in transportation. He said the two officials paid “special attention” to the international transport route at their meeting.
The Kazakhstani official noted the cargo turnover through the Corridor had doubled last year, with container shipments rising by 30 percent. He added the partnering governments wanted to increase the cargo turnover to 10 million tonnes through the route in the medium term.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said formation of “efficient” supply chains and promotion of transport connectivity across the Eurasian continent were of “strategic importance” for Georgia.
Georgian ports and terminals received 3,931 ships in the first quarter of 2023, the National Statistics Office of Georgia said on Friday.
Georgian economy minister Levan Davitashvili on Friday said the freight turnover in the Middle Corridor - a fast-developing land and sea freight route from Europe to China via Georgia - had increased by 30 percent this year, while cargo flow from Kazakhstan to Georgia had increased six times year-on-year.
A quadrilateral declaration on the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor has been signed by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Kazakhstan, with the agreement emphasising the importance of steps to strengthen the transit potential of the signatory states, the Economy Ministry announced on Thursday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said the Government welcomed the prospects of increasing transportation of Kazakhstan's energy resources using Georgia's transport infrastructure and Black Sea ports.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibahsvili on Friday hailed his Government’s “close” and “strategic” partnership with Kazakhstan at a press briefing with his Kazakh counterpart Alikhan Smailov, who on Thursday arrived in Georgia on his first official visit.
Georgian and Kazakhstani prime ministers on Friday discussed the “friendly and partnerly relations” between their governments as part of the latter’s first official visit to Georgia, the Government Administration said. Irakli Garibashvili and Alikhan Smailov said the former’s visit to Kazakhstan last year had raised the cooperation between the two countries to a “completely new level”.
Alikhan Smailov, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, on Friday said his Government was ready to expand cooperation with Georgia to utilise the Caspian and Black Sea basins as regional transport links.
The “positive dynamics” of cooperation between Georgia and Kazakhstan in trade, tourism, energy and culture were highlighted on Friday in a meeting between Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and his Kazakh counterpart Alikhan Smailov, who on Thursday arrived in on his first official visit to the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday told the country’s Parliament the Government’s ambition was to turn Georgia into an "aviation hub” in the region and serve not only direct flights but also “large flows” of transit passengers.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili highlighted Georgia’s potential to become a hub for transport, logistics, energy and airline connections, and the country’s contribution to the development of the One Belt - One Road and Middle Corridor initiatives, in an interview with China Central Televsion.
Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, on Wednesday said the Middle Corridor - a transportation route network connecting China with Europe through the South Caucasus region - was “important” for Georgia’s “prosperity”, and added Chinese companies were “interested in all infrastructure projects” in the country and ready to become involved in case of “beneficial conditions”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said Georgia was emerging as “a multi-dimensional regional hub” and highlighted several important projects, including the construction of the Anaklia deep sea port and the Georgia-initiated Black Sea submarine cable international project.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said Georgia enjoyed “crucial importance” in the development of the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus.
Péter Szijjártó, the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on Friday said cooperation with Georgia was “critically important” for the future of Europe's energy security.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Wednesday highlighted the Middle Corridor as “an effective way” to strengthen trade between Europe and Asia.
Antonella Bassani, the World Bank’s Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, on Monday highlighted the “considerable progress” made by Georgia and other countries in the development of the Middle Corridor - a multimodal transport corridor connecting China to Europe through the South Caucasus.