Ruling party official: Chinese company’s involvement in Anaklia port project will “provide relief” to economy

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the involvement of a Chinese company in the project of construction of Anaklia port in the country’s north-west would “provide a relief” to the domestic economy.

Kaladze’s statement came in response to President Salome Zourabichvili expressing a concern about the level of the company’s involvement in the project, which she said was a “stab in the country’s relations” with its American and European partners.

Her statement is shameful. In general, her actions are shameful over the recent months, recent years. If you ask me, this person has no idea what the project is about and how important the involvement of the Chinese company is - it was all transparent, was it not? If European and American companies were willing to participate and implement this project, who was stopping them?”, the party official said.

Kaladze said even if a European or American company had won the bid, the participation of the Chinese company would “still be important” due to the trade turnover between China and Europe.

China has a trade turnover with Europe that is worth up to $800 billion. If a certain part of the cargo would go through Georgia and use ports of our country, imagine how much relief it would be for our economy, development, progress, and more. That is why the participation of the Chinese company is important”, he said.

Speaking at the weekly Government meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said a joint company would be established for the project, with a state company holding a 51 percent share in the initiative and the China Communications Construction Company holding a 49 percent share.

The PM added construction works for the marine infrastructure of the port would commence “very soon” as the tender process had been completed.