Georgian PM: int’l court’s ruling on Anaklia port project arbitration means “truth has prevailed”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday responded to the International Court of Arbitration’s decision in favour of the state in a 2020 lawsuit that alleged infringement of rights in the Government’s cancellation of a project for building a deepwater port in the country’s north-west by saying the development meant that “truth has prevailed” in the case.

The lawsuit was submitted by Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze - founders of TBC Bank and now leaders of the Lelo opposition party - as well as other foreign investors for the long-standing project for building a port in the Black Sea town of Anaklia.

It appealed against the Government’s 2020 termination of its contract with Anaklia Development Consortium - which had acquired the right to implement the project following a 2016 tender - due to its failure to complete the infrastructural initiative within deadlines.

In his comments on the ruling by the Court, Kobakhidze told Imedi TV channel the decision had come after the opposition United National Movement party had filed multiple lawsuits against Georgia to international courts, including the European Court of Human Rights, over the years before the state won the cases.

• Anaklia Development Consortium, major foreign investor suing Georgia

The Prime Minister claimed the state had “consistently follow[ed] the rules” since 2012, when the ruling Georgian Dream party came into power, and alleged Khazaradze and Japaridze were “representatives of the collective political force”, in reference to the UNM party.

In his reaction, Khazaradze expressed frustration on social media about the decision of the Court, calling it “disappointing”.