Georgian PM says country should strengthen its transit function

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party's election staff and the Prime Minister of Georgia, on Monday emphasised the importance of strengthening the country’s function as a transit country, highlighting the “critical need” for infrastructure development.

In his address at the presentation of the party’s election programme, Kobakhidze unveiled the Government’s plans to “stimulate and promote economic growth”, and emphasised that “enhancing connectivity” represented “one of the main objectives”.

First, I will focus on highways. Until 2012, only 68 kilometres of highways were built in our country [...]. [And] since then, the works have been carried out very intensively, and already next year, a four-lane highway from [the country’s capital] Tbilisi to [the seaside city] Batumi will be completely opened”, he said.

I would like to thank [the Infrastructure Minister] Irakli Karseladze, the driving force behind all this [this initiative]. We will have [only] one small section left, the Kobuleti bypass highway [in the country’s west], which will also be upgraded to four lanes. These works will start shortly. The construction of the rather challenging Batumi-Sarpi section [in the south-west of the country’s border with Turkey] will also begin”, he added.

Kobakhidze said that as the Government was working on the development of the Anaklia deep sea port project, earmarked to be built in Georgia’s Black Sea town to ensure increased logistical capability between Asia and Europe, the country would “need to cut an emergency road”.

The PM also highlighted the ongoing infrastructure projects in eastern Georgia, including the completion of highways linking the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia, with the plans for a four-lane road in this area as well. He also mentioned the recently opened 35-km section of the 85-km four-lane Kakheti highway covering the route from the capital city of Tbilisi to Sagarejo, noting it would be fully completed by 2028, while the construction of the 17-km Sagarejo-Badiauri section would be finished next year.

He also mentioned a new 18-km Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori road - a part of the 35-km Kakheti Highway stretching from the capital of Tbilisi to the central part of the eastern region, which had already been opened.

The construction of [eastern] Lagodekhi bypass will also begin, which is very important for this town. A four-lane highway connecting Tbilisi-Rustavi [a city near the capital] will be also constructed, which is very important for connecting [the cities] Tbilisi and Rustavi. The construction of the Tbilisi entrance and exit highways will also begin in the near future”, the PM added.

Kobakhidze also referred to the Stepantsminda section of the road in the north-east of the country, where he said a “unique” 9-km long, Kvesheti-Kobi tunnel had already been cut, and noted this section would connected to the Stepantsminda road, construction of which would be completed soon, adding the construction of the road, which was the first southern section connecting to Stepantsminda, would also begin.

Ultimately, after the completion of this road, it will take about 1.5 hours to drive to Stepantsminda, and after the completion of the Kakheti highway, it will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive to Telavi, which is important for everything, it is important for mobility, for our population, for the development of the economy. Thanks to the entire team working on these matters. In terms of connectivity, the implementation of these projects is very important”, he said.

Kobakhidze also highlighted the significance of these projects for regional connectivity, facilitating “faster connection” between Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, by saying “given the new reality in our [South Caucasus] region, the implementation of these projects is especially important from an economic perspective”.