Georgian PM: Anaklia deep sea port project to boost country’s connectivity function
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday emphasised the role of the Anaklia deep sea port project - designated to be built in Georgia’s Black Sea town to ensure increased logistical capability between Asia and Europe - in boosting the country's connectivity function. Photo: Gov't Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday emphasised the role of the Anaklia deep sea port project - designated to be built in Georgia’s Black Sea town to ensure increased logistical capability between Asia and Europe - in boosting the country's connectivity function.
In his interview with Imedi TV, Kobakhidze highlighted benefits of building the port particularly in the context of the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus.
The first phase accounts for a $600 million investment, and after [its] completion, that is by 2029, the first ships will be admitted, and we will be able to process 600,000 containers per year, which is a rather large resource”, the PM said, adding the operation would “directly” impact economic growth and budget revenue.
He also stressed the Chinese participation in the project, calling Chinese freight “crucial and defining” in the success of the project and saying he was “delighted” the project would be implemented with a Chinese-Singaporean company.
Kobakhidze also said the state retaining a 51 percent controlling stake would ensure that the country's interests in the project were “represented to the fullest in every possible way”.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the country’s “great opportunity to further develop” its transit function “in light of the new geopolitical reality”.
[To achieve this goal] construction of roads will be continued and significant investments will be made in this area”, he said.
Kobakhidze noted the Tbilisi-Batumi Highway, connecting the capital to the Black Sea city, was set to be completed next year, reducing travel time to about four hours from the previous five to six hours.
He emphasised this project was “crucial” as it would not only allow citizens to travel more rapidly but also contribute to economic development and tourism.
The Prime Minister also discussed the Eastern Highway, highlighting plans to connect specific points from the border with Turkey to the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia by the end of 2028.
A four-lane highway leading to Red Bridge [adjacent to the border with Azerbaijan] and Sadakhlo [with Armenia] will be built and the direction of Kakheti region is also very important”, he said.
He emphasised the development of the connectivity function had “significant” economic potential for the country, with ongoing road construction and “substantial” investments over the next four years, including projects for the new Tbilisi international airport, the Anaklia port project, and railway modernisation. Kobakhidze stressed these efforts were part of a comprehensive plan to strengthen the strategic function of the country, not only from an economic perspective but also from a political standpoint.
The Prime Minister noted the country’s airport infrastructure needed to respond to increasing passenger flows, noting the current Tbilisi airport could only handle four million passengers a year, while the new facility, planned in the location of a former military airfield in Vaziani near the capital city, was being constructed to handle 18 million passengers.
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The first phase will be completed in 2029, which will provide entirely new opportunities to our capital and our country as a whole. It will significantly strengthen our economic potential in many ways”, Kobakhidze said.
Additionally, plans are in place to expand Kutaisi International Airport in the country’s west, to increase its capacity from 1,700,000 to five million passengers, he said, adding growth in tourism and overall passenger flow in the country necessitated the developments.