Azerbaijan Interested in Anaklia Port Says Aliyev

‘’We have already completed a number of successful projects and initiatives. I think there’s no need to name them, everyone knows what they were, energy and transport projects. Today, we are doing everything to ensure energy security in different countries, including here. We are working together and deepening our cooperation. This is part of our agenda.

We will be happy to take part in infrastructure projects that were discussed, be it Anaklia port or anything else.

We own the port of Kulevi on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia. We could also enlarge this port. This will boost and strengthen our cooperation. As for the Baku-Tbilisi railway, we will do everything to increase the transit five times. This will be the largest component in the development of our middle corridor,’’ said Ilham Aliyev, who was visiting Georgia on October 8.

‘’In terms of energy, which is a traditional sphere, we already had talks about the green energy corridor. Here too, Georgia and Azerbaijan, two brother nations, are working in concert with European nations and will complete a feasibility study for this project in the coming months. I am sure that very soon we will be able to make tangible headway in the form of investments that are already planned. This will be a green energy corridor, which will strengthen the energy security of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and partner states. All these projects, which are implemented in Georgia, Azerbaijan, and our partner countries, are of great importance, not only for the South Caucasus but the entire Euro-Asian continent. We are ready to extend effort in this regard. Our political will is very strong. By using and expanding the existing infrastructure and developing our friendship and strategic partnership, we will be able to achieve this,’’ said Aliyev.

On September 22, the Minister of Economy of Georgia Levan Davitashvili said that Swiss-Luxembourg and Chinese-Singaporean companies want to build a port in Georgia. According to the minister, a total of four companies took part in the selection process, of which only two moved to the next stage.

‘’We have projected that it will take three years to complete the first stage of construction. Within 9 months from the selection of the builder, all the preparatory work will be completed and the company will be ready to start the work,’’ said Davitashvili.

To the question of the members of the parliament of whether the government has any guarantees that the 49% share transferred to the investor will not end up in the hands of Russia down the line, the minister explained:

‘’The distribution of the shares of Anaklia port will be as follows: 51% will be owned by the state of Georgia, and 49% by a private partner. This is important so that the interest and influence of no other state dominates the interests of Georgia, and this project, like many other important, critical infrastructure projects, serves the interests of our country and our economy.’’

The Anaklia deep-sea port project was supposed to be implemented by the Anaklia Development Consortium, but the Georgian government terminated the contract with it in 2020. The consortium made up several investor companies, including TBC Holding. In 2019, the General Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against the founders of the holding, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze, and charged them with legalizing illegal income (money laundering) of 16,664,000 US dollars. In September 2023, it came to light that the Supreme Court did not accept the case of Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze for processing. Khazaradze and Japaridze believe that the prosecution against them started to stop the Anaklia deep-water port project.

A dispute is in progress in the arbitration court regarding the Anaklia port project. The investor is demanding 1.5 billion dollars because of the termination of the contract.