Lelo-Strong Georgia: If GD defended American investment like Arab ones, we’d have Anaklia Port today
“Irakli Kobakhidze is now comparing the murky Arabization project to the Anaklia Port project, which is utterly absurd,” reads a statement from Lelo-Strong Georgia opposition party.
“It’s impossible to compare the Anaklia project, which was in absolute alignment with Georgian national, geopolitical, economic, and military interests, with a project arranged with a private developer that raises serious questions and risks regarding those same national interests, including from economic, demographic, and security perspectives.
In the Anaklia case, every investment that came in was verified by the Ministry of Economy. Accordingly, every detail was known, including the founders, the investment, and the project’s strategic importance to Georgian national interests.
What do we know about the Arab project? Nothing! The contract is classified, and the public has no answers to any critical questions.
Moreover, regarding the Anaklia contract:
The consortium won through an open international tender among 12 participants. What tender did the Arabs win? None!
The terms of the Anaklia tender were public knowledge. What do we know from the contract signed with the Arab side? Nothing!
According to the agreement with the Anaklia consortium, ultimately 100% of Anaklia Port would have been transferred to the Georgian people and come entirely under state ownership.
In the Arab project’s case, it’s been declared in advance that a minimum of 60% of the land and the real estate built on it will be alienated to foreigners, including Arabs.
On top of everything else, this contract is commercially unprofitable for the Georgian side!
Two questions arise:
- Why is the so-called government hiding the contract details from the Georgian people when it concerns nine million square meters of Georgian land, demographics, ecology, and the future of our cities and country?!
- Has the 1.2 billion corresponding to the Arab 67% stake been deposited in Georgian banks as a counterweight to the 600 million worth of Georgian investment?
These questions demand answers!
P.S. If they had defended American investment as vigorously as they are defending Arab investment, we would have the Anaklia port today, the city of Anaklia, and the security guarantees,” Lelo-Strong Georgia said in a statement.