Lelo’s Irakli Kupradze says Anaklia should be constructed with coparticipation of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and be gateway of Caucasus

“Anaklia is the most vivid example of how one government can turn the country’s historical chance into a decade-long chronicle of lies. The Georgian Dream has no moral right to speak about Anaklia. For over 10 years, it has been staging the same play, with prime ministers and economic ministers replacing each other and project names, models and promises being modified. The only thing that does not change is that we still have no Anaklia port,” said Irakli Kupradze, one of the leaders of the Lelo party.

According to Kupradze, back in 2016, the government insisted on the BOT model, signed the agreement and promised society that the port would receive the first ship in 2020. He went on to say that in 2022, the new prime minister and economic team announced that the only solution was a 51% participation of the state and the search for a new partner. In 2023, the same government presented a PPP model.

Irakli Kupradze stated that the problem is neither BOT, PPP, nor Landlord.

“Successful ports around the world operate using these models. The problem lies with the government, which lacks a strategic vision and international credibility, and is unable to see projects of national importance through to completion,” stated Irakli Kupradze.

The Lelo leader explained that Anaklia is not just a port but Georgia’s national security, European and Trans-Atlantic future project. Analia should be constructed with the co-participation of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and should become the gateway of the Caucasus.

“Anaklia is Georgia’s national security, economic independence, European and Trans-Atlantic future project. As we stated from the beginning, Anaklia should be constructed with full transparency with the participation of Western strategic partners, international financial institutions and strong private investors. Anaklia should be the key logistics hub of the Black Sea, connecting Georgia with Europe, strengthening the country’s security, attracting investors and creating tens of thousands of job places.

Analia should be constructed with the co-participation of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and should become the gateway of the Caucasus. This is the way to strong Georgia, to peace, prosperity and development.

Anaklia must become a hub of trilateral partnership and a place of shared peace, stability, and prosperity for the Caucasus. History demonstrated that enduring peace is most firmly established where countries are linked by trade, infrastructure, investment, and shared economic success.

When neighbors create wealth together, the value of peace between them increases, while the cost of confrontation becomes significantly heavier. The time has come for a change of government – the administration that turned one of Georgia’s most important national projects into a symbol of unfulfilled promises, lost time, and missed opportunities,” he concluded.

Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili announced at the briefing that the Government of Georgia decided to construct Anaklia deep-sea port using the widely practised ‘Landlord’ model, under which the state will retain ownership of the core maritime and port infrastructure.