PM: 24% surge in port cargo turnover proves success of government strategy

“Cargo turnover across Georgian ports surged by 24% in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period last year. This is a clear testament to the effectiveness of government policy and its ongoing focus on bolstering connectivity,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists in Batumi.

According to the Prime Minister, the government plans to invest USD 7 billion in port and wider infrastructure projects over the coming years to unlock the country’s full economic potential.

“We face no shortage of challenges, yet against this backdrop we continue to maintain positive momentum: cargo throughput in our ports is up by 24% over the first seven months of the year compared to last year. This demonstrates the success of our policy. We are working relentlessly to strengthen these connectivity corridors, which naturally carries its own political dimension. In just a few months, I have made three state visits to Central Asian nations and hosted two of the region’s presidents here in Georgia. We maintain exceptionally close ties with Azerbaijan and Armenia. We serve as the gateway connecting seven landlocked nations to the Black Sea, and, by extension, to the West. Expanding these crucial political and economic linkages remains our top priority. Our partnership with China is also of vital importance in this regard, alongside our free trade agreements with numerous key partners.

Our nation is capitalising on these advantages. Cargo volumes across the Middle Corridor are rising, including right here in our ports. The dynamic is overwhelmingly positive: freight flows through the Middle Corridor have grown nearly sevenfold since 2020. Georgia is reaping the rewards, and we must sustain this effort. Our entire foreign policy is geared towards leveraging our strategic geographic position, seamlessly linking Europe and Asia, East and West. The crucial imperative now is to stay the course. The region is beset by conflict and uncertainty, making it imperative that we fully realise our strategic promise. To that end, USD 7 billion in targeted investments will be channelled into port and logistics infrastructure over the coming years. Fully exploiting this potential is the overarching objective of our policy,” the Prime Minister noted.