Anaklia Port Should Become a Joint Strategic Project of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan - Grigol Gegelia

According to Grigol Gegelia, a member of "Lelo - Strong Georgia", the government should present a new strategic vision for the country instead of making new promises, which will respond to national challenges and the new geopolitical reality in the region.

According to him, "Lelo - Strong Georgia" is proposing to make the Anaklia Deepwater Port a joint strategic project of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

"Our proposal is to create a joint "Caucasian Consortium" with the participation of the three countries, and transfer the management of the port to an international operator with a high international reputation. At the same time, the Anaklia Free Economic Zone should be open to American, European and all international partners who respect Georgia’s sovereignty and are ready to participate in the peaceful development of the region,” Gegelia said.

According to his assessment, this model represents the concept of an “economy of peace,” which will base cooperation in the region on common economic interests and return Georgia to the strategic economic map of the West.

According to Gegelia, Anaklia is not just a port project, but a historical opportunity that should become the main economic gateway to the Caucasus and the basis for regional peace.

In addition, he noted that the Georgian Dream had ten years to implement the Anaklia project, however, according to him, the country today needs a “grand national strategy,” not new promises.

For your information: The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Mariam Kvrivishvili, stated that the government has decided to build the Anaklia Port under the "Landlord" model, under which the state will remain the owner of the main maritime and port infrastructure, while international companies will only be involved in the management of the terminal infrastructure.