Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday claimed the construction of the Anaklia deep-sea-port in the country’s north-west, near the Russian-controlled Abkhazia region, will begin in the Spring, and the budget would allocate about $26 million for the purpose. 

He said the investor would be selected in December-January at the latest between the Swiss-Luxembourgish and Chinese-Singaporean companies. 

Last year the PM said the Government would be involved in the construction of Anaklia port and would have a 51 percent share in the company founded together with an investor. 

Earlier, during the premiership of Giorgi Gakharia, at the beginning of 2020, the Government announced it was terminating the investment agreement for the construction of the port with Anaklia Development Consortium, citing its “failure” to fulfill mandatory obligations. 

However, the figures involved in the Consortium, current leaders of the Lelo opposition party, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, claimed the Government had “deliberately hampered” the port construction “on the instructions of Bidzina Ivanishvili [the former PM and the ruling party founder]” as Russia was against the project, which is expected to make the country more attractive for the West and NATO. 

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O'Brien, on October 25 also spoke about the port and said efforts would continue to ensure that the infrastructure “is managed by a company that operates within the framework of the law”.