The Georgian opposition and former officials criticized the Georgian Dream authorities on Wednesday, alleging alignment with Russian interests following Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili's announcement that a Chinese consortium would be awarded the strategic Anaklia deep-sea port project.
Davitashvili stated that his office had only received proposals from the Chinese consortium. "The detailed application proposal is complete, and the relevant bank guarantees are presented. Therefore, in the coming days, we will provide clarifications, after which we will declare the Chinese consortium as the winner and start negotiations on the partnership agreement. This is a very important stage. This project is of great significance, as it will employ many people," he said.Irakli Kupradze, the Secretary General of the Lelo opposition party, criticized the move, claiming it reflected Russian geopolitical intentions.
Kupradze asserted that the announcement was part of a Russian policy advancing China's economic interests. "This is a Russian policy that covers China's economic interests. We all remember the statements questioning American and Georgian interests in the Black Sea and the European Union. The handling of the Anaklia project was a clear message that Russian forces influence this country. Today, we see this reality clearly," Kupradze stated.
Kupradze further criticized the China Communications Construction Co Ltd (CCCC), highlighting its “poor track record in construction, labor exploitation, environmental pollution, corruption, bribery, and debt sustainability violations” in developing countries.
He cited specific instances, including a World Bank ban in 2009 on CCCC from participating in road and bridge projects for eight years due to fraud in a road project in the Philippines. He also mentioned issues in Ecuador, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Kenya, and the US Department of Defense listing CCCC among "communist Chinese military companies" in 2020.
Kupradze accused the government of pulling the country into Russia's orbit and involving it in international corruption scandals. He emphasized that many young people were fighting for Georgia's freedom and that the opposition would continue its efforts “against the regime”.
Tina Khidasheli, chairwoman of the Civic Idea NGO and former Defence Minister, also criticized the selection, pointing out that the company was blacklisted by the World Bank and sanctioned by the US since 2020. She promised to provide more details about the company's "black deeds" soon.
Previously, during Giorgi Gakharia's premiership in early 2020, the government terminated the investment agreement for the port's construction with Anaklia Development Consortium, citing its “failure” to fulfill mandatory obligations.
However, leaders of the Consortium, now top figures in 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 ruling party founder]” as Russia opposed the project, which was expected to increase the country's attractiveness to the West and NATO.
