Anaklia port enters active construction phase as Georgia deepens Central Asia ties, PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has claimed construction of the Anaklia deep-sea port has entered its active phase, with the government aiming to complete the first stage of the strategic Black Sea project by 2029.

Speaking at a government meeting on Wednesday, Kobakhidze said the port is expected to receive its first vessels once the initial phase is completed.

"The first phase is scheduled to be completed in 2029, and by then the deep-sea port should be ready to receive its first ships," he said.

The prime minister also welcomed a decision by the Republic of Nauru to terminate diplomatic relations with the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Kobakhidze said the move reaffirmed the importance of respecting international law and Georgia's territorial integrity, adding that Tbilisi was ready to establish diplomatic relations with Nauru and deepen bilateral cooperation. He thanked Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and Georgian diplomats for what he described as the successful implementation of the country's non-recognition policy.

Turning to the economy, Kobakhidze said Georgia recorded 8.6% economic growth in June, bringing average growth for the first six months of the year to 7.9%.

He said manufacturing, transport, construction, information technology, and the financial and insurance sectors had made the largest contributions to growth.

He noted several international financial institutions have recently upgraded their forecasts for Georgia's economy. He attributed the country's performance to the government's economic policies and what he described as the elimination of high-level corruption, while acknowledging that efforts to combat corruption at lower levels of government must continue.

Kobakhidze also highlighted what he described as an active period in Georgia's foreign policy over the past two months, particularly in Central Asia.

He noted that Georgia conducted high-level visits to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, while hosting the presidents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. He added that Georgia had signed strategic partnership agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, describing the growing relationship with Central Asian countries as strategically important both politically and economically because of Georgia's role as a transit corridor linking the region to the Black Sea and European markets.