Opposition leader Khazaradze accuses Georgian Dream Gov’t of ‘betraying national interests’ over Anaklia port

Mamuka Khazaradze, one of the leaders of the opposition party Lelo, has accused Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, of betraying the country’s national interests by halting the Anaklia deep-sea port project.

In a social media post on Monday, Khazaradze claimed the port could already have been operational, creating “tens of thousands of jobs” in the town of Anaklia, near the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region, had the project not been blocked. He argued the port in western Georgia could still be completed within 18 months rather than by 2029, as projected by the government.

Khazaradze also linked the issue to regional developments, pointing to a memorandum between the United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan on the opening of the Zangezur Corridor- a major transport link between Asia and Europe under US security guarantees. He warned that without swift action, Georgia risked losing its strategic advantage and becoming “a dead end” in the region.

He urged the immediate return of US companies to build and operate the port, saying this would secure Washington’s backing, attract investors and create thousands of jobs.

Khazaradze ended his post by acknowledging that he did not expect Georgian Dream to act on his proposals but insisted “this had to be written.”