MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, met with Rolande Pryce, the World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus. The parties discussed the bilateral cooperation agenda and ongoing major strategic projects.

Special attention during the meeting was paid to the new development model of the Anaklia Deepwater Seaport.

Mariam Kvrivishvili explained that the meeting with Rolande Pryce was highly productive, during which they discussed in detail the potential involvement of the international financial institution in the crucial next phase of Anaklia Deepwater Port’s development.

“Today we had a very productive meeting with the regional leadership of the World Bank, during which we discussed the potential involvement of the World Bank in the next important phase of the Anaklia Deepwater Port’s development. We spoke in-depth about the updated model of Anaklia Deepwater Port, what the state’s vision is, and how it plans to develop the Anaklia Port in the future. The model responds to the international best practices we see in many countries during the port operation and development phases,” – Kvrivishvili noted.

She also pointed out that developing the port under the “Landlord” model allows for the involvement of experienced private operators from various countries in the operation of the port infrastructure.

“It is important that the port will be Georgian. The Government of Georgia will develop the port and, consequently, the Government of Georgia will make the investments. However, this model will allow us to bring multiple states or experienced private operators from various countries into the operation of the port infrastructure,” – Kvrivishvili noted.

The Minister emphasized the state’s full readiness and highlighted the ongoing construction work currently being carried out at Anaklia Port, specifically regarding dredging and the construction of the breakwater. Attention was also focused on the subsequent phases, which involve setting up road and rail transport infrastructure. According to the Minister, the design phase for this direction is already completed.

“For us, it is particularly important that at this stage we are in full compliance with the timeline set for the development of the Anaklia Deepwater Port. With joint efforts and alongside our international partners, we must ensure that this timeline is meticulously met, so that by 2029, the Anaklia Deepwater Port can welcome its first ship,” – Mariam Kvrivishvili stated.