TBILISI, May 6 – Georgia says construction has begun on the long-planned Anaklia deep-sea port, a major Black Sea project that the government calls strategic for the country’s economy and regional transport role. Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili announced the start of construction during a visit to the Anaklia port site with Vice … Read more
TBILISI, May 5 – Georgia plans to invest about USD 1.7 billion in its railway system over the next 10 years, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Tuesday, promising new trains, new freight capacity and a direct rail link to the planned Anaklia deep-sea port. Speaking at a presentation of what the government called the “historic … Read more
TBILISI, April 24 – Georgia has opened talks on adding more direct flights with China, including a possible new Tbilisi-Shanghai route, as trade and travel between the two countries continue to grow. The Georgian Economy Ministry said active negotiations have been under way for several months with Chinese airlines over the launch of regular flights … Read more
TBILISI, April 23 – Chinese energy companies have shown interest in oil and gas extraction in Georgia, the Georgian Economy Ministry said on Thursday, after a series of meetings in Beijing during Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili’s visit to China. According to the ministry, Kvrivishvili met Wang Yutao, chairman of China ZhenHua Oil, one of China’s … Read more
TBILISI, April 8 – Georgia’s government says train travel is about to get faster and broader, with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announcing new rail directions from Tbilisi and major cuts in travel time on two key routes. Speaking at a government meeting on Wednesday, Kobakhidze said the railway network will add a Tbilisi-Kutaisi direction and … Read more
TBILISI, March 16 – Nearly three months after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze criticized high retail markups, lawmakers are pressing supermarket chains to explain how shelf prices are actually formed. At the parliamentary commission’s seventh working session on Monday, representatives of large retail operators including Carrefour, Ori Nabiji, Nikora and Daily Group were called in to … Read more
TBILISI, March 11 – A new state audit has found that most municipal properties sold through electronic auction in Georgia drew just one bidder, spotlighting how local governments are privatizing public real estate. The findings, reported by BPN, touch a sensitive subject in Georgia, where privatization of public assets has been a recurring feature of … Read more
TBILISI, March 10 – Georgia’s domestic rail freight has fallen sharply over the past decade, with transport experts blaming neglected branch lines, very low speeds and a system that can no longer compete with road haulage. Speaking on Palitra News, Paata Tsagareishvili, head of the Transport Corridor Research Center (TCRC), said local cargo shipments on … Read more
TBILISI, January 21 – Plans to build a new international airport near the village of Vaziani are increasingly in doubt after Georgia agreed to a major expansion of Tbilisi International Airport, an aviation expert says. Aviation analyst Iase Zautashvili told BPN that the planned USD 150 million investment in Tbilisi’s existing airport makes the construction … Read more
TBILISI, January 21 – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with 15 representatives of major supermarket chains on Wednesday, putting rising grocery prices at the center of a growing government crackdown on retail markups. Speaking after the meeting, Kobakhidze said everyday food items in Georgia cost significantly more than in parts of Europe. He pointed … Read more