TBILISI, July 7 – Georgia says it will keep control of the planned Anaklia deep sea port, a major Black Sea project that the government presents as a key part of the Middle Corridor trade route between Asia and Europe.
Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili said on Monday that the project model has been changed, Rezonansi reported. Under the new “landlord” model, the state will remain the owner of the main maritime and port infrastructure, while international investors and private operators will be brought in for container and bulk cargo terminals.
The decision means that a Chinese consortium will no longer be the leading force in the project, according to the report. The government will also build the road and railway links to Anaklia. Kvrivishvili said Georgia welcomes investment in the port from countries involved in the Middle Corridor, including China, Central Asian states and Azerbaijan.
The government says the new model is meant to turn Anaklia into a center for international interests, capital and cargo flows, while strengthening Georgia’s national interests and giving the country a key role in the Middle Corridor.
Some saw the move as a good and timely decision. Dimitri Khundadze, chairman of the small government-aligned party People’s Power, said state control of a controlling stake in Anaklia would allow Georgia to make important decisions in line with national interests and prevent the port from being used against the country.
Economist Davit Chikhelidze also backed the move, saying state ownership of a strategic port means Georgia keeps one of its most important economic and geopolitical levers. He said the model would allow Georgia to work with several countries and companies at the same time, rather than relying on one partner.
Levan Tatarashvili, director of Ivex Logistics, said Anaklia is necessary if Georgia wants to meet growing demand for its transport corridor. He said the port could increase cargo flows by at least 150 percent compared with current levels, and called the transfer of the project into state hands a step toward sovereignty and national security.
But among the opposition, the reception was not as warm. Irakli Kupradze, one of the leaders of Lelo, said Anaklia is not just a port, but a project linked to Georgia’s national security, economic independence and European and transatlantic future. He said the project should be built with full transparency, Western strategic partners, international financial institutions and strong private investors.
According to the Rezonansi, construction work has already started. In August 2024, the Georgian government signed a USD 204 million contract with a Belgian company for seabed deepening and breakwater construction. In 2026, the government said negotiations with the contractor had reduced the project cost by USD 52 million. Those maritime works are currently underway in Anaklia.
