The Government of Georgia has decided to terminate its contract with the Anaklia Development Consortium, Deputy Prime-Minister, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Maia Tskitishvili told reporters on January 9, noting that new tender documents will be prepared for Anaklia deep sea port construction.

Ben Hodges, former commander of the US Army in Europe told the Accent that "Georgia loses three things as a result of the termination of this project:

• The chance to significantly increase the prosperity and economic growth of the Georgian economy;
• The chance to improve its own security. If Georgia were to become the portal between Eurasia and Europe that this port of Anaklia would enable. Then many European countries would invest there and would therefore, take a real interest in Georgia’s security, which is why Russia has resisted this project;
• Georgia loses the chance to change the economic and security dynamic for the entire Black Sea region, which is of course one of the objectives of the Kremlin.”

“I am sad to see that the government of Georgia has not fully supported this effort and has, instead, given in to pressure from the Kremlin,” he said.

When asked, whether the Georgian government’s decision was politically motivated, Hodges said: “the shutdown of this project is all about lack of political will and giving in to pressure from the Kremlin.”

“If the Georgian government was serious about building this port, then it would be under construction right now,” he added.

The Anaklia Development Consortium commented on the government’s decision later on January 9. Levan Akhvlediani, Consortium’s Director General said they would take the Georgian government to international court over the termination of the contract.

Anaklia Deep Sea Port project has strong backing from the U.S.

In June 2019, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said following the meeting with Mamuka Bakhtadze, then Prime Minister of Georgia:

"Finally, I communicated our hope that Georgia completes the port project. The project and others will enhance Georgia’s relationship with free economies and prevent Georgia from falling prey to Russian or Chinese economic influence. Those pretended friends do not have Georgia’s best interests at heart."

/Marika Chubinidze