Senior Vice- President and the Chief Financial Officer of Trammo company, William Markstein talks about the prospect of creating a logistics hub in Batumi. 

As Mr. Markstein stated at the Investment Panel on “Development of Georgia - Promotion of Targeted Investments” held in the framework of Tbilisi Silk Road Forum,  cargoes will be transported from Central Asia via Baku and by rail to Batumi. 

According to the businessman, work on the project is already underway and he is confident that the route will be stable. 

“This is a very good project. As you know, the political situation in Iran and volatile countries is difficult and we are confident that this route will be stable,” he said. 

As he stated, from an investment standpoint Georgia's strategic location makes it very attractive, especially for the Asia-Europe transit routes. According to Mr. Markstein, there are already two new plant projects in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan: 

“Five million tons will increase to about seven million tons and that cargo awaits entry into the global market - through the Caspian Sea and Georgia. The infrastructure is pretty good in terms of the railway system. We want to create logistics hub in Baku and Batumi. I would also like to point out that this is a stable and efficient trading route; you can rely on suppliers to continue transportation of products continuously after production. This is a very important investment factor for us.” he said.

Mr. Markstein also praised the business climate in Georgia:

“I am the chairman of the investment committee and the question of our leadership is always: What is the situation in Georgia in terms of corruption and stability? Of course, it's important to improve, as well as Georgia's place in the ratings, that it is free from corruption and is a simple country in terms of doing business.”