Georgia's PM Resigns Amidst Disagreements Over Controversial Anaklia Port Project
Georgia's Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has resigned, with reports suggesting disagreements with Bidzina Ivanishvili, including over the Anaklia Deep-Sea Port project, played a role. Critics warn that involving a sanctioned Chinese state company in the project could threaten Georgia's sovereignty and Euro-Atlantic security.
The Anaklia project has faced years of political wrangling and uncertainty. Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream, repeatedly doubted Anaklia's potential and advised against investing in it. Despite this, the Anaklia Development Consortium, led by Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, won the contract in 2016. However, the government cancelled the deal in 2020, citing the consortium's failure to implement the project.
The tender was then awarded to a Chinese-Singaporean consortium, including China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC). CCCC, under US sanctions due to ties with China's military-industrial complex, has faced allegations of corruption and poor construction quality worldwide. The US Embassy in Tbilisi warned about CCCC's track record of shoddy construction, labor abuses, environmental damage, and unsustainable debt.
The resignation of Prime Minister Kvirikashvili and the involvement of a sanctioned Chinese company in the Anaklia project have raised concerns about Georgia's sovereignty and security. The project's future remains uncertain, with critics arguing that the government should have learned from past mistakes and chosen a more reliable partner.
