Georgia is ready to implement large-scale projects to improve transport and logistics links in the Middle Corridor, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said at the opening of the CAREC Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Ministerial Conference in Tbilisi.

Georgia is the 2023 CAREC Chair Country and hosted the 22nd CAREC Ministerial in Tbilisi on November 30.

"With the growing importance of the Middle Corridor as a stable and safe alternative to traditional routes, we are ready to implement large-scale infrastructure projects to help improve transport and logistics links," Garibashvili said.

Among the planned large-scale projects, the Prime Minister highlighted the construction of the first deep-water port in Anaklia settlement (Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region), railroad modernization project and construction of a new international airport in Tbilisi, which will contribute to the development of air cargo transportation following the development of passenger aviation.

It is about the construction of a new, modern, international-class airport on the territory of the former airfield in Vaziani (near Tbilisi). Currently, leading architects and architectural groups, as well as companies are being selected to start work in 2024.

As Garibashvili stated in early November, the construction of the port in Anaklia will start in March-April 2024. At the moment the selection of an investor is actively underway, which will be revealed no later than January 2024.

Georgian authorities decided to resume the construction of Anaklia port with the condition that the state will own 51%. Construction of the new port started in December 2017, but was suspended. In January 2020, the authorities terminated the contract with the Anaklia Development Consortium, accusing the investor of failing to fulfill its financial obligations.

As for the Georgian railroad modernization project, which will be completed by 2024, it will double the annual freight capacity to 48 million tons per year.

We are talking about the project of modernization of the main Tbilisi-Makhinjauri railway line. The project was launched in 2012. It envisages construction of a new 38-kilometer section and reconstruction of the existing 23-kilometer section. The cost of the project is 248 million Swiss francs, from where 239 million has already been utilized.

"We recognize that many barriers continue to impede the rapid movement of goods, vehicles and people between the countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program," the Prime Minister said.

According to Garibashvili, for smooth operation of the Middle Corridor it is necessary to create infrastructure of joint border crossing points, which will allow the neighboring countries to synchronously carry out cargo transportation on the principle of a single window. This approach is aimed at minimizing the costs of cargo transportation, while making the most efficient use of the latest technological achievements, he said.

Medium corridor

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was established in February 2014 with the participation of leading enterprises in maritime and rail transportation of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia.

The corridor route currently runs from the China-Kazakhstan border through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia to Europe.

In June 2022, the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan agreed to enhance trilateral and regional cooperation and capacity building of the East-West Midland Corridor across the Caspian Sea. Turkey initiated the inclusion of Georgia as part of the transit route in the corridor.

The development of transit routes through Georgia is one of the most important priorities of the Government of Georgia, which has invested heavily in this area.

Georgia's transit role plays a special role in economic development, given the existing free trade agreements with China, Turkey and the EU. To strengthen Georgia's role, a large-scale project to build part of the East-West highway linking Asia and Europe through Georgia is currently underway.