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illustration: GEOpolitics

The development of the Anaklia deep-water port is one of Georgia's most crucial strategic objectives. It would positively transform the country's role on both regional and international levels. This project would not only facilitate Georgia’s emergence as a transport and logistics hub but would also provide a significant boost to the diversification of the national economy and enhance the country’s integration into global trade. The idea of constructing the Anaklia Port has a long history. The project concept first emerged in the 20th century, but various factors have continuously hindered its realization. These include political instability, lack of political will, economic difficulties, and geopolitical challenges.

This document provides a detailed overview of the development stages of the Anaklia Port project and the current situation. It also analyzes the economic and geopolitical significance of the project, the positions and interests of the stakeholders, as well as the existing obstacles and challenges that have hindered the construction and development of the port to this day. The paper focuses on the key question of why the Anaklia deep-sea port project has not been realized in Georgia since 2016, despite the private sector’s expressed readiness, large-scale international support at the initial stage, and, at a later stage, transfer of 51% of the project to government management.

Opinions expressed in this document are based on the analysis of public records, official statements from authorities and politicians, details related to the investment process, and media reports. This analysis outlines the logic behind decisions and actions that, initially, clearly disrupted collaboration between the state and private investors, and at the second stage, delayed signing of official documents with the eventual winner of the investment competition, leading to the indefinite postponement of the project’s implementation.

See the attached file for the entire document.