Saakashvili Pledges Poti Free Economic Zone in a Month

Mikheil Saakashvili, who stepped down as President on November 25 to run for re-election, said on December 5 that a contract on a free economic zone would be signed next month.

?In a month we will sign an agreement on a free economic zone and we will turn Poti into a very successful town,? Saakashvili told voters at a campaign rally in the Georgian Black Sea port.

On October 16 the Georgian Ministry of Economy announced that a total of twelve companies had submitted bids for the lease of Poti port for 49 years. The port will be leased with an adjacent 400 hectares of land so as to create a free economic zone. At the time the Ministry said it would announce the winner of the tender within two weeks, but nothing has been heard of the matter until now.

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