Georgian Ruling Party, Opposition Assess Termination of Contract with Anaklia Consortium

Georgian government’s decision to terminate its contract with the Anaklia Development Consortium has triggered mixed reactions from the ruling party and opposition politicians.

Civil.ge offers a compilation of these assessments.

Ruling party’s assessments

Natia Turnava, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development: “An absolutely logical decision was made at the today’s government session and the contract with the Anaklia Development Consortium was suspended… We should have had an operating port, people employed and cargo processed by 2020… Unfortunately, it did not happen and the entire responsibility lays on the investor… We will manage to identify a new reliable and effective investor through a new tender, because the project is of huge strategic importance for us and generally, for the entire region.”

Gia Volski, First Deputy Chairman of the Parliament, Georgian Dream: “The Consortium practically deceived the government. The government spent a lot of money and instead of doing the work, they [from Anaklia Development Consortium] actually held a presentation of Lelo political party on the sea coast. This is the reality and it is much more difficult to face this reality than hide behind a certain political party… As for Bidzina Ivanishvili’s interest, it is expressed in the attitude of the state towards this issue.”  

Roman Kakulia, Chairman of the Parliament’s Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee: “The main challenge of this country is a right foreign policy orientation. Those persons who do not think of how much under-assessment of Russian threats will cost the country are not right politicians… My opinion is that these [Russian] threats do exist and Mamuka Khazaradze [co-founder of the Consortium] was first who should have taken these threats into consideration… I agree with the opinion that it is the policy aimed at evading Russian threat.”

Opposition’s assessments

Mamuka Khazaradze, Lelo political party, co-founder of the Anaklia Development Consortium: “The present government, which is not capable to rule the country, finished the first stage of special operation, aimed at halting [the construction of] the Anaklia port [construction]… I would like to tell Bidzina Ivanishvili that he did fulfil Kremlin’s instruction, but Georgian people will not forgive him termination of this project vital for our country, our future… We will continue this dispute in international court and uncover all those officials and politicians, who were openly or covertly fighting against the Anaklia project… Some of our government officials were carrying out an orchestrated attack against the Anaklia project and we will definitely uncover them.”  

Roman Gotsiridze, the United National Movement: “The government has committed a crime against the state; it is a huge harm to the country from both, politically and economically. Ivanishvili and his government openly fulfilled Russia’s instruction and actually destroyed the Anaklia project, whose perspective equals to zero under this government… First, Russia is against implementation of this project and Ivanishvili has fulfilled Russia’s instruction with the latter promising him support in elections; so, the key task of Ivanishvili’s government is to maintain power and they will agree on any compromise to ensure it… The Anaklia project will never be implemented under [the incumbent] government.”

Sergi Kapanadze, European Georgia: “The deep sea port is important for Georgia because it will ensure cargo transportation via Georgia; and Russia is [Georgia’s] competitor [in transportation]; our national interests are not in compliance with Russia’s interests… although Russia does not like it, we should still do it, because it will increase our security… Ivanishvili is the person who is ready to halt the Anaklia project because it may suit Russia… The today has shown one thing – this man [Ivanishvili] is ready to jeopardize the most strategic project not to harm his own political interests. Nobody should have any illusion that the port construction will be resumed as long as the [incumbent] government is in place. Unfortunately, it will not be resumed; years have been lost due to this harmful and shameful decision.”

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