PM initiates new project at the World Economic Forum in Dalian
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, September 10
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Dalian, China, on September 9 and spoke about a new project entitled ‘Silk Wind – The Modern Silk Road’.
The presented project is related to the simplified export route from the East to Europe via Georgia and its neighbouring countries.
“As the transit country, we have initiated a new project which aims to develop and renew our transport infrastructure to better cater for transit movement between Europe and Asia,” the PM stated.
He spoke about the construction of the Anaklia port and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which will be the shortest and the cheapest transit route between the East and West.
“With our partners, we plan to implement a multi-model railway project, with the purpose of constructing a corridor of rail containers from China to Europe via Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey,” Garibashvili said.
According to the PM, the project will start at the end of the year and the agreement will be signed for a period of 6 years.
The PM met with the representatives of Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Company Limited, which is one of the world’s largest construction and engineering companies, and discussed the new highway project details, which will cost in excess of a billion dollars.
The parties agreed that Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Company members will visit Georgia in two weeks and begin negotiations about the project. Project Funds will be allocated by the China Development Bank, the primary financial institution responsible for raising funds for large infrastructure projects.
Several other Chinese companies attended the meeting, which will also be involved in the project, including MCC International Incorporation Limited, China Development Bank Inner Mongolia Branch and China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation.
During the visit, Gharibashvili met with the president of the Mitsubishi Corporation. The parties agreed that Mistubishi representatives will arrive in Georgia to learn about the local investment environment.
Moreover, the Prime Minister met with the founder of World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab. He thanked Prof. Schwab for his invitation and expressed his hope that Dalian Economic Forum will be as successful for Georgia as was the Davos World Economic Forum.
The Georgian delegation, led by the PM, will stay in China from September 9 to September 13.
PM Garibashvili is accompanied by Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili; Economic Minister Dimitri Kumsishvili; head of Adjara Autonomous Republic’s government Archil Khabadze; CEO of the state-owned Georgian Railway Mamuka Bakhtadze; Head of the National Investment Agency Giorgi Pertaia; head of the private Co-Investment Fund Giorgi Bachiashvili, as well as GD parliamentary majority leader Davit Saganelidze and vice-speaker of the Parliament, GD MP Gubaz Sanikidze.
