US-Sanctioned Chinese Company Selected as Private Partner for Anaklia Deep-Sea Port Construction
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, May 30, 2024
The Minister of Economy Levan Davitashvili has announced that the Chinese consortium company China Communications Construction Company Ltd, in partnership with China Harbour Investment, has been selected as the private investor for the construction of the new deep-sea port of Anaklia. According to Davitashvili, the Chinese company was the only entity to present an offer for the project.
Notably, China Communications Construction Company Ltd has been sanctioned by the United States on August 26, 2020, for engaging in corruption, predatory financing, environmental destruction, and other abuses across the world.
"On May 20, a proposal was submitted to the Anaklia Development Agency by a Chinese consortium, consisting of two important subcontractors, CRBC and Qingdao Port International. It's worth noting that Qingdao Port International ranks sixth-seventh in the world by port cargo turnover. In the near future, the commission will evaluate the proposals and reveal the winner.
According to the initial assessment, the proposal is complete, and there is a great chance that the Commission will declare it the winner. However, several clarifications are needed for this. I believe that in a few days, we will announce the Chinese consortium as the winner," said Davitashvili.
According to the minister, the initial phase of Anaklia port development involves constructing a berth capable of handling 7 million tons of cargo and a 600,000-container terminal, with a total investment value of $600 million.
The government will hold a controlling stake of 51% in the port.
The leader of 'Lelo', Mamuka Khazaradze, considers the "capture of the port of Anaklia by China" as part of the Russian government's plans.
"What does the Black Sea need Americans for and what does Georgia need from the European Union? The plans of the Russian government were openly announced to us for the first time by stopping the Anaklia project. Today, everything is clear to everyone - Russian law, visits to Iran, standing by Hezbollah, and ultimately transferring the Anaklia project into the hands of China, rejecting American and European investments!" Khazaradze wrote on social media.
Lelo leader Mamuka Khazaradze claims that during the meeting in 2017, while discussing the Anaklia port, Ivanishvili told him there is no place for "Americans in the Black Sea".
