Economist and former Georgian ambassador to Germany Elguja Khokrishvili has questioned how the government will finance the Anaklia deep-sea port, arguing that Georgia has lost the support of key strategic partners under the current administration's policies.
Speaking to TV-program Analytics, Khokrishvili said the government's decision to develop the port under the landlord model raises concerns because the country lacks the conditions needed for the model to succeed, including independent institutions, legal certainty, and strong investor confidence.
He argued that the project has already suffered a six-year delay and warned that attracting private operators and guaranteeing cargo flows will be difficult without the rule of law and closer alignment with the European Union.
Khokrishvili also questioned where the government would secure the estimated investment after announcing it would finance part of the project. He said Georgia's borrowing capacity is limited and argued that weakened relations with strategic partners make funding such a large infrastructure project more challenging.
