Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze says the COVID-19 pandemic and de facto sanctions against billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili prevented him from implementing his 2019 pledge to rehabilitate Tskaltubo’s former sanatoriums and baths.
Ivanishvili had announced plans to acquire and renovate 22 sanatoriums and nine bathhouses as part of a comprehensive resort development project. Kobakhidze said the government remains committed to developing Tskaltubo and that newly announced privatization auctions could help advance the initiative.
Asked whether Ivanishvili remains interested in the project, the Prime Minister said the outcome would become clear after the auctions conclude. He added that de facto sanctions restrict Ivanishvili’s financial capabilities, although he continues to implement major investment projects in Georgia, including in tourism.
The government has put 10 former sanatoriums in Tskaltubo up for auction again. Under the privatization terms, buyers must develop the properties and establish modern hotels and related infrastructure within five years. Of the seven sanatoriums previously sold under the “New Life of Tskaltubo” initiative, three were later returned to state ownership, leaving four currently privatized.
