''It is the right time for the puppets of Russia,'' economic expert and financer, member of United National Movement political party Roman Gotsiridze, has commented on the government support to make the Poti port deeper.
The Georgian Economic Ministry issued permission on the Poti port expansion.
''We hope the project will be carried out in time, and people will receive jobs. Thus, we welcome all large investment projects, especially now, when the novel coronavirus hit the world economy,'' Turnava says.
In Turnava's words, the Georgian government has plans in the coastal region, and the Anaklia deep port construction remains the number one priority.
PM Gakharia also supports the idea of the two deep ports.
The Georgian opposition says the government has artificially delayed the Anaklia port construction.
Roman Gotsiridze says the government does not want to construct the Anaklia port, and the investors also guessed it.
''The investors demanded the Georgian government not to allow any investors to build a deep port until the Anaklia one is built. The demand was logical. Gakharia still says that Georgia will have two deep ports. Everybody knows that Poti port will never be deep,'' Gotsiridze said.
''The Poti port operator APM Terminals company always said that the Anaklia port must not be built. It was an enemy to the Anaklia port and undermined it for the APM Terminals has ports in Russia and has a good relationship with the Russian government,'' Gotsiridze adds.
The Anaklia Development Consortium was to build the Anaklia Deep Port under the deal signed with the government, but the latter terminated the agreement on January 9, 2020.
As the Regional Development Ministry stated earlier in January, the government was up to launch procedures to prepare for a new tender.
Bela Gelashvili
News Author