Georgian Economy Minister reaffirms strong commitment to strengthening Middle Corridor, advancing strategic infrastructure projects

The Georgian Government remains firmly committed to advancing strategic projects and further strengthening the Middle Corridor, said on Wednesday Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, during a panel discussion on the Middle Corridor held as part of the ongoing Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi.

Speaking about Georgia’s role in the Middle Corridor initiative, Kvrivishvili emphasised that large-scale infrastructure projects being implemented in Georgia would make a significant contribution to the development of the route.

“We are talking about the importance of the Middle Corridor, and our partner countries are of crucial importance in this regard. We are making joint efforts to become more competitive and add greater value to our countries. The Government of Georgia has indeed undertaken a major commitment to develop strategic projects and further strengthen the Middle Corridor. When we discuss Georgia’s role, the government ensures and underlines that Georgia’s role is clearly defined in this initiative”, she noted.

The Economy Minister highlighted the Georgian Government’s primary priority - alignment with partner countries - Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan - and maintaining continuous dialogue on this matter.

“We are working together to identify and address existing barriers and to determine in which areas each country must take its own domestic steps. As for Georgia, major infrastructure projects are underway, which are vital for the country’s economic development and can make a substantial contribution to the Middle Corridor”, Kvrivishvili added.

She further emphasised four key infrastructure projects currently being implemented in Georgia.

“The first is the modernisation of Georgian Railways. As you know, we have made a significant investment in this sector, effectively doubling its throughput capacity. The government will continue to invest in the coming years to expand infrastructure and improve access to financing, allowing for increased freight flow and stronger partnership with Silk Road countries”, the Minister said.

“At the same time, Georgia is fully committed to implementing major projects such as the Anaklia Deep Sea Port. Currently, dredging works are underway, with significant financial investment already made. The goal is to launch the Anaklia Port by late 2028 or early 2029, which will create vast economic opportunities for our country and facilitate greater cargo movement and transit”, she continued.

Kvrivishvili further added that as Georgia’s economy continues to expand, the opening of a new international airport has been identified as a key priority.

“This project will strengthen both the transport and tourism sectors, which are demonstrating steady growth annually and quarterly. Passenger traffic is increasing, and after assessing the current demand across our three international airports, we are preparing to begin construction of a new airport with a projected capacity of 20 million passengers - even larger than the existing airport in the capital. According to our assessment, operations are expected to begin in early 2032. This will further strengthen Georgia’s position as a key transit country for both cargo and passenger transport”, she said.

“We are also working on developing highway infrastructure to connect Georgia with neighboring countries and to ensure that regions within the country are more closely linked, which will add considerable value and strengthen the Middle Corridor”, Kvrivishvili noted.

The Minister emphasised that the Georgian Government remained firmly committed to this path, working together with partner countries to support regional cooperation and competitiveness.

“While we take pride in our competitiveness, the growing volume of freight and passenger flows requires us to adapt. Therefore, we must ensure that this progress is reflected in our operations”, she stressed.

When asked about Georgia’s progress in overcoming obstacles related to the Middle Corridor, Kvrivishvili underlined the importance of teamwork.

“Teamwork - that’s what every partner country has demonstrated, and we have already achieved significant progress together. This is an ongoing process since the transport sector is inherently competitive. We face new realities daily, and we must remain even more competitive. In Georgia, services have been fully digitalised, and it is essential that the process - from start to finish - be efficient, cost-effective, and seamless. One of the key priorities I would highlight is digitisation”, she concluded.