Lasha Khutsishvili: I really expect that if there are other geopolitical realities in the region, the Middle Corridor will retain a very large part of the cargo

I really expect that if there are other geopolitical realities in the region, including the lifting of sanctions [on Russia over the war in Ukraine], the Middle Corridor will retain a very large part of the cargo, - Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili said in an interview with an InterpressNews correspondent.

He also responded to a question about the opinion of Albert Park, Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), that if peace is established in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia are lifted, and the Trump administration's policy changes, the negative economic effect will also be reflected in Georgia, and therefore the country should strengthen its role in the Middle Corridor.

Khutsishvili focuses on the four key countries of the Middle Corridor (Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey) in this section and notes that in the event of geopolitical changes, close coordination between the countries involved is necessary to maintain a competitive advantage.

“I really expect that even if there are different geopolitical realities in the region, including the lifting of sanctions or other hindering factors, the Middle Corridor will retain a very large part of the cargo, however, this is not a guarantee that the cargo flow that exists today will be maintained 100%. Today, all companies and countries understand how important diversification is and not to be dependent on one corridor, market and country. Accordingly, coordination between countries is important and I want to tell you that this coordination really exists,” Khutsishvili noted.

When asked how Georgia can maintain its advantage in the Middle Corridor amid the expected changes, Khutsishvili talks about infrastructure projects and freight rates.

“We are developing logistics infrastructure, which includes road infrastructure, as well as a highway that should reach the Black Sea from Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Tbilisi-Black Sea highway section will be completed very soon; work is also underway with Armenia and Azerbaijan; ultimately, a unified infrastructure network will be built that will connect Georgia with neighboring countries”, Lasha Khutsishvili said.

In addition, Lasha Khutsishvili spoke about the MEGOBARI Act and answered a question of whether the draft law will become a law and the persons at the top of the government will be sanctioned, whether the state’s reputation in the international arena will be damaged, “which will be reflected in a number of directions, including in terms of investment inflows, and is it not expected that Georgia’s role in the Middle Corridor will weaken against this background?”

Lasha Khutsishvili says that “there is no middle corridor without Georgia.”

"Georgia's role in the Middle Corridor cannot be ignored for the simple reason that the Middle Corridor does not exist without Georgia. If we are talking about the Middle Corridor on the scale of the cargo it currently has, the existence of the Middle Corridor in such a form without Georgia is impossible. All countries and our partners know this very well, including those who participate in this process," Lasha Khutsishvili said.