Anaklia and the Anaklia Port is one of the most visible examples of how one government can turn the country’s national project into a 10-year cascade of lies. One Bidzina Ivanishvili, one “anti-Georgian Dream” has involved itself in a carousel of lies for 10 years - this was stated by Irakli Kupradze, General Secretary of the coalition “Strong Georgia - Lelo,” at a briefing held today.

According to him, Bidzina Ivanishvili deliberately does not want the construction of the Anaklia Port, and under his government’s rule, the completion of the port’s construction will be impossible.

“Anaklia and the Anaklia Port is one of the most visible examples of how one government can turn the country’s national project into a 10-year cascade of lies. One Ivanishvili, one ‘anti-Georgian Dream’ has involved itself in a carousel of lies for 10 years. They are spinning in circles and every year, periodically every few months, when prime ministers change in Ivanishvili’s government, economy ministers and officials change, they come out with new lies and new promises, but the result is the same - after 10 years, the Anaklia Port still does not exist.

We have one simple given: 1 government, 3 different models, and only 1 result - stopped Anaklia. For years we have been warning our society that Ivanishvili’s goal is not to build the Anaklia Port. Ivanishvili’s goal is only and solely lies, propaganda, and trading with his own mercantile interests, including with our foreign partners who have an interest in Georgia regaining its important international transit value and significance.

In 2016, the government assured us that the so-called ‘BOT’ model was the best solution. It was exactly with this model and method that the contract was signed, where Western investors would build the Anaklia Port, but ultimately the Georgian state would become the 100% owner. Then they themselves took the investment away from the Western partners and threw this project away. The first ship was supposed to arrive at Anaklia Port in 2020. In 2021, they started talking about a new model. Then in 2022 they introduced a new model - the so-called ‘PPP model,’ according to which the Georgian state would be the 51% owner of the Anaklia Port and 49% would belong to one state company of communist China. This project was also thrown away and the society was deceived again. Now in 2026, after construction should have started 10 years ago and the first ship should have arrived 6 years ago, the railway and the corresponding road should have been built, they come out with a new model. The so-called ‘Landlord’ model. However, society should understand that the problem is not in any model. All three models can be used to operate international ports. The problem is in the government, the problem is in Ivanishvili, who does not want and is not interested in building the Anaklia Port. He does not want Georgia to acquire a new security framework, does not want the economy to strengthen, does not want jobs to be created in Georgia. Ivanishvili only wants to take care of his own fate, to satisfy mercantile desires and goals, and to fulfill Russian assignments. This is the situation in which Ivanishvili finds himself.

We must understand that under these three different models, Ivanishvili first chased away Western partners, then failed to interest any state or private international company, could not bring in a single company and investor, and today Ivanishvili’s Economy Minister Mariam Kvriashvili assures us as if she will bring in many countries and companies. This is a blatant lie and citizens should give a very simple answer: that on the attraction of lies and disinformation that Ivanishvili has arranged for 10 years, only Ivanishvili and his ministers will be responsible for killing the Anaklia project and turning Georgia’s most important project into a non-built one.

We must understand that for us Anaklia has never been just a port or a business project. It is a strategic object of national importance, through which Georgia has the opportunity to regain its historical and geopolitical significance, which requires a national and good government that cannot be Ivanishvili. Under his rule, the Anaklia Port will not be built. Under the condition of his departure from power, the construction of the Anaklia Port is very soon possible. Because Ivanishvili no longer has international trust. He took the investment away from Western partners, could not even arrange relations with China, and today offers new fairy tales to society.

I return to the specific plan of ‘Lelo - Strong Georgia’ regarding the Anaklia project and port. It is necessary for Georgia to use the international opportunity and become a continuation of the so-called ‘Trump’s Road,’ after Armenia and Azerbaijan, so that the corridor is not blocked and the Black Sea becomes the gateway of the South Caucasus, the key to which should be in the hands of the Georgian state. For this, national forces are needed in the government of Georgia. The desire should be expressed that all three states of the South Caucasus are involved in the construction of the port, where the interest in the national project will be much higher. The economy in Georgia will grow and Georgia’s security will be protected at a much higher level. Western partners, for whom the security framework is also valuable and important for Georgia, should participate in this project. We have no appeal to Ivanishvili - this is a reminder that what we were saying was a timely and correct warning to society. The time has come to understand that building the Anaklia Port is impossible under Ivanishvili’s government. We have only one chance - to change the government, to lead this country onto the paths of national-patriotic development and to build all those important national-strategic mega-projects that will bring economic growth and security development to Georgia,” Irakli Kupradze stated.