The international tender for the Anaklia Port project has concluded, and a Belgian company, Jan De Nul, has been selected to carry out the construction work, Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced during a government meeting on Thursday.

"This is one of the largest companies in the field, and they will begin operations very soon," Kobakhidze said.

The PM also emphasized the significance of the state's victory in the arbitration dispute over the Anaklia project. "This was crucial for protecting the state's interests. I want to thank the Minister of Justice and all the employees of the Ministry of Justice who were involved in this case," he said. Kobakhidze reiterated that the consortium previously responsible for the project had failed to meet its obligations, despite all conditions being set for its successful implementation.

"The Ministry of Justice effectively safeguarded the state's interests, and for that, I extend my gratitude to the Justice Minister and the entire ministry," Kobakhidze added.

Work on the Anaklia project is set to continue as planned. The selected Belgian company will focus on tasks directly related to the port's construction, including the deepening of the aquaria, he said. 

Kobakhidze also stressed that the development of the Anaklia port remained a top priority for the government, highlighting its importance for enhancing Georgia's connectivity and its role within the Middle Corridor Initiative.

"Everything will be done to ensure the successful implementation of this project," the official concluded.

The deep-water port of Anaklia is set to receive its first ships in 2029, with the capacity to handle 600,000 containers annually in its first phase. The estimated cost for this initial phase is 600 million US dollars, the Georgian Economy Ministry said this week. 

On May 29, 2024, the Georgian government announced that a Chinese-Singaporean consortium would take a 49% stake in the Anaklia port project. The consortium, with which the Georgian government is expected to sign an official contract soon, comprises:CCCC - China Communications Construction Company Limited (registered in China) and CHI - China Harbor Investment (registered in Singapore).

Despite CHI being registered in Singapore, it is a Chinese state-owned company, a fact confirmed by the Ministry of Economy of Georgia.

According to Minister Levan Davitashvili, the consortium will be supported by two key contractors - CRBC - China Road and Bridge Corporation and QPI - Qingdao Port International, all four entities involved are Chinese state-owned companies.

This development follows the Georgian government’s decision in early 2020 to terminate the investment contract with the Anaklia Development Consortium, citing the consortium’s failure to meet contractual obligations. The consortium denied these claims and accused the government of intentionally sabotaging the strategic project. In response, the Anaklia Development Consortium took legal action against the Georgian government in an arbitration court.On July 30, it was announced that the Paris Arbitration Court had rejected the Anaklia Development Consortium's claim against the Government of Georgia.