Georgian Government has taken on great responsibility in terms of strategic projects and the development of the Middle Corridor, said the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia at the panel discussion on the Middle Corridor held as part of the ongoing Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi.

"We are talking about the importance of the Middle Corridor, 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. Our Government 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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", - said Mariam Kvrivishvili.