When I was a minister I had a number of questions about the Anaklia port project, former Minister of Economy Giorgi Kobulia said in PalitraNews TV program "360 Degrees".

According to the ex-minister, as soon as he assumed office, he asked the government and the ministry economically substantiated analysis of the Anaklia port project, although he said "there was no such analysis."

“I had a number of questions about the Anaklia port project. As a rule, this port should serve cargo transportation procedures between Asia and Europe. For example, the cargo heading from Asia, Kazakhstan or China, must pass through the Caspian Sea, Georgia and then through the Black Sea…This is very difficult logistics. So it was a great question mark for me how this middle corridor would be more competitive than other alternative corridor, which is used by carriers today. For example, one of the alternative routes from Kazakhstan today is the rail cargo that is heading to Europe through Russia. Do you imagine how much easy it is? As soon as he assumed office, he asked the government and the ministry economically substantiated analysis of the Anaklia project, but there was no such analysis," Giorgi Kobulia said.

As he noted, "Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway” is an excellent project and “it competes with our ports. Those who know geography, know that the cargo can be run through Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and can pass Turkey, which has excellent ports in Istanbul and the Mediterranean Sea."

source: IPN/ interpressnews.ge