MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili participated in the Second Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and Connectivity Investors Forum, which was co-organized by the European Union under the Global Gateway initiative in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The Vice-President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Head of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, the French Minister of Transport, the Uzbek Minister of Transport, the Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Azerbaijani Minister of Digital Development and Transport, and the Kazakh Minister of Transport also participated in the opening ceremony.

Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodzhaev and Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov, as well as EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos opened the Forum.

In the panel discussion held during the Forum dedicated to the development of connectivity between Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Black Sea region, Mariam Kvrivishvili focused on several large-scale projects. These included the East-West Highway, more than 70% of which is already operational. The Minister named the modernization of the main line of the Georgian Railway as another important project. Upon completion of the modernization, the Georgian Railway will double its capacity and significantly reduce transit time, specifically reducing the container wagon transit period from 24 hours to 12 hours, which will contribute to more efficient, accelerated and reliable cargo transportation along the East-West Corridor.

“Next year, the rolling stock of the railway will be expanded to meet the growing demand for transit and export cargo. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is also in its final phase. Its full launch is planned by the end of this year. The project will ensure seamless and efficient operations both between Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, and throughout the entire corridor,” –Mariam Kvrivishvili noted.

The Minister named the development of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project as another strategic project. According to her, the Anaklia Port will serve large container ships and become a key maritime hub for transit between Europe and Asia. “After the launching of this project, the Anaklia Port will process up to 600,000 TEUs in the first phase by 2029, and at least 1 million TEUs in the second phase by 2035, which will allow Georgia to become the main transit hub for Central Asian trade in the Black Sea region” – the Minister noted.

Kvrivishvili highlighted that this project is further supported by the expansion of ferry services to EU ports, including Constanța, Burgas, and Varna, as well as the development of logistics zones and dry ports to facilitate multimodal operations.

“Our transport and connectivity agenda is strongly shaped and reinforced by EU initiatives, such as extension of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) , integrating Georgia into the EU’s core infrastructure framework, identifying key rail, port, and logistics projects which are synchronized and fully compatible with the wider European network. As a result, investments implemented in Georgia are synchronized and fully compatible with the wider European network. Georgia’s role in the EU Global Gateway initiative is unequivocal. By positioning the Black Sea as a strategic gateway, securing transit routes, and facilitating trade, Georgia enhances the resilience of the entire continents of Europe and Asia, thereby transforming from a transit country into a connecting hub” – Mariam Kvrivishvili remarked.

The Minister announced that significant progress is expected with the future agreement on the Caspian Sea-Black Sea International Transport Route, which will be signed in December of this year between Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania. According to Mariam Kvrivishvili, this initiative will create a new multimodal link from the Caspian region to the EU and increase connectivity, diversify access routes and strengthen resilience.

Mariam Kvrivishvili informed that Georgia’s main transport and logistics priorities for 2026 will be the construction of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, the renewal of railway locomotives and the freight fleet, the completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, and the implementation of unified digital services for both public and private sectors. This is a tangible result that will significantly increase capacity and operational efficiency, as well as reduce the country’s railway crossing time by 30%.

“To fully unlock the transport and logistics potential of Central Asia, the Caspian region, the South Caucasus, and the Black Sea, coordinated financing is essential. 

Georgia is committed to mobilize 7 billion USD in investing in core transport and logistics infrastructure by 2032. Achieving this ambition requires not only the sustained engagement of international financial institutions, whose expertise and long-term capital remain indispensable—but also a stronger mobilization of private sector investment. Only through a well-aligned partnership between countries, public and private financial actors can the region deliver the modern, efficient, and resilient connectivity networks that today’s global economy demands” – Mariam Kvrivishvili stated.

The Georgian delegation participating in the forum also included Deputy Ministers Tamar Ioseliani and Genadi Arveladze, and the Ambassador of Georgia to Uzbekistan, David Kotaria.