Anaklia and Lazika: pros and cons

President Mikheil Saakashvili’s favorite project, which he did not manage to fulfill, was the construction of the port of Lazika, north of Poti close to the administrative border of breakaway Abkhazia. After winning the parliamentary elections on October 1, 2012, Lazika port construction was suspended and Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili started promoting construction of Anaklia port again close to Poti, which could provide110 million tons of cargo turn over annually. The analysts meanwhile evaluate the opinion differently. Some support the idea that Georgia needs an extra facility to intensify its transit capacity. At the same time, this opinion is being challenged by those who believe that Georgia cannot afford the construction of a new port, as it will be a very expensive venture and it would be cheaper if the country invests in the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and renovation of the existing Poti and Batumi ports.