The agreement with SSA Marine, which is based in Seattle in the United States, further strengthens US involvement in the Anaklia Port project: SSA Marine joins Conti International, a major US-based developer of infrastructure and capital projects, which is co-leading the ADC together with Georgia-based TBC Holding.
United States Vice President Mike Pence, who is in Tbilisi as part of a visit to the region, hailed the US-Georgia collaboration that is bringing the Anaklia Deep Sea Port to life and building on the growing importance of Georgia to regional and international economic development: “The Anaklia Deep Sea Port shows the potential of a stronger bilateral relationship between our nations. American companies are investing alongside their Georgian counterparts in this multi-billion-dollar project. As we look toward the future, our two nations have untold opportunities to contribute even more to each other’s prosperity.”
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili commented: “Our goal is to create the best platform for US business interests in the region, and the involvement of US companies in large regional infrastructural projects is very important. Together with involvement of the Conti Group in the consortium to develop and construct the deep sea port in Anaklia, we are also glad that an agreement will be signed with leading world class US port operator SSA Marine to operate the container terminal and invest in the most important project in Georgia. This fact once more outlines the increasing interest of US business in Georgia and the huge potential of our country to become a regional hub.”
Mamuka Khazaradze, founder of Anaklia Development Consortium, said: “Along with our American partners, we have been given the opportunity to open Georgia’s gateway to the sea and to mark Anaklia’s place on the world map and convert it into the most crucial logistic hub. The fact that such a powerful American company as SSA Marine is investing in Georgia is itself a strategic and important precedent for our country.”
SSA Marine was chosen and appointed as a container terminal operator for the Anaklia Port due to its significant experience as one of the largest terminal operators in the world. The group oversees more than 250 strategic operations across five continents, servicing 27.2 million containers (TEU) and managing terminals in nine different countries. In addition, SSA Marine handles over 75 million tonnes of dry bulk globally, manages cruise ship operations in Mexico and the United States and operates over 30 intermodal rail ramps for U.S. Class I railroads.
ADC plans to start construction of the deep sea port by the end of this year, with the operational launch of phase 1 scheduled for 2020-2021.
Development of Anaklia City and its Special Economic Zone has also commenced, which will become a focal point for international business and high value-added service industries; they will attract light manufacturing production, as well as service sectors and will be open to global corporations, financial and insurance enterprises. The city, which will be built on green economy principles, will include an industrial park with residential and business complexes, an educational area and office space.
