Georgian Parliament official: rising Middle Corridor demand pushes Georgia toward infrastructure expansion

Levan Machavariani, the first deputy chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Thursday said the Middle Corridor has become the only safe international transit route, with its strategic importance increasing a hundredfold for the global community.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Machavariani emphasised that Georgia has to upgrade its infrastructure to fully absorb the surging cargo turnover, which has already grown seven times over the last five years.

He further stressed that Georgia’s unique geographical location positions it as a pivotal player in the Middle Corridor project.

“We can directly say that we are the backbone, alongside Azerbaijan, of course, which is a very close partner. Our relationship with Armenia and Azerbaijan is exemplary. Any country can look to us as a guide for how to maintain partnership and neighborly relations simultaneously”, he said.

Machavariani highlighted the massive scale of infrastructure projects undertaken by the current government to meet rising demand.

“Over recent years, we have developed infrastructure to a very high level. First and foremost, I must mention the highways. Approximately five times more highways have been built under our government than under the previous one. Back then, they used to celebrate [every milestone], but we do our work without making much noise because it is what the task and our homeland require. There is also the matter of expanding airports and building a new airport. We must also highlight the Anaklia Port project, where deepening works have resumed. Additionally, we have offered a modernized railway to our citizens. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars modernization has also taken place and is now nearing completion”, he noted.

“We must be able to maintain the throughput capacity for the massive amount of cargo, which has increased sevenfold over the last five years. Given that the Northern Corridor is closed and the Suez Canal is no longer a reliable corridor, the Middle Corridor remains the only safe route, and its importance has increased a hundredfold for everyone. Consequently, we will take maximum advantage of this, and the volume of cargo turnover will increase even further in the future. We are obligated to be prepared so that we can absorb the entire cargo turnover and make the most of the unique location that God has granted us”, the official concluded.