Georgia’s opposition party Lelo – Strong Georgia has called for the Anaklia deep-water port to be named after US President Donald Trump and positioned as a key hub in a proposed regional transit corridor referred to as the “Trump Route.”
Speaking at a briefing, Irakli Kupradze, the party’s General Secretary, said the Anaklia Port could play a decisive role in strengthening Georgia’s security, economic development, and energy diversification in the Black Sea region.
“We appeal to all involved parties to name the Anaklia Port after President Trump and make it the gateway of the ‘Trump Route’ to the Western world, which will bring us security, Western investments, and economic growth,” Kupradze said.
He claimed that the project carries strategic importance amid ongoing geopolitical instability and conflicts in the wider region. He criticized the ruling Georgian Dream government, accusing it of pursuing what he described as an “isolationist and anti-Western” policy that risks undermining Georgia’s national interests.
Kupradze argued that the Anaklia project — a long-delayed deep-sea port on Georgia’s Black Sea coast — is comparable in significance to major regional infrastructure initiatives such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, and aligns with the strategic priorities of the United States.
He stressed that Anaklia should be granted the status of a strategic object of national importance and declared the country’s top national priority. The opposition party also called for a leading role in the project to be given to American and transatlantic financial institutions, while excluding entities linked to Russian or Chinese state interests.
The Anaklia port project has been a subject of political and economic debate for years. Initially launched as a flagship infrastructure initiative aimed at transforming Georgia into a regional logistics hub, the project stalled after the government terminated its contract with the Anaklia Development Consortium in 2020, citing unmet obligations. Critics, however, have argued that the decision damaged investor confidence and slowed the country’s strategic development.
Lelo insists that the project must move forward transparently, with all related contracts made public to avoid what Kupradze described as previous “failed investment attempts.”
The party also linked the port’s future to emerging regional dynamics, pointing to a newly discussed transit corridor in the South Caucasus following recent Armenia-Azerbaijan agreements. According to Kupradze, Georgia risks being bypassed unless Anaklia is developed as a central node in this route.
“Anaklia is not just a port; it is Georgia’s national and geopolitical choice,” he said, adding that the project could create tens of thousands of jobs and drive the development of a new urban and economic center, “Anaklia City.”
The opposition party pledged to prioritize the rapid construction of the port both now and upon coming to power, describing it as essential for Georgia’s long-term economic growth and geopolitical positioning.
Image: Irakli Kupradze
Source: IPN
