The President of Georgia visited the Samegrelo Region and arrived at the place where Lazika Seaport is going to be built. Mikheil Saakashvili familiarized the public with the projects that will be implemented soon. He also touched on the construction of the Lazika Seaport and noted that it will be the largest one in Georgia. The new port will be able to receive heavy load ships which none of the seaports are currently capable of doing in Georgia.
“One of the main reasons for building a seaport is the fact that the canyon present here is among the deepest canyons. It is a 20 meter high canyon, and the only one similar around the Black Sea is in Constanta, Romania. None of the ports like Olichevsk, Odessa, Trabzon, or Ochamchire have this depth. The most important thing is that this place has a large amount of land in the back where we can build warehouses, production facilities, and logistical centers. You know that we are building a water and sewage system, bringing an autobahn to Poti, building an airport as well, which will become functional next spring…in reality, this place, Zugdidi and Poti are a continuation of each other. We have started building a large pesticide factory in Poti which will immediately employ 1,000 persons. Also, it is planned to expand the Poti Seaport which is a different seaport. Georgia needs the Lazika Seaport if we want to have a good income. 1,500-2,000 persons will be employed at the construction of this port, and it will later create 4,000-8,000 jobs in terms of logistics and other directions. You know that we are going to dry out the swamp, which means that there will be more streets and business centers as well as other facilities connected to the seaport. We are also going to build a city hall because the city needs it in order to develop. There are several hotels here. We will have up to 10 hotels by the end of next year. The railway will reach this place in a year. This place will also have an airport which will give us an opportunity to build a city. You have seen that the works have already been done, and we will begin construction of docks in a few weeks, so that the waves do not interfere with the inflow of ships” – stated the President of Georgia.
The Head of State later toured the first administrative building in Lazika with the local residents. The administration of the new city and the seaport will be located in the new glass building which is designed by a Georgian architect. Mikheil Saakashvili also spoke about the construction of the new church and underscored its importance. According to the statement of the President of Georgia, the new church will be an exact copy of the Bana Church, currently located on the territory of Turkey.
“This is only the beginning because lots of foreign investors are arriving. We have already held the first press conference regarding this topic at the Anaklia Hotel. It is necessary to have a place for signing contracts and working. We will hire a lot of young people here – lawyers, economists…this is why we needed a new building, and this is practically their administrative and business development center. This is where we will bring foreigners, have them invest money, employ people, and hold meetings and negotiations. Every document will be signed here. Additionally, we are going to start constructing a church here tomorrow which will be the exact copy of the Bana Church. We also have investors who are building a high rise hotel in the depth of the sea. So, this place will gradually start looking like Dubai” – noted the Head of State.