Nataliya Demchenko, the Head of the Georgian representative office of the large logistics company "Astra", stated that “the Georgian ports carry twice less cargo than demanded. She sees the rapid development of new infrastructure and the modernization of the railway line as a way to solve this problem.

"In 2022, we faced a difficult problem. The Georgian infrastructure cannot cope with the flow of goods coming from the Central Asian states. The Georgian ports can handle twice less cargo than our clients want. Thus, it is important for Georgia to acquire new territories, open new ports and modernize the railway line. Actually, in terms of the transport corridor, Georgia is closely connected with Azerbaijan, so the states should cooperate closely so that the Trans-Caspian corridor functions coherently," - Nataliya Demchenko said. 

Igor Brattsev, the business development manager of the large logistics company, Quest Group, noted that for the effective transportation of large volumes of cargo, there should be identical cargo service capacities in the country.

"I think that a lot of things are already being done to turn Georgia into a logistics hub, but it is necessary to continue the development in the same direction. As you know, it is important for transport that there are no hindering factors. In other words, when there are many large ports in the country, the railway infrastructure should also be in order. The opposite is also the case - if the railway infrastructure allows the transportation of two million tons of cargo, the ports must be prepared for such volumes of load. Eliminating such obstacles is not only related to technology, because sometimes they are caused by bureaucracy," - he said.

According to Mamuka Murjikneli, the executive head of Wondernet Express Investment Group, Georgia should work together with Azerbaijan because the stability of the trade corridor depends on the harmonious work of both countries.

"We need to make more investments in infrastructure to increase the potential of receiving larger volumes of cargo. However, it's not just about the port. Today, we definitely need a deep-water port and new terminals or railways to be able to carry larger volumes of cargo. However, this should not happen only in Georgia. We have to work with our Azerbaijani colleagues so that all this is implemented there as well. I think that in the next five years we will be able to receive more cargo and regain the status that our country had historically on the Silk Road", - Mamuka Murjikneli said.

However, according to international logistics experts, investing in infrastructure development is the main step that the Georgian government and business should take to turn the country into a logistics hub.

Source: https://bm.ge/ka/article/ra-unda-gaaketos-saqartvelom-logistikur-habad-gadasaqcevad----saertashoriso-eqspertebis-mosazreba/116973/