First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili took part in the ministerial meeting “Sustainable and digital development in the middle of the corridor and beyond” in Baku.
During his speech at the event, Levan Davitashvili spoke about the growing importance of the “middle corridor” and the role of Georgia as a main connector between Europe and Asia. As he noted, the priority of the Georgian government is to increase the stability and endurance of the “middle corridor”, including by improving infrastructure.
Participants of the “Middle Corridor” route and representatives from EU countries, as well as international organizations, participated in the event and discussed in a roundtable format the current progress, further development prospects, and future initiatives – both in the “Middle Corridor” and outside it, towards sustainability and digitalization.
In particular, in a roundtable discussion, representatives from the region countries discussed several issues important to the development process of the “mid-corridor”: developing green and sustainable infrastructure, reducing freight emissions, transport innovation, and digitalization — including the potential role of smart transport systems, automation and artificial intelligence in green and to provide flexible transport connections, etc.
The first Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia introduced his colleagues to the current situation in the transport and logistics sector, growth dynamics and the progress of specific projects important for the functioning of the “middle corridor”.
“Georgia’s transport and logistics sector has experienced significant growth in recent years – 36% in 2022 and 13% in 2023. International transport flows of the country are also increasing – last year their volume reached 27 million tons. Meanwhile, the transport sector remains one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, indicating the need for further efforts to green the sector,” said Levan Davitashvili.
The Minister for Economy and Sustainable Development has highlighted initiatives aimed at promoting further development of rail access and increasing the potential of the “middle of the corridor”.
The minister emphasized two major railway projects – railway modernization and the Baku-Tbilisi-Karsi railway line. According to Levan Davitashvili, both projects will significantly strengthen the competitiveness of one of the cleanest transport – rail transportation.
In addition, according to his information, the process of modernization of the railway is coming to an end and as a result, operating expenses will decrease, and the annual capacity of the railway will increase from 27 million to 48 million tons.
“Also, the construction of the East-West Highway is underway successfully, 70% of which is already open to traffic.” New roads are being built according to European road safety standards, in addition, they will be integrated. “Smart” transport systems to improve the efficiency of the road network and post-management,” said the First Deputy Prime Minister.
He also mentioned, “Anaklia deepwater port project is of strategic importance, whose sustainability at the first stage will be at least 600 000 containers (TEU). “The port will be equipped with the latest technologies and relevant facilities for modern requirements.”
The Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific Countries (COP29) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE).
