A new berth is set to be constructed at a seaport in Poti on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, as Georgian Dream officials and the U.S. chargé d’affaires inaugurated the project on June 25, hours after the U.S. Embassy announced a second loan agreement worth USD 25 million with local company PACE Group to support its completion.
The start of construction of the new berth marks the second phase of development of the so-called “New Sea Port of Poti,” which was opened in 2022, two years after the U.S. federal government supported the project with a USD 50 million loan issued through its Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which was later absorbed by the DFC.
The planned expansion of the New Sea Port of Poti comes amid a growing focus on the Middle Corridor, where Georgia is one of the key connectors between East Asia and Europe, as well as uncertainty surrounding the construction of the Anaklia deep-sea port and related Chinese investments.
The June 25 groundbreaking ceremony came hours after the U.S. Embassy announced that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the U.S. government’s international investment arm, had signed a second loan agreement worth USD 25 million with PACE Group for the completion of the second berth at the so-called New Sea Port of Poti.
The embassy said the new berth “will significantly increase bulk cargo handling capacity,” adding, “As a result of the project, the port’s capacity will increase by an additional one million tonnes per year, critical infrastructure will be strengthened, and trade along the Trans-Caspian corridor will become safer and more efficient.”
The Trans-Caspian Corridor, also known as the Middle Corridor, is a transport network linking Southeast Asia and China to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, bypassing Russia. The route has drawn growing interest since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s international isolation.
Founded in 1992, PACE Group, one of the largest transport and logistics companies in the South Caucasus, operates eight berths and the PACE terminal in Poti, in addition to providing maritime, logistics, brokerage, and container services.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
Opening the ceremony, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the port’s expansion is another step toward establishing Georgia as a “regional logistics hub.”
“This project brings together the state, Georgian business, and American financial institutions around a common goal,” he said, adding that it shows “cooperation based on trust, shared values, and sustainable development objectives always delivers tangible results.”
Speaking in the context of the Middle Corridor, the GD prime minister said, “Georgia is no longer merely a geographical bridge — we have become a powerful economic and logistics hub that creates added value for international trade.”
Georgian Dream Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili addressed the ceremony next. She also stressed the significance of the Middle Corridor, saying that it has emerged as “one of the most dynamically developing international transport routes” and has therefore resulted in a “significant increase” in the volume of cargo flowing through Georgia.
According to her, following the completion of the second phase, “the port’s throughput capacity will reach three million tons, operational efficiency will be enhanced, while cargo processing will be accelerated, which will positively impact Georgia’s regional competitiveness.” Kvrivishvili added that the berth construction will also create 50 new jobs.
U.S. Acting Ambassador Alan Purcell spoke next. According to the simultaneous Georgian translation of his remarks, he described the project as another demonstration of U.S. support for Georgia’s role in regional connectivity, saying it reaffirms America’s commitment to investing in sustainable initiatives that will strengthen Georgia’s position in the Middle Corridor.
Speaking in the broader regional context, Purcell underscored the importance of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and added that initiatives such as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) can further strengthen regional connectivity.
DFC Managing Director Kenneth Angel also addressed the ceremony, describing the Poti New Sea Port as one of the most ambitious and successful infrastructure projects in Georgia, saying that the port’s expansion would strengthen Georgia’s transport and logistics capabilities and reinforce the importance of the Middle Corridor.
PACE International President Ioseb Dolidze made the final speech, noting that the second phase of the project will enable the marine terminal to handle mineral fertilizers produced in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia, which he said is of “great importance for both the region and global food security.”
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