On 18 May, the Georgian government hired the international consulting company Maritime & Transport Business Solutions (MTBS) to update the freight forecast and business model for the Anaklia deep sea port project in about eight-nine weeks, reported agenda.ge.

MTBS would also develop a new marketing strategy and select the optimal model of public-private partnership as part of the contract signed today with the Anaklia Deep Sea Port Development Agency. Georgia’s Deputy Economy Minister Guram Guramishvili said that by the end of this year it would be possible to announce an expression of interest and to select a new investor for “the crucial and strategic project.” 

On 4 March, Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated that the country’s government would start the process of selecting a new potential investor for the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project in the near future. He also said that the government had postponed terms for the Anaklia Development Consortium, the state-tender winner to build the deep-sea port in Anaklia, western Georgia, regarding its obligations. Even with repeated deferrals, the investor is unable to fulfil its obligations, leading the government to cancel the agreement with the consortium (Caucasus Watch reported).