Analysts treat highway to Russian border as safe for Georgia

The project of the Kobi-Gudauri high-speed highway running to the border with Russia will increase Georgia's tourism potential and pose no threat to its security, the politicians and economists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

On August 1, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 415 million credit to Georgia for the construction of the new highway.

Demur Giorkhelidze, an economic expert and a former head of the parliamentary committee on sectoral economy, has noted that the new highway is a beneficial project for Georgia.

Giya Khukhashvili, an economist and a member of the Independent Experts' Club of Georgia, has also praised the project, but noted that it would be appropriate to attract Armenia to it. In his opinion, the governments of Georgia and Armenia could create a consortium for the rehabilitation of the highway and share the costs.

He has also noted that this project is a no threat for Georgia's security in the light of its political conflict with Russia.

Mikhail Saakashvili, a former president of Georgia, on the contrary, believes that the Kobi-Gudauri highway project threatens the country's security. "A military road for a quick capture of Tbilisi is opened for Russia," Mr Saakashvili has stated on air of the "Rustavi-2" TV Company.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 17, 2019 at 05:42 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.