Georgia's legal team achieves another complete success in the Anaklia Port project disagreement.
The long-running dispute over the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project in Georgia has come to an end, with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ruling in favor of the Georgian government. The decision, announced on July 30, 2025, saw Dutch businessman Bob Meijer's claims against Georgia dismissed in their entirety.
Meijer, who held a 6.06% indirect share in the Anaklia Development Consortium (ADC), had initiated arbitration at the ICSID in 2020, alleging breach of the Georgia–Netherlands bilateral investment treaty and seeking over $60 million in damages. The dispute centered around Georgia's termination of the investment agreement for the Anaklia Port project and alleged treaty breaches concerning a planned free industrial zone.
The ICSID tribunal, chaired by Bernard Hanotiau, Klaus Sachs, and Charles Poncet, found that Georgia was within its rights to terminate the investment agreement due to ADC's failure to secure financing for the project. The tribunal also agreed that Meijer's investment in Anaklia City JSC did not constitute a protected investment under the BIT and the ICSID Convention.
The tribunal further ruled that Georgia was not responsible for ADC's contractual failures. In a significant win for Georgia, the tribunal awarded the country all of its fees and arbitration costs, amounting to US$6.5 million.
The White & Case team in Paris, representing Georgia in the dispute, included partners Charles Nairac, John Willems, and Noor Davies, along with counsel Bachir Sayegh and associates Yutty Ramen, Ece Akıncıbay, Yasmine El Achkar, Élise Roussel, and Konstantine Kopaliani. Nairac, Willems, and Davies specialize in International Arbitration, Litigation, Construction, Financial Institutions, and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards & Judgments. Sayegh, El Achkar, Akıncıbay, Roussel, and Kopaliani specialize in International Arbitration, with Kopaliani also having expertise in Energy and Construction.
The background of the dispute includes complications related to ADC’s key Georgian partners, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, who faced a criminal investigation linked to alleged money laundering dating back to 2008, and later withdrew from the project. Their political opposition to the ruling Georgian Dream party and imprisonment added further political complexity.
Meijer and ADC expressed disappointment with the ruling, with Meijer blaming the Georgian government for failing to support the port’s development. ADC recalled a prior $1.5 billion arbitration case dismissed in 2024. However, Georgia’s Ministry of Justice characterized the ruling as a vindication of the government's decision to terminate the agreement, effectively ending the Anaklia Port project.
This second total victory for Georgia in the Anaklia Port project dispute marks a significant step forward for the country's investment climate and its commitment to upholding the rule of law in resolving disputes.
- The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ruled in favor of the Georgian government in the dispute over the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project, dismissing Dutch businessman Bob Meijer's claims completely.
- Meijer had initiated arbitration at the ICSID in 2020, alleging breach of the Georgia–Netherlands bilateral investment treaty and seeking over $60 million in damages.
- The ICSID tribunal, chaired by Bernard Hanotiau, Klaus Sachs, and Charles Poncet, found that Georgia was within its rights to terminate the investment agreement due to the Anaklia Development Consortium's (ADC) failure to secure financing for the project.
- The tribunal also agreed that Meijer's investment in Anaklia City JSC did not constitute a protected investment under the BIT and the ICSID Convention.
- In a significant win for Georgia, the tribunal awarded the country all of its fees and arbitration costs, amounting to US$6.5 million.
- The White & Case team in Paris, representing Georgia in the dispute, included partners Charles Nairac, John Willems, and Noor Davies, along with counsel Bachir Sayegh and associates Yutty Ramen, Ece Akıncıbay, Yasmine El Achkar, Élise Roussel, and Konstantine Kopaliani.
- This second total victory for Georgia in the Anaklia Port project dispute marks a significant step forward for the country's investment climate and its commitment to upholding the rule of law in resolving disputes.
