Page 53 - GEORptFeb22

Georgian wine exports hit nine-year high in 2021
This occurred 19 times in only three months (from August 1 to October 31) as a result of quality issues – a sharp increase from eight total rejections in the 2020 hazelnut season (from August 2020 to July 2021).
Georgia’s wine exports in 2021 marked a nine-year high for the country, according to reports citing new statistics.
Georgia exported about 107mn bottles of wine to 62 countries in 2021, the government revealed on January 17.
Sales of Georgian wine abroad generated $250mn last year, with a total of 441 companies exporting the product to various countries.
The figure contrasts with as few as 100 companies selling wine abroad in 2012.
“Wine exports have increased by 360% compared to 2012. Georgia generated $250mn in 2021, while the revenue from wine exports was $71mn in 2012,” Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said at a governmental meeting.
Total export sales of alcoholic beverages reached $400mn in 2021, with the overall figure showing an 18% increase compared to 2020 and 142% more compared to the $163mn total in 2012.
In November, Georgia’s National Wine Agency reported that wine exports in the first 10 months of 2021 grew by 9% y/y.
9.1.10 TMT sector news
EU may finance undersea fibre-optic cable to Georgia
Georgia’s post-Covid connectivity plan targets investments of €3.9bn
The European Union (EU) is considering financing the construction of a new fibre-optic cable in the Black Sea, said Lawrence Meredith, the European Commission's Director for Relations with the Eastern Neighborhood and Institution Building, who paid an official visit to Georgia in mid-October.
"Strengthening digital connections is being considered by laying fibre-optic cable on the seabed. At the same time, we want to support Georgia's regional digitalization and develop internet access in the regions,” Meredith said at a conference in Batumi, quoted by Business Media Georgia (BMG).
The Georgian government itself announced the laying of a new internet cable in the Black Sea in early 2021. At that time, Minister of Economy Natia Turnava said that Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) was considering the construction of a high voltage power transmission cable connecting Romania. Along with the same cable, the state-owned company is also studying the possibility of laying an internet cable. The World Bank's assists GSE in evaluating the project.
"The Black Sea submarine cable project, which is currently being studied, aims to connect the power systems of Georgia and Romania (in a broader sense - the regions of the South Caucasus and the Eastern Balkans) via the Black Sea. The technical survey, it should be a 500-kV HVDC cable, about 1,000 MW capacity," said GSE officials. The project also envisages the laying of a new internet cable at the bottom of the Black Sea.
Today, Georgia has access to the internet mainly through the internet cable on the bottom of the Black Sea. Caucasus Online is the owner and operator of the fibre-optic cable connecting Bulgaria-Georgia.
Connectivity has been put at the top of the agenda in Georgia, following a visit earlier this month from Europe's commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi.
In an address to officials, Várhelyi said the country was facing issues due to its lack of communications connectivity with other nations and to vital utilities such
53 GEORGIA Country Report February 2022 www.intellinews.com