Kerry Logistics Network Limited (‘Kerry Logistics’; Stock Code 0636.HK) today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding between its member company Kerry Globalink and Georgia’s Anaklia City JSC (‘Anaklia City’) to cooperate in the development of the Anaklia Deep-Sea Port (‘Anaklia Port’) and Special Economic Zone (‘Anaklia SEZ’) in Anaklia, Georgia. Leveraging its long presence in Georgia and the Caucasian region, Globalink is expected to bring in a wealth of logistics and multimodal freight knowledge and expertise to the project.
Kerry Logistics is a leading provider of logistics services in Asian region, which has started active expansion to the European and Eurasian regions in the framework of the Belt & Road initiative. Kerry Logistics is an Asia-based, global 3PL with the strongest network in Asia. Its core competency is providing highly customised solutions to multinational corporations and international brands to enhance their supply chain efficiency, reduce overall costs and improve response time to market. It currently has more than 1,000 service points in 55 countries and territories.
Edwardo Erni, Managing Director – China and North Asia of Kerry Logistics, said, “We are honoured to be given the opportunity to participate in this exciting project. Anaklia is a key cargo gateway in the Caucasian region. With Kerry Globalink’s proven track record in the Georgian market, and our comprehensive multimodal freight network across Eurasia, we are committed to devising innovative solutions to facilitate the building of Anaklia Port into a successful logistics hub for the region with integrated logistics, sea-rail, and sea-road services.”
Ketevan Bochorishvili, CEO of Anaklia City JSC, said, “We are excited about the cooperation with Kerry Globalink which has a deep understanding and comprehensive experience in the Caucasian region and Central Asia. With the Anaklia Port and Anaklia SEZ, we are establishing a state-of-the-art logistics, trade and business platform, which will serve a pivotal role in increasing the connectivity of Georgia as it is positioned along the shortest route from China to Europe via the Middle Corridor and from India to Europe. The successful development of Anaklia projects is expected to unlock a potential market of over 150 million consumers and serve as a bridge between Asia and Europe.On 28 June 2018, Hong Kong signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Georgia, which is the first FTA between Hong Kong and an economy in the Caucasian region of Eurasia. The FTA is comprehensive in scope, encompassing trade in goods and services, investments, a dispute settlement mechanism, and other related areas.
Anaklia is strategically located along the shortest trade route between China and Europe in the Belt and Road network, acting as a gateway for cargoes to enter the landlocked Central Asian and Caucasian regions.
Scheduled for opening by the end of 2020, the Anaklia Port and Anaklia SEZ, comprising modern logistics and industrial parks, will be fully integrated with rail and road connections to the infrastructure networks of Georgia and neighbouring countries. The Anaklia Port is expected to become one of the largest ports in the Black Sea region and first deep-water port in Georgia with a handling capacity of up to 10,000 TEUs vessels, catering for a mix of cargoes including containers, dry bulk, liquid bulk and other types of cargoes.
On the photo: (From left) Siddique Khan, CEO of Kerry Globalink, Ketevan Bochorishvili, CEO of Anaklia City JSC and Ellis Cheng, Chief Financial Officer of Kerry Logistics at the MOU signing ceremony
About Kerry Logistics Network Limited (Stock Code 0636.HK)
Kerry Logistics is an Asia-based, global 3PL with the strongest network in Asia. Its core competency is providing highly customised solutions to multinational corporations and international brands to enhance their supply chain efficiency, reduce overall costs and improve response time to market. It currently has more than 1,000 service points in 55 countries and territories, and is managing 52 million sq ft of land and logistics facilities worldwide, providing customers with high reliability and flexibility to support their expansion and long-term growth. Kerry Logistics Network Limited is listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is a selected Member of the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index Series 2017-2018.
In 2015, Kerry Logistics signed strategic cooperation agreement with state owned Railway Import and Export Company (“China Railway”) to development freight railway transportation between Europa and Asia in the frames of Belt & Road Initiative and since then has launched number of freight railway services between China and European countries. In 2017 year, Global Link Logistics, leading logistics company in CIS region became part of the Kerry Logistics expanding their footprint in Eurasian region. In June of 2018, Kerry Logistics launched regular rail and truck freight services between China and Caucasus, China and Turkey, using Georgia as transportation corridor.
About Anaklia City JSC
Anaklia City JSC was established by the shareholders of Anaklia Development Consortium LLC (ADC) in mid-2017 to develop the project of large scale Special Economic Zone adjacent to and fully integrated with the Anaklia Deep Sea Port. Within the initial phases, will be developed up to 400 ha territory as logistics and light manufacturing parks with auxiliary commercial and business facilities, while in long term the project will cover the area of up to 2,000 ha of mixed used developments. The project has an ambition to emerge as frontier transport and business hub on a crossroad of Europe and Asia. ADC is a consortium of multi-national enterprises that was granted 52-years right to develop, finance, construct, operate, market and manage the Greenfield Anaklia Deep Water Black Sea Port in Georgia on a design, finance, build, operate and transfer basis.