Why China is Building a New Road to Russia
February 26, 2025
“The Khada Valley is a very small valley. It’s located very close to the capital [Tbilisi] and it’s unique in terms of its cultural heritage,” said Manana Kochladze, the human rights and democratisation lead at Bankwatch.
Georgia’s highway dilemmas and the Asian Development Bank
May 2, 2024
Despite the involvement of international partners, both the East–West Highway Improvement Project and the North–South Corridor Road Project have been marred by controversies.
Is this development? Public development banks must rethink their investments and put local communities first
September 4, 2023
On 4 to 6 September, the world’s public development banks will gather for the Finance in Common Summit in Cartagena, Colombia. They’ll be discussing key development issues – from climate change to infrastructure – issues that affect the lives of millions of people around the world. Bankwatch is on the ground to expose the adverse impacts of investments made by development banks and advocates for meaningful community participation in decision-making on development projects.
The Georgian Road to Russia: when everything goes south
August 3, 2023
The North-South Corridor, widely promoted by international financial institutions, aims to facilitate the transport of goods as the ‘only land access to the Russian Federation’, as well as to Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan, running through Georgia. Yet the project impacts the cultural heritage of picturesque landscapes in Georgia without answering the major question raised Georgian taxpayers – why should they pay for a new road to Russia, a country that does not have diplomatic relations with Georgia, has occupied Georgian territories, and presents one of the major obstacles to Georgia’s European future?
Paving over paradise
December 17, 2021
What were once iconic views of Georgia’s beautiful Khada Valley are slowly disappearing. Now, when you drive up the damaged road towards a narrow, 12-kilometre-long gorge, also known as the ‘valley of 60 towers’, the first thing you see is no longer the famous tower of Iukho village. Instead, a massive, white and blue metal construction site appears. Trucks, roaring and echoing through the mountains, drive back and forth near cultural heritage monuments to provide materials for the Kvesheti-Kobi road towards Russia.
Unsolved problems of the North-South Corridor (Kvesheti-Kobi) Road Project
November 1, 2021
The North-South Corridor (Kvesheti-Kobi) Road Project is planned to be realized in Georgia. The 23-kilometre Kvesheti-Kobi Road Project is a new section of the North-South Corridor. The construction will impact the Khada Valley, also known as ‘the plac
Georgia’s precious Khada Valley at risk due to a new road to Russia
September 18, 2020
Scientists, civil activists and the local community unite and call on Europeans to join the petition to save the exceptional biodiversity and precious cultural heritage in Khada.
From the Caucasus to Russia: Why this road?
April 27, 2020
To “better connect the Caucasus to Russia,” a new road project, Kvesheti-Kobi, is planned to be realized in Georgia. This road section will be part of a north-south corridor that passes the Caucasus and serves to connect the region to Russia.
