Against the background of still existing serious political problems between the two countries, a surprising amount of Russian investment has gone to Georgia in the past 15 years. Moreover, all of the Georgian authorities, including the administration of Mikheil Saakashvili, took the money with joy, thus confirming that political rhetoric aimed at the domestic audience is one thing, but when it comes to money, which creates jobs and solves specific problems, the authorities are very pragmatic.
The main scope of the application of Russian capital (and with a significant share of the state) – is energy. The Russian company Inter RAO UES owns 75% of the Tbilisi electricity distribution network Telasi and Gardabani thermal power plant, generating 80% of the necessary electricity for the country during the winter period, the hydroelectric power stations Hrami-1 and Hrami-2.
In addition, the government of Mikheil Saakashvili handed the management of the Inguri hydroelectric power station, the largest in the Caucasus, to RAO UES. In reality, the Russian company cannot manage it, oddly enough, because of the opposition of the Abkhazian, not the Georgian authorities.
According to the non-governmental organization IDFI (Institute for Development of Free Information), 50 million dollars, earned after the sale of two Hrami stations, was spent by the former government to build the new parliament building in Kutaisi. Which means for the implementation of an important state project.
The Russian company Energy owns the Darian power plant, the Lars power plant and the Schild power plant. Not to mention the fact that Russia owns a 50% stake of the GruzRosEnergo company, which owns all the transmission lines in the country, without exception.
Russian company Georgian Water and Power owns the entire infrastructure of drinking water in the capital and two satellites towns of Tbilisi – Mtskheta and Rustavi.
62 gas stations are in the possession of Lukoil-Georgia, and Rosneft has recently acquired a controlling stake in the Poti oil terminal and the GALF chain of filling stations.
Russian businessmen Dmitry Troitsky and Dmitri Korzhiev own budget forming companies engaged in the mining of non-ferrous metals RMG Gold and RMG Copper; Mikhail Fridman owns the Borjomi company; Alfa Group owns the communications company Vimpelcom (operating under the Beeline brand); one of the largest banks in Georgia, VTB-Georgia belongs to VTB, that is, in fact, the Russian state.
Interestingly, even in the moment of the terrible confrontation between Moscow and Tbilisi (during and after the five-day war), the Georgian authorities did not even stammer about the confiscation of Russian property, although Parliament adopted the law 'On the occupied territories', in which there was a statement about "compensation for aggression", but it was stated vaguely, so that no one would be tempted by the possibility of interpreting the law not in favor of Russian companies operating in the Georgian market. And that happened even during the "frenzied anti-Russian" regime of Saakashvili.
Especially now, when the ruling Georgian Dream coalition is in power, they would only be happy about new Russian investments in any sphere of activity. And the opposition supporters of the former president in this regard would not be able to start their hysterics, because the penetration of Russian capital in Georgia began precisely at the time when they were in power, and they liked it very much.
