NGO head slams Tbilisi metro deal as ‘unfair,’ questions CRRC supplier choice

Irakli Abesadze, founder of the Centre for Civil Involvement, on Thursday criticised Tbilisi City Hall’s new metro car procurement deal, alleging that the 600 million GEL tender process had lacked fair competition and risked ties with a “controversial” Chinese manufacturer.

In a social media post, Abesadze accused Mayor Kakha Kaladze’s administration of effectively sidelining European suppliers in favour of CRRC Corporation, a Chinese state-backed company that will supply 111 new metro cars over the next five years through local partner GT Group LLC.

“Today, Kaladze’s City Hall is signing a contract to buy CRRC-made metro cars worth approximately 400 million GEL,” Abesadze wrote. “This is the largest tender in recent years, yet no major European manufacturer truly participated.”

He pointed to what he called “red flags” in the tender process, including the symbolic 1 GEL bid submitted by Czech company Škoda (SCODA), which Abesadze interpreted as a signal that the outcome had been predetermined.

CRRC has previously faced scrutiny from the European Commission over alleged unfair practices and has been designated by US authorities as a military-linked company, raising concerns about potential sanctions. Abesadze warned that signing a long-term contract with such an entity could pose reputational and financial risks for Georgia.

“Why are we buying metro cars from a company that may soon be sanctioned by the US? Why was the tender designed in a way that discouraged European participation?” he asked. “The questions are rhetorical, but the answers are obvious.”

Earlier in the day, the contract was signed in the presence of Tbilisi’s Vice Mayor Giorgi Tkemaladze and Chinese Ambassador Zhou Qian, with the city touting the deal as a major step toward modernising its public transport system.