Civil Insight No. 5 Cargo Terminal in Gali: Potential Sanctions Loophole?

Civil Insight No.5 examines the newly constructed cargo terminal in Gali and whether it could become a channel for bypassing international sanctions against Russia. The report analyzes the terminal’s origins, the interests of Moscow, Sokhumi, and Tbilisi, and the wider implications for trade through occupied Abkhazia and regional transport routes.

While the terminal is unlikely to become a major sanctions-evasion mechanism in the near term, the publication explores several possible purposes for the project, including local trade, private commercial interests, and preparations for restoring regular transit between Georgia and Russia. It also considers the political, legal, and logistical obstacles to reopening road or railway connections through Abkhazia.