Georgian economy, Azerbaijani energy ministers discuss bilateral cooperation in energy sector

Priority areas of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector were discussed on Saturday in a meeting between the Georgian economy minister Levan Davitashvili and the Azerbaijani energy minister Parviz Shahbazov.

The strategic partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan in various sub-sectors of energy, including the development of green energy, was also discussed by the officials, while highlighting the existing ties between the countries, which have been a “clear example” of what the cooperation between the neighbouring states “should be like”, the economy ministry said.

The ministers also discussed the “difficult” situation created in the South Caucasus region, which “even more clearly” revealed the importance of energy security and energy independence. In this regard, the Georgian side informed the Azerbaijani officials about the current and planned reforms, as well as the strategic projects in the energy sector of the country, including a new support scheme, developed by the Georgian government of Georgia, which would help “encourage” the construction of local generation facilities.

Photo: Economy ministry

At the meeting, attention was also devoted to the ongoing energy market reform in Georgia, which would enable the country to “increase” the competitiveness of the market and promote the attraction of local and foreign capital in the field.

The conversation touched upon the deepening of cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan in the development of the energy transmission infrastructure, including both the strengthening of the power transmission networks connecting the two countries and the construction of the power transmission cable passing through the bottom of the Black Sea, connecting Georgia, the South Caucasus and the European Union energy systems, through which other countries, including Azerbaijan, would also benefit.

The officials said they would make efforts to bring the relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan in the energy sector to a “new stage”.