Azerbaijan planning increased energy exports via pipelines running through Georgia
Azerbaijan is planning to increase electricity and natural gas exports to Europe, with the latter to use pipelines located in Georgia, president Ilham Aliyev said in a joint press conference with Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday. Photo: gov't of Georgia
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Azerbaijan is planning to increase electricity and natural gas exports to Europe, with the latter to use pipelines located in Georgia, president Ilham Aliyev said in a joint press conference with Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday.
The move would increase the turnover of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa oil pipelines, resulting in Azerbaijan’s increased trade turnover with Georgia as well.
Aliyev said he had discussed the future energy policy of Azerbaijan with Garibashvili and that the officials had exchanged opinions about the energy projects already implemented between the two countries.
"Operationally, these projects are very successful and we look forward to launching new projects to increase natural gas exports to international markets. We are going to export 22 million cubic tonnes and increase this volume in the coming years”, he told the press briefing.
“This year we signed a memorandum between Azerbaijan and the European Commission, and within the next five years Azerbaijan plans to double its natural gas exports to Europe. We have the opportunity to do so, and we intend to export almost 20 billion cubic metres of natural gas to Europe by 2027. Naturally, we discussed this issue with the prime minister of Georgia", Aliyev said, adding the move would see exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline “surge”.
"We also intend to use the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline, which is now inactive but which we intend to reactivate”, he added.
Azerbaijan also plans to export electricity to international markets, and “our route will definitely pass through Georgia,” he said, highlighting his hope to see the two states successfully cooperate in the process.
"We have the opportunity to export 157 megawatts [...] As in other directions, we believe that Azerbaijan and Georgia will successfully cooperate in this direction as well. In general, the potential of our cooperation [and] prosperity will increase", the visiting official pointed out.
In reference to the trade turnover between Georgia and Azerbaijan, which he said was “soaring”, Aliyev said Azerbaijan had invested $3 billion in Georgia, and added the investments would be “mutually beneficial”.
"In the last nine months, we have exceeded $1 billion in trade turnover, and Azerbaijan has invested significant amounts in Georgia [...] I should also emphasise the fact that cargo turnover between Georgia and Azerbaijan has increased by 75 percent. Baku-Tbilisi-Kars [railway] may also be used to load five million tonnes [of freight], and next year we will invest more capital in this corridor", Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijani president arrived in Tbilisi this morning for a working visit.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday hailed the Peaceful Neighbourhood initiative, launched by him to facilitate talks between South Caucasus countries, at a press conference with visiting Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev in the central Georgian city of Mtskheta.
Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev on Monday said there was an “opportunity to hold consultations” between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, adding his government was “ready to start this format today” in case the Armenian counterparts expressed interest.
The “special relations and strategic partnership” between Georgia and Azerbaijan were discussed on Monday in a meeting between Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev.
Georgian foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Monday said prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev would have the opportunity to discuss “all important issues” in bilateral relations during their meeting as part of the latter’s visit to Georgia.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday said he had discussed “long-standing strategic partnership, prospects and huge potential” between Azerbaijan and Georgia during the visit of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev on Monday.
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday said his country was interested in receiving electricity from Azerbaijan through Georgia and Romania, following a meeting with Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili in Budapest.
The Georgian government expects the country's energy sector to receive investments worth $3 billion over the next three years "if all projects being considered are launched", prime minister Irakli Garibashvili said at the government meeting on Monday.
Georgian deputy economy minister Romeo Mikautadze joined global energy leaders, policymakers and industry professionals at the ongoing Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference and spoke about the current trends in the Georgian energy sector, the ministry of economy announced on Thursday.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday called the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project linking Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye across the South Caucasus "one of the most successful energy initiatives in the world".
Kazakh prime minister Alikhan Smailov on Saturday announced that Kazakhstan would begin transporting oil through the Tbilisi-Baku-Ceyhan pipeline from January 1, 2023, at a briefing with journalists, Kazinform news agency reported.
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili and Shane Rosenthal, the Asian Development Bank Country Director for Georgia, have discussed the project for the construction of a joint border crossing point between Georgia and Azerbaijan for further developing regional trade and transit, the Ministry of Finance announced on Tuesday.