Georgia, Azerbaijan, Romania, Hungary sign Black Sea Submarine Electricity Cable deal
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili signing an Agreement on the Black Sea Submarine Electricity Cable project in Bucharest, to export green energy to Europe via Georgia. Photo: PM's press office
Tweet 
Share
The high officials of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Romania and Hungary on Saturday signed an Agreement on the Black Sea Submarine Electricity Cable project in Bucharest, to export green energy to Europe via Georgia.
The electricity cable will connect Georgia and the entire South Caucasus to Romania, allowing the export of green energy to Europe and the strengthening of mutual resilience.
Photo: PM's press office
The EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi announced on December 12 that the EU would allocate €17 billion for the economic and investment plan of the Eastern Partnership, including € 2.3 billion aimed at creating the Black Sea strategic submarine electricity cable between Georgia and the EU.
- EU announces €2.3 bln in investments for project allowing green energy exports to Europe via Georgia
The project involves the construction of a high-voltage underwater transmission grid which will connect Georgia with Romania and allow the export of green energy to Europe.
Great privilege to participate in the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Black Sea electricity cable! The project will unleash new opportunities for the wider region & sustainable energy security infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/F4s7El9scE
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) December 17, 2022
After implementation, the 1,195 km long cable - with 1,100 km of its length laid underwater - will enable the countries of the South Caucasus and Romania to take advantage of “broadened export opportunities” and also trade in electricity at hourly market prices.
The Black Sea submarine electricity cable is a strategic project of the 21st century, which will change Georgia’s role in the Black Sea region and the international area and will make the country’s energy sector “even more attractive” for investors, Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili told the media on Saturday.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Saturday said the country was becoming “one of the crucial” states in production of green and renewable energy.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Policy, on Saturday welcomed the signing of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between the Governments of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Romania and Hungary.
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary and Romania must work efficiently in order to achieve our goals and should work as one team, in close cooperation and coordination with the European Union, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Saturday at the signing ceremony of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary in Bucharest.
Dear Colleagues, Dear Friends,I am pleased to address the distinguished audience at today’s important gathering. At the outset, I would like to thank the Romanian side for hosting and organising this event, which has a historical importance. I also thank Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission for supporting the project.
The Black Sea strategic submarine electricity cable between Georgia and the European Union will be a “window of new opportunities”, which will turn the country into an electricity hub and improve the internal energy market, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday at the signing ceremony of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary.
Georgia's strategic geographic location makes a "natural bridge" connecting the West and the East and is a gateway to eight landlocked countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia, which is a crucial link on the European Union's Global Connectivity map and a game changer, when it comes to diversification of transport routes and energy supply, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Saturday.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Policy, on Sunday announced the bloc would allocate €17 billion for the economic and investment plan of its Eastern Partnership initiative, including €2.3 billion in estimated total investments for the Black Sea Strategic Submarine Electricity Cable.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Romeo Mikautadze and Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy Affairs, discussed projects between the country and the European Union, as well as the convergence of the Georgian legislation with the European law, at the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community last week.
“Positive dynamics” of relations between Georgia and Argentina were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Gvaram Khandamishvili, the country’s newly appointed Ambassador to Argentina.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Tuesday said the recently signed Black Sea Submarine Cable project would help Georgia become an “important contributor” of the European Union in economy and energy sectors.
Romeo Mikautadze, Georgia’s Deputy Minister for Economy and Sustainable Development, on Friday said the country’s domestic electricity production had hit 13 billion kWh this year, a “record-high figure” as well as a 15 percent increase on 2021 figures.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday stressed the importance of the recently signed Black Sea submarine cable international project and said the endeavour was a “Georgian initiative", in remarks to the Ambassadors Conference in Tbilisi.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday said the recently signed Black Sea submarine cable international project, a move initiated by his Government, would ensure “direct connection” between Georgian and European energy systems, in comments summing up the Government’s work throughout the year.
The first weekly meeting of the Georgian Government in 2023 on Monday discussed raising funds for the feasibility study of the Black Sea submarine cable project and construction of a wind power plant in the western Imereti region, among other topics.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili, along with his deputies, on Saturday, reviewed the plans and main priorities of 2023, as well as the dynamics of the implementation of the 2030 development strategy, at the working meeting, the Government Administration said.
Development of multimodal and maritime transport, facilitation of border crossing procedures and other questions are being discussed at the annual meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission of TRACECA, an international transport cooperation programme between the European Union and its partner countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia, hosted in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and his deputies on Friday briefed the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on efforts planned throughout 2023 to facilitate Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration process.
Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, on Friday said the role of the Middle Corridor, the logistics route linking Europe and Asia via the South Caucasus, was increasing and added the EU was supporting the project for facilitating its increased scope of operation.
Vesselin Valkanov, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Georgia, on Wednesday said it was “important” for Georgian authorities to understand the country’s role in connecting Asia to Europe and effect an expansion of related infrastructural capabilities.
The current agenda of bilateral relations between Georgia and Romania was discussed on Saturday by the countries’ foreign ministers Ilia Darchiashvili and Bogdan Aurescu.
Ongoing projects in Georgia, supported by the Asian Development Bank, were discussed on Saturday by the country’s Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze and Woochong Um, the Managing Director General of the ADB.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Friday said the Black Sea submarine cable international project gave a “new European purpose” to Georgia, while also “significantly” increasing the country’s role in ensuring Europe’s energy security.
Georgian Government officials and professionals from the Italian consulting company CESI on Tuesday visited western Georgia's Black Sea coastal town of Anaklia to select the approximate route and locations for the Black Sea submarine electricity cable project, an international initiative to connect the South Caucasus power grid to that of Europe.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday discussed his country’s European integration prospects and the Black Sea submarine cable international project with Péter Szijjártó, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary.
The European Union “strongly supports” the Black Sea submarine cable project, a new transmission route to deliver green energy from Azerbaijan to Europe, and hopes the South Caucasus will become a “very important” source of energy for Europe, Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, said on Thursday.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday said Georgia and Azerbaijan played a “critically important” role in ensuring Europe's energy security, and noted “this role is growing every day”.
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili and his Hungarian counterpart Mihály Varga on Tuesday highlighted the importance of the “strategic” cooperation between the countries in the field of energy.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Romeo Mikautadze and James Appathurai, the NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, on Wednesday discussed reforms in Georgia’s energy sector at their meeting in Tbilisi.
Romeo Mikautadze, the Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia, featured in a meeting on the development and transmission of green energy between the governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary, the Ministry said on Thursday.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Friday highlighted his country’s progress on its European integration path, his office’s plans for the forthcoming NATO Summit in July and the importance of the Government’s stance and efforts for peacefully reintegrating the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions, in his report to the Parliament.
Romeo Mikautadze, the Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia, featured in a meeting on the development and transmission of green energy between the governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary and Romania, the Ministry said on Tuesday.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, together with the delegation, will visit Romania from Sunday to Wednesday and is set to address the members of the Senate of Romania at the plenary session.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday highlighted the purpose of his ongoing visit to Romania was to gain the support of his Romanian counterparts for the European Union membership candidate status for Georgia later this year.
Ilia Darchiashvili, the Georgian Foreign Minister, on Wednesday said the ongoing visit of Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian Prime Minister, to Georgia expressed the country’s “strong support” for Georgia’s European integration ahead of the bloc’s forthcoming decision on Tbilisi’s candidate status later this year.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili will be a “keynote speaker” at the Global Gateway Forum hosted by Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, Georgia’s EU Ambassador Vakhtang Makharoblishvili said on Tuesday.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Friday highlighted the importance of the Black Sea submarine electricity cable project, a new transmission route to deliver green energy from the South Caucasus to Europe, at the second Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting in Baku.