Economy Minister: Georgia not only a beneficiary but “important contributor” to EU
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. Photo: Ministry of Economy
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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.
Georgia will turn into the “most important partner country” for the bloc in energy security with the recently signed project, the Ministry of Economy cited Davitashvili as saying.
"When we talk about European integration, it is clear that if we do not make a certain contribution to the development of the European family, if we do not add something to it, our partners' motivation, interest and enthusiasm for integration will not be high”, the Minister pointed out.
“Therefore, during negotiations with our European partners, we have always raised the issue in this way - Georgia can play an important role in the development of Europe [and] is not only a beneficiary country, but [...] an important contributor, including in the economic direction", he added.
Davitashvili also said the Black Sea energy transmission cable initiative would be a "special project for us, which will increase the importance of Georgia for the European Union".
The project involves the construction of a high-voltage underwater transmission grid to connect the power transmission lines and systems of Georgia, Romania, Azerbaijan and Hungary and allow the export of green energy to Europe.
Georgia’s direct connection to the "most interesting, free and open electricity market" of the European Union will enable the country to trade "as freely as all other EU countries", Davitashvili said, adding Georgia’s role in the project meant "we are members of the EU in this direction".
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday highlighted his Government had been the “initiator and author” of the Black Sea submarine electricity cable project, signed by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary on Saturday.
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.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Saturday said the country was becoming “one of the crucial” states in production of green and renewable energy.
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.
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 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.
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.