Black Sea submarine cable project gives new European purpose to Georgia - FM

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.

In his address to the legislative body, Darchiashvili stressed that by the implementation of the Black Sea cable project - included in the list of “connectivity” flagship projects - Georgia would become a “reliable transit country”, as well as an exporter of renewable energy.

The Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions of Georgia have been working intensively to promote the full utilisation of the country’s transit opportunities, the development and promotion of already existing and planned regional transport corridors passing through Georgia, as well as transport-infrastructure projects”, Darchiashvili noted.

He highlighted the “doubled interest” of the West in Georgia and the South Caucasus region, including the Middle Corridor, amid the recent political event in the Black Sea region, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which had “significantly” increased the importance of renewing Eurasian transport routes and diversifying transport corridors.

In this context, Georgia has once again confirmed its “reliable partnership” and contributed to the “safe, stable and timely” transportation of the increased cargo flow “in full compliance” with the currently valid international sanctions, the Foreign Minister emphasised.

The FM noted Georgia welcomed the implementation of new economic projects in neighbouring countries, as it would contribute to the “healthy competition” and the improvement of transport, as well as service infrastructure.

Darchiashvili also touched on the relations with neighbouring countries, while discussing the development of transport corridors, and stressed Georgia had always supported the peaceful cooperation in the South Caucasus, vowing it would continue in the future. He also highlighted the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s initiative to host a dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia to “restore trust” between the two neighbouring countries.