Intensification of relations with Azerbaijan priority for Georgia - ambassador

The intensification of the relations with Azerbaijan as a strategic partner is a priority for Georgia, Georgian ambassador to Azerbaijan Teimuraz Sharashenidze said during a press conference in Baku on Wednesday.

"Almost the entire staff of the Georgian government and Prime Minister have already visited Azerbaijan," ambassador added. "This stipulates the importance of preserving the South Caucasus tandem."

"The common challenges, such as territorial integrity and economic development of the region, are the paramount issues for both governments," he added.

"Choosing TAP as a route of transporting gas to Europe will bring about $2 billion investments in the Georgian economy and create jobs," he said. "The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project is also very important."

"The format of Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey cooperation is very important for Tbilisi," ambassador added. "Azerbaijani business has already invested $ 210 million into the country's economy."

In late June, the consortium for the development of Shah Deniz field announced the selection of TAP project as a route for transporting its gas to European markets.

TAP project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and then to Western Europe.

The gas which will be produced in the second phase of development of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field, is considered as the main source for the project.

The initial capacity of the TAP pipeline will be 10 billion cubic meters per year with the possibility of expanding to 20 billion cubic meters per year.

Currently, the share holding in TAP is as follows: BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Statoil (20 percent), Fluxys (16 percent), Total (10 percent), E.ON (9 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

The construction of TAP is expected to start in 2015.


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