Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7
By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:
For Tehran, possible gas supplies from Iran to Georgia will have a political context, not an economic one, said Vagif Aliyev, head of the Investment Department of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan in an interview with ANS TV channel.
He added that while Georgia is a close neighbor and strategic ally of Azerbaijan, each state determines its own energy strategy.
"SOCAR has strong position in Georgia. Over the past five years, SOCAR has become the largest taxpayer in Georgia. Georgia and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on gas deliveries until 2030", Aliyev said. "We are the main supplier of natural gas to the country, in addition, another part of the volume Tbilisi receives as transit fee for transportation of Russian gas through its territory to Armenia."
Azerbaijan exported 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Georgia in Jan.-Nov. 2015.
Gas from Azerbaijan to Georgia is delivered via the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, which transports gas produced in "Shah Deniz" gas-condensate field in the Caspian's Azerbaijani sector. SOCAR supplies its own gas to Georgia via a pipeline that passes through the Azerbaijan's Gazakh district. Power flow of gas through this pipeline is about three billion cubic meters a year.
Azerbaijan is the main supplier of gas to Georgia with a share of 77.9 percent of total imports of this category.
Speaking about possible gas supplies to Georgia from Iran, Aliyev said that it could happen, most likely, on the small scale.
"It is important to think how important the Georgian market is for Iran," he said.
According to the agreement with Georgia, Iran has to deliver gas to Armenian border and Georgia will receive it on its border with this country.
Currently, Iran exports gas to Turkey in the framework of the gas swaps with Azerbaijan - to Nakhchivan, as well as to Armenia.
---