Georgia, Tbilisi / Тrend corr N. Kirtskhalia / Georgia's famous economic expert, Gia Khukhashvili, demands from Tbilisi officials to clarify its position regarding the reports on the intention of the Georgian Madneuli company to commence development of gold mines in Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region. Silence among the Georgian authorities is suspicious, Khukhashvili said on 5 September.
A month ago media reported that Russian company of Industrial Investors was commencing development of the Soyudlu gold mine in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia via its subsidiary in Georgia - Madneuli.
"If the authorities had any arguments to deny the fact they would have opened them long ago. But, as wee see it, there is something wrong in this matter," the expert said. "It seems like Tbilisi officials are trying to wait in silence until this scandalous situation ends."
Khukhashvili did not rule out that the matter was inspired by Russian special services and their purpose was to undermine Georgian-Azerbaijani relations. In this case, silence in Georgian authorities is inadmissible. In his opinion, Russia is trying to create a misunderstanding between Tbilisi and Russia. "Russian special services try to undermine geopolitical stability between Georgia and Azerbaijan providing for transportation of Central Asian energy without involving Moscow. Now Russia attempts to initiate tensions between the sides to demolish the alliance," the expert said.
Khukhashvili voiced his hope for Georgian authorities to regulate the situation in diplomatic ways, for it is impossible to affect Madneuli, which was sold to Russia. "But if Georgian Government tries to hush up the problem, we will face very difficult consequences," he said.
The expert is sure the Director General of Industrial Investors, Sergey Generalov, is not a businessman, but a politician acting for interests of Russian administration.