Georgia, Tbilisi, 16 May / Trend corr N. Kirtskhalia/ "Opening of oil terminal in Kulevi will promote development of Azerbaijan and Georgia, strengthen the friendship between the two nations and will be a token to implement the new projects for the welfare of both countries," Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade said at the opening ceremony of the terminal on 16 May.
Transhipment capacity of the terminal will total 10mln fluid cargo per year, including 2mln tons of oil, 3mln tons of diesel fuel and 4mln tons of fuel oil.
Capacity of the reserve tank of the terminal is 320,000 cu m. There are plans to increase the capacity of the terminal up to 20mln tons and the reserve capacity up to 380,000 cu m.
According to the President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Rovnag Abdullayev, that will be the largest oil terminal in South Caucasus. It will be equipped with modern management systems.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili participated in the opening ceremony. He called the event a significant day for Georgian-Azerbaijani relations. "All plans made between me and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, are being successfully implemented. Kulevi is one more example to prove that," he said.
Saakashvili said that Georgia had become a corridor for Azerbaijan's energy carriers to Europe. "Kulevi will become Georgia's third sea gates, after Batumi and Poti. Ochamchire and Sukhumi will add to them in the near future, as we offer economic development of Abkhazia for the welfare of the people living there," he said.
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