Regional energy cooperation through North-South axis makes Turkey and Azerbaijan convulsive: Expert

“A normal process is ongoing—the sides seek and attempt to find the most favorable solutions. The debate is the following: whether to take money for the transit or certain interest from the transit gas. Influence of other sides isn’t excluded either. It isn’t a secret that regional energy cooperation through North-South axis makes Turkey and Azerbaijan convulsive, thus, pressures from that side aren’t excluded. However, I consider they are decisive for the time being,” Ara Marjanyan, U.N. energy expert, told 168.am, commenting on postponement of the accord around the agreement on transit of Russian gas to Armenia through the territory of Georgia.

According to him issue of Russia-Georgia agreement formally has nothing to do with the issue of transiting Iranian gas to Georgia through the territory of Armenia, however, in content it has connection to this or that extent, “It’s difficult drawing conclusions on details, as they are totally known to limited number of people.”

Kakha Kaladze, Georgian Minister of Energy, stated after the meeting with representatives of “Gazprom Export,” that negotiations are ongoing, as the agreement on transiting Russian gas through the territory of Armenia hasn’t been reached yet.

“Gazprom” representatives propose a shift to financial remuneration for provision of Russian gas to Armenia instead of 10% gas provided through the territory of Georgia, however, that proposal is unacceptable to the Georgian side. They consider that the proposed amount of monetization is not sufficient. And the Georgian side has a “rather simple” position that “even in case of financial remuneration the country should gain the benefit , when it received natural gas as a raw material.”

By Gayane Khachatryan