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Georgia: Rumours that Georgia may be replaced by Armenia in Nabucco is far from true

08 September 2009 12:30 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elmin Ibrahimov â€“ APA-Economics. Nabucco gas pipeline partner states will not allow that a new energy infrastructure be organized at the first stage of the project. Therefore, the information as if Georgia may be replaced by Armenia in the Nabucco project is exaggerated, the Energy Ministry of Georgia says, BNE portal BNE (www.businessneweurope.eu) reported.

Nabucco gas pipeline is considered as the extension of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, Mariam Valishvili, the first deputy Energy Minister told GBC.

A new infrastructure may be organized after gas supply additional sources have been searched and Iran has joined the project, she noted.

Azerbaijan is considered as a key resource basis for Nabucco project, Valishvili noted.

If Armenia and Turkey restore diplomatic relations in the future, Azerbaijan will contradict that Armenia become a transiting country, Valishvili said.

At this stage, Georgia has signed an infrastructure management agreement with the consortium of Shah Deniz. If the consortium of Shah Deniz joins the Nabcuoo gas pipeline filling format, the agreement will be extended automatically.

If Armenia joins the project, the agreement will protect Georgia from exclusion from the project, Valishvili said.

According to the Turkey-based Star newspaper, Turkey may back the involvement of Armenia into the Nabucco project instead of Georgia.
The paper said the European Union (EU), which rendered great assistance to Armenia and Turkey in reaching an agreement, wants the planned Nabucco natural gas pipeline to run through Armenia, not Georgia, as a transit country.
A Russian paper of Kommersant also published similar article.

Moreover, The Express, an Azerbaijan newspaper, says that EU may request that technical changes be made to the Nabucco project and the gas pipeline cross Armenia, not Georgia.