Irakli Kobakhidze: Agreements signed with Azerbaijan are of fundamental importance to Georgia

The existing 20-year agreement on gas supplies from Azerbaijan has been extended for another 20 years, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on air of the Imedi LIVE television program.

According to Report‘s local bureau, Kobakhidze emphasized that all issues raised in the energy sector had been resolved through concrete negotiations and agreements. According to him, the agreements signed with Azerbaijan are of fundamental importance to Georgia.

“In recent years, the role of the Middle Corridor has increased significantly, and since 2020, cargo turnover along this route has grown sevenfold. Therefore, we must make maximum use of these opportunities. The agreements signed in Azerbaijan cover various areas, and all of them will contribute to the development of Georgia”s transit function,” he noted.

The prime minister stated that the agreements reached on gas imports and transit are of particular importance for the country”s energy security.

“The most important thing is that we secured the necessary volumes of gas. This is extremely important for our country”s energy security,” Kobakhidze said.

Thanking the Azerbaijani side, the Georgian prime minister stressed that the negotiations were not a standard process between two governments, but rather a dialogue between friends.

“The operation of the Baku–Tbilisi–Supsa pipeline will also be restored after being inactive for the past three years. The suspension of this project caused Georgia to lose potential revenues amounting to tens of millions of lari annually. At the end of the month, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway will resume operations, and passenger rail service between Georgia and Azerbaijan will also be restored. All of these agreements are of fundamental importance for strengthening Georgia”s economy and further enhancing its transit role in the region,” the prime minister added.