Georgian PM asks for a gas supplies discount and he's ready to renegotiate Azerbaijani gas supplies to Europe's project. The consequences Tbilisi has got for the EU energy situation.
A gas supplies' discount for Georgian buyers in exchange to the support to Azerbaijani gas export project to Europe. On Wednesday 12/26 Georgian PM Bidzina Ivanishvili paid his first official visit in Azerbaijan to talk about energy deals.
According to Trend news agency, Ivanivshili, who underlined as 'however convenient Azerbaijani gas prices for Georgia, asked Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Natig Aliyev for a gas supplies discount.
As Gazeta Wyborcza reported, Ivanishvili, who aims to obtain a gas supplies's discount to realize one of his main electoral promises, could renegotiate the projects Georgia and Azerbaijan already planed to carry Azerbaijani gas to Turkey and Europe.
The pro-Western governments appointed in Georgia since 2003 by the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ensured Azerbaijan to carry Azerbaijani gas to the West, in order to allow the EU to diversify European gas supplies from Russia's quasi monopoly.
Ivanishvili, who last October have defeated pro-Presidential political forces in the Georgian parliamentary election, rejected a Georgia's geopolitical role in energy policy, and preferred to condition Georgian government's position in energy policy from a regional point of view.
On the other hand, Azerbaijan needs to pump its gas throw Georgia to join the EU energy market. Baku planed to increase gas export to Europe considering the European energy demand's increasing during last years.
If energy plans between Georgia and Azerbaijan will be blocked, also the EU energy independence and EU member states national security will be endangered.
Brussels needs to carry Azerbaijani gas throw Georgia, in order to realize the European Commission's gas supplies diversification plan.
The plan has been conceived to decrease Europe's dependence on Russia's gas supplies, which cover the 40% of the EU total need.
Matteo Cazzulani
