ECONOMY
MICHAEL SAAKASHVILI FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE RUSSIAN OIL PIPELINE IN PARALLEL TO THE OIL PIPELINE OF BAKU-TBILISI-CEYHAN
In Moscow, the head of Georgia has made a number of statements directly touching the interests as of both Azerbaijan and his country in the field of transportation of the Azerbaijani oil to Europe through the Georgian territory. So, speaking at the State University in Moscow, President Saakashvili has declared: “Georgia welcomes construction of an oil pipeline from Novorossiysk through Georgia in parallel to the oil pipeline of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan”. He has emphasized that the BTC oil pipeline has no decisive economic value for Georgia, because it will bring to Georgia 10-15 million US dollars a year averagely. The president of Georgia also informed that under forecasts of the Georgian side, after putting into operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, Turkey will close passage for oil to other country, in particular, Russia. In this connection, the head of the Georgian state has supported realization of transportation of the Russian oil from Novorossiysk on the territory of Georgia, and the part of this oil pipeline is planned to carry in parallel a site of an oil pipeline to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan.
Speaking about perspective Russian - Georgian economic projects, Michael Saakashvili has named also the project of export of the Russian electric power to Turkey that is possible only through territory of Georgia.