Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul paid two-day official visit to Georgia on September 15-16 to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional issue with the Georgian leadership.
Cooperation with the Caucasus region, and particularly with Georgia, as one of the most important actors in the region, is very important for Turkey. The joint energy projects, which are already being implemented with direct involvement of the both sides, are particularly important. We are ready to assist Georgia in every field,” Abdullah Gul said at a joint news briefing with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Menagharishvili on September 15.
Turkish Foreign Minister held talks with Georgian President Shevardnadze, Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili, State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze and Special Affairs Minister Malkhaz Kakabadze, who is in charge of Abkhaz conflict resolution.
Bilateral cooperation, joint energy projects, regional policy and security, integration into the European structures were the main issues, discussed during the one and a half hour meeting beyond the closed doors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
“I am confident that these meeting will further deepen friendly relations and strategic partnership between Georgia and Turkey,” said Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagarishvili at a news briefing after the meeting with his Turkish counterpart on September 15.
Turkey is a strategic partner of Georgia in implementation of the East-West Energy Corridor project. The milestones of the project are the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and South Caucasus Gas Pipeline, which will supply southern Turkey with gas from the Azerbaijani’s Shah-Deniz oil field, via Georgia. With the potential to produce up to 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, Shah Deniz can also play a significant role in supplying markets in Southeastern Europe.
However, fears over the implementation of the Shah-Deniz project increased after Georgia singed an agreement with the Russian energy giant Gazprom. According to the agreement the Russian gas giant will supply Georgia with gas and take over the Georgian gas distribution system.
The Turkish Foreign Minister expressed hope that despite deal with Gazprom Georgia will comply with its commitment to implement the Shah-Deniz project.
“Although Georgia has concluded a contract with the Russian gas supplier Gazprom, I am sure that provisions of this contract will not contradict with implementation of these important projects [Shah-Deniz, BTC] and the both sides [Georgia, Turkey] will be able to meet their obligations. I do not see any precondition, which might jeopardize Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum project. The Georgian side is actively involved in the project, respecting the concluded agreement and does not make any step against it,” Abdullah Gul said.
He added that construction of the BTC pipeline, which is to supply Turkey and the western markets with the Azerbaijani oil, via Georgia, is developing successfully and is scheduled to start operating by 2004.
“With this project Georgia and Turkey are becoming even more important countries for the whole world,” Turkish Foreign Minister said.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul reiterated Turkey’s support to Georgia’s territorial integrity. “We are doing our best to ensure peace in the Caucasus. Resolution of the Abkhazian conflict is particularly important in this regard,” Abdullah Gul said. He stressed the importance of solution of Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia problems through peaceful ways and within territorial integrity of Georgia.
Turkish Foreign Minister also expressed confidence that Georgia will hold free and fair parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 2.
Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagarishvili told reporter that no document or protocol was signed during the visit. He said the visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister aimed at acquainting with the situation in the country.
