Georgia eyes potential for new pipelines

On a recent trip to Kazakhstan Energy Minister Aleksandre Khetaguri said there is potential for more pipelines to be constructed through Georgia.

In an interview with the newspaper New Europe, Khetaguri said that given rising production of hydrocarbons in Central Asia more pipelines would “undoubtedly” be profitable.

“Through our territory go the BTC [Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan], the Baku–Tbilisi–Erzurum, and the Baku–Supsa pipelines… However, apart from the existing oil and gas pipelines, there is a potential for new ones. But they will only be considered if the oil producing companies themselves become interested in them,” he said.

The minister also described Georgia as a regional energy hub. “Today we transport gas and electric power from north to south and from east to west, with all the flows going through Georgia so this is a hub,” he said.

On the topic of foreign investment, Khetaguri said Tbilisi welcomes investment from any country, including Russia. “Politics are politics, and the economic development of the country is a totally different matter. We try to attract everyone, so let the market develop by its own rules.”