Georgia's Saakashvili urges support for Azerbaijan after halt of Baku-Novorossiysk oil transit
Georgia should show solidarity with Azerbaijan today more than ever, President Mikheil Saakashvili has said in an interview with Georgian television companies in Washington.
Thus, he commented on the decision of Russia on terminating transit of Azerbaijani oil through the territory of Russia.
President Saakashvili stressed that "only Azerbaijan's development can ensure the development of the entire region as well."
"It is important to support Azerbaijan in this situation, and this support must be clear and consistent," he said.
Earlier in May, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the termination of the agreement with Azerbaijan on the transit of Azerbaijani oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline.
The decision of the Russian government on termination of the agreement on transportation of Azerbaijani oil through the territory of Russia, dated January 18, 1996, is not a political but an economic issue, Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR reported on May 15.
'This issue was not a surprise to SOCAR. Both sides at various times have raised issues which have not been resolved. In particular, the issues of consistent quality of Azerbaijani oil during transportation through the territory of Russia and its storage at the port of Novorossiysk, oil quality bank, increasing the volume of oil transportation, issues related to the rate and mechanisms of change," the report says.