Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Deepening the strategic relations with Azerbaijan is a priority for Georgia, Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Teimuraz Sharashenidze said in a press conference in Baku on July 31.

"Almost the entire staff of the Georgian government and Prime Minister have ​​visited Azerbaijan," he added.

According to Sharashenidze, Georgia stands for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders.

"Common challenges, such as territorial integrity and economic development outside of the capital are paramount issues to both governments," he added.

Ambassador also spoke about TAP project.

"Choosing TAP as a transport route to Europe will bring about $2 billion in investments in the Georgian economy and create new jobs," he said. "The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project is also very important."

Sharashenidze said cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey is very important for Tbilisi and Azerbaijani business has already invested $210 million in the country's economy.

In late June, the consortium for the development of the Shah Deniz field announced that TAP will be the route used to transport gas to European markets.

The TAP project is designed to transport gas from the resource-rich Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to the south of Italy and further to Western Europe. Gas which will be produced during the second stage of Shah Deniz field development is considered as the main source for the project.

The TAP route will be approximately 870 kilometers long (Greece 550 km; Albania 210 km; offshore Adriatic Sea 15km; Italy 5 km). The construction of TAP is expected to start in 2015. First gas is expected in 2019.

TAP pipeline's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters per year, but it will be easily expandable to 20 billion cubic meters.

TAP's shareholders are AXPO of Switzerland (42.5 per cent), Norway's Statoil (42.5 per cent) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15 per cent).