Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili addressed the participants of Caspian Oil And Gas 17th International Exhibition And Conference. He, in particular, said: "As everybody knows, over many years both Azerbaijan and Georgia affirmed their strategic and reliable partnership in the development of alternative routes of energy supplies in the region. As a result of our cooperation several large infrastructure projects such as Baku-Supsa, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum and Kulevi oil terminal were successfully realized. However, our work is not restricted within the limits of these projects.
Azerbaijan has become increasingly important to the energy security of the region due to its considerable hydrocarbon reserves. At the same time Georgia, because of its strategic location, has turned into the transport hub of the South Caucasus region. Our country is an important part of the shortest transit route between the Western Europe and Caspian region. This is an excellent amalgam of the existing reserves and infrastructure for the simplification of projects` implementation as part of the Southern Corridor initiative.
Recent developments in the region and the common experience demonstrated that conditions are of vital importance for diversification of supply routes and for productive cooperation.
From this point of view, both Azerbaijan and Georgia have given preference to the sphere of energetic and supplies as a head stone of cooperation, which paves the way for future political and economic well-being of these countries and the whole region.
Together with its neighbors Azerbaijan and Turkey, Georgia is ready to play a role of a bridge in the region. Implementation of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum oil pipelines, which lay via our territories, ensures efficient transit corridors for the reliable transportation of Caspian energy reserves to the European markets.
Projects as part of the Southern Corridor, which is considered a priority by the European Union, should be implemented taking into account balanced interests of consumer, transit and producing states.
Having regard to the realization of alternative transit projects as part of the Southern Corridor, Azerbaijan and Georgia will seek to establish trans-Black Sea link to connect the region with EU markets.
Recent events in the world demonstrated that the future will be complicated, especially for the Black Sea and Caspian Sea littoral states.
Consecutive and well-thought-out efforts to respond these challenges are basic aspects of our cooperation with the members of the European Union. Georgia, for its part, is ready to cooperate with all of you and also respond these challenges."