Georgia President Saakashvili to EuroFora: Ready for AGRI direct EU Gas link, but stalled by Partner

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/ (EXCLUSIVE)- Georgia is always "Ready" for the AGRI project to create a Direct, fast, cheap and safe Transport link to EU's Industrial Heartland for Central Asia's Gas, via LNG Ship transports through the Black Sea and Danube/Rhine rivers, but something seems to have stalled in someone among our "Partners", claimed the embattled Georgian President, Milheil Saakashvili, speaking exclusively to "EuroFora" at the CoE, after meeting with its PanEuropean Assembly's President, Jean-Claude Mignon in a short Press-point, just before addressing its first 2013 Strasbourg Plenary for a Speech and Question/Reply session with MEPs from 47 Countries.

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 - "EuroFora" asked the Georgian President if "the AGRI project is included among the internal Controversies", which have bursted out recently in the country between the Presidency and the National Parliament's new Majority (since October 2012),"or not".

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   - "I think that AGRI project's developments have still, a very high link with our Partners", (i.e. Azerbaidjan, Romania, but also various other neighbouring countries, etc), Mikheil Saakashvili replied to "EuroFora" question, using an unusually evasive vocabulary on that point, (which had been raised also in the Past).

 - Because, "I think (that) in Georgia, so far, we didn't really approach towads the essence" of the AGRI project, he estimated.

 - "I mean, we (Georgia) will always be ready", ensured the experienced President of the Country.  

- "But it's still stuck within our Partners", he claimed, for the 1st time here.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
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In previous Years' "EuroFora"s encounters with the Georgian President at the CoE in Strasbourg, he had appeared initially open to examine any possibility to transport Central Asia's Oil/Gas Energy Resources directly to Europe, including throuh a Black Sea - Danube River direct link, afterwards had joked saying in substance that he would consider only "Existing, Real Projects", not just hypothetical ones, even if they represented "Good Ideas", and, later-on, when the AGRI project was at last officially presented by Romania etc., he had finally started to find it not only "Technically Sound", but also able to "move Faster" than anything else (See, f.ex. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/georgianpresidentagriproject.html ).

So, it's obviously the 1st time that Saakashvili, while still expressing Georgia's "Readiness" to effectively join the AGRI project, nevertheless, finds, in (an unusually sharp wording) a problem that he claims to be due to someone among his "Partners", as he told "EuroFora" (comp. Supra), but without naming him...

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It certainly can't be Romania itself, since it's the main EU Country which is principally interested in Black Sea - Danube Energy Transport links, as in the case of the AGRI project, also because its relevant SeaPorts as well as the location of Danube's Delta, (in addition to President Basescu - a former Ship Captain- energetic commitment in such Sea - River ship trasport projects : Comp. many relevant Basescu's statements to "EuroFora"s co-Founder since many years, from 2004 up to 2011 included : f.ex. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/agridanubeprojectsbasescu.html ).

No more adjacent Bulgaria, which can only benefit from such Projects, given its Danube River ports, as well as the fact that the Geo-Political importance of the 2007 EU Enlargement to Bulgaria and Romania, giving to the EU, for the 1st time, a Direct Link to the Black Sea, would be considerably strengthened for all Europe by the AGRI project.

So that several other relevant EU Countries, including Big ones as the Franco-German European "motor", from whom various High Ranking, experienced Top Officials have already expressed to "EuroFora"s co-Founder their Naturally great Interest for such projects of Direct EU - Asia Enegry Transport links, via the Rhine/Danube - Black Sea ship transport corridor, ( f.ex. Gaz de France's Director for International Relations, even EU Commissioner for Energy, Günter Oettinger, etc), with German land receiving a good part of Danube, while France hosts Rhine River's International Navigation Committee In Strasbourg's  superb "Rhine Palace", particularly after the 2001 opening of "Grand-Gabarit" Ship transport links between Danube and Rhine, etc. ;  and it's obviously many other, Small-Medium but always Strategically located European Countries and/or EU Accession Candidates which have also an Interest, such as the Netherlands (No 1 in EU's River Ship transports, and co-Initiator of such Danube-Rhine a.o. Pan-European Rivers' Networks since long) ; Hungary which hosts Danube river Navigation's Authorities, (comp. also Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Urban's relevant Statements to "EuroFora" in Brussels and Strasbourg) ; Ukrania, which holds a part of Danube River's "Delta", (and had already started to re-open a renovated Channel link to the Black Sea, able to serve also Big Gabarit Ships) ; etc. Russia itself could, according to an obvious Geographic logic, use, at least partly, a Future Black Sea - Danube/Rhine rivers Ship link for its own Energy Resources' transport to the EU, (while Moscow is also Member of the Danube River Navigation Committee), contributing to ameliorate also the Russo-Romanian relations by adding another joint interest permanently.

As for Azerbaidjan, it's among the main Beneficiaries of the AGRI project, and able to feel quite well the need to Diversify, Simpify, make Shorter, Cheaper and Safer its Gas transport links, directly towards the EU, - i.e. without being always obliged to pass through a too Long, much more Expensive and Dangerous, (because exposed to Risks of Earthquakes, various Conflicts, vis a vis Turkish Kurds, Armenians, Iraqi Kurds, Syria, Cyprus, Israel, etc, as well as to Ankara's usual Political Blackmails) pathway - as even the experienced Azeri deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guliyev, has repeatedly agreed wIth "EuroFora", (comp. f.ex.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeministesondanubeblackseagastransport.html ).

Meanwhile, even at the South-Eastern Mediterranean Sea, while EU Member Cyprus apparently leaves the issue still "Open", as certain key Officials told "EuroFora" earlier at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, neverthelesss, Israeli Ambassador to the CoE, Nimrod Barkan, speaking to "EuroFora" earlier today at the CoE, clearly indicated that Israel's main choice, after having also thought to initially transform Gas to Electricity, transported by undersea cable to Europe, finally would go towards LNG Ship Transports, (which could, therefore, be boosted all around EU's Seacoasts).
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Thus, one is inevitably led to raise Questions about neighbouring Turkey's geopolitical Competition games, since, among all other, effective and/or potential "Partners" of Georgia, Ankara is the only one whose individual interests are 100% Opposed to the creation of a Direct, short, cheap and safe EU link towards Romania for Central Asia Energy Transports via Ships through the Black Sea and Danube/Rhine rivers, prefering to impose, by any means, a much Longer, more Expensive and Dangerous corridor, uselessly Zig-zaging, away from Europe, but through Southerner Turkey's Anatolia plateau and Mountains, not so far away from the Syrian, Iran and Iraqi borders, before attempting, later-on, when it might arrive at the Aegean Sea borders, to continue by Turning again towards the North, etc., etc...

+ Indeed, as "Eurofora" was told Today by some other Azeri sources, Turkey apparently pressured recently Baku to accept the principle of another, even 2nd Zig-zaging Pipeline, down Southwards, from Azerbaidjan to Turkey via Georgia, which would then cross all through the long Anatolia plateau, up to the Greek Borders at the Aegean Sea, before turning again Northwards, etc...

- "This (i.e. Ankara's insistance to impose, at any price, a Long, Expensive and Dangerous Zig-Zag to Central Asian Energy Transport routes through Turkey, before they reach Europe), has recently Dissuaded all other Options" for Azerbaidjan, thus Hindered to use its full Potential, threatening to "freeze" or postpone them, at least for the  time being, (i.e. practically Hindering EU - Asia Energy links, specially Azerbaidjan, to use their full Potential fast enough), the source warned "EuroFora".

Indeed, given all these Facts, it cannot be excluded that Saakashvili, always anxious to interpose NATO between Georgia and Russia, as he reiterated today at the CoE, despite his otherwise good knowledge of Georgia's interests, might have been obliged, by pro-Turkish Lobbies' insistance, to accept, at least for a while, Ankara's demands to delay somewhat the AGRI project, at least until that notoriously unwanted "Anatolia" Turkish project, too expensive, too Long and Dangerous (see Facts already cited Supra) and currently not supported by anyone else than Turkey itself, might, eventually, find at least a few clients..
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However, new Prime Minister of Georgia, Ivanishvili, a self-made Billionaire who was chosen to head the Winning Coalition of political parties to October 2012 Elections and is just starting a 4 years-term, has reportedly decided, according to mainstream Media, to review many such controversial Deals allegedly imposed to Georgia in favor of Turkish a.o. related interests, including in various Infrastructures, (f.ex. Powerhouses, Railways, etc). - "There are projects and contracts ... by the previous government (that) are ... not beneficial for our country. We plan to Review these projects", Ivanishvil reportedl anounced. (See, f.ex. : http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/georgia-review-deals-signed-previous-government-165856349--sector.html )

In particular, the so-called "new" Trans-Anatolian pipeline hypothesis, (which reportedly succeeded to failed "Nabbuco"'s Insufficiency of Gas supplies compared to its heavy Cost), appears, in fact, to be only a re-make of an old, 1996 dated idea to merely sell to Turkey alone Azeri Gas from a future field, which curiously surfaced now, while Turkish Economy is currently falling down with a possible Crisis looming. At least Azerbaidjan's SOCAR company seems to hope to also sell to Europe a part of the Gas transported by TAP, but without knowing yet how this might, eventually, be transported to hypothetic EU consumers through Turkey, when, and at what cost, (while Russia's North and South Stream pipelines' building, EU's Renewable Energies' boost and Enegy Efficiency plans, as well as new EU Gas findings at EU Member Cyprus, Israel and Egypt, Nigeria, etc, might soon make more Asian gas supplies partly redudant for the EU as several specialized Media warned. Thus, the obvious Question raised is why should Azerbaidjan and Georgia build more Long and Expensive, Dangerous and Environment-Polluting Pipelines without any other certainty than merely  to bring Gas to an uncertain Turkey alone, (instead of heading directly towards the EU with AGRI a.o.  Shorter, Cheaper, Faster and Safer projects) ?

So that, in one way or another : I.e. without excluding also the possibility that President Saakashvili, (who might, eventually, remain in power until the next, October 2013 Presidential Elections), could possibly realize also himself that, if things are in substance as they seem to be (comp. Supra), then, the country's, the whole region's, and even all Europe's general Interest, obviously is to bypass any eventual attempt to hinder the AGRI and/or other such Black Sea - Danube/Rhine river Asia - Europe Ship Transport link, directly heading towards the EU.