THE ALLIANCE WILL REMAIN UNALTERED

The official visit of Azerbai-jani President Ilham Aliyev to Georgia has confirmed the strategic character of the bilateral alliance. The results of the talks between the leaders of the two countries have become the best answer to all ill-wishers who vainly anticipated the beginning of almost a crisis in the Baku-Tbilisi dialogue.

Rumours about the cooling of relations between Baku and Tbilisi began to circulate after Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said that Azerbaijan did not have sufficient resources to provide Georgia with natural gas. Based on this statement, official Tbilisi expressed its intention to receive an additional amount of gas from Russia.

Obviously, the cause of the excitement in this regard is associated not with the very fact of Georgian-Russian contacts in the gas sphere but with a highly controversial form in which Georgian officials raised the issue of Azerbaijan's role in ensuring energy security of Georgia.

As is known, Azerbaijan is the main supplier of natural gas to Georgia. Russia accounts for only 10 per cent of gas supplied to Georgia, which receives it as payment for the transit of gas from Russia to Armenia. Kaladze's statement gave reason to believe that Tbilisi is ready to receive additional gas volumes from Gazprom.

In response to Kaladze's statement, the Azerbaijani side reminded that it almost completely satisfies the needs of the Georgian population for the required amount of gas. Official Tbilisi decided to prevent further proliferation of a "gas scandal". Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili and Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who visited Baku one after the other, made it clear that there was no talk about replacing the Azerbaijani gas and urged to stop speculations on this subject, which harmed bilateral relations. Kakha Kaladze also tried to "rehabilitate" himself, calling the statements of the Georgian opposition that Tbilisi intends to replace part of the Azerbaijani gas with that from Russia to be false allegations.

It is clear that Georgia will not be able to find an alternative to the Azerbaijani gas which is the cheapest of all the options. Therefore, experts tend to believe that Tbilisi's curtsies towards Moscow can only signify political calculation aimed at establishing political and economic relations between Georgia and Russia.

In the meantime, the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Georgia, which took place on 5-6 November, finally clarified all issues related to the "gas scandal". Interestingly, it was Kaladze, presently in charge of the energy sector in the Georgian government, who met Ilham Aliyev at Tbilisi airport.

In the course of negotiations, the Azerbaijani head of state and Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili discussed all large-scale strategic projects undertaken by Baku and Tbilisi, which are geared towards an actual rather than hypothetical increase in the role of both countries in regional and global geo-politics and geo-economics. These include such projects as the Southern Gas Corridor, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the start of Azerbaijan's electricity supplies to Turkey through Georgia, as well as other issues. It is not surprising that, after the meeting with Ilham Aliyev, the Georgian leader said: "Our good neighbourliness, cooperation and strategic projects under implementation are exemplary. But, Mr. President, I am sure that your official visit to Georgia will further deepen our cooperation and give impetus to our relations bringing them to a new level".

In turn, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reiterated: "Georgia is a very close country for us, our strategic partner. We successfully cooperate in various fields, and this cooperation continues to deepen. We want bilateral relations between our countries to be developing even more intensively and cover all areas".

As regards the controversy that caused a loud debate of late, Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan's proved natural gas reserves amount to 2.6 trillion cubic meters, which will allow the country to provide gas in large quantities for at least 100 years, both satisfying its own needs and supplying it to the neighbouring countries and European states.

The visit also highlighted a very positive humanitarian aspect of bilateral friendly relations. Ilham Aliyev and Giorgi Margvelashvili visited the Marneuli District densely populated by ethnic Azeris. The Azerbaijani president pointed out that the Azeris living in Georgia support its independence and contribute to the improvement in Georgian-Azerbaijani relations.

"Azerbaijanis living in Georgia have always supported Georgia's statehood and have been model citizens. This is as it should be, because you have lived in these lands for centuries," Aliyev said. He noted that Azerbaijan would continue to support the Azeri community in Marneuli and, in this regard, instructed the State Oil Company of Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) to repair all Azeri schools in Georgia.

At the same time, President Aliyev emphasized the importance of learning the Georgian language: "Your knowledge of the language contributes to the strengthening of Georgia's statehood".

In turn, Giorgi Margvelashvili said that Georgia is getting stronger thanks to its Azerbaijanis.

"Azerbaijanis seek to integrate into the Georgian society. We need your talents. These desires and needs are appreciated, and we will always support you," said the president of Georgia.

The dynamics of cooperation between the two countries was also discussed at Ilham Aliyev's meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

According to the president of Azerbaijan, his meeting with the prime minister of Georgia was a good sign indicating that the relations between the two countries would deepen, "and we will jointly implement the projects which we have started".

Both sides have stressed that, as regards trade and economic relations, Azerbaijan is an important partner of Georgia and over the years has consistently been among its top three trade partners.

It was also noted that over the past three years, Azerbaijan's investment in the neighbouring country increased by a factor of 3.7.

The parties also discussed ongoing projects for the construction of the Southern Gas Corridor and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, as well as the activities of SOCAR in the Georgian energy market.

It is noteworthy that negotiations with Garibashvili were not limited only to official meetings - in fact, the Georgian prime minister accompanied the Azerbaijani president to the plane, and it is quite likely that the parties used this opportunity to address pressing issues.

Ilham Aliyev's meeting with Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II was a significant event, too. The patriarch noted that there were more than 300 mosques in Georgia, which showed the level of religious tolerance. At the same time, Ilia II proposed establishing a post of bishop of the Georgian Church in Azerbaijan.

The patriarch also called for ensuring territorial integrity and peace in the Caucasus.

"We do everything possible to ensure peace in the Caucasus, but it does not always happen that way. We are concerned that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Georgia has been violated. We hope that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Georgia will be restored," said Ilia II.

Thus, both the visit and its extensive programme of talks with all branches of power in Georgia (President Aliyev also met with Speaker of the Georgian Parliament David Usupashvili) give reason to speak about the absence of any crisis in the Baku-Tbilisi dialogue. All such allegations do not reflect the real situation; rather, they reflect an unconcealed desire of forces that are interested in dissolving the strategic alliance between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

However, economic integration processes, involving almost all countries of the region except for aggressive Armenia, only pave the way for even greater cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia. Possible collaboration between Tbilisi and Moscow, which is an accompanying process and in no way an alternative to the Azerbaijani-Georgian alliance, should also be considered from this point of view. Giorgi Margvelashvili's statement that the strategic cooperation between our countries would remain unaltered was of particular significance in this sense. Just as sincere gratitude which he expressed: "Every Georgian is well aware of the help Azerbaijan provides to us. As an example, we can mention support and assistance in carrying out charitable projects related to kindergartens, churches and sportsmen. We express our gratitude to Azerbaijan for this cooperation, too. The Georgian people will always maintain close ties with friendly Azerbaijan".