Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BAKU457
2009-06-05 12:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baku
Cable title:  

AZERBAIJAN: STAFFDEL DISCUSS GEORGIAN PRESIDENT

Tags:  PREL PGOV ETRD EPET ENRG AJ GG 
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DE RUEHKB #0457/01 1561223
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 051223Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1320
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3423
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1364
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000457 

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD EPET ENRG AJ GG
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: STAFFDEL DISCUSS GEORGIAN PRESIDENT
SAAKISHVILI VISIT

Classified By: Ambassador Anne E. Derse
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000457

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD EPET ENRG AJ GG
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: STAFFDEL DISCUSS GEORGIAN PRESIDENT
SAAKISHVILI VISIT

Classified By: Ambassador Anne E. Derse
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On May 28 Congressional Staff Delegation
Markovsky and Katz met with Georgian Ambassador Nikoloz
Natbiladze. Natbiladze gave a detailed account of the 20 May
visit of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to Baku. The
recent visit was characterized as a great success with both
political and economic discussions. Natbiladze said he was
not present for all the talks, however, the majority of the
conversations centered around economic cooperation.
Following the recent meetings, the relationship between
Georgia and Azerbaijan seemed closer than ever. To this end,
Aliyev said that Georgia and Azerbaijan were a defacto
federation because &without Georgia there was no Azerbaijan,
and without Azerbaijan there was no Georgia.8 MFA officials
later confirmed the success of the visit, though in less
emphatic terms. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On May 28 the Ambassador hosted a dinner for visiting
congressional staff delegation Alan Makovsky and Jonathan
Katz with Ambassador of the Embassy of Georgia, Nikoloz
Natbiladze, Ambassador of Israel Arthur Lenk, and DAS Bryza.
Although the conversation revolved around the
Nagorno-Karabakh situation, Natbiladze gave a brief update on
the 20 May visit of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to
Baku. He characterized the meetings as a large success,
whereby the relationship between Azerbaijan and Georgia
seemed closer than ever. The majority of the discussions
revolved around economic cooperation between the two
countries. Natbiladze said he and the Government of Georgia
(GOG) hoped that Azerbaijan and Georgia would begin to act as
one unit in the Caucasus, while Aliyev told Saakashvili that
he believed that &if there were no Georgia, there would be
no Azerbaijan8 and &if there were no Azerbaijan, there
would be no Georgia8.


3. (C) Economic cooperation decisions were discussed on many
projects that both governments thought would bring further
stability to the region. For example, in an effort to give
Georgia more energy stability, GOG and GOAJ agreed to build a
natural gas depot in Georgia. Azerbaijan would construct the
depot, and Georgia could use it to store winter gas supplies.
Natbiladze underscored that such cooperation with Azerbaijan
was not new to Georgia, as Azerbaijan had always assisted
Georgia in its times of need. He further explained that
Azerbaijan made a decision to make Georgia energy
independent. The Azerbaijani State Owned Oil Company, SOCAR,
and the Ministry of Energy, were spearheading this project on
behalf of GOAJ. Natbiladze made it a point to say that all
state owned gas contracts were with Azerbaijani companies,
and not with Russian companies. In an effort to give a more
clear picture to the Staff Delegation, DAS pointed out that a
substantial portion of the commercial gas contracts were, in
fact, coming from Russian companies; however DAS Bryza
reiterated that the construction of a gas depot was a huge
success for both Azerbaijan and Georgia.


4. (C) In another step to provide Georgia with greater
energy independence, the Presidents of Georgia and Azerbaijan
agreed to the construction of new 500 kilowatt high voltage
transmission lines through Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Natbiladze thought that construction should begin in
September 2009. These transmission lines were to bring a
greater capability to export electricity to Turkey from both
Azerbaijan and Georgia.


5. (C) On the political side, the two delegations discussed
the chairmanship of the GUAM Organization for Democracy and
Economic Development. Natbiladze said that GOG expected to
receive a letter from the Government of Moldova (GOM)
declining the GUAM chairmanship for 2010. Natbiladze thought
that the letter would either request that Georgia continue as
chairman or to skip GOM altogether, and give the chairmanship
to Ukraine. Although the GOG had no indication that GOM
intended to pull out of the organization, it was clear that
they did not want the Chairmanship. Natbiladze hypothesized
that this was the result of pressure by Russia.

COMMENT
--------------


6. (C) Natbiladze and the GOG were extremely pleased with
the results of the 20 May visit of President Saakashvili.
The relationship between Azerbaijan and Georgia seemed closer
than ever. The greatest achievement during these meetings

BAKU 00000457 002 OF 002


was the recognition of the importance of helping one another
create greater stability in the Caucasus region. The
construction of a gas depot is a concrete step that should
bring greater energy independence to the Caucasus. MFA First
Territorial Department Head Rahman Mustafayev subsequently
confirmed the success of the visit, though in less emphatic
terms, noting the key linkage of Azerbaijan and Georgia in
the Caspian-Black Sea corridor, which serves as a lifeline
for Azerbaijan's energy exports and imports of capital and
consumer goods and food.
DERSE

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