2014 / 04 / 10

On the 10th of April 2014, the “Partnership for Social Initiatives” and GFSIS organized a round table discussion on “Progress in Negotiations for Georgia’s Full Membership to the Energy Community.” Representatives from the expert community as well as from NGOs attended the round table discussion. Mariam Valishvili, the Deputy Minister for Energy was a key speaker while Liana Jervlaidze, an energy policy analyst, made a general introduction to the discussion. The round table discussion was chaired by Alexander Rondeli, president of GFSIS. 

In the introduction, Liana Jervalidze, an energy policy analyst from the Orbeliani Center for Advanced Strategic and Energy Policy Studies, discussed the eventual implications of Georgia’s full membership to the Energy Community on the energy sector of the country as well as on its transit function.

Mariam Valishvili discussed the progress in negotiations on Georgia’s full membership to the Energy Community. In particular she focused on two main issues: 

• Whether Georgia will be given reasonable time to reorganize its energy sector; whether it would be possible to reorganize the energy sector so as to avoid litigations with private companies operating on the market.

• Whether Georgia will preserve the right to receive in kind gas as a transit fee given the fact that there is no such practice in EC and EU market.

Mariam Valishvili pointed out that verbal agreement on the above issues has been reached with the commission and the ministry is waiting for the document with agreed upon amendments before next round of negotiations scheduled for the beginning of May.

Mariam Valishvili’s speech stimulated a vivid discussion among the audience, she answered a number of questions regarding the modalities of negotiations and expected outcomes for Georgia.

Roundtable Discussion -“Progress in Negotiations for Georgia’s Full Membership to the Energy Community" April 04, 2014