Publicat pe 22/02/2023

Bucharest, February 22, 2023: The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR), Mr. Mihai Daraban, had a meeting today, February 22, with H.E. Mrs. Tamar Beruchashvili, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia in Romania, the agenda of the discussions including the promotion of the Azerbaijan — Georgia — Romania Interconnector (AGRI) project, in the context of European energy security and the development of the economies of the states active in this initiative.

“In the current situation, it is more than necessary to bring back to the public attention the projects that represent an alternative to Russian gas, such as the AGRI project, for example. Even though on paper it was started in 2008, for some reasons this project has not been put into practice until now. This project involved the transportation of natural gas from the Caspian region to the territory of Azerbaijan and Georgia, and the crossing of the Black Sea with the help of methane carriers to the Port of Constanța. Unfortunately, abandoning this project also meant stopping investments in gas storage infrastructure, Europe being completely unprepared from this point of view at the present time. That’s why such meetings, like today’s, become very important to try to find the optimal solutions for the revitalization of AGRI as an alternative to Russian gas”, said the CCIR president. Mister. Mihai Daraban.

“The Strategic partnership launched last year between Georgia and Romania opens new opportunities in all domains. Georgia is highly committed to activating bilateral business cooperation in the field of transport, energy, and IT for more trade and economic partnerships and better Black Sea maritime connectivity. Considering today’s geopolitical and geoeconomic reality, the Georgian-Romanian partnership has a special role in European energy security and transport connectivity. That includes the implementation of strategic projects like Black Sea underwater electricity and digital cable, AGRI LNG, Caspian Sea – Black Sea Transport Route, and as well as regular ferry line between Georgian and Romanian ports. The Georgian Embassy in Bucharest is looking forward to building a strong and mutually beneficial partnership with the Chamber of commerce and industry of Romania”, said H.E. Mrs. Tamar Beruchashvili, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia in Romania.