According to a decision by Georgian Dream’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Railways will provide a one-time, free-of-charge transportation of fuel from Azerbaijan to Armenia. The Ministry of Economy stated in response to claims by pro-government Azerbaijani media alleging that Georgia is obstructing the fuel supply from Azerbaijan to Armenia through tariff barriers.
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The Ministry of Economy explains that “on December 5, the Georgian government received a request from partner countries to implement a one-time transit of fuel from Azerbaijan to Armenia through the territory of Georgia.”
“By decision of the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Railways was immediately instructed to carry out the rail transportation of the aforementioned cargo free of charge. The official parties have been informed of this decision.
Georgia has been and remains a strategic, dependable partner of Armenia and Azerbaijan. We have consistently supported peace and cooperation in the region,” stated Georgian Dream’s Ministry of Economy.
On December 5, the pro-government Azerbaijani media outlet Minval Politika published an article titled “Georgia is Playing Against Peace: Tbilisi is testing the limits of Baku's patience.”
The article states that “in recent months, a concerning change has been noticed in the relationship between Baku and Tbilisi,” which “is not the result of isolated bureaucratic shortcomings, but rather a series of decisions that reflect a shift in Georgia’s political logic.”
The Azerbaijani publication reports that on November 28, a week ago, the 12th meeting of the joint commissions on border delimitation between Azerbaijan and Armenia took place in the Azerbaijani city of Qabala. It was led by Vice Prime Ministers Shahin Mustafayev and Mher Grigoryan. The discussions covered technical issues and explored opportunities for economic cooperation. According to sources from Minval Politika, one key topic was the potential export of Azerbaijani oil and oil products to Armenia.
Since there is no direct railway connection between Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to Minval Politika, Azerbaijan demanded that Tbilisi set tariffs for the Gardabani-Sadakhlo section.
“Based on our data, the Georgian side proposed a tariff of $92 per tonne for the 111-kilometre section, which is $0.82 per tonne per kilometre! At first glance, this might seem like a standard tariff, but a comparison reveals the opposite.
For comparison, the transportation of similar cargo in Azerbaijan from Yalama station to Boyuk-Kiyasik station, 680 km away, is carried out at a rate of 17 USD, equivalent to 0.02 USD per ton per kilometre. This is 40 times lower than the proposed Georgian tariff. The 40-fold difference is an indicator of intent and the market.
Moreover, within Georgia, similar cargoes are shipped to the ports of Batumi, Poti, and Kulevi over a distance of 360–396 kilometres for $17, which equates to $0.04–0.05 per kilometre. In other words, when transit is favourable for Tbilisi, the tariff is 20 times lower than that offered for the route to Armenia. Here, economic logic gives way to political signalling, ” the article states.
The pro-government media outlet reports that Georgia is resisting the establishment of a sustainable regional peace architecture and mutually beneficial economic ties.
