U.S. Deputy Secretary Of Energy Clay Sell Visits Georgia
March 15-16 Deputy Secretary of Energy Clay Sell visited Georgia. During the visit he met with President Mikheil Saakashvili, Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze, Minister of Foreign Affairs Gela Bezhuashvili, Minister of Environment David Tkeshelashvili, representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Education, and other officials. Deputy Secretary Sell’s visit focused on bilateral cooperation on energy-related programs, increasing the diversity of energy supplies and suppliers, the expansion of regional cooperation in the energy sector, and the promotion of market transparency and investment in Georgia.
“We have a great interest in strengthening the independence of Georgia. In my judgment, there is nothing more important to the independence of Georgia than Georgia’s energy security,” explained Deputy Secretary Sell at a press conference with Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze. The Deputy Secretary said the recent opening of the Shah-Deniz field as one of the “very positive stories that is happening in the region today.” He also noted that Georgia is expected to be a net exporter of electricity in the future, signifying the country’s progress towards energy independence. The Deputy Secretary's visit to Tbilisi is was his third stop on a trip that included Moscow and Ukraine.
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