GIGC's view on the future role of a regional gas industry corresponds to sights of the neighbours of Georgia
Alexei Gotseridze is the president of "Georgian Gas International Corporation" and the special envoy of President of Georgia. He was named to this position in August 12th 1996 by Presidential Decree.
Mr. Gotseridze was born in Tbilisi, on March 18th 1946. He graduates from politechnical university with construction major in 1967. In 1967 he defends candidate dissertation on technical sciences, building constructions and theory of resiliency. Upon graduation he began his career in 1962 as science assistant in the Institute of building mechanics and seismology.
After he was working on administrative job in state bodies and several times was selected as the member of the parliament of Georgia
Later Mr.Ootsiridze was involved in the private business.
Mr.Gotsiridze is married. He has a daughter.
Establishment of the JSC Georgian Gas International Corporation (GIC) followed the Order of the President of Georgia ¹ 519 issued on August 12, 1996, under which «Georgian Natural Gas Transportation International Corporation" was set up and which in 1997 according to the Presidential Order ¹ 206 was changed into Joint Stock Company "Georgian Gas International Corporation". Charter capital of the GIC, that amounts to approximately 65 million GEL, covers all existing trunk pipelines and its infrastructure in Georgia. Consequently GIC process and operates all the trunk pipelines in Georgia. 100% shares of GIC are owned by the State and have been transferred with the right to manage to the Special Envoy of the President of Georgia, President of GIC Mr. Alexei Gotsiridze, who is also a state representative in the managing bodies of the corporation. By subsequent Presidential Order No Of November 6, 1997, GIC was entered into the list of Natural Monopolies as a sole entity responsible for natural gas transit through the territory of Georgia. In addition to its commercial functions, Presidential orders No of April, 1997 and No 43 of February 4, 1999, made GIC responsible for negotiations with foreign states and companies on natural gas transit issues, empowering it to sign such international agreements on behalf of the Georgian State.
Currently GIC is participating in the negotiations concerning several international large-scale natural gas transportation projects, such as Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline Project from Turkmenistan through Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey, the natural gas transportation project from the Shah-Deniz field in Azerbaijan‘s sector of Caspian sea through Georgia to Turkey.
On July 6, 2000 a Protocol was signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Georgia on "Negotiations on Natural Gas Pipeline System Project". On behalf of Azerbaijan it was signed by a member of the working group established by the Order of August 17, 1999 of the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Valekh Aleskerov and from the Georgian side by the Special envoy of the President of Georgia and the President of GIC Mr. Alexei Gotsiridze. The Protocol presents those general guiding principles, which will become the bases for future negotiations for the Shash –Deniz natural gas transportation project through Georgia to Turkey. As a sign of full endorsement for this project, a subsequent Order No 311 was issued by the President of Georgia providing for support and facilitation necessary for its timely realization.
Following the successful examples of cooperation in oil pipeline projects such as Baku-Supsa Early oil Pipeline, which proved the viability of East-West energy transit, and the planned Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Pipeline mega-project, Georgia is actively supporting regionally focused energy cooperation projects in natural gas. The Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on cooperation in Caspian basin natural gas and related transportation projects, signed simultaneously with the famous Istanbul Declaration on Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Pipeline project on November 18, 1999 at the OSCE Summit, established the basic framework for comprehensive development of Caspian hydrocarbons.
Realizing the great potential of such cooperation and gas industry development strategy harmonization, GIC views the relationship between gas producing or importing countries and Georgia, as a transit country, to be symbiotic in many ways. Solution to the problem of transportation routes for gas producers holds an answer to Georgia’s energy security needs giving an opportunity for the supply diversification. Ensuring gas producers steady export revenues, on fair and reasonable terms of transit, supply security of recipient states becomes an integral part of Georgia’s domestic supply security and Georgian International Corporation an essential mechanism for its implementation
In early year 2000 GIC initiated fundamental reorganization and restructuring of Georgia’s gas transportation and pipeline operation sector. In order to enhance efficiency and start the implementation process of upgrading existing pipeline operations to international gas industry’s technical and environmental standards, GIC established a new subsidiary, " Georgian Gas Transportation Company" Ltd. (GTC).
GTC, staffed with the experience personnel and qualified management was able to obtain the appropriate license for its activity from the Georgian National energy Regulatory Commission only within seven months since the commencement of its activities. Decentralizing and at the same time streamlining the decision-making process between constituting operating units, GTC emerged as a leaner, more effective and efficient mechanism for management of Georgia’s high-pressure gas pipeline operations. At present, Georgian Gas Transportation company is authorized by GIC to manage and operate high-pressure gas pipelines owned by GIC. The company successfully implements this task and individually carries out all kinds of designing, construction, mounting and operating activities. Through the effort of GTC’s management and staff it became possible to decrease by almost 50 % the amount of natural gas losses during its transportation by existing system. At the same time, company engaged its construction and refurbishment activities on damaged positions of the pipeline, which was left almost fully big cities in Western Georgia-Zugdidi and Zestafoni. Currently GTC also operates the system for natural gas transit deliveries from Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia through GIC’s high-pressure gas pipeline system.
Though the support of international and bi-lateral donors who share Georgian Gas International Corporation’s belief in regional significance of developing south Caucasian energy corridor and Euro-Asian infrastructure links, GIC aims at becoming one of the main diving forces in Georgia’s future economic growth and a significant value generator for the private and state energy companies engaged in the Caspian hydrocarbon development. As the large-scale gas transportation projects through the territory of Georgia approach their final phases, GIC and its subsidiary are actively engaged in expanding Georgia’s natural gas transit capacities by strengthening their institutional structures, engaging in wide and comprehensive re-training and know-how transfer programs for the technical, commercial and management personnel. GIC’s vision of Georgia’s partners and neighbors, who are exploring the possibilities of efficient and economic growth-stimulating utilization of their natural gas wealth. To support and promote the full-scale realization of such regional gas producers’ plans to deliver Caspian gas to international gas markets, including Turkey and Europe, Georgia and GIC contribute their wealth of land and territory, existing gas transportation infrastructure and years of its experts experience