Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan discuss integrating their power systems and connecting them to Turkey.

 @NGnewsgeorgia. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan discuss the integration of their national power systems, with a view to their joint connection to Turkey’s power grid.

The heads of the energy regulators of the three countries discussed the issue at a meeting in Tbilisi on September 24, on the sidelines of the 9th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER IX).

The talks were attended by Davit Narmania, head of Georgia’s National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission; Mesrop Mesropyan, chairman of Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission; and Samir Akhundov, head of Azerbaijan’s Energy Regulatory Agency.

The discussion was also joined by Pedro Verdelho, head of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), and representatives of the EU4Energy program, implemented jointly by the European Union and the International Energy Agency.

The main topic was the development of the regional energy market. It is expected that integrating the power systems of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and subsequently connecting them to the Turkish grid will allow the countries not only to exchange electricity, but also to increase grid resilience and create additional opportunities for exports to Europe.

The Armenian regulator reported, that Mesropyan also thanked the partners for their assistance in developing Armenia’s energy sector and implementing projects to build energy storage systems.

The discussion of regional energy integration is taking place against the backdrop of intensified infrastructure projects in the South Caucasus. In particular, the United States has moved on to the next stage of implementing the TRIPP initiative—the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously stated that the interconnection of Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s power systems is planned as part of TRIPP. According to him, the development of regional infrastructure should also help expand energy cooperation between the countries.