Azeris Refuse From Electricity To Spite Armenians

PanARMENIAN.Net - The creation of unified energetic system proposed by «United Power Systems» group supposes the formation of energetic corridors that will enable to realize interchange of electricity if needed. This project presents interest to the countries of the region because it gives opportunity to generate incomes from transit and electricity export. The abovementioned memorandum was signed in Tehran by the president of «United Power Systems» group Anatoly Chubays. According to the agreement reached the power systems have to be synchronized already in 2007. This causes alarm of some Azeri legislators who are very worried about the fact that they may take part in a project which can be useful for Armenia. Besides, Azeris are alarmed at the fact that they will not know the source of electricity coming to their homes. It is theoretically possible that Baku will receive electricity produced for example in Hrazdan heat power plant or in Metsamor atomic power plant. Azerbaijan considers it completely unacceptable. This situation reminds of the behavior of a true Muslim who wants the salesman in a shop to guarantee that there is no admixture of pork in the cans.

Some pragmatically thinking Azeris are afraid that the electricity produced in Azerbaijan will go to Armenia and will promote its economic development. "Armenia may fulfill its demands at the cost of our energy systems", said Milli Mejlis deputy Maisa Safarli in an interview. Continuing this thought, economist Gubad Ibadoglu says that "the initiative of "United Power Systems" group contradicts to the principles followed by Azerbaijan". The anxiety of Baku patriots is really hard to understand, since it is known that currently Armenia has an excess of energy and possesses serious resources for export. At the same time Azerbaijan is sometimes short of energy. If Azeris have an aversion for Armenian electricity, it is of course their business. But in Yerevan no one is embarrassed by the perspective of mediate supplies of Armenian energy to Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Meanwhile, it should be mentioned that the initiative of "Unites Power Systems" group is first of all profitable for Azerbaijan. As it is known, the energy systems of Armenia and Iran have already been synchronized. This means that "United Power Systems" group could easily implement the project without Azerbaijan. The group could supply electricity to Iran through Armenia and it would be more profitable to sell electricity produced in Russian-controlled Armenian energy plants of Metsamor, Hrazdan and Sevan. However Moscow decided to involve Azerbaijan too, creating an alternative to Armenian transit. Thus, the idea of Anatoly Chubays should alarm Yerevan and not Baku. Today Azerbaijan does not possess enough energy resources to think about export, but the possibility of transit promises good incomes. This is why some sober-minded Azeri economists call the initiative of «United Power Systems» group the great success of Azerbaijan. However, thanks to the efforts of pro-governmental mass media of Azerbaijan the hatred of an average resident of Azerbaijan has grown to such an extent when a single notice about the possibility of participation in the same project with Yerevan provokes aggression and disapproval. This is more a psychological problem and Azeri leaders have to think about the fact that the stereotypes they spread hinder the economic development of their own country.