Georgia Loses Its Function in the World

November 24,2005
Daily Georgian Times
By Levan Pirveli from Austria, exclusively for The Georgian Times

[...]
Austrian energy giant OMV has developed a gas pipeline project called Nabuko, which would run across Armenia-Turkey-Bulgaria (Serbia Chernogoria)-Romania-Hungary-Austria. The gas pipelines operating in Armenia may deliver Azeri, Iranian and Russian gas (through the gas pipeline operating in Azerbaijan). Latest research in the Caspian region has shown that the Caspian oil resources are less than previously predicted, while reserves in the Shah-Deniz deposit exceeded expectations.

[...] gas will be the focal point of interests in the region. For the same reason, Armenia is likely to turn into a critical junction for gas distribution. Given that Armenia remains a military and political ally of Russia and its energy sector is under Russian control, the new project will run under Russian surveillance.
[...]
At a glance, the weak point of this pipeline is the relationships between Armenia and Azerbaijan and between Armenia and Turkey.

Today Russia prefers to search for a solution to these intractable problems rather than run a political risk and let natural gas flow via US-controlled Georgia. Detente and rapprochement between Tbilisi and Moscow seems less plausible than peacemaking between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.