BBC Monitoring Trans Caucasus Unit Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring January 1, 2018 Monday Georgia replies to Azeri concerns about Armenian transit By BBC Monitoring The Azerbaijani Parliament has expressed dissatisfaction with the recent statement by Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who said Armenia could be allowed to transport its cargoes to Russia via Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Azerbaijani Haqqin.az website reported on 29 December. Haqqin.az quoted MP Farac Quliyev as saying that it was necessary to officially protest in this connection, as Azerbaijan that is involved in a conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region is trying to keep Armenia in a transport blockade. MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev reminded that Azerbaijan was implementing large projects jointly with Georgia and demanded that the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry summon the Georgian ambassador to provide explanations, Haqqin.az reported. MP Aflatun Amasov said that by resorting to this step, Georgia would recognise that its territorial integrity could be violated. Azerbaijani Milli Maclis [Parliament] Chairman Oqtay Asadov said Georgian experts had also said that such steps that went contrary to Azerbaijan's interests were inadmissible. "Someone in Georgia probably wants to spoil our relations. However, I do not believe that the Georgian government will resort to this step. We have built a railway to Kars, [Turkey, via Georgia]. Georgia is benefiting from this. Let us task the friendship group to look into this issue," Haqqin.az quoted Asadov as saying. Georgian MP Zviad Dzidziguri, who is affiliated to the ruling Georgian Dream party, reacted to the criticism from Azerbaijan, the Georgian Interpressnews agency reported on 31 December. "I would like to respond to the initiative voiced in the Azerbaijani Milli Maclis and, as the head of the Georgia-Azerbaijan friendship group, express readiness to hold consultations with our Azerbaijani colleagues on all important issues of mutual interest. We are ready to organise such a meeting in the near future," Interpressnews quoted Dzidziguri as saying and adding that relations with Azerbaijan were "of major importance for Georgia and further development of friendly relations between the two countries is a priority issue on our agenda". Source: BBC Monitoring in Georgian and Russian 1257 gmt 31 Dec 17