The Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Genadi Arveladze met Andrew Light, the Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs at the United States Department of Energy, to discuss cooperation between the countries and strengthening of joint energy security on the sidelines of the fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation in Romania.

The Georgian Ministry said the meeting, hosted during the event of the platform for energy security and clean energy cooperation, also discussed development of large energy projects, including the Black Sea submarine electricity cable project, a new transmission route to deliver green energy from Azerbaijan to Europe, energy transformation and development of renewable energies.

Arveladze positively assessed’ the US’s support for ongoing reforms in Georgia, and noted the country had been “successfully” carrying out reforms undertaken within its obligations with the European Energy Union to bring the state's energy system closer to European standards and ensure its sustainability.

The Deputy Minister noted his Government had been implementing energy sector support programmes which increased power generation in hydro and other renewables, addressed the power transmission infrastructure, and introduced a system of energy saving devices that ultimately contributed to strengthening of the country's energy security.

The Ministry also said the US official welcomed the Georgian Government’s decisions for the development of green energy, and offered technical and economic support as well as financial assistance for the implementation of the electricity storage device system in the country.

Arveladze also extended his gratitude to Light for the US’s support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and said he hoped to see the EU open accession talks with Georgia in the near future following the bloc’s granting of the membership candidate status to the country last year.