According to the Union of Oil Product Importers, Georgia imports both Euro 4 and Euro 5 standard diesel fuel. In particular, diesel fuel with Euro 4 standard is imported from the Republic of Azerbaijan.
"According to the Azerbaijani side, this year, the existing oil refining facilities in the Republic of Azerbaijan were reconstructed and refurbished, after which they had to produce diesel fuel following the Euro 5 standard. The refining of oil refining capacity was planned to be completed by the end of 2020. However, the pandemic caused by COVID-19, particularly acute in Azerbaijan, delayed the reconstruction, re-equipment process of the oil refinery, and the deadline got postponed to the end of 2021. However, it should also be noted that the refineries still produce improved diesel fuel following the Euro 4 standard," the Union of Oil Product Importers explains.
According to them, if a new standard for diesel fuel is introduced in 2021, the only country out of all the countries that import today, the Republic of Azerbaijan, will be the one that no longer imports diesel fuel.
"As for the representation of a significant share of Azerbaijani fuel in the Georgian market, it is because it is 10-15 tetri cheaper and also about 86% of the diesel vehicles in Georgia are more than ten years old, and depending on the operating parameters of the engine, the quality of Azerbaijani diesel fuel fully satisfies them. Therefore, postponing the new government decree for one year is on the agenda, which will automatically lead to the fact that the product of the reliable strategic partner of Georgia will be presented on the market next year. The existence of relatively cheap diesel fuel in the country is also important, as this fuel is used by those involved in economic activities: transportation, distribution, construction, energy, including those employed in agriculture, etc. Therefore, it is important for them to have access to a relatively cheap product, especially at the current stage, when due to the pandemic, the country's economy is declining," the business union explained.
