Did Muscat go to Baku to fix the deal for Electrogas?

Published: December 18, 2014 at 10:15pm

The government’s contract with Electrogas remains unpublished.

SOCAR has a 20% shareholding in Electrogas.

Muscat runs off to Baku in Azerbaijan to ‘negotiate energy deals’.

Who was he representing? His government? Or was he trying to fix the deal for Electrogas?

baku 6




36 Comments Comment

  1. Alexander Ball says:

    “I am afraid there isn’t a table for 45 minutes”

  2. edgar says:

    Does he cart his podium with him when he travels?

  3. Antoine Vella says:

    It’s possible that, following the so-called “agreement” with Shangai Electric, Muscat went to Baku to reassure the Azerbaijanis that the government intends respecting its commitment with Electrogas and that they’re not being elbowed out by the Chinese.

    • ciccio says:

      Let’s not forget that Joseph Muscat has sought to interpret his electoral promise – that he would resign if his energy plan fails – as a promise that investors for the project would be found. So he says that he has kept his promise, because Electrogas was an investor, and therefore he stays.

      Electrogas was in fact that stupid to allow Muscat to use it by selecting it as “preferred bidder” so that he can stay on. Now Muscat doesn’t need Electrogas anymore and he can dump them.

      But, he will keep Socar, because he needs them, and because the China/Azerbaijan combo is compatible with the Economic Silk Road. Socar will provide the LNG tanker and the gas, which he will need anyway to fire the BWSC plant which China will convert to gas.

      But he will not need the new power station, so the rest of Electrogas will be allowed to fail. In any case, Gasol appears to be representing Chinese interests, so it doesn’t matter: China has come in through Shanghai Electric instead.

  4. ciccio says:

    He’s turned himself into a Shiv Nair – negotiating deals on behalf of others with shady governments.

  5. makjavel says:

    He was abandoned in Baku ,alone like a dog.

  6. pablo says:

    Electrogas is nine months late and still in default of its payment of Euro 30 million. It cannot even start what was meant to have been already built and commissioned next March and the whole Muscat Mizzi energy plan is off track by at least another two years.

    Gasol, despite the brave faces is kaput and Gasan has been cashing in on the Muscat Mizzi panic by getting two controversial MEPA permits revised and approved. SOCAR and Aliyev also have Muscat and Mizzi by the balls as do the Chinese.

    It so easy to squeeze the balls of people who are greedy stupid.

  7. P Shaw says:

    Are Joseph Muscat and Keith Kasco Schembri, the silent partners/shareholders of ElectroGas?

    Is there a deal to transfer the shares after both of them are safely out of office?

  8. willie inatinovic says:

    Shultz sent him huxxxx

  9. Wigi says:

    Azerbaijan, Malta agree on strategic energy cooperation.
    Signed a MOD on cooperation.

    A memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation in the oil and gas sector between SOCAR and the Energy and Health Ministry of Malta was signed by SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev and Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi.
    A memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of strategic cooperation in the oil and gas sector between the Energy Ministry of Azerbaijan and Energy and Health Ministry of Malta has been signed as well. The document was inked by Energy Minister of Azerbaijan Natig Aliyev and Konrad Mizzi.
    http://www.azernews.az/azerbaijan/74735.html

  10. Brian Sinclair says:

    I am not sure about all this. Something is quite sinister and not normal. Serious governments do not operate like this especially those who preach transparency. It is SHADY.

  11. Arturo Mercieca says:

    I think the answer to your question is indeed in the affirmative.

    There is a glut of gas in the world and there is no need to visit Azerbaijan to enter into a gas supply agreement. Moreover, it is rather strange that the delegation did not include the ambassador or some other representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Once the contract with Electrogas deal should have included a gas supply agreement, if such a contract has indeed been signed, it is rather odd that Malta would still be trying to procure gas.

    It becomes even odder when one considers that the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) holds 20% in the Electrogas consortium and that it has also lent money to the other consortium member, Gasol.

    It has also to be explained why Konrad Mizzi a couple of months ago stated that Shell, and not SOCAR, is going to supply gas to our power-stations.

    It is also odd that if indeed a contract with Electrogas has been entered into, no announcement has been made by Gasol to this effect and its web-site still talks of Electorgas being granted preferred bidder status.

    http://www.gasolplc.com/our-business/malta-lng-to-power-project.aspx

    So, it is indeed plausible that Muscat flew to Baku to try and salvage the Electrogas deal and that is why he did not want anyone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or from the press around.

    Just like the 80s, when we used to learn the news about Malta from RAI, we now have to scour the news from Baku to learn about things back home.

  12. Bully Beef says:

    I am slowly getting confused with all these companies and MOU’s and power station plants . Can someone in a nutshell explain what’s been agreed and what was originally planned?

  13. bob-a-job says:

    Meanwhile let’s not lose focus on Konrad Mizzi, his new milestone schedule and the contract which isn’t.

  14. Neil says:

    Well some prat obviously thought these Baku pics were a good idea. Did they have an official photographer with them? Because I have the feeling these were all taken with Konrad’s iPhone.

    Yet another string to the lanky, freakish mega-minister’s bow, maybe.

    Big “maybe”, there.

  15. AzerPress: Maltesian PM's message on visitors' book says:

    “Love your President, for he loves you all.”

  16. bob-a-job says:

    Lovely phallic symbol behind the prime minister or is it the one in front of the tower?

  17. bob-a-job says:

    Now that’s an idea if only there were half a dozen members in the force one could really trust.

    http://www.trust.org/item/20141218145650-85wvy/?source=search

  18. ciccio says:

    Daphne, I don’t think the readers of this website have seen all pictures about Muscat’s visit to the Carpets Museum.

    See a full range of Azeri carpets here.

    http://azertag.az/en/xeber/Maltese_PM_views_National_Carpet_Museum_in_Baku-818785

  19. Kanun says:

    Azerbaijan and Malta agree on strategic corruption cooperation.

  20. Crockett says:

    We’re so lucky our PM was invited. He’s not on the list of ‘personae non gratae’.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_declared_personae_non_gratae_in_Azerbaijan

    And this is the journalist who was investigating SOCAR.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khadija_Ismayilova

  21. catharsis says:

    X’kanna blajna.

  22. math says:

    So that’s why Joseph and Konrad went scurrying at full speed to Azerbaijan.

    Baqa xi naqa loqom ghalina Alliyev?

    The EU is considering plans for a new pipeline to enable gas imports from Azerbaijan. The push comes in the wake of Russia’s decision to cancel the South Stream pipeline project.

    http://www.dw.de/eu-turns-to-azerbaijan-for-gas/a-18119461

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