Georgia says committed to coop with Azerbaijan on gas supplies
By Sabina Idayatova
Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze has confirmed Georgia's willingness to continue cooperation with neighboring Azerbaijan on gas supplies, but said the new Georgian government would do its best "to have not a sole gas supplier, but two or three".
"We will make every effort to ensure the availability of several gas suppliers, along with Azerbaijan," Kaladze said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
Georgia is also looking into the possibility of gas supplies from Central Asian countries.
"We are surely considering all the possibilities of gas supplies from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, though Kazakh gas leads us back to the Russian Gazprom. All these projects are aimed at diversifying gas supplies," Kaladze said.
Kaladze also said Georgia has no intention to conclude gas supply deals that are unprofitable.
Earlier Kaladze told local media that Georgia should not depend on a single source, i.e. Azerbaijan, and should secure multidirectional gas supplies.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili also welcomed the efforts of the government in the diversification of the country's non-Russian gas supply.
"We receive part of our gas from Russia in the form of payment for the transit of Russian gas to Armenia anyway. We need to seek new fuel opportunities through negotiations with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Talking about dependence on Azerbaijan is ridiculous," he told Georgian TV channels on Tuesday.
Saakashvili noted that Georgia, like no country in Europe, has managed to secure its energy security with the aid of Azerbaijan.
"Azerbaijan is our strategic partner and it began to provide gas to Georgia at discounted prices during difficult times. Do not forget that Azerbaijani gas is cheap. Azerbaijan is also interested in a free and independent Georgia," Saakashvili said.
Prior to December 2006, Russia supplied relatively expensive natural gas to Georgia, charging the South Caucasus republic $235 per 1,000 cubic meters. Since 2007, Georgia turned down the supplies of Russian gas and decided to purchase less expensive fuel from Azerbaijan.
Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbor, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008.