Georgia says satisfied with Azerbaijani gas price
By Sabina Idayatova
The price for Azerbaijani gas supplied to Georgia fully satisfies Tbilisi, Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said in an interview with Azerbaijan's Trend news agency.
"The price for gas under the contract is a trade secret. I can only say that the price is very good for us. Georgia receives 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year and KTG (KazTransGas)-Tbilisi -- 500 million cubic meters of gas," Kaladze said.
According to Kaladze, Georgia is not considering any issue regarding a refusal from purchasing Azerbaijani gas.
"Azerbaijan has been and remains our strategic partner. We are pleased to receive gas from Azerbaijan at a very good price. As for other suppliers, it would be not only the Russians, but also Kazakhstan. An alternative is normal, it means diversification of supplies," Kaladze said.
Earlier in May, Kaladze said while speaking about future plans that Georgia is seeking to diversify its sources of gas supply. According to Kaladze, all the possibilities of gas supplies from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are to be considered. At the same time, he stressed, Georgia is not going to make a deal on gas supplies if it is unprofitable.
However, the main supplier of gas to Georgia is Azerbaijan, which delivers it at reduced rates.
Kaladze said Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR is one of the majors in the energy market of Georgia and makes hefty investments in the country's economy, the energy and social sectors.
"Recently, SOCAR invested in the construction of the park named after Heydar Aliyev in Tbilisi, and has built an excellent restaurant for a well-known catering network in Batumi," Kaladze said.
SOCAR established its representation in Georgia in November 2006 and supplies oil and gas to the neighboring country, as well as owns gas distribution networks and an oil terminal, and intends to build a carbamide plant.
On December 26, 2008, SOCAR and the Georgian government signed an agreement on operating 30 gas distribution networks in such regions of Georgia as Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Shida and Kvemo Kartli, Adjara, Guria, Imereti, and Samegrelo. Further, the list of gas supply grids was expanded.