Azerbaijan, Russia to ink gas deal this month

Azerbaijan and Russia will sign an agreement on Azerbaijani gas supplies for 2013 later in February.

Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin made this statement at a meeting of the Caspian-European Integration Business Club (CEIBC) on Wednesday.

"According to the forecast for 2012, export of Azerbaijani gas was supposed in the amount of three billion cubic meters, while actual volume totaled two billion cubic meters. In February an agreement will be signed for this year, which will stipulate the conditions that suit both parties," Dorokhin said.

The contract, with a possibility of extension for purchase and sale of Azerbaijani gas was signed between SOCAR and Gazprom in Baku on Oct.14, 2009.

According to the supplement to the contract which was signed in early September 2010 in Baku, in 2011, Gazprom was to receive two billion cubic meters and in 2012 over two billion cubic meters of gas. However, Russia did not get the full amount of the planned volume. The additional agreement to double the volume of gas purchased by Russia from 1.5 to 3 billion cubic meters was signed by the parties in Sochi on Jan.24, 2012.

Azerbaijani gas supplies to Russia have begun since Jan.1, 2010.