Minister assures: Stable gas supply from Azerbaijan

Ongoing negotiations between Russian energy company Gazprom and Azerbaijani officials will not affect Georgia’s Azerbaijani gas imports, a top government official has said.

Economic Development Minister Eka Sharashidze said gas supplies from Azerbaijan will be as “guaranteed and stable” as they have been up until now.

“If any questions related to increasing tariffs or increasing the amount of supplies arise, this will be an issue for talks,” the news agency Interfax quoted her as saying.

Earlier this month Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller met with officials in Baku to propose a long-term agreement which would see Russia buying Azerbaijani gas at “market prices.”

Georgia has been trying to increase its import of Azerbaijani natural gas, to reduce its dependence on Russian energy.