Georgia will continue negotiations with all potential gas suppliers in region - Energy Ministry
TBILISI. Jan 7 (Interfax) - The Georgian Energy Ministry confirms that it will have negotiations with Iran and other potential natural gas suppliers in the region to ensure stable gas supply to the country.
"At this stage, there is no specific agreement with Iran [on gas supply] and therefore no decision has been made on the issue of natural gas supply," the Energy Ministry said in a statement released on Monday in connection with the media reports stating that Iran is beginning to supply natural gas to Georgia through Armenia in an amount of 8-15 million cubic meters a day for electrical power production.
The statement says that Iran is one of the world's largest gas producers and "naturally, negotiations with all potential suppliers in the region will continue to ensure stable and continual gas supply to Georgia in the long-term perspective."
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Monday, citing Ali-Reza Kameli, the head of the National Iranian Gas Exports Company, that Iran was conducting negotiations on the beginning of natural gas supply to Georgia through Armenia.
According to the report, the export is projected at 300 million to 500 million cubic foot a day and Georgian electric power stations will become the main consumer.
The main gas supplier to Georgia is currently Azerbaijan. The republic also received Russian gas as payment for its transit to Armenia, for which Georgia keeps 10% of the total amount of gas supplied.
