Georgia seeks to increase gas exports from Azerbaijan

The prime minister said the gas issue had been one of the focal points at the talks. "The final terms and the amount of Azerbaijani gas exports to Georgia will be fixed at a three-way meeting of the energy ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey in Tbilisi on December 6 to 8," Nogaideli said.

He said the parties would discuss redistribution of the amount of gas supplies from the Shah-Denis deposit between the three countries. Under initial plans, Turkey was to receive yearly 2.2 billion cubic meters of gas, Azerbaijan – up to 1.5 billion cubic meters and Georgia – 0.8 billion cubic meters within the framework of exports of Azerbaijani gas from Shanh-Denis through the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline.

However, Tbilisi insists on having up to 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas. According to Nogaideli, such is the deficit of gas in Georgia. The prime minister expressed confidence that Georgia will get that amount. According to available reports, Georgia hopes to increase its share at the expense of Turkey, which is not yet ready to receive that much gas from Azerbaijan.

"Everything will become clear at the three-way meeting," the Georgian prime minister said. He also said that his country continued negotiations on gas supplies with Russia and Iran.

Nogaideli said that at talks in Baku, Azerbaijan and Georgia had agreed to expand electricity exchange. This issue is becoming more and more vital for Azerbaijan in connection with a five-fold drop in electricity supplies from Russia – to 60 megawatt a day.

Besides, the Unified Energy Systems of Russia power utility has stated its intentions to raise the cost of electricity by 13 percent, to 4.1 cents for one kilowatt-hour.

Nogaideli says Georgia could supply to Azerbaijan up to 150 megawatt a day. He said Azerbaijan was having problems with electricity in peak hours, adding "We are ready to increase electricity supplies, supplying as much as the possibilities of the transmission line connecting our countries allow." Itar-Tass