The Georgian Prime Minister, Zurab Nogaideli, said at the meeting of the Government on 27 December 2006 that Azerbaijan gas to be lifted from Shah Deniz field will be received late this week, Trend Special Correspondent in Tbilisi reports.
The Premier said that Georgia held successful talks with Azerbaijan and Turkey and will receive Shah Deniz gas every day in the volume of 1mln cu m of gas.
It will occur shortly, perhaps late this week, when Shah Deniz will operate on full capacity, he said.
The Georgian Premier said that the 2007 public budget of Georgia allocates 120mln lari to the Georgian Energy Ministry. The funds will be spent on subsidizing definite companies for purchase of natural gas.
Commenting on the resolution, Finances Minister Aleksiy Aleksishvili said that the assignments target softening the results of rise in natural gas tariffs Georgia was obliged to purchase from Russia 1bln cu m of gas at the price of $235 per 1,000 cu m, which will result in increase of gas prices for the community and enterprises. As to rise in tariffs from 1 January 2007, Mr. Aleksishvili assures the rise would not be sudden.
Anyhow tariff will be balanced and high Russian gas prices will be decreased at the expense of cheap gas from Azerbaijan, he said.