Zurab Nogaideli, Georgia's Prime Minister has stated that Georgia will pay $120 per 1,000 cu.m of Azerbaijani gas, Mr. Nogaideli stated during today's special sitting of the Georgian Parliament for 2007, Trend Special Correspondent to Tbilisi reports.
Beginning from January 2007, Georgia will receive 1 mln. cu.m each day at the above-mentioned price. The Azerbaijani party requested that the price be kept confidential, but it was then announced by them and so I was then able to confirm it, stated Mr. Nogaideli. It is Azerbaijani gas, but not produced from the Shahdaniz field, said Mr. Nogaideli.
According to him, Georgia will receive the final information on the forthcoming delivery of Azerbaijani gas from Shahdaniz (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (SCP) Pipeline), as soon as the breakdown at the well has been rectified.
After that we shall reduce, then maybe cancel all supplies of expensive Russian gas, said Mr. Nogaideli. According to him, due to problems in supplying Georgia with gas, the State Budget of the Country for 2007 envisages allotting an additional 120 mln Laris (Georgian National Currency) to the energy sector. However, he refuted to confirm in which form the Government will distribute this sum amongst gas-distributing companies so as not to increase the existing tariff from 1 January, 2007.
This problem is likely to be less painful to both the distributing companies and the population of the country, until Georgia buys Russian gas. That will be the task we envisage, concluded Mr. Nogaideli.