Georgia, Tbilisi / Trend corr N. Kirtskhalia / Georgia will possibly to proceed to 100% provision with Azerbaijani gas, the Director General of Kaztransgaz-Tbilisi company, Giorgi Koyava, stated in Tbilisi at a press conference held jointly with Kazakh investors on 14 August.
"Now we receive gas only from Azerbaijan and if we keep the supplier in future tariff for consumer gas will decrease in 2008," he said.
Georgia receives gas from Azerbaijan at a price of $120 per 1,000 cu m, while Russian gas is supplied at $235. Due to high prices for Russian gas tariff for population was increased this spring from 34.2 tetri per cu m of gas to 50 tetri.
Koyava states that in winter gas consumption will increase and search of alternative sources will be required. He believes that it will be possible to organize supplies of Iranian gas which is cheaper than Russian.
"If Iranian gas is cheaper and with higher quality, the it will be possible to completely refuse from Russian gas," the Director General of Kaztransgaz, Serik Sultangaliyev, visiting Tbilisi reported. He stressed that despite the situation the company was holding negotiations with Russian Gazprom on possible gas supplies.
Answering the question whether United Sates will put obstacles to Iran's gas supplies to Georgia, Sultangaliyev and Koyava stressed that in this case Iranian gas is a commodity which can be purchased by any country. Kazakh investor stated that both Russia and Azerbaijan understands that availability of several supply sources provides for stable gas supplies.