Energy Minister Visits Moscow

Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri, who is accompanied by President of the Georgian International Gas Corporation Davit Ingorokva, left for Moscow on November 22 to negotiate with the Russian energy giant Gazprom on isues of cooperation. It is expected that the gas price policy will also be discussed.

Gazprom officials have announced recently that the company plans to increase gas prices for Georgia, from the current rate of USD 62 up to USD 110 per 1000 cubic meters starting from 2006. Currently Gazprom is the only supplier of natural gas to Georgia.

Talks, which will be joined by Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli on November 24, will also focus on a possible transit of Kazakh gas into Georgia via Russia.

These talks in Moscow come in the wake of Gilauri and Nogaideli?s trip to Kazakhstan on November 18-19. According to the Georgian Energy Ministry, Kazakhstan has expressed a readiness to deliver 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Georgia annually.

Now the Georgian side will have to seek the consent of the Russian energy giant Gazprom to transport the Kazakh gas via Russia.

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