Energy Minister Says No Deal Yet on Gas Transit Terms with Gazprom
Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, who met Russia’s Gazprom Export executives on December 23, said that talks will continue as no deal has yet been reached on transit terms of Russian gas.
According to the Georgian Energy Ministry, Kakha Kaladze will meet the Russian side on January 10 in Minsk.
“Our position is very simple, even if we agree on their terms and move to monetization [of the gas transit fee from Russian exports to Armenia via Georgia], the country should get the profits equal to the amount of the natural gas received [currently],” Kaladze said on January 6.
Speaking on the matter on January 9, Economy Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated that the country’s “major goal [in the negotiations]” is to have an “objectively-set price” and “an affordable energy.”
“Our goal is to end the negotiations with maximum possible protection of our interests,” Gakharia added.
No agreement was made during Kaladze’s working meeting with Gazprom Export executives on December 23, ten days after the previous meeting in Vienna.
The meetings are part of the annual negotiations with Gazprom Export to renew the gas transit agreement. Gazprom executives insist on monetization of the gas transit fee from Russian exports to Armenia via Georgia, which is unacceptable for the Georgian side.
Georgia rejected the terms offered by Gazprom last year and following lengthy negotiations an agreement was signed in April, under which Georgia maintained the existing transit terms – 10% of gas transported through Georgia.
