PM: Georgia will ‘Apparently’ Buy Gas from Iran

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said on November 27 that Georgia will cooperate with Iran over energy issues, involving purchase of gas from this country.
 
PM Nogaideli?s remarks were made in a response to journalists’ request to comment on the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft?s statement who said in an interview with Georgian weekly Kviris Palitra, that a long-term and strategic partnership between Georgia and Iran in energy issues is unacceptable for the United States.
 
?I do not know what the U.S. Ambassador said. In respect of our energy-related relations with Iran, naturally we will have energy cooperation with this country. This year we will apparently buy gas from Iran and we will probably exchange electricity with this country,? Nogaideli told reporters.
 
?Moreover, we held talks with the U.S. officials, particularly with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza, who made it clear that the United States, regardless of its relations with Iran, can not tell Georgia to freeze in winter and not to buy gas from Iran,? Nogaideli said adding that he does not consider expedient to make more comments on this issue.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza said at a news conference in Tbilisi on November 17 that Georgia is currently in ?a difficult position? after Russia?s Gazprom said it will more than double gas price for Georgia.

?If Georgia, under such pressure, feels it has to look elsewhere for gas, looking first and foremost to Azerbaijan as a supplier, we understand that. If Azerbaijan is contracting the gas from a variety of suppliers, be it Russia, Iran or Azerbaijan, that?s a separate issue. While we are pursuing our policy toward Iran, we certainly don?t want Georgia or Armenia or any other country to be in a situation where it does not have energy for the winter,? Bryza said.

This statement was perceived by many in Georgia as Washington?s approval of Georgia?s energy cooperation with Iran.

But in the interview with Kviris Palitra, U.S. Ambassador John Tefft said that Bryza?s statement was misinterpreted.

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