Georgia announced on Friday a deal with Iran to provide natural gas from the start of next week, offering hope of relief following a severe disruption to energy supplies as a result of a mysterious attack on the main pipeline from neighbouring Russia.
President Mikheil Saakashvili hailed the deal struck in Tehran, saying: ”Under the contract, the Iranian side will supply Georgia the minimum needed amount of gas from Sunday or at the latest Monday.”
The price of $120 for 1 000 cubic metres — $10 more expensive than Russian gas on which Georgia currently depends heavily — is ”fully satisfactory,” Saakashvili said.
Iranian gas supplies will help Georgia recover from a crisis sparked last Sunday by a still-unexplained attack on the pipeline from Russia and in the future offer the ex-Soviet republic an alternative supplier in case of disruptions in Russia.
”We are setting up a mechanism so that we can get gas via this route in cases of similar limitations or similar accidents,” Saakashvili said. ”I think this is a very important step forward. Russia should understand that we now have an alternative.”
The deal with Iran was struck on the second day of a visit to Tehran by Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri. — Sapa-AFP