Georgia to Receive Azerbaijani Gas at Reduced Price

The Government of Georgia and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) agreed on December 17 on reducing tariff of imported gas from Azerbaijan to Georgia, Georgian Government Administration reported.

Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava, Giorgi Bakhtadze of the Georgian of Oil and Gas Corporation and Rovnag Abdullayev, President of SOCAR signed the relevant document after the latter’s meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.

The deal has been signed following negotiations between the Georgian Economy Ministry and SOCAR over importing 200 million cubic meters of the so-called social gas from Azerbaijan with lower price.

The agreement will allow the Georgian Government retain the stability of natural gas price for private households, according to the statement.

The amendments were made to the existing deal on social gas supply signed in 2016 by Abdullayev and then Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, which allowed Georgia to receive additional of 500 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan.

The 2016 agreement between Tbilisi and SOCAR on additional gas supply came as the Georgian government had been criticized for considering Russian Gazprom as a source of supplement for gas shortage emerged after significantly increased gas consumption in Georgia.

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