{"id":125342,"date":"2016-03-06T18:13:49","date_gmt":"2016-03-06T18:13:49","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T20:00:00","slug":"UNM_Holds_Anti-Gazprom_Human_Chain_Protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldwp.civil.ge\/archives\/125342","title":{"rendered":"UNM Holds Anti-Gazprom Human Chain Protest"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nPeople form human chain outside the parliament building in Tbilisi during anti-Gazprom demonstration, March 6, 2016. Photo: Eana Korbezashvili\/Civil.ge<\/font><\/div>\n

Several thousand people formed a human chain in the central parts of Tbilisi on March 6 during a demonstration organized by the opposition UNM party in protest against what it calls were dubious goals pursued by the Georgian government in talks with Russia’s state-controlled energy giant Gazprom.<\/p>\n

Human chain was stretching from the government headquarters close to Freedom Square to the Russian embassy building at the end of the Chavchavadze Avenue for more than five kilometers.<\/p>\n

UNM first announced about intention to hold the anti-Gazprom demonstration on February 24.<\/p>\n

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\nA protester holds a poster depicting Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze in a Gazprom t-shirt and other politicians from the GD ruling coalition, March 6, 2016. Photo: Eana Korbezashvili\/Civil.ge<\/font><\/div>\n

The Georgian government announced<\/a><\/strong> on March 4 about a new deal with Azerbaijani state energy company SOCAR on supply of additional of 500 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan, removing the need for additional volumes of gas from Gazprom.<\/p>\n

In addition, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said on March 5 that Georgia and Gazprom agreed<\/a><\/strong> in principle to keep the existing gas transit terms and pay Georgia 10% of Russian gas transported to Armenia via Georgia.<\/p>\n

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\nA woman holds EU flag at anti-Gazprom rally in Tbilisi, March 6, 2016. Photo: Eana Korbezashvili\/Civil.ge<\/font><\/div>\n

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\nA demonstrator in human chain protest holds a poster depicting Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze; ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, March 6, 2016. Photo: Eana Korbezashvili\/Civil.ge<\/font><\/p>\n

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\nProtesters in human chain hold posters with one of them depicting ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili in a Gazprom uniform and another one Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, March 6, 2016. Photo: Eana Korbezashvili\/Civil.ge<\/font><\/p>\n