A meeting between Director General of Gazprom Export Elena Burmistrova and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Georgia Kakha Kaladze took place in the Belarusian capital Minsk, reported Gazprom Export on January 11, 2017.
The terms of gas transit to Armenia through the territory of Georgia, as well as gas supplies to Georgia were discussed at the meeting.
«Gazprom Export made to the Georgian side a package proposal based on favourable and mutually beneficial conditions, which will provide the Georgian side with a guaranteed income flow from gas transit services and increase the security of gas supply of Georgia», CEO of Gazprom Export Elena Burmistrova said.
The new agreement entails monetary compensation for the transport of Russian gas to Armenia through Georgia in place of the former arrangement, which afforded Georgia 10 % of all natural gas transported through the country.
«After several rounds of negotiations, we have reached a deal with Gazprom and accepted an optimal proposal from them. Under the new agreement, Georgia’s dependence on Russian energy resources will not increase. Only the payment conditions have been changed. And it will be one of the highest transit fees among European countries», said Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze.
The Minister further explained that the agreement of 2016 will remain valid for 2017, after which the new payment system will come into effect.
According to the Georgia’s Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission’s 2015 report, Georgia received 295 million cubic meters (12%) of gas from Russia in 2015 of which 265 million was a transit fee.
Azerbaijan was Georgia’s main source of gas supply: the country received about 83% of its total consumption in 2015.
About 721 million cubic meters (29%) of Azerbaijani gas came as part of the deal in frames of the BP-operated South Caucasus Pipeline, which transports gas from Shah Deniz offshore field in the Caspian Sea to Turkey via Georgia.
1.35 billion cubic meters (54%) were imported as part of a separate contract with Azerbaijan.
