Turkey Helps Georgia Reduce its Energy Dependence from Russia

Turkey has agreed to give up some of its stake of a giant Caspian gas field to Georgia, in order to help Georgis reduce its need for expensive Russian gas.

The Georgian energy minister Nika Gilauri said that Turkey had agreed to transfer to Georgia next year 800 million cubic meters of natural gas it was entitled to from the giant Shah Deniz field off Azerbaijan's Caspian coast.

The minister said that the price remained to be fixed. Georgia has faced a doubling of the price it pays for Russian natural gas and is seeking alternative sources of supply.