Georgian Energy Minister heads to Iran for talks on gas imports

PanARMENIAN.Net - Georgia’s Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze started a visit to Iran on Monday, February 15 to discuss potential gas imports and cooperation in other areas of energy sector, the Ministry said, according to Civil Georgia.

“The parties are studying possibilities of import of Iranian gas to Georgia, they’re also set to discuss chances for implementing other investment projects in the energy sector,” Georgian Energy Ministry said in a statement.

At a public discussion on Georgia’s energy policy, hosted by Tbilisi office of Heinrich Böll Foundation on February 10, Georgian Deputy Energy Minister Mariam Valishvili said that buying Iranian gas at this stage is not commercially viable for Georgia, being 25% pricier compared to their current cost. Valishvili noted that some type of energy swap arrangements are not ruled out, but it is a long-term perspective. According to her, no tangible solution for a short-term period is possible.

“But we want to be in the forefront of negotiations with Iran, because the Islamic Republic is interested in our region and we, in turn, are interested in this resource,” Valishvili said.

Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze, met with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, on the sideline of the security conference in Munich on February 12.

Georgia’s PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke by phone with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on February 8.

Starting from February 15, Georgia reinstated the 45-day visa-free rules for Iranian citizens, which were scrapped by Tbilisi in 2013.