Gazprom to deliver two billion cu m of gas to Armenia via Georgia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Gazprom Export will supply 2.0-2.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Armenia via Georgia each year, Gazprom said as it commented on the new terms of gas transit to South Caucasus.

“Gazprom Export and the Georgian side reached an agreement on the terms of Russian gas transit to Armenia through Georgia. The parties agreed to shift to currency transactions for reimbursing the transit services,” Gazprom’s statement reads, according to Civil Georgia.

“In accordance with the agreement, the Russian side guarantees paying for the transit of Russian gas through Georgia to Armenia in 2017-2018 in the volume of 2.0-2.2 billion cubic meters per year, as well as supplying Georgia with natural gas on flexible terms at the price lower by $30 per 1000 cubic meters than in 2016,” Gazprom added.

"As a result of series of meetings and lengthy negotiations with Georgian partners, we have managed to find commercial terms optimal for both sides, and to reach an agreement on the terms of gas transit,” Director General of Gazprom Export LLC Elena Burmistrova was quoted as saying.

Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said on January 11 following the third round of talks with executives of Gazprom Export that the Georgian government made “an optimal” decision on agreeing to Gazprom’s proposal on terms of Russian gas transit to Armenia via Georgia, according to which, during the first year of the two-year contract, Georgia will partially maintain the commodity payment scheme and move to full monetary reimbursement in the second year. Kaladze added that if Georgia requires additional natural gas, it will pay $185 per 1000 cubic meters of Russian gas "instead of USD 215."