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Georgia in gas deal with Turkey Georgia in gas deal with Turkey
(about 2 hours later)
Georgia says it has agreed to buy 800 million cubic metres of gas from Turkey next year, almost half of its needs. Georgia plans to buy 800 million cubic metres of gas from Turkey next year, almost half of its needs, Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri says.
The price it will pay for the gas under this deal has not been disclosed.The price it will pay for the gas under this deal has not been disclosed.
Georgian officials have made clear their desire to reduce the country's dependence on Russian gas.
But the BBC's Matthew Collin in Tbilisi says Georgians cannot be certain they will be receiving gas from other sources until a deal has been signed.
Last week, Georgia agreed to buy a little more than half of the gas it will need next year from Russia, even though Gazprom had doubled its price.Last week, Georgia agreed to buy a little more than half of the gas it will need next year from Russia, even though Gazprom had doubled its price.
The Georgian prime minister said he had been forced to accept the deal as Gazprom had threatened to cut off supplies otherwise.The Georgian prime minister said he had been forced to accept the deal as Gazprom had threatened to cut off supplies otherwise.
There was a similar complaint last week from Azerbaijan, where President Ilham Aliyev responded to his prices for Russian gas being doubled by threatening to reduce the amount of Russian gas he buys, or even to stop buying it altogether.There was a similar complaint last week from Azerbaijan, where President Ilham Aliyev responded to his prices for Russian gas being doubled by threatening to reduce the amount of Russian gas he buys, or even to stop buying it altogether.
He may in fact be in a position to do this one day, as the gas which Turkey is to sell to Georgia will come from the huge new Shah Deniz field just coming on stream in the Caspian Sea, off the coast of Azerbaijan.He may in fact be in a position to do this one day, as the gas which Turkey is to sell to Georgia will come from the huge new Shah Deniz field just coming on stream in the Caspian Sea, off the coast of Azerbaijan.
Bullying claims
The deal announced by Georgia is attractive for two reasons. Firstly, it offers the chance for Georgia to cut its spending on gas purchases - though the price Turkey is actually asking has not yet been made public.
Secondly, it makes Georgia less dependant on Russia for its energy supplies.
Russia has faced repeated charges of bullying its former Soviet neighbours who rely on it for their energy supplies.Russia has faced repeated charges of bullying its former Soviet neighbours who rely on it for their energy supplies.
A year ago, it halted all supplies to Ukraine in a dispute that was ostensibly about prices, but which many observers felt in fact reflected political differences.A year ago, it halted all supplies to Ukraine in a dispute that was ostensibly about prices, but which many observers felt in fact reflected political differences.
The bullying charge has clearly worried customers in Western Europe, who have been trying for some time to ensure that they do not become too reliant on Russian energy.
And they were even more worried when Royal Dutch Shell, under heavy political pressure from Moscow, sold control of its Sakhalin gas project to Gazprom last week.
The Georgian deal with Turkey suggests that Russia's own neighbours do not want to be too dependent either.