Georgia does not rule out option of buying Russian gas

Georgia does not rule out the opportunity of buying natural gas in Russia and is holding relevant talks with the Russian gas holding Gazprom, Economy and Sustainable Development Minister of Georgia Georgy Kobuliya said on Wednesday.

Georgia is negotiating terms of gas transit from Russia to Armenia and direct gas procurements as part of the initiative on diversification and optimization of supplies, the minister said. "Georgia will have more suppliers of this energy resource rather than one, as now," he said.

"We are holding negotiations for the purpose of improving our transit conditions and making procurements of Russian gas in scope and within the framework that will make possible to keep energy security and energy independence of Georgia," Kobuliya said.

Georgia meets its natural gas needs largely on account of import. The country receives almost all the required gas volume from Azerbaijan.