ArmInfo.The Georgian side and Gazprom Export are negotiating on the new agreement on the transit of Russian gas to Armenia, the negotiations will be completed in two weeks, said Georgian Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Giorgi Kobulia, Prime Economic Information Agency informs.
The Minister recalled that the two-year term of the previous agreement expired on December 31, 2018. "The negotiation process is underway, and before its completion, the terms of the previous agreement are valid. We are talking about a significant improvement in the terms of the contract. We think that in two weeks the negotiations will end and we will report everything that will not be confidential," Kobulia told journalists. Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said that the country will continue to perform its transit function, transporting Russian natural gas to Armenia.
The main supplier of gas to Georgia is Azerbaijan. Until January 2017, Georgia received for the transit of gas from Russia to Armenia 10% of the total volume of the transferred amount. According to the latest agreement between Georgia and Gazprom Export, in 2017 gas transit to Armenia was paid by a mixed system - partly in cash and partly in raw materials, and in 2018 it was paid only in cash. To recall, starting from January 1, 2019, the price of Russian gas at the border of Georgia and Armenia will rise from $ 150 to $ 165 per 1,000 cubic meters. This decision was made as a result of the meeting of the Chairman of the Board of Gazprom Alexei Miller and acting Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan. Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reported that the increase in the price of Russian gas will not affect domestic consumers. However, according to analysts of ArmInfo, this decision may lead to a change in the tariff margin for CJSC Gazprom Armenia, and, as a result, to a reduction in the volume of investments that should exceed $ 400 million over 10 years.