US Expert: Russian Gas Import May Negatively Impact Georgia-US Relations

United States External Policy Council Expert Stephen Blank told Georgian newspaper Kviris Palitra that gas import from Russia will negatively impact Georgia-U.S. relations.

Blank says he cannot see any need for Russian or Iranian gas while Azerbaijan is providing Georgia with a sufficient volume of natural gas, calling it “a policy of private and not social profit.”

The US expert said the policy undermines Georgia’s opportunities to resist Russia and will negatively impact Georgia-U.S. relations.

Georgia’s Energy Minister, Kakha Kaladze, responded to reports by the media regarding the possible import of Iranian gas by saying that no particular agreement with Iran has yet been signed. According to Deputy Energy Minister Ilia Eloshvili, Georgia will have financial liabilities with Gazprom, the pipeline which will potentially provide Georgia with gas from Russia.

Minister Kaladze and Gazprom representative Elena Burmistrova met in Zurich on December 27.

Zviad Adzinbaia