Georgia, Kazahstan On Gas Supply Deal

Georgia's Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli during his visit to Kazakhstan received from the Kazakh administration guarantees regarding Georgia's future gas supply , although the transit route as well as the price still needs to be approved by the Russian company Gazprom.

The Kazakh state gas company KazMunaiGas will, in 2006, be ready to supply Georgia with 2 billion cubic meters of gas.

Speaking at a briefing on Saturday at the Kazakh presidential residence after negotiations with President Nursultan Nazarbaev, Noghaideli said that the Central Asian nation plans to invest about USD 3.5 billion in Georgia by 2012. The two leaders discussed their country's cooperation in the gas and energy sectors, transport, communications, Kazakh investments in the Georgian economy and coordinating regional tourism infrastructure.

According to Noghaideli, Georgia's future gas needs will be 2-3 times greater than they are now. "In this regard, we want to develop a long-term diversification of our gas sources and this in turn does not rule out active cooperation with Gazprom," he noted.