GEORGIA NOT BUYING RUSSIAN POWER
Monday, August 7, 2006. Page 7.
Bloomberg
Georgia stopped buying Russian electricity last week and will halt
imports of Russian gas starting at the end of the year as the country
seeks to reduce its dependence on Russia amid worsening relations,
Kommersant reported Friday.
Georgia stopped using Russian electricity Aug. 2 after completing the
upgrade of its Ingurskoy hydroelectric plant and "will not have even
a theoretical need" to buy it after March 2007, when Georgia connects
its grid to those of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, the newspaper
said, citing Georgian Deputy Energy Minister Achil Nikolashvili.
Georgia will also stop buying Russian gas at the end of this year
when a gas main on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is completed,
Kommersant said.
Georgian Economy Minister Kakha Bendukidze said "a senior Russian
official" told him Russia would use its "levers of influence" over
Georgia in the event of continued tensions between the two countries,
Kommersant reported. Sourcing electricity and gas from elsewhere
ensured Russia could not impose "power sanctions" on Georgia,
Bendukidze said.
Copyright 2006 The Moscow Times. All rights reserved.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2 006/08/07/047.html
Monday, August 7, 2006. Page 7.
Bloomberg
Georgia stopped buying Russian electricity last week and will halt
imports of Russian gas starting at the end of the year as the country
seeks to reduce its dependence on Russia amid worsening relations,
Kommersant reported Friday.
Georgia stopped using Russian electricity Aug. 2 after completing the
upgrade of its Ingurskoy hydroelectric plant and "will not have even
a theoretical need" to buy it after March 2007, when Georgia connects
its grid to those of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, the newspaper
said, citing Georgian Deputy Energy Minister Achil Nikolashvili.
Georgia will also stop buying Russian gas at the end of this year
when a gas main on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is completed,
Kommersant said.
Georgian Economy Minister Kakha Bendukidze said "a senior Russian
official" told him Russia would use its "levers of influence" over
Georgia in the event of continued tensions between the two countries,
Kommersant reported. Sourcing electricity and gas from elsewhere
ensured Russia could not impose "power sanctions" on Georgia,
Bendukidze said.
Copyright 2006 The Moscow Times. All rights reserved.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2 006/08/07/047.html