Azerbaijan to continue supplying Georgia with ‘social gas’ for next 20 years, PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said Azerbaijan will continue supplying Georgia with gas at a preferential social tariff for the next 20 years following a new bilateral agreement signed during his visit to Azerbaijan.

Speaking at a briefing at the Government Administration, Kobakhidze described the agreement as one of several “milestone” deals reached during the visit.

He added the previous agreement on social gas imports from Azerbaijan had been signed for 20 years and was due to expire at the end of this year.

“It was particularly important for our country and our people that this agreement was extended for another 20 years,” Kobakhidze said. “Social gas will continue to be supplied to Georgia at a social tariff and social price over the next two decades.”

He thanked the Azerbaijani side for the arrangement.

The PM also said Georgia had achieved “very good results” regarding electricity imports and transit, although he declined to discuss details, describing them as commercially confidential.

“If this were not a commercial secret, society would understand even more clearly the enormous benefit this agreement brings to our country and our people,” he said.

Kobakhidze further announced that operations on the Baku-Tbilisi-Supsa pipeline would resume after being suspended for the past three years.

He added Georgia had been losing potential revenue while the pipeline remained inactive, but following months of negotiations the two sides had agreed to restore its operation.

The PM also said the renewed functioning of the pipeline would generate “tens of millions of lari” in annual revenue for Georgia, though he again declined to disclose specific contractual terms due to commercial confidentiality.