TEHRAN – Georgia might import Iran’s natural gas, Georgian media pointed out while referring to the Nika Gilauri, Georgian Energy Minister’s current visit to Tehran.

The minister who was scheduled to, following his negotiations with the Iranian side, return to Tbilisi left for Azerbaijan on Tuesday, Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported.

He has pointed out that it would be possible to start import of Iranian gas via Azerbaijan.

The decision is said to have been made following the Saturday explosions in the pipeline delivering Russian gas to that country. The explosions have temporarily disrupted the gas flow to Georgia. The Russian officials in charge of repairing the pipeline have maintained that it would take them about 100 hours to fix the broken pipe.

Meanwhile, Gilauri said there were sufficient technical means to start import of Iranian gas, but the ongoing negotiations were just the first stage of the development and the precise date for start of import was unclear.

He then left Iran for Azerbaijan to conduct negotiations on increasing of volume of gas supply to Georgia.

Also, Georgia and Iran have agreed on barter exchange of electricity, the Georgian Minister of Energy, stated at the press conference on Tuesday.

According to Gilauri, during his visit to Iran last week, he validated a memorandum with Iranian Minister of Energy, the document envisages electricity export from Georgia to Iran in summer and electricity import from Iran to Georgia in winter.

The Minister stated that the first stage of negotiations on gas import from Iran to Georgia was also held. It showed that there are technical and theoretical possibilities to start gas import from Iran. Date of gas import start is a subject of further negotiations.

Based on the Georgian Energy Ministry, maximal price of Iranian gas makes up 120 dollars per 1000 cubic meters. The price is said to be by 10 dollars more than the price of Russian gas exported to Georgia however.

If agreed upon the gas transport from Iran to Georgia would be possible via Azerbaijan. Rokneddin Javadi, managing director of National Iranian Gas Export Co. also confirmed that for the time being, Azerbaijan is the only route available to supply parts of Georgia needs for gas through. The other way to deliver the commodity to the Transcaucasian country would be through Armenia the Iranian official commented adding, “we are discussing the issue in particular, the ways to urgently deliver the commodity to that country.”