GEORGIAN GAS PIPELINE NOT TO BELONG TO GASPROM
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
10/11/2006

Georgia thinks that the military attack from Russia is quite
possible. In the course of official visit to Paris, Gela Bezhoushvili,
Georgian foreign minister, told about this. It’s worth mentioning
that at the same time, Zurab Noghaideli, prime minister of Georgia,
stated that the suggestion to give energy objects in order to pay
for Russian gas to Gazprom is not acceptable for Georgia. Moreover,
he said that this resembles political blackmail. Anyway, according
to Zurab Noghaideli, Georgia is ready to negotiate for the price of
the Russian gas but it won’t be able to hand the magisterial gas
pipe line to the Russians. To remind, few months ago the Georgia
authorities used to speak of the sell of the same gas pipeline from
quite more democratic positions. They used to state that the company
that will pay the highest price for the gas pipeline in the course
of the tender, will become its owner.

It’s worth mentioning that on the background of these gas stories,
several Georgian officials of the gas transfer company, including
its executive director Revaz Uroushadze, were arrested accused of
corruption.