Georgia has agreed to buy 800 million cubic metres of gas from Turkey in a deal that covers its 2007 gas needs, Georgia's energy minister said on Sunday, according to Reuters. The gas will come from Turkey's share of supplies from the Shakh Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan, Energy Minister Nika Gilauri told reporters. Georgia, which buys most of its gas from Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, has been searching for alternative supplies after bitter rows with Moscow this year over issues including spying. After threatening to cut off supplies to Georgia, Gazprom said on Friday it would sell 1.1 bcm of gas to the ex-Soviet state and doubled prices to $235 per 1,000 cubic metres. Georgia needs about 1.8 billion cubic metres (bcm) next year. "An agreement with the Turkish side has been reached and signed under which Georgia will receive 800 million cubic metres of gas in 2007 from the Turkish share in the Shakh Deniz field in Azerbaijan," Gilauri said.
