Translated material
Bendukidze was promoted to “paratroopers”
Russia's increase in energy prices caused a political crisis in Georgia
The news that Gazprom, in the absence of a contract for the purchase of gas, will stop supplying raw materials to Georgian companies from January 1, 2007, provoked another round of political debates in Tbilisi. The opposition parliamentary faction "Democratic Front" announced on Wednesday that it intends to begin the procedure for a vote of no confidence in the head of the cabinet Zurab Nogaideli, as the country again faces the threat of a severe energy crisis. The Prime Minister, who, together with the head of the Ministry of Fuel and Energy Nikoloz Gilauri, has been summoned to parliament next Friday, weakly defends himself: “We are negotiating not only with Russia, but also with our other neighbors. But I want to repeat once again that our authorities will not succumb to blackmail.”Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprom Alexander Medvedev said on Tuesday that a repetition of Ukrainian history in the Georgian direction is possible. He suggested not looking for a political component: “Information about price recalculation was sent to Georgian consumers a long time ago.”
Nevertheless, domestic political passions in Tbilisi are heating up. Moreover, the confrontation is going on in several directions. Government officials traditionally accuse Russia of political pressure, while the opposition denounces the official authorities for their inability to solve problems. At the same time, the participants in the discussion suspect each other of their intentions to “hand over” to Moscow the main gas pipeline through which Russian gas is supplied to Russia’s only strategic partner in the Transcaucasus - Armenia.
Gazprom now has a monopoly on gas supplies to Georgia. Next year the country will need about 2 billion cubic meters. Last week, representatives of the Georgian government reassured the public that negotiations with Gazprom were continuing and only in a month would the final price be set. In parallel, Georgia is negotiating supplies with Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkey, but so far it cannot completely displace Gazprom and is doomed to cooperate with it.
Mr. Medvedev suggested that Georgia partially pay with “assets,” without specifying what kind. No one in Tbilisi doubts that Russia has plans for the main gas pipeline. The opposition believes that transferring the gas pipeline to Russia is tantamount to betrayal, since then energy dependence on the northern neighbor will become final. Democratic Front deputy David Berdzenishvili generally proposed buying back from Russia those energy facilities that were sold to it in recent years. “Unfortunately, money does not fall from the sky,” said Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze, promising that the main gas pipeline would not go to Russia under any circumstances.
The main “suspect” of lobbying for the sale of the pipe to Gazprom is the former Russian oligarch and now Minister of State for Economics Kakha Bendukidze. “Gazprom has a business partner and political force in the Georgian government in the person of Kakha Bendukidze,” said David Berdzenishvili. “It was Bendukidze who did not rule out the sale of the gas pipeline,” he explained to Vremya Novostey. - Our government generally behaves incorrectly. We will not be able to completely abandon Russian gas, as Nogaideli says. We must reduce its share through alternative supplies, while simultaneously negotiating with Russia to reduce the price.” He suggested that President Mikheil Saakashvili “will see how Georgia survives this winter, after which he will appoint the culprit from among the members of the government and dismiss him.”
State Minister Bendukidze called the opposition's accusations “unconscionable.” “The Georgian government will not agree to any asset transactions with Gazprom,” he promised. -- There is no confidence that the agreements signed with Russia will be effectively implemented. And you shouldn’t do anything under blackmail.”
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The Department of Constitutional Security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia yesterday conducted searches in the building of the Georgian International Gas Corporation. The president of the corporation, David Ingorokva, said that he does not know the motives of the law enforcement agencies who sealed several rooms in the building. According to him, law enforcement officers asked general questions, and perhaps “there is a misunderstanding.” Earlier, Georgian law enforcement agencies detained the general director of the corporation's subsidiary, the Georgian International Gas Transportation Company, Revaz Urushadze, as well as an employee of this company, Alexander Dolidze, an employee of one of the gas filling stations, Georgiy Dogonadze, and an employee of the Republic Bank, Eka Kiladze, accused of a corruption transaction. . INTERFAX