Georgia is not in talks on the purchase of Iranian gas for now due to high prices, Deputy Prime Minister and Georgian Energy Minister said on Monday, February 29, Azerbaijani media report.

“Transportation of Iranian gas to Georgia is possible through the territory of either Azerbaijan or Armenia,” Kakha Kaladze said. “The prices, however, are not competitive, so the issue of Iranian gas purchase can only be discussed in the future.”

Earlier, the president of Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev said the country will supply additional 500 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas per year to Georgia.

“Previously, we supplied 800 mcm of gas to Georgia from the Shah Deniz gas field annually,” he said. “We have managed to increase the supply through that route to 1.5 billion cubic meters (bcm), also raising the exported gas volumes to 1.5 bcm via a pipeline connecting the two countries in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district.”