Georgia breaks 15-year record for gas purchases from Russia

Georgia imported Russian gas worth $90.1 million from January to September 2024, which is 6.5% more than in the same period last year, according to the Georgian Statistical Service.

According to the Service's calculations, the volume of Russian gas sold to Georgia in three quarters is the maximum for the time of statistics since 2009, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

For the whole of last year, Georgia imported 486,000 tons of gas from Russia, which is 16.54% (69 thousand tons) more than the results of 2022. The value of imports amounted to $110 million, which is 18% ($19 million) more than in 2022.

Georgia bought a total of 2.25 million tons of gas in 2023, with Azerbaijan being the main supplier (78.47%), Russia in second place with 21.53%, and Iran in third place with a small share of 0.0033%.

Over the past 15 years, Georgia has not purchased as much Russian gas as it did in the first three quarters of 2024. Baku is the main supplier by a wide margin, and gas from Russia is purchased “only in the minimum necessary volume,” the authorities explain

Notably, Russia supplies gas to Georgia through the North-South trunk pipeline, which also carries fuel to Armenia. Until 2015, Georgia received 10% of total supplies to Armenia for transit through its territory, but since then the republic has been paid in cash, and the amount has not been disclosed.

By Khagan Isayev