U.S.: Iran gas will hurt U.S.-Georgia ties

TBLISI, Georgia, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. envoy to Georgia has warned Tblisi on securing energy supplies from Iran, saying the move would be unacceptable to Washington.

In an interview with the Georgian weekly Kviris Palitra published Monday, Ambassador John Tefft said a long-term strategic partnership on gas supplies between Iran and Georgia is unacceptable to the United States.

The newspaper did not provide a transcript of the comments.

In response, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said Georgia will cooperate with Iran over energy issues.

"I do not know what the U.S. ambassador said. In respect of our energy-related relations with Iran, naturally we will have energy cooperation with this country," he said. "This year we will buy gas from Iran and we will probably exchange electricity with this country."

The comments were reported by the Civil Georgia online news magazine.

Ever since Russia raised the price of its gas to Georgia, Tblisi has said it is looking at a number of other options - including Azerbaijan and Iran - for its gas supplies.

On Nov. 2, Russia's Gazprom said it would charge Tbilisi $230 for 1,000 cu.m. of gas, up from $110.

Russia has raised the price of gas sold to former Soviet states, saying they need to reflect market rates. Most of Western Europe pays $230 per cu. m. Critics say, however, that Moscow is punishing its former Soviet allies that are now looking to the West for political and economic support.

Earlier this month, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza said at a news conference in Tblisi that Russia's move had placed Georgia in a "difficult position."

"If Georgia, under such pressure, feels it has to look elsewhere for gas, looking first and foremost to Azerbaijan as a supplier, we understand that," he said. "If Azerbaijan is contracting the gas from a variety of suppliers, be it Russia, Iran or Azerbaijan, that's a separate issue. While we are pursuing our policy toward Iran, we certainly don't want Georgia or Armenia or any other country to be in a situation where it does not have energy for the winter."

In the interview with Kviris Palitra, Tefft said Bryza's statement was misinterpreted.