TBILISI -- Georgia will continue to receive natural gas from Iran until it is convinced that supplies from Russia are stable, the head of Georgia's state-owned gas distribution monopoly said Tuesday

After returning to the Georgian capital from Azerbaijan and Iran, David Ingorokva, the chief executive of Georgia's International Gas Corporation, said Georgia had reached a short-term agreement with Iran on gas supplies, and that negotiations on a long-term agreement were ongoing. "On the initiative of the Iranian authorities, we have closed a short-term deal," Ingorovka said. "Iran wanted to help us in the current crisis, but talks on a long-term agreement on gas supplies will be continued," Georgia usually imports natural gas only from Russia, but supplies were disrupted on January 22 after explosions in southern Russia cut off gas supplies and damaged an electricity line, leaving Georgia struggling for heating supplies amid record low temperatures. Azerbaijan began supplying gas to Georgia shortly after the incident and later started sending electricity to its neighbor. Georgia's energy troubles were exacerbated on January 26 when a power unit in the capital, Tbilisi, failed, leaving the city and much of the east of the country without electricity. Although Russia resumed supplies along the gas pipeline on January 29, the explosions continue to be a cause of a diplomatic dispute between Russia and Georgia, with the Georgian leadership accusing its neighbor of orchestrating the incident. Both the Russian authorities and Gazprom, the country's energy giant, have dismissed the charges, but ill feeling continues to mar bilateral relations. To meet its natural gas needs, Georgia turned to fellow Caspian Sea state Iran, which agreed to supply gas at $120 per 1,000 cubic meters, $10 higher than the price of Russian gas. Georgia announced it intended to buy 2 million cubic meters per day from Iran. Ingorokva said the main success of the Georgian authorities in the course of the energy crisis last week was in that "the negotiations on gas supplies, which usually take years to negotiate, were concluded in a few days." On January 29, Azerbaijan's power supplies to Georgia were cut off due to an accident within Azerbaijan's power system; however, supplies resumed Tuesday, according to Azerbaijani energy company Azerenergy. The technical failure of the Azerbaijani power line on Sunday also caused supplies to the country's capital Baku, the Absheron Peninsular, and to the northern regions of the country to be cut off. Azerbaijan is now supplying Georgia with 500-600 kilowatt hours per day, Azerenergy said. PIN/RIA NOVOSTI
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