Iran to provide emergency gas to Georgia

Freezing weather worsens Georgia energy crisis

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday that Iran had agreed to start providing emergency gas supplies to his country as early as Sunday, signaling an end to a double-pronged energy crisis that has cut gas and electricity supplies while the country suffers an extreme cold snap.

Russia, meanwhile, was close to completing repairs that would allow it to resume gas deliveries later Friday, an official said.
The capital Tbilisi’s electric utility was providing 110 megawatts of electricity, while Azerbaijan was sending in 50 megawatts, Turkey 60 megawatts and Russia 65 megawatts. Still, Georgia needed some 600 megawatts more to ensure a normal electricity supply, the Georgian State Electric System said.

Saakashvili cut short his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday to try and assuage anxiety that sent residents into long lines to fill kerosene canisters for portable heaters and some even to chop down branches and trees in the capital to fuel stoves.

CNN