Azerbaijan May Reject Russian Electricity Supplies – TV

Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 31 March

Russia wants to cut electricity supplies to Azerbaijan as from 1 April. Inter RAO UES [Unified Energy Systems of Russia] has said that a contract on electricity supplies signed with Azerbaijan in 2006 expires tomorrow [1 April]. If Azerbaijan does not make attractive proposals concerning a new contract, electricity supplies to the country will be cut, the company said.

Inter RAO UES also wants to change supply tariffs. Azerbaijan does not agree with this. The government believes that Azerbaijan does not need electricity or gas supplies from Russia.

Industry and Energy Minister Natiq Aliyev said that the country could agree to buying electricity on previous conditions. However, the country does not want to buy electricity at a new price, he said.

[Video shows archive footage of Natiq Aliyev]

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Central Asia. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.