Azerbaijan's president said Saturday the country may stop importing natural gas from Russia, RIA Novosti reports according to RZD-Partner.
In an interview with the Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy, Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan "may reshape its energy balance by switching over from [a combination of] fuel oil and gas to fuel oil."
Azerbaijan and other post-Soviet countries have until now been buying natural gas from Russia at preferential prices, but Russian gas monopoly Gazprom is set to raise the rates to the Western European level as of 2007.
The state-controlled energy giant said it could supply 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Azerbaijan next year - half the amount requested - charging $230 per 1,000 cubic meters. The current price is $110.
Azerbaijani officials dismissed the new price as unfair, and have been trying to negotiate a compromise deal with Gazprom.
In an interview with the Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy, Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan "may reshape its energy balance by switching over from [a combination of] fuel oil and gas to fuel oil."
Azerbaijan and other post-Soviet countries have until now been buying natural gas from Russia at preferential prices, but Russian gas monopoly Gazprom is set to raise the rates to the Western European level as of 2007.
The state-controlled energy giant said it could supply 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Azerbaijan next year - half the amount requested - charging $230 per 1,000 cubic meters. The current price is $110.
Azerbaijani officials dismissed the new price as unfair, and have been trying to negotiate a compromise deal with Gazprom.