November 04, 2006	Saturday	Shawwal 11, 1427

MONACO, Nov 3: Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said on Friday that a doubling of the price of gas imports from Russia would not be “a catastrophe” for his country, adding that “alternative sources” of energy existed.

“I don't expect any catastrophe but it’s certainly a bad precedent for everybody,” he said. “Energy should not be a political tool.”

Russian gas giant Gazprom has proposed that the price of its gas exports to Georgia be more than doubled in 2007 to $230 per 1,000 cubic metres from the current price of $110 per 1,000 cubic metres.—AFP