Russia is likely to more than double the price of natural gas to Georgia in a fresh sign of disintegrating relations with the former Soviet state. The planned hike echoed the cutting of supplies to Ukraine during the "gas war" in January and in a calculated snub was made public as Georgian foreign minister, Gela Bezhuashvili, visited Moscow in an attempt to smooth relations following a spy scandal last month.
Moscow has increasingly used energy prices as a means of punishing hostile states in its former sphere of influence that are orienting themselves towards the EU and the US.
A Gazprom official told news agencies they want to raise prices from $110 (£58) per 1,000 cubic metres to $230, although an agreement had yet to be reached.
In an interview with the Guardian and other western media Mr Bezhuashvili said Russia would need to explain why such a large increase was needed. "They present this as a commercial deal but there is a big portion of politics inside the price," he said.
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