RIA Novosti quoted the chairman of the state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, as saying Gazprom has signed a contract for 2007 for a volume of 1.1 billion cubic meters, an amount that falls short about 700 million cubic meters than the country's expected needs.
The move ends months of speculation as to whether Georgia was prepared to accept Gazprom's demand that it pay more than double the $110 it currently pays for gas.
Before Gazprom's announcement, Georgia had said it would buy gas from Azerbaijan instead of Russia.
But Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli said after today's agreement with Gazprom that Azerbaijan would not be able to supply gas in the early part of 2007.
Noghaideli said unspecified "technical reasons" at the massive Shah Deniz field prevented the delivery of Azerbaijani gas. But he sought to reassure Georgians that once technical obstacles are removed, Azerbaijan will become Georgia's main gas supplier.
"Our strategic choice remains unchanged, and as soon as technical problems are solved at the drilling wells, we will start receiving gas mainly from Azerbaijan," he said.
(with material from news agencies)