Georgia expects to complete talks on a new deal with Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Armenia within the coming two weeks, Georgian Economy and Sustainable Development Minister George Kobulia told reporters on Saturday, according to Tass.

“At present, we are discussing the terms of reaching a new agreement on the transit of the Russian gas to Armenia. The terms of the previous contract [expired on December 31, 2018] will remain in force pending the end of those negotiations,” he said. “After the talks with Gazprom, which are expected to be completed within the coming two weeks, we will make their results public.”

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said on January 18 that his country was not planning to give up its role of a transit nation for Russian gas supplies to Armenia.

Prior to January 2017, Georgia received 10% of the total volume of Armenia-bound Russian gas for its transit services. A new agreement with Gazprom, signed in early 2017, stipulated that the Russian side paid to Georgia for the transit with money and partially with gas in 2017, and only with money in 2018.