Georgia is looking to hike up its imports of Russian natural gas, and Tbilisi's long-time partners in Azerbaijan and the West are growing concerned. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is scheduled to visit Georgia on Nov. 6 to discuss energy cooperation, at a time when Georgia's controversial negotiations with Russia have called into question its traditional reliance on Azerbaijan as both an energy supplier and strategic partner.
In reality, though, it is unlikely that Georgia will meaningfully shift its foreign policy away from Azerbaijan and the West and toward Russia. Practical and commercial considerations on Tbilisi's part, however, could spur closer energy and economic cooperation between Georgia and Russia in the coming years....
