Lengthy negotiations between Turkish and Azerbaijani officials on gas prices have finally come to an end as Turkey has agreed to buy Azerbaijani gas at USD 300 per thousand cubic meters, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız informed reporters following his meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki last week.

Although no official deal has yet been inked on a gas price agreement between the two countries, the Turkish side says the new price is satisfactory. According to the informal agreement, Turkey will pay USD 1.8 bn to Azerbaijan in exchange for 6 billion cubic meters of gas in 2010. Previously, Turkey was paying USD 720 mln annually for gas imported from Azerbaijan, when the price was USD 120 per thousand cubic meters. Azerbaijan had said several times that a price hike was inevitable considering world gas prices, which are hovering at around USD 400.

PM Emil Boc outlined gov’t priorities, aiming at state modernization through political class reform. Former Premier Calin Popescu Tariceanu says there is a “dramatic lack” of anti-crisis measures, suggests abrogation of president’s immunity.
In two separate speeches in Parliament’s chambers on Monday evening and yesterday morning, Prime Minister Emil Boc presented his government’s main legislative priorities in the new parliamentary session, which officially began on Monday, and asked lawmakers’ support to reach the set targets. In both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, Boc said the new parliamentary session is extremely important since an election cycle has ended and lawmakers will be able to focus on the real problems Romanian citizens are facing.

Türk-İş President Mustafa Kumlu speaks to reporters following a meeting with union presidents. He announced workers would strike in support of Tekel workers. Workers unions on Tuesday decided to hold a strike on Feb. 4 in support of dismissed Tekel workers following a meeting between Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Türk-İş) President Mustafa Kumlu and government officials late on Monday, which failed to produce a “favorable solution.”