"We link replenishment of the GruzRosenergo authorised capital to the Georgian debt to Russia's UES", chairman of the board Andrei Rappaport told reporters. He is now in Tbilisi with a working visit.
The Russian company demands either payment of the debt, or acknowledgement of it as Georgia's state debt to Russia, he said.
In turn, Georgian Energy Minister Nikolai Gilauri thinks the sum inflated and hopes for a constructive approach to be shown by the working group.
"I'm sure we can prove that Georgia could not have amassed the debt. Theoretically, the maximum of what Georgia owes to Russia is not more than eight million dollars. But we cannot agree to even this sum", Mr. Gilauri said.
"The joint Georgian-Russian working group will conduct constructive talks before August 10 and settle the problem of mutual claims", he said.
The observation council of GruzRosenergo has had a sitting in Tbilisi under Rappaport's chairmanship and summed up results of work in 2003.
