Russia Resumed Gas Supply To Georgia and Armenia

Russia resumed gas supplies to Georgia and Armenia on Sunday morning after a week of repair on the pipeline damaged by two explosions Russian officials blamed on saboteurs, an official said.

Supplies on the North Caucasus-Transcaucasia gas pipeline resumed in the morning, Viktor Krainov, director of the Kavkaztransgaz gas transport company's Mozdok gas pipeline department.

"The pipeline has been purged of an explosive gas-air mixture and the tap has been turned. Gas will flow to Georgia and further to Armenia," Krainov said.

Georgia and Armenia's gas supplies from Russia were halted last Sunday after two explosions in southern Russia ripped through the pipeline supplying gas to the Transcaucasus.

The gas shortfall has forced Georgia, which is heavily dependent on Russia for gas supply, to seek emergency gas supplies from Azerbaijan and Iran. Georgia's energy shortage was worsened by an unusual cold snap that gripped the country last week.