Gazprom Opens Ossetia Pipe

摘要

After recognizing Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent entities 12 months ago, Russia is moving to deepen links with the two. Gazprom has built a natural gas pipeline running from Dzuarikau in North Ossetia to Tskhinval, the capital of South Ossetia, that is due to open officially today. The line is already filled with gas and is connected to Tskhinval's gas grid, South Ossetia's first deputy prime minister, Khasan Pliyev, said Tuesday. He didn't specify the capacity. The line will allow direct gas shipments from Russia, replacing expensive deliveries via a pipe routed through Georgia (IOD Jan.27,p9). Construction of the 163 km Dzuarikau-Tskhinval pipeline began in 2006.