Gazprom in talks with South Ossetia

MOSCOW, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A Gazprom delegation hosted leaders from South Ossetia to discuss issues related to Russian gas natural supplies to the breakaway republic.

Alexei Miller, the chief executive of Gazprom, welcomed Eduard Kokoity, the president of South Ossetia, to examine the provisions of the Dzuarikau-Tskhinvali gas pipeline.

Dzuarikau-Tskhinvali stretches more than 100 miles through mountainous terrain to deliver roughly 89 billion cubic feet of natural gas to South Ossetia each year.

Russia had supplied South Ossetia with gas through the Agara-Tskhinvali gas line from the Tbilisi-Kutaisi trunkline, though Gazprom said the risk of supply interruptions through that line was high because of geopolitical concerns.

Russian and Georgia fought a brief military conflict in 2008 over South Ossetia and the breakaway region of Abkhazia.

Miller described the Dzuarikau-Tskhinvali gas pipeline as a vital option to secure gas deliveries to South Ossetia.

"Construction of the vitally important Dzuarikau-Tskhinvali gas trunkline was performed on a tight deadline," he added. "I am sure that from this moment the national economy will start to recover at a rapid pace."