GEORGIA SUSPENDS RUSSIAN GAS TRANSIT TO ARMENIA DUE TO PIPE REPAIRS

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire, Russia
August 20, 2007 Monday 4:24 PM EET
Tbilisi

Georgia has temporarily suspended Russian natural gas transit to
Armenia through its territory due to planned repairs of a gas pipeline,
a spokesperson for Georgian International Oil and Gas Corporation
said Monday.

The repairs along the Georgian stretch of the North Caucasus –
Trans-Caucasus gas pipeline are expected to last approximately a week,
the spokesperson said, adding that after the repairs have been finished
Georgia will fully resume Russian gas transit to Armenia.

Armenia will be using gas from its underground storage during the
period of suspension, the spokesperson said.

The suspension of Russian gas supplies will not affect Georgia as
either, as it has been buying gas in Azerbaijan over the past several
months, the spokesperson said.

Georgia is allowed to either take 10% of Russian gas transported
via its territory to Armenia as payment for gas transit services or
collect cash from Russia’s Gazprom.