Russian natural gas will be supplied to Armenia via Azerbaijan for a short time according to an agreement reached yesterday between the Russian company Gazprom Export and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).

The reason, according to Gazprom Export, is ongoing maintenance of the North Caucasus-Transcaucasia gas pipeline. The Russian gas will first be shipped to Azerbaijan, and then to Georgia, followed by delivery to Armenia.

"The work can take about three weeks. "After completion, the gas will be supplied via the previous route through the border between the Russian Federation and Georgia," Gazprom Export said in a statement.

For comment on the issue, Hetq called Gazprom Armenia CJSC, a subsidiary of Gazprom CJSC. Mikael Harutyunyan, an employee of Gazprom Armenia's public relations and media department, merely mentioned that, as always, gas is supplied from Russia to Armenia only through the Karmir Bridge-Sevkar-Berd gas pipeline.

Harutyunyan told Hetq to contact Gazprom Export for clarification on remaining issues.

Gazprom Export, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gazprom CJSC, exports Russian natural gas to foreign markets. Gazprom Armenia CJSC supplies and sells natural gas to the domestic market of Armenia.