OSCE Chairperson welcomes resumption of natural gas supplies to South Ossetia

ATHENS, 25 January 2009 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, welcomed the resumption of natural gas supplies to South Ossetia today, and affirmed the OSCE's efforts to address other urgent humanitarian challenges, including the supply of water. 

Gas supply to South Ossetia resumed after the Georgian government repaired the Agara-Tskhinvali pipeline and authorized the delivery. This step was taken after the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office's Special Representative, Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos, had extensive consultations during his visits to Tbilisi and Tsinkhvali on 12 and 13 January.

"I commend the parties for their constructive approach which made it possible to solve this urgent humanitarian problem," Bakoyannis said.

"This demonstrates the vital role the OSCE plays in strengthening co-operation and working towards security and stability in the region."

In his visit to the region, the Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office was accompanied by an independent Austrian expert who, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Georgia, witnessed the repair and successful pressurization tests of the pipeline up to Tskhinvali.

Gas supplies to South Ossetia had been disrupted since 8 August 2008.

"Another urgent humanitarian problem in the region concerns the supply of water," Bakoyannis said.  "The OSCE Greek Chairmanship intends to assess the water supply infrastructure as soon as weather conditions allow."