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Itar-Tass reported that Gazprom will allocate another RUB 1.9 billion for gas supply of the Altai Republic in 2010-2014. A total of RUB 1.1 billion was earmarked for these purposes in 2007-2009. An agreement on this issue was reached at a working meeting of Gazprom CEO Mr Alexei Miller and head of the Altai Republic Mr Alexander Berdnikov held in Moscow recently.

Thus Gazprom will allocate around three billion rubles to implement the program of gas supply of the Altai Republic. During the meeting, the sides discussed the pace of fulfillment of the agreement on cooperation between Gazprom and the government of the Altai Republic. As the meeting participants noted, in 2009 the program of gas supply of the region was implemented successfully. Inter-settlement and distribution gas pipelines were built in Gorno-Altaisk and Maima, the 21st municipal boiler-house was prepared for working on gas and linking up of several hundred private house-holdings with gas networks began.

In 2009, Gazprom allocated gratis RUB 500 million for the construction of inter-settlement and distribution networks. According to the results of the meeting between Miller and Berdnikov, an agreement was reached to continue the gas supply program until 2014. In 2011-2014, the state company will continue financing the construction of gas distribution networks in Gorno-Altaisk and Altai rural areas adjacent to it. A total of three billion rubles are to be allocated for these purposes.

At present, the average level of gas supply of the region amounts to less than one percent. On the average in Russia, this index is equal to 63.2%.

(Sourced from Itar-Tass)