OREANDA-NEWS. May 31, 2011.  The village of Chemal (Republic of Altai) hosted today a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Alexander Berdnikov, Head of the Altai Republic and Chairman of the Altai Government.
The parties addressed implementation of the bilateral Cooperation Agreement.

 It was noted that between 2007 and 2010 Gazprom and the Altai Government had fully met their obligations on the regional gasification. This year the Company is going to allocate RUB 500 million for the construction of inter-settlement gas pipelines to the villages of Souzga, Manzherok, Kyzyl-Ozek, Biryulya and Alexandrovka (Maima District) with the total length of 65 kilometers. The Altai Government will ensure consumer preparation in the said population centers for gas supplies.

 Alexey Miller and Alexander Berdnikov discussed the issues related to coordination of efforts by the Company and the region as part of preparations for the Altai project.

 The meeting also discussed the cooperation between Gazprom and the Altai Krai in the social sector placing an emphasis on the Company's large-scale efforts on restoration of Anokhin National Museum of the Altai Republic ongoing since 2008. It was noted that Gazprom was planning to finalize the restoration in 2012.

 As part of Gazprom's extensive program for the Republic of Altai, the Altaiskoye Podvorye hotel complex of Gazprom Group was commissioned in the Ongudai District, Republic of Altai. The complex is intended for business meetings with representatives from Russian and foreign companies – Gazprom's partners as well as for reception of international delegations.

 In addition, the Gorno-Altaisk Line Pipe Operation Center will be set up in the Ongudai settlement.
Background

 Gazprom and the Government of the Republic of Altai signed the Cooperation Agreement and the Gasification Accord in 2006.

 The average gasification level in the Republic of Altai is below 1 per cent. Between 2007 and 2010 Gazprom invested RUB 1.5 billion in the regional gasification. The funds were used to develop the General Scheme for Gas Supply and Gasification of the region as well as to build inter-settlement gas pipelines to Gorno-Altaisk and the village of Maima with the total length of 153 kilometers.

 The Altai project envisages construction of a gas pipeline for natural gas supplies from the Western Siberian fields to China across the western part of the Russian-Chinese border. The gas pipeline route is to cross six Russian constituents: the Altai Republic, the Altai Krai, the Novosibirsk Oblast, the Tomsk Oblast, the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra. Gazprom has prepared the investment rationale for the project and held the public hearings to discuss the environmental impact assessment materials.

 Between 2008 and 2010 Gazprom allotted RUB 250 million for restoration of Anokhin National Museum of the Republic of Altai.