A 5.5-kilometer segment of the gas pipeline supplying Armenia from Georgia will be relocated at Armenia’s request. The application has already been submitted to the Environmental Supervision Department of Georgia’s Ministry of Natural Resources.

Armenia’s request is due to the fact that this section of the gas pipeline on the Armenian side is located in the trilateral border area of Armenia–Georgia–Azerbaijan and was mined in the 1990s, reports Sputnik Georgia.

The pipeline will be moved several kilometers and connected to a new segment constructed on the Armenian side.

The justification states: “Given that it is impossible to maintain minimum safety standards or carry out repair works in this section, it was decided, based on a trilateral interstate agreement, to remove the problematic part of the pipeline from the mined area and build a new pipeline at a safe distance.”

Russian gas reaches Armenia through this pipeline from Georgia, covering most of the country’s gas demand.