Russia angry at Georgia’s gas "hysteria"

Experts from gas monopoly Gazprom, the Emergency Situations Ministry and other government departments are doing their best to deal with the problem, RBC reforms. Gazprom is increasing its gas supplies Georgia through Azerbaijan, and RAO Unified Energy Systems of Russia is also stepping up its electricity supplies to Georgian consumers.
However, Georgian officials are making statements that cannot be called anything else but "hysteria and bacchanalia," the ministry said. Apparently, Tbilisi uses the blasts as a pretext for escalating its anti-Russian campaign. This hysteria is accompanies by actions against the Russian military.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili demanded that Russia resume its energy supplies to Georgia, and Georgia’s Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili went even further, accusing Russia of sabotage.

"The desire to look for external enemies to justify one’s own helplessness in restoring normal life of the country has never led to anything good," the document said. "If Georgian authorities decided to spoil their relations with Russia, they must have calculated all the consequences of this policy," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"Moscow has long become accustomed to Georgia’s style in its relations with Russia. This is a mixture of dependency, hypocrisy and immorality multiplied by the sense of impunity, in the hope to find understanding in the West for its anti-Russian line," the Foreign Ministry said.

Sergei Kupriyanov, a spokesman for Gazprom, said Saakashvili’s statement was unfounded, and there were no reasons to politicize the situation. Kupriyanov stressed that the explosions on two different gas pipelines – between Mozdok and Tbilisi and between the North Caucasus and Trans-Caucasus – occurred simultaneously. "We are now taking all the necessary measures to restore gas supplies to the area," he said.

The high-voltage power line Kavkasioni, transmitting electricity from Russia to Armenia, was also brought down by an explosion. Armenia stopped gas and electricity supplies to Georgia.

Meanwhile, Georgia is experiencing its coldest weather in more than 20 years. Temperature in the capital Tbilisi is currently minus five degrees Celsius.

Nino Burdzhanadze, Chairwoman of the Georgian parliament, responded to Russian criticism in an interview on Echo of Moscow radio. She expressed indignation at the behavior of Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

She was particularly angry at the words "hysteria and bacchanalia" used by Russian officials. "I do not think the use of such language will improve the image of the Russian Foreign Ministry," Burdzhanadze stressed.

"In any normal country, the foreign ministry would express regret for sabotage on its territory, leaving people without electricity and heating in cold weather. Only after that criticism could be expressed, in a more or less civilized manner," she said.