Chechnya interrupts oil flow in Russian pipeline over debt

by The Associated Press

Chechnya interrupted the flow of oil through a pipeline running from Azerbaijan to Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiisk because Russia hasn’t paid its debt for use of the channel, the Interfax news agency reported in early April.

Alkhazur Abdulkerimov, who serves as both deputy prime minister and fuel and energy minister for the breakaway republic, said that Russia had run up a $6.5 million debt for rental of the pipeline and security services, Interfax reported.

He said that the Chechen authorities had decided to cut the oil flow during Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia for the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Interfax did not indicate whether the oil flow had been restored.

Maskhadov has asked the Russian side for talks on finding a “reasonable compromise” on the pipeline, Interfax reported.