Russia Wary of Guaranteeing Pipeline Through N.Korea

Russia is apparently trying to avoid taking responsibility in case gas supply to South Korea through a mooted pipeline across North Korea is disrupted. Russian daily Moskovskie Novosti on Tuesday reported that state-run energy giant Gazprom is reluctant to guarantee delivery of gas supply to the final destination, which is the norm elsewhere.

According to the newspaper, Gazprom wishes to designate Russia-North Korea border as the delivery point, which implies Moscow does not want to take responsibility for what happens once the gas reaches the unpredictable Stalinist country.

That could throw a spanner in the wheels of negotiations between the three countries, since such an arrangement would be unacceptable to South Korea.