Turkmenistan resumed gas supplies to Russia on Saturday, Russian state energy giant Gazprom said, after a nine-month break that raised questions about Moscow's influence in the energy-rich state.
"This morning gas starts to flow from Turkmenistan. All outstanding issues regarding supplies have been resolved," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said in an interview with the Echo of Moscow radio.
A pipeline rupture in April virtually halted Turkmen natural gas supplies to Russia, slashing its income from gas exports.
The ex-Soviet state, which lost around $1 billion a month amid the disruption, had blamed Moscow for causing the burst by cutting its gas imports, provoking a pressure buildup, as demand dropped off from end-clients in Europe.
Ties with Russia then soured, with Turkmenistan seeking to develop new gas markets in China and Iran and lessen its dependence on Russian importing.
But on a visit to Ashgabat in December, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the year was ending on a "high note" as Turkmenistan agreed to a new long-term gas agreement.
The new deal provides for Russia's purchase of 30 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas a year, a much lower supply than in recent years.
Turkmenistan has unveiled new pipelines in recent months, which will double its gas supplies to neighboring Iran and allow it to directly ship gas to energy-hungry China.