CENN – MARCH 10, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan to Sign BTC Pipeline Agreement in 2004 – SOCAR
2. Botas to Finish Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Pipeline on Time
3. WWF Warns of BTC Eco-threat
4. Animal Rights violated by Georgian Designers?
5. High Water Tariffs not to affect Households, PM says
6. Gas and Water Paying by Internet
7. Garbage Presentation
8. Robert Kocharyan and The Natural Calamity
9. Ecological Library in Tashkent
1. AZERBAIJAN, KAZAKHSTAN TO SIGN BTC PIPELINE AGREEMENT IN 2004 – SOCAR
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will sign an intergovernmental agreement for
the transportation of Kazakh oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline in 2004, Natik Aliyev, president of the State Oil Company of
the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR), told journalists.
“Talks on this issue, which began two years ago, are nearing completion
and we will sign it. There is no reason for us to rush because the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan has not yet been launched and Kazakhstan has not yet
got the volume of oil to transport through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline. We are trying to resolve all issues that may arise in the
future,” Aliyev said.
He said that to fully regulate all issues it would be necessary to
resolve a number of disputed areas. “Kazakhstan does not want to ratify
the agreement in parliament. Investors are demanding ratification, so
that this law does not change in the future, even if there are changes
in legislation and new regulatory acts are passed for customs and
taxes,” he said.
“I think that this issue can also be resolved. Investors will agree to
an additional document, if the intergovernmental agreement is not
ratified,’ Aliyev said.
He said that the working group for the preparation of the
intergovernmental agreement will next meet in April.
Interfax, March 9, 2004
2. BOTAS TO FINISH BAKU-TBILISI-ERZURUM PIPELINE ON TIME
Turkish state pipeline company Botas plans to complete the Turkish
section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline on time.
“The Turkish side is able to build its section of the Baku-Tbilisi-
Erzurum pipeline on time, so gas supplies from the Shah Deniz field will
begin in 2006-2007, as expected,” a source in the Botas head office in
Ankara told Interfax.
Participants in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project said earlier that bad
weather in Turkey is delaying construction work on the Turkish section
of that pipeline.
As a result, experts said that the construction delays may push back the
launch date for the pipeline, which would in turn lead to delays for the
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline. The two pipelines are being built in one
corridor, using the same construction resources. Therefore, construction
of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline can only begin once the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan is completed.
The Botas source said that “at the moment research work is continuing
for the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline project and no deviation from
schedule is expected.”
According to plan, the capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, which
stretches 225 km in Turkey, will amount to 30 billion cubic meters per
annum,
Reserves at the Shah Deniz field are estimated at 625 bcm of gas and 101
million tonnes of gas condensate.
Shareholders in the project to develop the Shah Deniz field include BP –
25.5%, Statoil – 25.5%, LUKAgip – 10%, TotalFinaElf – 10%, SOCAR -10%,
National Iranian Oil Company – 10% and TPAO – 9%.
Interfax, March 9, 2004
3. WWF WARNS OF BTC ECO-THREAT
The speedy implementation of the project to construct the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) export oil pipeline poses a threat to the
flora and fauna of the entire Caspian region, Trend news agency has
quoted an official of the World Wildlife Fund Frank Merchel as saying in
a statement.
CBN, March 10, 2004
4. ANIMAL RIGHTS VIOLATED BY GEORGIAN DESIGNERS?
Animal Rights Committee of Georgia came out against animal cruelty and
called Avtandil Tskvitinidze and Maka Assathiany – famous Georgian
designers to refrain from using natural fur for the collections soon to
be represented in Moscow fashion show. Recently, Saga Fur Company
presented Georgian fashion designers Avtandil Tskvitinidze and Maka
Assathiany with certain amount of fur to design models for the upcoming
fashion show. And Animal Rights Committee `in response’ `granted’ the
designers with an undercover fur farm video narrated by famous fashion
designer Stella McCartney. The video produced by People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA), describes the plight of animals at modern
fur farms.
In a letter enclosed with the video, ARC calls upon Tskvitinidze and
Assathiany to make the right choice between cruelty and kindness, and
offers to provide additional information concerning fake fur and leather
manufacturers.
`There are also other organizations that deal against animal cruelty in
Georgia but we work on global issues. There is negative stereotype
deeply enrooted in Georgia that violation against animals doesn’t matter
when the rights of human beings are so frequently disrespected. But the
civilization in the country is measured according to how the animals are
treated. Besides maltreated animals like street dogs which have
developed rabies are dangerous for human beings themselves ` – Lexo
Khubulava, the Chairmen of Animal Rights Committee says.
Heather Mills, wife of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, has joined his
crusade against the abuse of animals by letting her photographs appear
exclusively on the cover of the 2004 Shopping Guide for Caring
Consumers, produced by People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA). Now in its fourteenth year, the PETA Shopping Guide features
more than 500 companies which have signed a statement promising never to
test any ingredients or finished products on animals.
Other McCartney family members are actively involved in animal rights
campaigns. Designer Stella McCartney avoids to use any kind of animal
products in her creations, and her sister Mary created a PETA anti-fur
advertisement featuring pop star Sophie Ellis Bextor. McCartney opened
her first store in Manhattan’s meatpacking district — an odd choice for
such a well-known animal rights campaigner.
`Everything in [my] store and every single garment and accessories that
you see is cruelty free in the sense that no animal has died to make
anything in here. I just think that a lot of people out there don’t want
products that an animal has had to die for.”
Animal Rights Committee is managed by a group of volunteers who
contribute their free time and resources to the protection of animals.
The Committee promotes animal-related laws and regulations. On April 3,
2003 ARC formally proposed amendments to the Ordinance of the City of
Tbilisi on the Maintenance of Dogs, Cats and Other Predator Animals. The
Ordinance was passed by the Sakrebulo (municipality) of Tbilisi on
November 7, 2001. It also supports use of alternatives to animal
experiments as a number of educational and medical research institutions
continue using animals in painful and deadly experiments and
dissections, also support to establish cat shelter
Animal Rights Committee introduces a charity sale of postcards designed
by talented artist Giorgi Akhvlediani. In addition to creating original
pieces of artwork, Mr. Akhvlediani runs a makeshift cat shelter at the
open-air Ethnographic Museum of Tbilisi, where he feeds and takes care
of homeless cats.
`When Avtandil Tskvitinidze and Maka Assathiany watch how the fur is
obtained in `modern’ animal farms and what kind of psychological stress
those animals undergo and see their killing methods that are of middle
ages they will refrain from using natural fur for sure’, – Chairmen of
Animal Rights Committee assured.
In the meantime the manager of Avtandil Tskvitinidze explained that the
fur was provided by Saga Fur Company as a gift and they are not going to
support animal cruelty this way.
Georgian Times, March 9, 2004
5. HIGH WATER TARIFFS NOT TO AFFECT HOUSEHOLDS, PM SAYS
March 3, 2004 Andranik Margarian, the Prime Minister of Armenia, stated
that the increased tariffs for drinking water would not have a
significant affect on households, because the majority of them have
already installed water meters allowing regulating water consumption.
Under a recent decision of a state commission regulating public utility
fees, residents in Yerevan will have to pay 90 drams for 1 cubic meter
of water beginning from April 1 instead of the current price of 56
drams. The prime minister said that out of 280,000 households in Yerevan
240,000 have already installed water meters and owners of the rest of
40,000 apartments are temporarily out of Armenia. However, in regions
only 80,000 households out of the total 290,000 have installed meters.
The deadline there is extended up to 2005, July
ARMENPRESS, March 4, 2004
6. GAS AND WATER PAYING BY INTERNET
Central Bank of Armenia and UNDP set up the first paying system through
Internet in Armenia by `ArCa’ plastic cards. {BR}
Central Bank Chair Tigran Sargssyan informed that the system enables
`ArCa’ owners to pay for public utilities – telephone, gas, water,
electricity on the Internet address of the company, and to buy
`ArmenTel’ easy-cards and `ArmInco ‘Internet cards.
‘ArCa’ Director Shahen Hovhannissyan says that `ArCa’ now has 50.000
cardholders. Anyone can register his or her card in `ArCa’ Internet
address only once a year and to make payments all the year round. The
payment receipt on that address is valid.
, March 3, 2004
7. GARBAGE PRESENTATION
In 2003 an agreement between Armenian Town Planning Ministry and
European Union was signed on implementing an experimental management
project of hard domestic waste in the settlements of Ararat and Vayotc
Dzor Districts. {BR}
As the employee of Town Planning Ministry informed, 1.3-1.5 million
cubic meters of solid domestic waste are annually accumulated in Armenia
and 20% of them in the rural areas.
It is equivalent to 370-430 kg garbage per capita. The waste is
transported and accumulated in the 60 trash dumps of Armenia and in the
streets.
‘I hope this process to be a model, which will be applied in the other
districts, too. European Union finances the project and 3 international
and 2 national experts work on it’, Lia Sighurdt, the international
councilor of Town Planning Ministry, says.
European Union has allowed 150.000-160.000 Euros only for studies. The
project was launched this January and will last for 5 months.
CENN Armenia office would like to note that it is already taking part in
discussions with the experts mentioned in this article and hopes to
contribute to public awareness efforts to learn of the needs of local
populations and to help raise their awareness about waste management and
collection, and to contribute to the studies mentioned above for
improvement of waste management infrastructure.
For more details regarding this study, please contact:
ursula.kazarian@cenn.org.
, March 9, 2004
P.S. CENN Armenia office would like to note that it is already taking
part in discussions with the experts mentioned in this article and hopes
to contribute to public awareness efforts to learn of the needs of local
populations and to help raise their awareness about waste management and
collection, and to contribute to the studies mentioned above for
improvement of waste management infrastructure.
For more details regarding this study, please contact:
ursula.kazarian@cenn.org.
8. ROBERT KOCHARYAN AND THE NATURAL CALAMITY
PM and Ministry of Territorial Management and Coordinating Activity of
Infrastructures have today reported Robert Kocharyan about the measures
taken to eliminate the consequences of the natural calamity during the
last days in the districts. {BR}
It was stated that interdepartmental commissions work in all the
districts having suffered from calamity. They assess the damage and
prepare suggestions over relief to the suffered families and
settlements. Now electricity, water and communication supply is being
restored in those districts.
Robert Kocharyan set tasks to solve the urgent problems and to discuss
at Government sitting the issue on allotting finances and to
periodically inform him about the process of the work.
, March 9, 2004
9. ECOLOGICAL LIBRARY IN TASHKENT
At the press conference held in Tashkent, President of the International
fund for Ecology and Health `Ekosan’ Yusif Shadimetov informed on
founding of the ecological library in Uzbekistan, AzerTAj correspondent
reports. A reader has had an opportunity to obtain information on
ecology, environment protection, as well as flora and fauna. A special
department dealing with ecological education of children has also been
opened at the library.
AzerTag, March 9, 2004
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