CENN – MAY 6, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Review BTC Construction to be Held in June
2. Shah Deniz Schedule on Target
3. BP to Produce Over 6 million Tons of Crude in 2004
4. Controversial Disaster Film Casts Spotlight on Global Warming
5. Rating of Free Press
6. Tehran: Iran to Export Natural Gas to Azerbaijan, Armenia
7. World Bank Approves $35 mln in Loans for Armenia
8. Panel Discussion: Cauc/ Policy of the Major Powers and Future of ROA
9. Register Now Online for Bangkok Congress
1. REVIEW BTC CONSTRUCTION TO BE HELD IN JUNE
Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag,
May 4, 2004
A commission headed by Abid Sharifov, Vice-Premier of Azerbaijani
government, will depart for Turkey to carry out a regular review of
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline construction on its Turkish section in
early June, stated Mr. Sharifov on press conference with the
journalists. The vice-premier has observed that as per agreement with
the Turkish party such reviews on the BTC Turkish section with its
direct participation are carried out once each month on the level of
general contractor for construction – the Turkish company BOTAS.
Commenting on delays in the BTC Turkish section construction A. Sharifov
has stressed that in any even small project, for instance, when a house
is constructed, delays occur, tens of problems appear – when ditches are
dug, communications are laid etc. The BTC is a very large-scale project
and naturally the pipeline construction costing around $3 billion cannot
do without any problems at all. There are problems, but they are
resolved as soon as possible, both on the territory of Georgia and on
the territory of Turkey, – A. Sharifov believes.
The length of BTC pipeline is 1,762 km, of which – 443 km are in
Azerbaijan, in Georgia – 248 km, in Turkey – 1070 km. The pipeline
capacity is 50 million tons of oil per annum. The construction works
will be completed in the beginning of 2005.
A Greek Consolidated Contractors International Company is a contractor
for the construction of the Azeri part of BTC pipeline, a contractor for
Georgian part is Spie Capag/Petrofag, which is also a contractor for
works on the construction of pumping stations on the territory of both
countries. The Turkish company BOTAS is the contractor for the Turkish
part of BTC pipeline.
2. SHAH DENIZ SCHEDULE ON TARGET
CBN, May 6, 2004
The Shah Deniz gas and condensate development project has made
significant progress since Stage 1 sanctioning in February last year.
“The project is progressing according to schedule to meet the target of
delivering first gas to the market before winter 2006.
3. BP TO PRODUCE OVER 6 MILLION TONS OF CRUDE IN 2004
Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag,
May 4, 2004
BP-Azerbaijan plans to extract 125 thousand barrels of oil daily to
increase the production to 6,2 million tons by late 2004, stated
president of BP-Azerbaijan David Woodward.
According to him, 32,5 million tons of oil has been produced from Chirag
field since November 1997.
4. CONTROVERSIAL DISASTER FILM CASTS SPOTLIGHT ON GLOBAL WARMING
Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag,
May 6, 2004
The sci-fi thriller The Day After Tomorrow is sparking controversy for
its portrayal of climate disaster. NASA officials ordered their
scientists not to answer questions about the film (bosses backed off
after a New York Times story), while a Bush/Cheney campaign spokesman
quibbles with the New York Post over political fallout from the movie.
Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox promoters try to squelch the words “global
warming” altogether.
The $125 million motion picture opens with an Antarctic ice sheet
collapsing beneath a team of polar scientists. Tidal waves batter
Manhattan, before the city is frozen in ice. Tornadoes blast Los
Angeles, while blizzards sweep India. The paleoclimatologist hero played
by Dennis Quaid warns a dismissive vice president bearing uncanny
likeness to our current one “if we don’t act now, it will be too late.”
The over-the-top storyline far exceeds real-life climate scientists’
most extreme projections. But like any good fable, the movie taps a more
basic truth: Global warming is happening today. While research on the
problem is continuing, responsible experts say we need to act now to
start fixing the problem.
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) can help reporters, reviewers,
and editors writing about The Day After Tomorrow sort fact from fiction
on global warming, and discuss the sharp political reaction to the film.
We have climate experts on staff, and can also help you reach local
scientists in your area.
5. RATING OF FREE PRESS
Source: Caucasus-Press, May 4, 2004
Georgia has freest press among the CIS countries. That’s the opinion of
American Human Rights Organization `Freedom House’, which has published
its `Rating of Freedom of World Press – 2004′. The countries got marks
according to 100-point system in which 0 means the highest level of
freedom and 100 means the lowest level of freedom.
Georgian press has been recognized as partially free, it held 112th
place with 54 points. Press in the rest of the CIS has been deemed as
non-free – Moldova (the media in this country as well as in other
post-Soviet countries listed below have been deemed as non-free, 63
points 127th place), Armenia (64 points 134th place), Ukraine (68
points, 150th place), Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan (71 points, 156th
place), Tajikistan (73 points 160th place), Kazakhstan (74 points, 161st
place), Belarus and Uzbekistan (84 points, 182nd place), Turkmenistan
(95 points 190th place).
Danish, Icelandic and Swedish mass media are freest of all (8 points
each), the least free press exists in North Korea (98 points). For
example USA got 13 points and held 15th place, Germany got 16 points
(25th place), Japan got 18 points (33rd place), Great Britain, France
and Poland got 19 points (37th place), Israel got 28 points (64th place)
and China got 80 points (173rd place).
Data from 198 countries of the world have been processed for this
rating. 73 countries are evaluated as having free press, 49 countries
are deemed to have partially free press and 71 countries are thought to
have non-free mass media.
6. TEHRAN: IRAN TO EXPORT NATURAL GAS TO AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA
Source: IRNA, Iran, May 5, 2004
Iran is to export 200 to 350 million cubic meters of natural gas to
Azerbaijan per annum from the coming winter according to a contract that
is to be signed by the two sides after necessary negotiations and
agreements.
Deputy Minister of Petroleum for Caspian Oil and Gas Affairs Hamdollah
Mohammadnejad told IRNA here on Wednesday that Iran has been in talks
for more than one decade with the republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia on
export of its natural gas.
Mr. Mohammadnejad said that Iran is also to export 1.2 to 2.5 billion
cubic meters of natural gas to Armenia a year for a period of 20 years
through a 20-inch pipeline.
The gas, he added, would be transferred to Magri border region through a
120 kms pipeline.
The official said that feasibility studies on the pipeline project have
been completed and it would be implemented once Iranian and Armenian
sides sign related contract.
He said Iran gives the priority to transfer of gas to neighboring and
the Central Asian republics on the long run in a bid to upgrade mutual
economic cooperation.
7. WORLD BANK APPROVES $35 MLN IN LOANS FOR ARMENIA
Source: Interfax, May 5 2004
The World Bank board of directors on Tuesday approved three new credit
programs for Armenia totaling about $35 million, Roger Robinson,
director of the World Bank office in Yerevan, said at a press conference
Wednesday.
The World Bank will allocate $10.15 million for public sector
modernization, $23 million for water supply and sewage system
restoration in 300 municipalities, and $1.74 million on agriculture
reform and compensation for industry losses caused by bad weather, he
said.
The programs are planned to last four to five years. Loans will be
disbursed according to the standard easy terms offered by the
International Development Association (IDA) with repayment in 40 years
at 0.5% per year with a 10-year grace period, Robinson said.
8. PANEL DISCUSSION: CAUC/ POLICY OF THE MAJOR POWERS AND FUTURE OF ROA
Sunday, May 23, 2004
4:00 PM
Free admission
The Armenian Cultural Committee of Boston presents
A Panel Discussion:
“The Caucasian Policy of the Major Powers and Future of Armenia”
Panelists:
Dr. Murat Acemoglu
David B. Boyajian
Moderator: Dr. Armen Bagdoian
Location:
Church of the Good Shepherd
Corner of Mount Auburn Street and Russell Avenue
(1/2 mile from Watertown Square & one block from Common Street)
Watertown, Massachusetts
9. REGISTER NOW ONLINE FOR BANGKOK CONGRESS
IUCN, May 5, 2004
Online registration for the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress is now
available! IUCN members and other invitees may register directly on the
registration page. This is the first time that IUCN is offering this
service through a carefully developed system that accommodates all the
many and varied delegates of the Bangkok Congress — members, commission
members, partners and other participants. The registration system
includes a series of explanations to assist with the overall process,
including a contact email and telephone number for specific enquiries
and assistance. The French and Spanish versions of the registration site
will be available at the:
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress