ANKARA: Three-Party Operation in Caucasus

Zaman, Turkey
Aug 27 2004

Three-Party Operation in Caucasus

“Operation Eternity 04,” which is based on providing “humanitarian
aid operations and supporting the peace,” includes land forces from
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia who are currently operating in Baku,
the capital of Azerbaijan.

The operations are a simulation. This year, they take place in an
imaginary country called “Brownland.” The operations train soldiers
in the following areas:

-The monitoring of, the intervention in, and the protection of oil
pipelines

-The securing of the oil pipelines that are used for exporting rich
energy resources into this country.

-The providing of aid for transportation and humanitarian operations.

In related news, Iran gives Armenia $30 million in credit for the
construction of a joint natural gas pipeline.

Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan said yesterday that they
would spend the money on the first session of the construction of the
pipeline’s Armenian part. The pipeline is expected to be complete in
2006.

Because of a US sanction on Iran, Armenia and Iran have separately
constructed their portions of the pipe instead of forming an
international consortium. Iran will sell 36 billion cubic meters of
natural gas to Armenia over the next 20 years.