US AID AIMED AT PREVENTING GAS PIPELINE PRIVATIZATION – GEORGIAN TV

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
13 Sep 05

[Presenter] In New York today an agreement was signed with the
Millennium Challenge Corporation, as a result of which Georgia will
receive 295m dollars. Of this, 44m dollars will be for repairing the
[Russia-Georgia-Armenia] gas trunk pipeline . The only condition is
that this strategically important asset is not sold. Davit Nikuradze
joins us live from New York. Dato, why is the gas pipeline attracting
such attention in Washington? Usually, the White House is not so
openly categorical.

[Correspondent] America’s interest is simple to understand. They do
not want eastern European countries to be dependent on the Russian
Federation. The USA has been opposed to the privatization of the trunk
gas pipeline ever since State Minister Kakha Bendukidze put the idea
to the Georgian government. The USA believes that the privatization
of the trunk gas pipeline would result in Georgia losing its energy
independence. It is also linked to the Sah Daniz and Ceyhan projects,
in which the Americans have a major interest.

Recently, this has been the most sensitive issue in Georgian-American
relations.

After the meeting in New York, you could say that the privatization
of the gas pipeline is off the agenda for the time being, but only
time will tell if it is forever.

[Passage omitted]