BAKU-TBILISI-CEYHAN PIPELINE IS PUT INTO OPERATION

SKRIN Market & Corporate News
May 29, 2006 Monday 4:24 PM GMT

The first portion of Azeri oil has been transported through the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. The oil is being loaded onto
a British tanker in the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The official ceremony
of opening the BTC pipeline will be held in Ceyhan on July 13. It
will be attended by the presidents of Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan,
RZD-Partner.Com quoted CNN as saying. The BTC Oil Pipeline is called by
many “a political oil pipeline.” It is no secret that Turkey, Georgia
and Azerbaijan are oriented towards the United States and Europe,
while Armenia and Kazakhstan are closer to Russia. This alliance of
forces determines the structure of oil routes in the region. Some
observers think the idea behind the BTC project is to strengthen
the positions of the US and the EU in Azerbaijan and Georgia. Local
governments, they say, hope to settle their internal problems with
the help of the United States and Europe, reports RBC.