CENN Weekly Digest – May 31, 2006 – Armenian Directory & News

May 31, 2006 05:02:04 PM |
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News From Georgia < ia> >>

Power games in the Caucasus

Source: BBc News: By Kieran Cooke, 2006-05-07

In Dgvari village, Georgia

Roman Gogoladze, a farmer living in the village of Dgvari, high up in
the mountains of Georgia in the Caucasus, points at the foot wide
cracks in the walls of his house.

The whole structure looks as though it will soon collapse and slide
down the valley.

“Big powers – the oil companies and the government – are destroying
our homes and our land,” he says.

“They are playing their money games and ignore people like us.”

The anger of Mr Gogoladze and other villagers in Dgvari is mainly
directed at BP, the energy giant leading a consortium which recently
completed the world’s longest pipeline project, stretching 1,767kms
from Baku in Azerbaijan via Tbilisi in Georgia to the port of Ceyhan
on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline and an associated South
Caucasus gas supply line are sunk into the mountainside less than one
kilometer above Dgvari.

Villagers say pipeline excavations have seriously destabilised
surrounding lands and allege that promised amounts of compensation
have not been paid.

BP insists work on the BTC is not to blame for Dgvari’s landslide
problems.

It says it has offered $1m (£550,000) of humanitarian aid to the
government to help resettle the villagers elsewhere.

Foreign investment

Georgia, one of the richest republics in the old USSR, went into sharp
economic decline following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the
country’s independence in the early 1990s.

As Russia’s economy went into free-fall, Georgia lost its key export
market, particularly for its food produce and wine.

More than a million of the country’s 5m people were forced to emigrate
in search of jobs.

Though there have been limited signs of economic improvement recently,
the country – with much of its infrastructure in a state of near
collapse, most of its industry at a standstill and estimates of
unemployment varying between 30% and 50% – is in desperate need of
investment.

The Georgian government says the BTC project will play a central role
in rejuvenating the country’s economy.

According to government statistics, more than 60% of total foreign
investment over the past two years has been associated with the
project.

“I have no illusions that this pipeline will solve all our problems,
but this is a start,” says Georgia’s president, Mikhail Saakashvili.

Seismic zone

However, many farmers along the route of the BTC, plus local
environmental groups, have voiced strong opposition.

The oil and gas pipelines go near the source of the country’s famed
Borjumi spring water, a principal export.

Georgia is in a seismic zone: the BTC’s critics say any earthquake
activity could cause massive environmental and economic damage.

The $3.6bn BTC project, strongly backed by the US and British
governments, plays a key role in an increasingly frenzied battle for
control of vital energy sources in the Caspian region and Central
Asia, with Washington and London viewing the presence of the pipeline
as a vital counterbalance to Russia’s growing control over the area’s
energy supplies.

The Georgian government not only hopes to gain much needed funds from
charging for the transit of oil and gas through its territory.

With much of its own energy sources, including a network of hydro
stations, in a state of severe disrepair, the country is heavily
dependent on imports, particularly of gas, supplied by Russia.

Moscow, which has military bases in Georgia, has watched with concern
as its former republic has turned to the West: US military advisors
are training the Georgian army – President Bush visited Tbilisi last
year, describing the country as “a beacon of freedom.”

At the beginning of this year Russia doubled the price of gas it
supplies to Georgia.

In late January, in the middle of one of the coldest winters on
record, an as yet unexplained explosion severed the pipeline carrying
Russian gas to Georgia, leaving a large part of the country without
power for a week.

President Saakashvili was quick to point the finger at Moscow,
alleging his country was the victim of “outrageous blackmail.”

Power and influence

Georgia is seeking to diversify energy supplies, though a gas import
agreement with Iran met with Washington’s disapproval and was quickly
terminated.

The government is now negotiating terms for a gas supply from the BTC
associated South Caucasus Pipeline project.

Yet while the government says it’s trying to escape from Moscow’s
shadow, there are indications powerful political factions are pressing
for the sell-off of the country’s power sector to Russian interests.

“Strange games are going on here,” says Mrs Salome Zourabichvili, the
country’s former foreign minister, sacked by Mr Saakashvili last year.

“There’s a lot of infighting in government with a pro-Moscow faction
seeming to get the upper hand.

“What is white is black and vice versa. As everywhere else in the
territories of the old Soviet Union, Russia is using its power as an
energy producer to further its influence.”

Empty promises

The complexities of local politics, big power rivalries and the energy
business mean little to Roman Gogoladze and his fellow farmers in the
village of Dgvari.

The government says there’s a growing danger of landslides and has
told the village’s 500 inhabitants they must leave.

“The Russians, BP, the government – they’re all the same,” says Mr
Gogoladze.

“All sorts of promises are made but nothing ever happens.

“When we protested against the pipelines, the police came and beat
people up. Not one person in the village was given work on the
project. Indians and Columbians were brought in instead and we were
left with nothing – but we are never going to leave our lands.”

31.5.2006

News From < aijan>
Azerbaijan >>

PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES UKRAINIAN DELEGATION LED MY MINISTER
OF FUEL AND ENERGY IVAN PLACHKOV

Source: Azetag, 2006-05-16

On May 16, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received at the
Presidential Palace the delegation of Ukraine led by the country’s
Minister of Fuel and Energy Ivan Plachkov.

The Head of State described current relations between Azerbaijan and
Ukraine as steadily developing. The President pointed out he had
recently discussed different aspects of bilateral cooperation with his
Ukrainian counterpart, adding they will meet during the forthcoming
summit of GUAM member states in Kiev.

Ivan Plachkov conveyed to the Azerbaijani leader greetings and letter
from President Viktor Yuschenko. In the letter, the Ukrainian leader
expressed readiness to promote further development of his country’s
all-round cooperation with Azerbaijan. Describing the
Azerbaijan-Ukraine relations as strategic, Viktor Yuschenko noted he
is looking forward to meeting with the Azerbaijani President during
the coming GUAM summit in Kiev.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the greetings from
Viktor Yuschenko, and asked Mr. Plachkov to convey his own ones to the
Ukrainian leader.

31.5.2006

News From Armenia < ia>
>>

FOUNTAINS AND GREEN ZONES OF NORTHERN AVENUE TO BE CHANGED

Source: Noyan Tapan, 2006-05-15

A considerable reconstruction work is necessary in order to put in
operation again the fountrains of Yerevan’s Northern Avenue currently
under construction, because the infrastructures supplying these
fountains are too old. Chief Architect of Yerevan Samvel Danielian
told NT correspondent about it. According to him, the Urban
Development Council of Yerevan is now examining a version of
constructing Northern Avenue, by which the upper level of the avenue
is viewed as a green area, while fountains will be installed below –
at the “minus 1” level. Besides, a version to build an underground car
parking space at the “minus 2” level all along Northern Avenue is
being discussed. The car parking lots will not be built only at the
area limited by Eznik Koghbatsi and Abovian Streets, where it is
envisaged to construct the Old Yerevan historical and architectural
complex of 14 buildings.

31.5.2006

International < mational>
News >>

Kazakhstan mulls Baku- Erzurum gas pipeline link

Source: New Europe, 2006-05-15

Kazakhstan is thinking about linking up with the Baku-Erzurum gas
pipeline, Danial Akhmetov, Kazakhstan’s prime minister, said at a
briefing in Baku. `Kazakhstan is thinking of linking up to this new
gas pipeline, which will create not only new alternatives for our
country but new and I’d say more interesting economic opportunities,
because Greece lies directly beyond Erzurum, and then Italy. This
would give Kazakhstan access to the European markets,’ Interfax quoted
Akhmetov as saying.

The Baku-Erzurum pipeline, capacity 30 billion cubic metres of gas
annually, will be built in September this year, Akhmetov said. The
pipeline will carry gas produced at Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to
market.

Akhmetov also said that he discussed Kazakhstan’s participation in the
Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline construction with Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad in Baku on Friday before last.

`The meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was devoted
primarily to the issue that the (Kazakh) President (Nursultan
Nazarbayev) asked (me to discuss), namely integration in the sphere of
energy resources, new opportunities and Iran’s attitude to
Kazakhstan’s participation in, say, the construction of the
Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline,’ Akhmetov said.

The Shah Deniz project participants are BP – 25.5 percent (technical
operator), Statoil – 25.5 percent (commercial operator), Azeri state
oil company SOCAR – 10 percent, Luk-Agip – 10 percent, Total – 10
percent, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) – 10 percent and TPAO –
nine percent. The Trans-Caspian pipeline would be built along the
Tengiz (Kazakhstan) – Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan) – Baku (Azerbaijan)
– Tbilisi (Georgia) – Erzurum (Turkey) route.

Kazakhstan also expects to sign an agreement to use the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline to transport its own oil in the
second half of June, Akhmetov said. `The agreement between Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan on the BTC pipeline will in principle be closed in
May. I think that in the second half of June we will do everything
possible for the heads of state to sign it,’ Akhmetov said.

Azeri state oil company SOCAR and Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas
company KazMunaiGaz began talks on Kazakhstan using the BTC pipeline
in November 2002. Tankers will ship the Kazakh oil from Aktau to
Baku. Initially, the BTC will carry 7.5 million tonnes of Kazakh oil
per year, rising to 20 million tonnes per year in time. The
1,767-kilometre BTC pipeline is capable of carrying 50 million tonnes
of oil per year. The BTC project participants are BP (30.1 percent),
SOCAR (25 percent), Unocal (8.9 percent), Statoil (8.71 percent), TPAO
(6.53 percent), ENI (five percent), Itochu (3.4 percent),
ConocoPhillips (2.5 percent), INPEX (2.5 percent), Total (5 percent)
and Amerada Hess (2.36 percent).

31.5.2006

International < rence>
Seminar / Conference / Meeting >>

International Conference 2006: “Reviewing the past for reshaping the
future”

(Addressing root causes of Conflicts & Environmental Hazards)

This International Conference is organized by “Eastern University of
Sri Lanka” as a part of Silver Jubilee celebration on the theme
“Reviewing the Past for Reshaping the Future”.

Over the past few decades Sri Lanka had faced numerous natural hazards
and a major ethnic conflict which led to the loss of lives and
destruction of properties and the natural environment of the
country. The conference aims to examine various aspects of the issues
in order to initiate dialogue that can lead to formulate strategies
and mechanisms for a secure future.

Official Website of the International Conference 2006:

Re ference:

Conference Brochure

Researchers are invited to submit papers relating to one or more of the
following areas; (1) Political Economy of Development, (2) Environmental
Issues, (3) Revisiting Tsunami, (4) Conflict, (5) Good Governance, (6)
Traditions and Cultural Diversity, (7) Public Health, (8) Education, (9)
Gender Concerns.

Important Dates of the Conference,

Submission of Abstracts – 07th July 2006

Revision of Abstracts – 31st July 2006

Submission of Full papers – 20th September 2006

Final Submission of Full papers – 20th October 2006

Date of Conference – 11th and 12th December 2006

Inauguration of the International Conference will be on the 10th
December
2006 and the Conference will be held at the Eastern University, Sri
Lanka on
the 11th and 12th December 2006.