CENN – AUGUST 12, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Construction of the BTC Pipeline Resumes
2. Information Technologies – International Youth Conference
3. 5th Annual `Greentech Environmental Excellence Award’ & Intl.
Conference:
1. CONSTRUCTION OF THE BTC PIPELINE RESUMES
Source: The Georgian Messenger, August 10, 2004
BP resumed construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline on August 6,
204, after the Georgian government issued its permission to do so while
Mikheil saakashvili was on three-day visit to the United Stats.
The Georgian president took the opportunity to call on BP to guarantee
the safety of the Borjomi Gorge region through which the BTC pipeline
currently being constructed.
`BP must take all measures to ensure the ecological safety of the
Borjomi Gorge. The company tried to complain to us in Washington but it
will not work,’ he said at a press conference in Washington.
Mr. Saakashvili added tat the Georgian government had demanded that BP
lay the pipes deeper in the gorge to protect the pipeline from natural
disasters and from possible terrorists acts as well as to buy the
special equipment needed to guarantee the ecology of the region.
`The BTC pipeline has very great value for us, because this project
underlines the strategic importance of Georgia. But the health of the
citizens is also important for me,’ said Saakashvili.
He claimed that BP had fulfilled all the governmental conditions for now
and as a result the construction had been resumed. `BP ha taken the
first steps to satisfy the demands of the Georgian sides,’ said
Saakashvili. `But the pipes will not be operated if all safety
conditions are not met.’
The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Tamar Lebanidze told
journalists this week that the government accepted the guarantees to BP.
But she added that some `additional security mechanisms’ would be
considered during construction.
The Georgian Ministry of Environment suspended the construction of the
pipeline in the Borjomi district for environmental reasons on July 23,
2004. The Ministry claimed the construction had violated several items
of the environmental contract and demanded that BP provide all necessary
documents on safety measures being taken in the region.
Meanwhile the United States is carefully monitoring the process of
construction of the BTC pipeline. During her last visit to Georgia last
month, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Beth Jones visited various
sections of the pipeline. Talking at a press briefing in Tbilisi she
said, `I am convinced of the environmental integrity and sanctity of the
pipeline. The security issues involved with the pipeline are being taken
are of.’
Jones evaluated the importance of the pipeline for Georgia. `The
construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline which transit through Georgia allow
the country to find its independence in the energy sector,’ she said.
BP always denied neglecting environmental damage and ecological safety.
On the contrary, it claimed, safety and security are key priorities. `We
have to make sure everything is kept as safe as possible,’ GEO of the
BTC Company Michael Townshend commented on the issue recently in
Tbilisi.
But environmentalists claim that these are mere words, `BP has made all
kinds of promises about how the BTC project would boost Georgian
sovereignty, yet as soon as Georgian law no longer fits their schedule,
they violate it without hesitation,’ said James Leaton of WWF.
The environmental groups worry about the fate of the Borjomi district,
particularly its national park and mineral water springs. The Georgian
media even quoted the Minister of Environment Lebanidze saying she would
not have approved the route through Borjomi selected by BP in November
2002, because of the risk of environmental damage.
Be that as it may, the route cannot be changed says BP. `I can tell you
with absolute assurance that the route will not be changed,’ Townshend
said.
But environmental group Friends of the Earth question the quality of
construction `BP has repeatedly said that it will construct this
pipeline to the highest standards,’ said representative Friends of the
Earth Hannah Griffiths. `But whenever the standards get in the way of
the construction schedule, they get jettisoned.’
2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES – INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE
We invite you to participate in the activities of the International
Youth Conference that will take place on the October 11-14, 2004,
Yerevan.
The conference will be convened according to the following directions:
o Information technologies in the sociological science
o Information technologies in the field of the biological medicine
o Information technologies in the technical sciences
The conference working languages are Armenian, Russian, and English.
Students (bachelors, masters), post-graduate students, candidates, and
researchers up to the age of 35 can participate in the conference.
The Section of Biological Medicine of the conference will take place in
the Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi.
The conference materials are accepted prior to September 1, 2004.
The conference materials must be submitted in Armenian, Russian, or
English, volume of 3-4 pages, with MS Word text format, according to the
following criterion: Working field is 11.5×17.5 cm (for example, for A4
(21.0×29.7) paper size Top-6cm, Bottom-6.5cm, Left-5cm, Right-4.5cm),
line spacing-1.2, font- Arial Armenian, Times New Roman, size-10.
Report materials can only be considered by e-mail delivery to the
following e-mail addresses:
o Information Technologies in the Sociological Science: [email protected]
o Information technologies in the field of the biological medicine:
[email protected]
o Information technologies in the technical sciences: [email protected]
Lana Hakobyan
Office manager
Bioecomed NGO
7 Hasratyan St., 375014, Yerevan RA
Tel/Fax: + 374 1 282061
3. 5TH ANNUAL `GREENTECH ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARD’ & INTL.
CONFERENCE:
4th-6th Nov. 2004 at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad.
Dear Friend,
I take immense pleasure in announcing 5th Annual Greentech Environment
Excellence Award. The renowned award in the corporate world, Greentech
Excellence Environment Award for the year 2003-2004, in its 5th year
will be presented during the International Conference on Environment
Management on 4th November 2004 in Hyderabad, India.
Every year Greentech Foundation recognizes Industrial and Service sector
organization’s outstanding achievement towards environment protection
and clean environment through Greentech Environment Excellence Awards
program. The awards are given to encourage implementation of strategies
for improvement in Environmental management standards, give recognition
to the Industrial & Services sector unit/organization for their
outstanding contribution. In the past we have presented Greentech
Environmental Excellence Awards to various Public sector and Private
sector organizations. The lists of Award Winning Organizations are
available in our website:
Recently we have organized 3rd Annual International Conference and
Exhibition on `Health Safety and Environment’ from 21st – 23rd June 2004
in GOA, India. 3rd Annual `Greentech Safety Awards’ were also presented
to various organizations for their outstanding achievements in the field
of safety at workplace. The conference had the participation of 378
delegates from all over India and overseas.
`Greentech 2004′ the 5th Annual Intl. Conference & Exhibition on
Environment Management will be held simultaneously with the award
program provides an international forum for researchers and
professionals from academia, industry and government to share experience
and knowledge; to offer opportunities for establishing new and
strengthening existing partnerships among professionals, institutions
and industries. It is indeed a pleasure to see the heated academic
atmosphere during the conference where various industrial organizations
vie with each other to save the world by communicating and cooperating.
Complete details are available in our website:
We invite your active participation in the Environment Excellence Award
Program by sending nomination of your all units/ factories/ projects &
for the Conference by nominating yourself and some Speakers and
Delegates from all units and projects of your organization and exhibit
your achievements through Exhibition Stall to derive full benefit from
this important event. Your participation can also be as Advertiser/
Sponsor for major presence & exposure of your organization in the
corporate world.
Thanking and awaiting your early participation,
Yours sincerely,
Kamaleshwar Sharan
President
—
*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress