Georgia Ratifies Agreement on Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum Gas Pipeline

(Tbilisi. December 19. Civil Georgia) – Georgian Parliament ratified interstate agreement between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum natural gas pipeline. Both Turkey and Azerbaijan have already ratified the agreement.

“Starting from 2004 Georgia will earn annual 175 million USD from Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum pipeline, which would have 245 kilometers on Georgian territory,” President of Georgian International Oil Corporation Gia Chanturia stated at the Parliamentary session today.

After the project is to launch in 2001. After the implementation of the project Georgia will not be dependent on Russian “Itera” company – the only supplier of natural gas for Georgia at present.

Azerbaijan and Georgia signed an agreement on September 29 2001. “The USA continues to fully support the Southern Caucasus states in the development of gas and oil pipelines in the East-West energy corridor for the effective delivery of energy resources of the Caspian Sea to world markets”, State Department spokesman Richard Baucher stated after the signing ceremony.