Press Statement Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC December 2, 2002
Georgia Approval of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil PipelineThe United States welcomes the approval today by the Government of Georgia of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline.
Together with earlier approvals by the Governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey, today's action marks a significant milestone in the development of this project, which will bring welcome investment to Georgia as well as strengthen the sovereignty and independence of countries in the Caspian Basin.
We strongly support the host countries and the project developers and commend them for devoting considerable attention to ensuring that the project adheres to the highest standards of environmental stewardship and that it generates economic opportunities for communities along the pipeline route.
We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with all the partners in this project as it moves towards completion in 2005.
Released on December 2, 2002
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