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  • SOUTHERN CORRIDOR – EU signs deal on new gas pipeline

    SOUTHERN CORRIDOR – EU signs deal on new gas pipeline

    It is hoped that the piepline will start pumping gas to Europe by 2014 [EPA]

    The European Union has just signed an agreement with Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Egypt in a bid to press ahead with a gas pipeline that would reduce its reliance on Russian energy. That shows the determination on the part of EU to end Europe’s energy dependence on Russia.

    Mirek Topolanek, the Czech prime minister, said the aim to open up a “southern corridor” for supplies was “not just a one-way street for pipelines…We envisage this as a new silk road where we’ll see the flow of information, goods, people and energy in both ways.” () (Aljazeera, MAY 08, 2009)

    “Two suppliers — Azerbaijan and Egypt — and two key transit states — Turkey and Georgia — agreed to give “the necessary political support,” and, where possible, “technical and financial assistance” to the construction of planned pipelines and transport routes needed to bring gas from the Caspian Basin region and the Middle East to the European market.”
    (RADIO FREE EUROPE, Antoine Blua, May 08, 2009)

    Here is the text of this important declaration ushering in a new age of energy diplomacy:

    ***

    DECLARATION: SOUTHERN CORRIDOR
    Prague Summit, May 8, 2009

    We, the Participants of the Southern Corridor Summit held in Prague on the 8th of May 2009;

    express our political support to the realization of the Southern Corridor as an important and mutually beneficial initiative, which will lead to the promotion of common prosperity, stability and security of all countries involved;

    understand the Southern Corridor as an area of mutual interest providing opportunities for cooperation of the various entities in our public and private sectors. The trigger but not the sole focus of this process of strengthening relations among the Southern Corridor countries will be enhancing our mutually beneficial energy cooperation, which has the potential to serve as a cornerstone for the overall cooperation among countries involved;

    acknowledge that infrastructure projects which interconnect the countries along the Southern Corridor will act as a catalyst for further co-operation in other areas. The successful cooperation in the field of energy will encourage investments also in transport area. The development of transport infrastructure, including for energy, will lead to an intensification of people-to-people contact, which is the fundamental prerequisite to further social, economic and political cooperation in the whole region;

    intend to overcome the main remaining commercial and non-commercial obstacles by coordinating on common progressive strategy, individual commitments of the countries concerned, namely energy producer, transit and consumer countries, and clear scheduling for the completion and functioning of concrete energy and transport projects to be realized and operated within the Southern Corridor, including the Trans-Caspian energy transportation projects;

    consider the Southern Corridor concept as a modern Silk Road interconnecting countries and people from different regions and establishing the adequate framework, necessary for encouraging trade, multidirectional exchange of know-how, technologies and experience.

    We consider

    The Southern Corridor concept as a synergy of the following documents:

    – the Partnership and Co-operation Agreements between the EU and Azerbaijan, the EU and Georgia, the EU and Kazakhstan, and the EU and Uzbekistan;
    – the Association Agreement between the EU and Turkey and the EU and Egypt;
    – the European Neighbourhood Policy, including the Action Plans, the Eastern Partnership, EU-Central Asia Strategy and the Black Sea Synergy;
    – the Memoranda of Understanding on strategic energy partnership between the EU and Egypt , EU and Kazakhstan, EU and Turkmenistan and EU and Azerbaijan;
    – the Declaration of the Budapest Nabucco Summit of 27 January 2009;
    – the Declaration of the Sofia Energy Summit of 24-25th April 2009;
    – The Baku Initiative and the Energy Road Map endorsed on the occasion of the Astana Ministerial Conference of 30 November 2006;
    – The Baku Energy Summit Declaration of 14th November 2008;
    – The Ministerial Statement on the Nabucco gas pipeline project of 26th June 2006;
    – Agreements on transportation of oil and gas through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum oil and gas pipelines of 1999 and 2001 respectively;

    – Agreement among the Republic of Turkey, the Hellenic Republic and Italian Republic concerning the development of the Turkey, Greece, Italy Transportation Corridor of 26 July 2007 in Rome;
    – the European Council Conclusions of 8-9 March 2007, 16 October 2008 and 20th March 2009;
    – the European Commission’s Second Strategic Energy Review of 13 November 2008;

    – Decision No 1364/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning trans-European energy networks (TEN-E);

    – Commission Decision granting financial aid for an action of 2.12.2008 in the field of the trans-European energy networks (TEN-E);
    – the EU-financed INOGATE technical feasibility studies on the Trans-Caspian-Black Sea Gas Corridor as well as the feasibility study on the Caspian Development Corporation (CDC);
    – the European Commission’s Communication on the extension of the major trans-European transport axes to the neighbouring countries, of 31 January 2007;
    – the transport cooperation and initiatives involving the EU and the countries of the Southern Corridor ;
    – And bearing in mind international treaties and obligations, including those arising from the Energy Charter Treaty, the Energy Community Treaty as well as the existing bilateral and multilateral agreements fostering the development of projects of the Southern Corridor;

    We declare

    That the concept for the Southern Corridor is complementary to other existing energy and transport partnerships and projects of the EU and is open for the participation and contribution of third countries on a case-by-case basis in concrete projects, upon agreement of all the Parties to this declaration directly involved.

    That one of the basic prerequisites for developing the Southern Corridor is cooperation to establish interconnections starting with direct energy and transport links among the countries concerned as appropriate. We therefore agree to promote a common initiative to develop the conditions necessary for more effective transportation networks, including of energy resources, goods and people as well as an improved exchange of know-how and technologies within the Corridor with the participation of all the interested countries, international political conditions permitting. This should make the maximum use of the existing regional initiatives on energy and transport.

    On the basis of declared principles in the field of energy we,

    agree to give necessary political support and, where possible, technical and financial assistance to the construction of the Southern Corridor, including the Trans-Caspian energy transportation projects, in order to support the diversification of energy sources, markets and transport routes, which will not only enhance the energy security of the participating countries , but also will simultaneously constitute fair and profitable opportunities for energy producers, consumers and transit countries, while recognizing the need for this to be feasible, economically competitive, technically and environmentally sustainable and timely.

    welcome transparency, competitiveness, long term predictability and stable regulatory conditions to underpin the realization of concrete infrastructure projects in the framework of the Southern Corridor. This should include

    * firstly, the means to provide producers with reliable commitments of the consumers on their aggregate demand and the identification of non- committed natural gas and oil volumes by producer countries that can be dedicated specifically to the EU as well as the Corridor countries markets with a precise timetable for their availability on the basis of their commercial profitability;

    * secondly, the establishment of necessary and appropriate transit and environmental arrangements in line with the Parties’ international commitments;

    * thirdly, the need for companies to ensure direct, industry-standard commercial agreements between producers and consumers.

    envisage a mechanism for aggregating sufficient volumes to be transported through the Southern Corridor, and, take note of the feasibility study on the Caspian Development Corporation initiative that should lead to concrete proposals in this respect. In this context, eventually consider devoting, as appropriate, public and private financial resources necessary for the realization of the Southern Corridor, including encouraging the market-based participation of public and private companies.

    attain the energy security of all parties including consumer and transit states, such as Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, on the basis of commercial agreements that are in line with the Parties’ international commitments.

    welcome that the countries concerned will endeavor to:

    – implement a clear, transparent, cost-based, stable and non-discriminatory transportation regime for natural gas or oil across the territories of the Corridor countries to end consumer markets, in line with the Parties’ international commitments.

    – establish direct connections between both sides of the Caspian Sea as one of the main important elements of the effective energy cooperation and favour the interconnection of the Southern Corridor with the EU through strategic infrastructure projects necessary for carrying natural gas by pipelines or ships. In the gas sector, interconnection will be established among others through the Nabucco project and the ITGI project both of which are financially supported in the EU Recovery Plan endorsed by the European Council of March 2009 as well as other projects within the Corridor. In the oil sector, an extension of the already operating transportation system between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan could be developed in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, taking into account the constrains of the Turkish straits.

    – promote the activities of public and private companies that are involved or willing to participate in the realization of the Trans-Caspian energy link.

    – achieve maximum energy efficiency and use of renewable energies as an important element for successful cooperation in the field of energy.

    Therefore, we express our readiness to share technologies, knowledge and know-how in order to reach efficient fuel use and further development of alternative energy sources to allow long-term and sustainable growth for all Corridor countries;

    – share technologies, knowledge and know-how for the development of energy resources, their transportation and technical upgrading within the Corridor.

    In the field of transport we endeavour,

    To support the promotion of regional and cooperative approaches to transport challenges in the Southern Corridor, which includes appropriate projects in the Mashreq, in particular Egypt and Iraq.

    To intensify cooperation in view of promoting the implementation of relevant infrastructure projects and of policy measures to facilitate exchanges, to support efforts to make transport projects within the Southern Corridor an effective and responsive instrument of cooperation and enhancing public-private partnerships and other ways of attracting investments.
    To implement the extension of transport trans European Networks to Turkey and South Caucasus and beyond to Central Asia along the Southern corridor, including connections to the Middle East.

    To encourage, with respect to high importance of railway transport in economies of Corridor countries, all parties involved to further develop the strategic railway networks and their interoperability. In this regard we support the railway and maritime corridor connecting the Caspian Sea Region with the EU, as well as a roll-on roll-off ferry connections between the EU and the relevant countries of the Southern Corridor, including Georgia.

    To share technologies, knowledge and know-how for technical upgrading of transport facilities within the Corridor in order to increase the transport efficiency.
    To harmonize technical norms and standards, ensure transparent and competitive tariffs, and to simplify custom procedures and border crossing in order to ensure fluent movement of all kinds of goods as a basic condition for deepening of trade among the involved countries.

    In the field of overall cooperation we agree,

    That strengthening of mutual relations must go hand in hand with following principles: transparency, non-discrimination , market economy and commercial profitability.
    To favour stable regulatory framework ensuring clear and predictable investment environment, which contributes to mutual trust necessary for successful realization of all strategic projects within the Southern Corridor.

    With respect to implementation and follow-up, we agree to strongly support the following steps:

    On energy:

    * The European Commission, together with the Council of the EU and the signatory partner countries, will monitor the implementation of this declaration and, in particular, work on developing an Action Plan seeking the implementation of the necessary conditions and the
    appropriate supporting measures for the Southern Corridor.

    * For the EU Member States concerned and Turkey to finish the negotiations of the intergovernmental agreement on Nabucco as quickly as possible, to sign it by the end of June 2009 in Turkey, and to continue to support the necessary steps for its implementation inter alia by identifying gas volumes available for marketing in the EU and Turkey.

    * For the EU Member States concerned and the relevant countries to progress further on the timely realisation of the ITGI project.

    * For the EU and the concerned countries to conclude the feasibility study on the Caspian Development Corporation initiative by the end of 2009 in view of the possible identification of relevant actions for the implementation.

    * For the EU and Iraq to sign an MoU on Energy as soon as possible, and for the EU and Egypt to cooperate and agree on specific projects in developing Egypt’s gas reserves and export potential for the EU, including via the Southern Corridor and encouraging energy investment, transfer of know-how for this purpose.

    On transport

    * To cooperate on the objective of promoting the extension of the trans-European transport networks to the countries of the Southern Corridor;

    * To work on developing an action plan on possible additional appropriate measures, including safety and security, to facilitate transport and transit flows along the Southern Corridor;

    * To work on a list of priority projects and policy measures for the development of the Southern corridor, and attract funds to implement them.

    Done and signed in Prague on 8th May 2009 in the presence of the representatives of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

    For the EU,
    H.E. Mirek Topolánek, President of the European Council

    H.E. Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission

    For the Republic of Azerbaijan,

    H.E. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

    For the Republic of Georgia,
    H.E. Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia

    For the Republic of Turkey,

    H.E. Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey

    For the Arab Republic of Egypt,
    H.E. Sameh Fahmy, Minister of Petroleum of the Arab Republic of Egypt

    ***

    00000000000000000


    The European Union has signed an agreement with four countries in a bid to press ahead with a gas pipeline that would reduce its reliance on Russian energy.

    Azerbaijan and Egypt, which can both supply gas, and Turkey and Georgia, which are able to carry it, signed up to the Nabucco gas pipeline scheme on Friday at a meeting in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic.

    In return for their commitment to supply gas to Europe, the EU offered to provide more trade and stronger transport links to the gas producers and transit countries involved.

    Three key nations – Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – refused to sign the text, diplomatic sources told the AFP news agency.

    ‘New silk road’

    Mirek Topolanek, the Czech prime minister, said the aim to open up a “southern corridor” for supplies was “not just a one-way street for pipelines.”

    He said: “We envisage this as a new silk road where we’ll see the flow of information, goods, people and energy in both ways.”

    Representatives from the United States, Russia and Ukraine also attended the summit as observers to the agreement.

    Dosya:Nabucco Gas Pipeline-tr.svg

    Iraq, which was also invited to the meeting, did not send any officials.

    The summit was called to help kick-start the Nabucco pipeline, which would link the EU to gas rich nations on and beyond the Caspian Sea, bypassing Russia and Ukraine.

    The pipeline, which once completed would stretch 3,300km from Turkey to Austria, could transport up to 31bn cubic metres of gas each year to western Europe.

    It is hoped that it will start pumping gas to Europe by 2014.

    The EU is keen to speed up the construction of the pipeline after a dispute between Russia and Ukraine in January over gas prices left large areas of Europe without  supplies of the resource for two weeks.

  • WILL THEY BE ALLOWED?

    WILL THEY BE ALLOWED?

    Below, please find a dear colleague letter issued by The Honorable Alcee L. Hastings in the U.S. Congress.

    It is not a secret that there has been a rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia since President Gul visited last September the latter for a soccer match between the respective national teams upon invitation from Armenia’s president.
    This has generated a flurry of activities and joint meetings, giving rise to expectations, perceived or real.
    Though it is known that there can be little advance in this area without resolving the Karabagh issue where Armenia forcibly occupies 20% of Azerbaijan proper along with Karabagh, talks went on.

    Armenia still covets neighbor’s territories in search of a utopia, the creation of greater Armenia: Western regions of Azerbaijan, eastern regions of Turkey, Javath region of Georgia, and others.

    Armenian constitution still refers to eastern Turkey as western Armenia. Armenia also denies the legitimacy of international agreements signed in 1921 between Turkey and Armenia, Turkey and Soviet Union, and others determining the borders between Turkey and Armenia.

    Another contentious issue is the Armenian insistence to characterize the 1915 events a genocide, totally ignoring Armenian propaganda, agitation, raids, terrorism, rebellions, territorial demands and treason, in that order, giving rise to 524,000 Muslims, mostly Turkish, which in turn triggered the TERESET (Temporary Resettlement order of May 27, 1915.)

    In an editorial dated March 10, 2009 in The California Courier, a anti-Turkish, racist Armenian journal, Harut Sassounian wrote the following:

    “… It is hard to believe that the Armenian government would invite the Turkish Foreign Minister to Armenia just one week before April 24. Mr. Babajan, a Genocide denialist and high-ranking official of a hostile country that is blockading Armenia, should never be welcomed in Yerevan, unless he intends to place a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Monument and offers an apology to the Armenian people!…”

    If such hostile and racist attitudes frequently and openly displayed by Armenian diaspora opinion makers are any yard stick, or if same are allowed to influence the current rapprochement, you can kiss good bye the latter.

    Let’s wait and see.

    ***

    From: The Honorable Alcee L. Hastings
    To: Colleagues
    Re: The Frozen Relations Between Armenia and Turkey are now Showing Some Signs of Melting

    March 9, 2009
    Dear Colleague,

    I am writing to bring to your attention a March 9th commentary in Newsweek, “The frozen relations between Armenia and Turkey are now showing some signs of melting,” by Grenville Byford, a regular contributor to the magazine and an affiliate of the Caspian Studies Program at Harvard University.

    Mr. Byford outlines the way forward to improve Turkish-Armenian relations. Most importantly he recognizes that improved relations between Turkey and Armenia would further U.S. objectives in the Caucasus and enhance regional energy security.

    I urge you to review the article and join with me in demonstrating strong Congressional support for continued Turkish-Armenian rapproachement.

    Sincerely,
    /s/
    Alcee L. Hastings
    Member of Congress
    ***
    THE FROZEN RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY ARE NOW SHOWING SOME SIGNS OF MELTING

    By Grenville Byford

    NEWSWEEK
    From the magazine issue dated Mar 9, 2009
    https://www.newsweek.com/grenville-byford-turkish-armenian-reconcilation-82299

    It’s almost April, so Washington is gearing up for another performance of the “Armenian Genocide Resolution Spectacular,” a regular event since 1984. Here’s the historical plotline: the Armenian-American lobby gets a few U.S. congressmen to sponsor a resolution recognizing the 1915 massacre of Armenians in what is now Eastern Turkey as a “genocide.” Then other members of the House are induced to support it. (Members of the House may not be history buffs, but they understand the importance of stroking a powerful domestic lobby.) Next, the Turkish government says Turkey is too important to be insulted like this. In response, the American administration, recognizing that Turkey is indeed a critical NATO ally whose Incirlik Air Base is vital to the Iraq mission, starts twisting congressional arms to abandon the resolution. Offstage, the Israeli lobby, generally keen to boost Turkish-Israeli relations (though less so this year), w! orks against the resolution. Finally, the House leadership reluctantly shelves the whole thing and the curtain falls.

    Before staging this year’s performance, however, Congress should note that hitherto frozen relations between Armenia and Turkey are now showing signs of melting, and that this may be the first step toward reconciling the Turkish and Armenian peoples. In September, Turkish President Abdullah Gül attended a Turkey-Armenia football match in Yerevan at the invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who recently met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Davos. The two foreign ministers, Turkey’s Ali Babacan and Armenia’s Eduard Nalbandian have also been meeting. Both have made optimistic noises.

    Progress has been possible because the Armenians have focused on the concrete issue of opening the Armenian-Turkish border—a vital matter to them since none of their other neighbors (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran) can offer a viable trade route to the West. Both sides have wisely avoided the genocide dispute, surely recognizing it will have to be dealt with eventually but that developing economic ties will make it easier to do so. Lingering in the background, however, is the Armenian diaspora’s passionate insistence that there was a genocide—and its mirror image in the fury of the Turkish people denying it. Right or wrong is not the point. No Turkish government could contemplate opening the Armenian border with this issue front and center, and Congress should recognize that a genocide resolution would put it there.

    In all probability, Turkey and Armenia can only resolve the genocide dispute if they recognize that “was it a genocide?” may be the ultimate question, but it is not the most important one today. To those aiming for reconciliation, two questions outrank it: what common facts can Turks and Armenians be brought to accept, and is the common ground sufficient for both sides to start binding up the wounds? To this end, Erdogan’s proposal to establish a joint historical commission should be pursued. Though Armenia has rejected the idea so far—largely because it is winning its argument on the world stage—the government has softened its stance recently. If the aim is reconciliation, persuading the Turks to abandon the blanket denial they are taught as schoolchildren is what counts.

    Progress is not as implausible as it sounds. In the early days of the Republic, Kemal Atatürk, who was not personally implicated, described the Armenian massacres as “shameful acts.” No ex-Ottoman officials were investigated, however, as Turkey needed the newly minted heroes of its War of Independence to have no stain on their characters. Today, Erdogan will accept an investigation. In return, Armenia must accept a reciprocal investigation into the Ottoman Armenians, who fought with the sultan’s Russian enemy, and their responsibility for massacres of Turks and Kurds. Weaving together these two violently opposed historical perspectives will take time and patience. As important as the final answer, however, is the development of empathy across the divide.

    Congress can help keep the path to reconciliation open if it is willing to deny the Armenian-American lobby the instant gratification of a genocide resolution. Surely doing so would be far better than repeating the exercises of the last 25 years over and over again until a resolution finally passes and all the House’s leverage over Turkey evaporates, along with most of the good will in the Turkish-American alliance, and maybe even the alliance itself. For its part, the Armenian diaspora might even support reconciliation if only as its second choice.
    Finally, good relations between Turkey and Armenia would further U.S. objectives in the Caucasus. The proposed hydrocarbon corridor through the Caucasus from Central Asia looks much more secure in the context of Turkish-Armenian friendship, and it might give Armenia the confidence to break with the status quo in the longstanding Nagorno-Karabakh dispute with neighboring Azerbaijan. C! ongress and others should recognize that this year holds real promise for the beginning of reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples. If nothing comes of it, Congress can always return to a resolution.

    Byford writes frequently on Turkish affairs and is a regular contributor to Newsweek.com.