Shevardnadze Satisfied with BTC Implementation

(Tbilisi, July 14, 2003, Civil Georgia) – Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze said in his Monday radio broadcast on July 14, that there is no setback in the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline.

Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline started last fall and is due to complete in 2004.

“As much as 1600 persons were employed in 4 regions, where the construction works are being conducted. 11,3 ml Lari was granted to the population as a compensation on land. The ports of western Georgian city of Poti and Adjarian capital Batumi received 4ml Lari each, the same amount was transferred to the Railway Department,” Shevardnadze said.

He stressed the importance of protection of ecology and cultural herittance in the country.  

The future pipeline will stretch 1,767 kilometers (443 km through Azerbaijan, 248 km through Georgia and 1,076 km through Turkey) and have a capacity of 50 million tonnes of oil per annum. The cost of the project is estimated at $2.95 billion.

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