WASHINGTON– March 13 (Itar-Tass) – "We totally disagree with a premise that the interests of Russia and Georgia are at variance with respect to transporting Caspian oil," speaker of the Georgian parliament Zurab Zhvania said in an interview with Itar-Tass here on Wednesday.
"The Caspian has so much oil as even two pipelines are not enough to transport it. The sea has enough work both for Russia and Georgia," he added.
Addressing the Washington National Press Club–the speaker reported that according to the programme for the development of Caspian deposits–two projects for the construction of a pipeline are under examination.
According to Zhvania–the choice of "the Georgian route" does not mean at all that another pipeline will not be built. It may run for instance across the North Caucasus to the Novorossiisk port.
Zhvania expressed hope that Azerbaijan and other countries–involved in the project–will support construction of the oil pipeline across Georgia.
"This project which will promote the development of general infrastructure in the republic and growth of interest in cooperation between Georgia and other countries–is of strategic importance for us–"he emphasised.
Copyright 1997
