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CENN Daily Digest - 08/12/2004

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  • CENN Daily Digest - 08/12/2004

    CENN - AUGUST 12, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
    Table of Contents:
    1. Construction of the BTC Pipeline Resumes
    2. Information Technologies - International Youth Conference
    3. 5th Annual `Greentech Environmental Excellence Award' & Intl.
    Conference:



    1. CONSTRUCTION OF THE BTC PIPELINE RESUMES

    Source: The Georgian Messenger, August 10, 2004

    BP resumed construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline on August 6,
    204, after the Georgian government issued its permission to do so while
    Mikheil saakashvili was on three-day visit to the United Stats.

    The Georgian president took the opportunity to call on BP to guarantee
    the safety of the Borjomi Gorge region through which the BTC pipeline
    currently being constructed.

    `BP must take all measures to ensure the ecological safety of the
    Borjomi Gorge. The company tried to complain to us in Washington but it
    will not work,' he said at a press conference in Washington.

    Mr. Saakashvili added tat the Georgian government had demanded that BP
    lay the pipes deeper in the gorge to protect the pipeline from natural
    disasters and from possible terrorists acts as well as to buy the
    special equipment needed to guarantee the ecology of the region.

    `The BTC pipeline has very great value for us, because this project
    underlines the strategic importance of Georgia. But the health of the
    citizens is also important for me,' said Saakashvili.

    He claimed that BP had fulfilled all the governmental conditions for now
    and as a result the construction had been resumed. `BP ha taken the
    first steps to satisfy the demands of the Georgian sides,' said
    Saakashvili. `But the pipes will not be operated if all safety
    conditions are not met.'

    The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Tamar Lebanidze told
    journalists this week that the government accepted the guarantees to BP.
    But she added that some `additional security mechanisms' would be
    considered during construction.

    The Georgian Ministry of Environment suspended the construction of the
    pipeline in the Borjomi district for environmental reasons on July 23,
    2004. The Ministry claimed the construction had violated several items
    of the environmental contract and demanded that BP provide all necessary
    documents on safety measures being taken in the region.

    Meanwhile the United States is carefully monitoring the process of
    construction of the BTC pipeline. During her last visit to Georgia last
    month, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Beth Jones visited various
    sections of the pipeline. Talking at a press briefing in Tbilisi she
    said, `I am convinced of the environmental integrity and sanctity of the
    pipeline. The security issues involved with the pipeline are being taken
    are of.'

    Jones evaluated the importance of the pipeline for Georgia. `The
    construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and
    Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline which transit through Georgia allow
    the country to find its independence in the energy sector,' she said.

    BP always denied neglecting environmental damage and ecological safety.
    On the contrary, it claimed, safety and security are key priorities. `We
    have to make sure everything is kept as safe as possible,' GEO of the
    BTC Company Michael Townshend commented on the issue recently in
    Tbilisi.

    But environmentalists claim that these are mere words, `BP has made all
    kinds of promises about how the BTC project would boost Georgian
    sovereignty, yet as soon as Georgian law no longer fits their schedule,
    they violate it without hesitation,' said James Leaton of WWF.

    The environmental groups worry about the fate of the Borjomi district,
    particularly its national park and mineral water springs. The Georgian
    media even quoted the Minister of Environment Lebanidze saying she would
    not have approved the route through Borjomi selected by BP in November
    2002, because of the risk of environmental damage.

    Be that as it may, the route cannot be changed says BP. `I can tell you
    with absolute assurance that the route will not be changed,' Townshend
    said.

    But environmental group Friends of the Earth question the quality of
    construction `BP has repeatedly said that it will construct this
    pipeline to the highest standards,' said representative Friends of the
    Earth Hannah Griffiths. `But whenever the standards get in the way of
    the construction schedule, they get jettisoned.'


    2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES - INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE

    We invite you to participate in the activities of the International
    Youth Conference that will take place on the October 11-14, 2004,
    Yerevan.

    The conference will be convened according to the following directions:
    o Information technologies in the sociological science
    o Information technologies in the field of the biological medicine
    o Information technologies in the technical sciences

    The conference working languages are Armenian, Russian, and English.
    Students (bachelors, masters), post-graduate students, candidates, and
    researchers up to the age of 35 can participate in the conference.

    The Section of Biological Medicine of the conference will take place in
    the Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi.

    The conference materials are accepted prior to September 1, 2004.

    The conference materials must be submitted in Armenian, Russian, or
    English, volume of 3-4 pages, with MS Word text format, according to the
    following criterion: Working field is 11.5x17.5 cm (for example, for A4
    (21.0x29.7) paper size Top-6cm, Bottom-6.5cm, Left-5cm, Right-4.5cm),
    line spacing-1.2, font- Arial Armenian, Times New Roman, size-10.

    Report materials can only be considered by e-mail delivery to the
    following e-mail addresses:
    o Information Technologies in the Sociological Science: [email protected]
    o Information technologies in the field of the biological medicine:
    [email protected]
    o Information technologies in the technical sciences: [email protected]

    Lana Hakobyan
    Office manager
    Bioecomed NGO
    7 Hasratyan St., 375014, Yerevan RA
    Tel/Fax: + 374 1 282061


    3. 5TH ANNUAL `GREENTECH ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARD' & INTL.
    CONFERENCE:
    4th-6th Nov. 2004 at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad.

    Dear Friend,

    I take immense pleasure in announcing 5th Annual Greentech Environment
    Excellence Award. The renowned award in the corporate world, Greentech
    Excellence Environment Award for the year 2003-2004, in its 5th year
    will be presented during the International Conference on Environment
    Management on 4th November 2004 in Hyderabad, India.

    Every year Greentech Foundation recognizes Industrial and Service sector
    organization's outstanding achievement towards environment protection
    and clean environment through Greentech Environment Excellence Awards
    program. The awards are given to encourage implementation of strategies
    for improvement in Environmental management standards, give recognition
    to the Industrial & Services sector unit/organization for their
    outstanding contribution. In the past we have presented Greentech
    Environmental Excellence Awards to various Public sector and Private
    sector organizations. The lists of Award Winning Organizations are
    available in our website: www.greentech.org

    Recently we have organized 3rd Annual International Conference and
    Exhibition on `Health Safety and Environment' from 21st - 23rd June 2004
    in GOA, India. 3rd Annual `Greentech Safety Awards' were also presented
    to various organizations for their outstanding achievements in the field
    of safety at workplace. The conference had the participation of 378
    delegates from all over India and overseas.

    `Greentech 2004' the 5th Annual Intl. Conference & Exhibition on
    Environment Management will be held simultaneously with the award
    program provides an international forum for researchers and
    professionals from academia, industry and government to share experience
    and knowledge; to offer opportunities for establishing new and
    strengthening existing partnerships among professionals, institutions
    and industries. It is indeed a pleasure to see the heated academic
    atmosphere during the conference where various industrial organizations
    vie with each other to save the world by communicating and cooperating.
    Complete details are available in our website: www.greentech.org

    We invite your active participation in the Environment Excellence Award
    Program by sending nomination of your all units/ factories/ projects &
    for the Conference by nominating yourself and some Speakers and
    Delegates from all units and projects of your organization and exhibit
    your achievements through Exhibition Stall to derive full benefit from
    this important event. Your participation can also be as Advertiser/
    Sponsor for major presence & exposure of your organization in the
    corporate world.

    Thanking and awaiting your early participation,
    Yours sincerely,

    Kamaleshwar Sharan
    President


    --
    *******************************************
    CENN INFO
    Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)

    Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
    Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
    E-mail: [email protected]
    URL: www.cenn.org

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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