BP Exec Meets Georgian President, Seeks Permission to Proceed With Pipeline Construction
A top British Petroleum executive met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on August 3, aiming to secure permission to proceed with construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline through an environmentally sensitive area of Georgia. Georgian officials earlier ordered a two-week construction halt in the Borjomi region, saying BP had not obtained the necessary permits.

Activist’s Prize Marks Long Campaign for Facts on Georgian Pipeline
A EurasiaNet Q&A with Manana Kochladze: 05/05/04
The head of the Georgian International Oil Corp., Giorgi Chanturia, announced that construction on Georgia’s sector of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is proceeding ahead of schedule. Work will soon commence in the environmentally sensitive sector around the Borjomi mineral water springs, Chanturia added. EurasiaNet recently spoke to Manana Kochladze, a prominent Georgian environmentalist, about the ecological risks associated with the pipeline project.

Desert Gold: Niyazov’s Conflicted Approach to Turkmenistan’s Water Woes
In early April, Turkmenistan celebrated its annual water holiday with President Saparmurat Niyazov proclaiming that water resources should be treated as a "national treasure." Yet, while vast sums are spent on high-profile projects that glorify Niyazov’s regime – notably the $9-billion construction of Lake Turkmen – insufficient amounts are spent on Turkmenistan’s aging water infrastructure, and on providing its approximately 5 million residents with access to clean drinking water.

Amid Risk, Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline Edges Forward
Mevlut Katik
On December 1, an association of environmentalist groups stepped up its campaign against the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. The group announced that Barclays Bank had declined to make a loan to the project. This news potentially places additional pressure on host governments to manage the pace and cost of pipeline construction.