Main Azeri Oil Export Pipeline in Georgia Intact – Russian Agency

Excerpt from report by corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfax

Baku, 11 August: While ensuring security in South Ossetia, Russia does not aim at creating problems on the Georgian sector of the Baku- Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan Vasiliy Istratov told a briefing on Monday [11 August].

“We know that Azerbaijan’s energy export channel (the Baku- Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Supsa and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipelines – Interfax-Azerbaijan) passes through the region that is adjacent to the zone of hostilities. We know how important it is for Azerbaijan, and Russia has no plans whatsoever regarding this channel let alone plans to close it,” Istratov said.

On the other hand, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry does not have information available about the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline having been damaged. “The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has no reports of any damage inflicted to the main export pipeline as a result of bombing,” Foreign Ministry press secretary Xazar Ibrahim told a briefing on Monday.

He said that Azerbaijani crude continued to be transported via the Baku-Supsa pipeline.

In the meantime, the BP-Azerbaijan company told Interfax- Azerbaijan that oil export proceeded as planned.

“All our oil export operations are proceeding as usual. We are also continuing to transport oil via the Baku-Supsa pipeline,” the company representative said.

[Passage omitted: background details]

[Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0949 gmt 11 Aug 08 reported, quoting spokesman for the Azerbaijani railways Nadir Azmammadov, that Azerbaijan had delivered 400 tankers with oil and fuel to the Georgian terminals in Batumi and Qulevi.]

Originally published by Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0904 11 Aug 08.

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