IV

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 162

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding oil and gas pipeline routes

in the South Caucasus.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 14, 2001

Mr. KNOLLENBERG (for himself, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr.

SWEENEY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding oil and gas

pipeline routes in the South Caucasus.

Whereas the development of strong political, economic, and

security ties among all the nations of the South

Caucasus, and between this region and the West, will foster stability in the Caucasus;

Whereas the development of open market economies and open

democratic systems in the nations of the South Caucasus

will provide positive incentives for international private

investment, increased trade, and other forms of commercial interaction with the rest of the world;

Whereas Armenia has shown itself to be a valued ally of the

United States and the democratic nations of the world,
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•HCON 162 IH

and the United States continues to cherish the strong

bonds that exist between the two nations;

Whereas Secretary of State Colin Powell has stated that Armenia’s integration into international institutions remains a foreign policy priority for the United States;

Whereas Armenia’s exclusion from regional economic and

commercial undertakings in the South Caucasus hinders

United States policy goals of promoting stability in that

region;

Whereas proposed oil and gas pipelines originating in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and terminating at the Turkish

port of Ceyhan, via Georgia, specifically bypass Armenia

at the insistence of Azerbaijan;

Whereas other engineering and feasibility studies of proposed

Baku-Ceyhan pipelines also do not include Armenia;

Whereas the proposed Baku-Ceyhan pipeline is expected to

cost more than $2.7 billion;

Whereas a pipeline from Baku to Ceyhan that traverses Armenia is more direct and would save approximately

$400,000,000 to $700,000,000 over a pipeline following

the proposed route through Georgia;

Whereas United States taxpayer funds have been used and

will continue to be used for planning and implementation

of South Caucasus pipeline projects; and

Whereas United States taxpayers demand that United States

funds be used effectively and efficiently: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
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•HCON 162 IH

1 (1) the United States should not subsidize any

2 oil or gas pipeline in the South Caucasus whose

3 commercial viability is in doubt or which hinders the

4 United States goal of integrating Armenia into a se5 cure and prosperous regional economic framework;

6 (2) all proposals for South Caucasus oil and gas

7 pipeline routes should be carefully evaluated to en8 sure that all nations of the Caucasus are included in

9 consideration of energy and trade routes;

10 (3) any engineering and feasibility study, and

11 any project implementation, that utilizes United

12 States Government funds, regarding the Baku13 Ceyhan pipeline, or similar energy transportation

14 projects, must include trans-Armenian routes; and

15 (4) the Trade Development Agency should fund

16 and support an oil and gas pipeline feasibility study

17 to determine the cost savings of a trans-Armenia

18 Baku-Ceyhan pipeline.

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