IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 284 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to promoting energy security of European allies through opening up the Southern Gas Corridor. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 27, 2013 

Mr. TURNER (for himself, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. 

COHEN, Mr. BRIDENSTINE, Mr. LANCE, Mr. MORAN, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, 

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. WILSON

of South Carolina, Mr. COTTON, Mr. MARINO, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. 

GUTHRIE, Mr. STIVERS, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. BORDALLO, and Ms. MENG) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with 

respect to promoting energy security of European allies 

through opening up the Southern Gas Corridor. 

Whereas reducing vulnerabilities of European allies to gas 

supply disruption and to this end development of multiple 

sources of gas is a key component of efforts to ensure 

European energy security; 

Whereas diversification of sources of gas and the routes of 

their delivery will increase competitiveness in the EuroVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:02 Jun 29, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR284.IH HR284

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•HRES 284 IH 

pean market and will help stabilize European and global 

energy prices; 

Whereas the Caspian Sea region strategically located at the 

crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East holds 

significant energy resources and proven natural gas reserves of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and 

Uzbekistan are estimated at 735 trillion cubic feet or 

about 11 percent of the world’s reserves; 

Whereas oil and gas exports from the Caspian Sea region are 

projected to more than double over the next 25 years; 

Whereas it is the policy of the United States in the countries 

of the South Caucasus and Central Asia to assist in the 

development of infrastructure necessary for energy and 

trade on an East-West axis in order to build strong international relations and commerce between those countries; 

Whereas Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia have worked collaboratively with the United States, European allies, and 

other regional partners to jointly develop and promote energy projects in the Caspian Sea region for almost two 

decades; 

Whereas energy exploration in this region is a remarkable example of international cooperation with over 34 companies representing 15 countries, including the United 

States engaged in these projects; 

Whereas successive United States Administrations supported 

development of energy resources in the Caspian Sea region, including construction of the landmark BakuTbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas 

pipeline that are main arteries delivering Caspian energy 

resources to global markets; 


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•HRES 284 IH 

Whereas further energy exploration in the Caspian Sea region 

and its westward exports will reduce the dependence of 

United States allies on energy from the volatile Middle 

East region; 

Whereas the priority now becomes the realization of the 

Southern Gas Corridor to deliver additional volumes of 

natural gas from the Caspian Sea region to European 

markets; 

Whereas the Republic of Azerbaijan-European Union Joint 

Declaration of January 13, 2011, established the Republic of Azerbaijan as a substantial contributor to, and enabler of, the Southern Gas Corridor; 

Whereas at the third meeting of their bilateral Economic 

Partnership Commission convened in Washington, DC, 

on April 18, 2012, the United States and the Republic 

of Azerbaijan reaffirmed the importance of a high-level 

dialogue on energy security in the Caspian region to discuss issues of mutual interest in the energy sector, including establishment of the Southern Gas Corridor; 

Whereas the European Union-United States Energy Council 

at its fourth meeting in Brussels on December 5, 2012, 

noted progress on the realization of the Southern Gas 

Corridor and reaffirmed that it remains a pivotal opportunity to diversify supply and allow new providers to participate in the European Union energy market; 

Whereas the off-shore Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan is one 

of the world’s largest gas-condensate fields, with over 30 

trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas and 240 million tons 

of condensate deposits; 

Whereas development of the second phase of the Shah Deniz 

project, which is a stepping stone in opening the SouthVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:02 Jun 29, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR284.IH HR284

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•HRES 284 IH 

ern Gas Corridor will deliver the first sizeable quantities 

of alternative gas to European markets from the Caspian 

Sea region; 

Whereas the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) 

project launched by Azerbaijan and Turkey will be a key 

part of the Southern Gas Corridor linking the gas resources of the Caspian Sea to the European markets; 

Whereas the two possible Southern Gas Corridor routes, 

Nabucco West, which would run from Turkey through 

Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary to Austria, and the 

Trans Adriatic Pipeline, which would run from Turkey 

through Greece and Albania to Italy, will improve regional energy stability, as well as advance overall regional 

development and prosperity; 

Whereas the Southern Gas Corridor complements other efforts by the European Union to diversify its sources of 

gas supply; 

Whereas realization of the Shah Deniz and these projects will 

help open up upstream development in the regions beyond Europe’s southeastern frontiers; 

Whereas these energy projects have stimulated social and economic progress in the region, promoting friendly relations 

and economic cooperation among regional countries; 

Whereas the development of natural gas resources and building of new routes to European markets for energy producers in the South Caucasus and in Central Asia will 

further provide economic development and consolidate political independence of these countries; and 

Whereas apart from establishing direct energy and transport 

links between Europe and the countries of the Caspian 

region, these projects ensure Western orientation of these 


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•HRES 284 IH 

nations, help promote market-oriented principles and 

practices, and further contribute to their integration with 

the European and Euro-Atlantic institutions: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the House of Representatives— 

3 (A) notes that further energy exploration 

4 in the Caspian Sea region will enhance energy 

5 security of European allies; 

6 (B) affirms that it is in the national inter7 est of the United States to support and enhance 

8 Europe’s energy security by opening up the 

9 Southern Gas Corridor; and 

10 (C) encourages the Administration to con11 tinue to actively engage with the Governments 

12 of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, and other re13 gional partners to provide support for new and 

14 ongoing projects; and 

15 (2) it is the sense of the House of Representa16 tives that it is in the national interest of the United 

17 States to support and enhance Europe’s energy se18 curity by working with the Governments of Turkey, 

19 Azerbaijan, and Georgia and its partners to make 

20 available additional gas and oil supplies to that mar21 ket in a cost effective and secure manner. 

Æ 


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