[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1187 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1187

 Promoting global energy supply security through increased cooperation 
     among the United States, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, by 
   diversifying sources of energy, and implementing certain oil and 
natural gas pipeline projects for the safe and secure transportation of 
            Eurasian hydrocarbon resources to world markets.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 13, 2008

    Mr. Shuster (for himself and Mr. Ortiz) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Promoting global energy supply security through increased cooperation 
     among the United States, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, by 
   diversifying sources of energy, and implementing certain oil and 
natural gas pipeline projects for the safe and secure transportation of 
            Eurasian hydrocarbon resources to world markets.

Whereas central Asia and the southern Caucasus states are key regions with 
        significant energy resources and economic potential situated between 
        Russia, China, India, and the Middle East;
Whereas the regions' countries collectively have a population of 350,000,000 
        people, a gross national product of $1,650,000,000,000, 
        $1,000,000,000,000 in foreign trade, an average 10 percent annual rate 
        of growth, 10 percent of the world's oil reserves, and 32 percent of gas 
        reserves;
Whereas policies aimed at increasing economic interdependence with a positive 
        impact on peace and stability constitute one of the main priorities of 
        the United States toward the Caucasus states and central Asia;
Whereas the development of the hydrocarbon reserves and their transportation to 
        western markets will contribute to the economic development of the 
        Caucasus states and the central Asian countries;
Whereas for almost two decades, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the United 
        States have jointly promoted energy projects in the Caspian region;
Whereas cooperation between the United States, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia 
        has produced visible and tangible successes;
Whereas the East-West Energy Corridor aims to transport Caspian and central 
        Asian energy resources to western markets through safe and alternative 
        routes, as well ensure security and stability of transit countries;
Whereas the safeguarding of the balance of interests between the suppliers, 
        consumers, and transit countries is recognized as the key feature for 
        genuine energy security;
Whereas Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia lie at the epicenter of Eurasian energy 
        and transport routes and projects, seeking the safe and secure flow of 
        goods, services, and energy resources to world markets, bolstering 
        global energy security;
Whereas the United States, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia engage in strategic 
        cooperation to promote and safeguard common values;
Whereas this multinational cooperation will continue to be a great asset for 
        preserving regional peace, security, and wealth, as well as defending 
        democracy and freedom in Eurasia;
Whereas, on March 22, 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the 
        Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov signed a 
        memorandum of understanding for a dialogue on energy security in the 
        Caspian region;
Whereas, on November 16, 2007, Turkey's minister of energy and natural resources 
        and the United States secretary of energy met and agreed that energy 
        security is a central component of both country's national and economic 
        security interests;
Whereas leaders of countries in the region exchanged views on the importance of 
        Caspian basin energy resources and decided to continue to work together 
        to develop these resources and the transit routes that will take those 
        supplies to the international marketplace;
Whereas the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, the second largest oil pipeline 
        in the world, has connected Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey 
        with global markets;
Whereas the BTC, which stands today as one of the most visionary strategic 
        investments in the region, has become a permanent component of global 
        energy security and a crucial artery for the interdependence of the 
        countries concerned;
Whereas new opportunities have emerged in Turkmenistan for the realization of 
        the Turkmenistan-Trans Caspian-Turkey-Europe Gas Pipeline Project (TCP);
Whereas an intergovernmental agreement between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan would 
        further advance the TCP;
Whereas the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline, considered the first leg 
        of the TCP, has been built and became operational on July 3, 2007;
Whereas Iraqi natural gas can and should be linked to the East-West Energy 
        Corridor through Turkey, including the Nabucco pipeline;
Whereas, on November 18, 2007, natural gas from Azerbaijan flowed into the 
        European Union for the first time, through the Turkey-Greece Gas 
        Interconnector section of the Turkey-Greece-Italy Interconnector 
        pipeline, to be fully operational by 2012; and
Whereas Turkey and Israel are jointly working for the realization of the Turkey-
        Israel Multi-Pipeline System, which will have far-reaching contributions 
        for global energy security as the North-South energy corridor is 
        becoming as important as the East-West energy corridor: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan 
        for their positive contributions to the East-West Energy 
        Corridor and energy security in the region;
            (2) encourages the Administration to continue to engage 
        with the countries in the region and provide political and 
        economic support for the projects;
            (3) suggests the Administration should be involved in the 
        facilitation of the energy security of transit countries based 
        on usage of the East-West Energy Corridor;
            (4) calls on the Administration to use more secretary or 
        high-level delegations to increase diplomatic ties with the 
        region;
            (5) supports the newly-appointed Special Envoy for Eurasian 
        Energy, and encourages his full engagement with the countries 
        in the region, notably Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and 
        Kazakhstan;
            (6) calls on the Administration to actively engage with 
        European allies and encourage the European Union to developed a 
        unified stance on the Nabucco project and become more involved;
            (7) notes that economic and commercial projects offer 
        greater promise than political, military, and institutional 
        structures in promoting integration and development in the 
        region; and
            (8) urges the Administration to actively engage in the 
        region in its efforts to secure the necessary guarantees for 
        the realization of the projects under development, including 
        the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Turkmenistan-Trans Caspian-
        Turkey-Europe Gas Pipeline Project, Nabucco, and Turkey-Iraq 
        natural gas pipelines, and in this framework, intensify 
        demarches related to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and 
        Iraq.
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