110 HRES 1187 IH: Promoting global energy supply security U.S. House of Representatives 2008-05-13 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1187 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

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.