NURSULTAN NAZARBAEV BACKS KAZAKHSTAN'S INVOLVEMENT IN BAKU-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINE PROJECT








ASTANA, March 2. /RIA Novosti's correspondent Revmira Voshchenko/ -- Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev backs the project of Caspian oil transportation through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. He said this on Friday at a briefing on results of his meeting with Elizabeth Jones, special envoy for energy of the US president and the state secretary, and the American ambassador to Kazakhstan Richard Johns. 


	They exchanged opinion on matters of transportation of Caspian energy resources. 


	According to Jones, Nazarbayev assured that the first Kazakh oil from the Kashagan field on the Caspian shelf will be passed along the Aktau-Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. It will be put into service somewhere in 2004-2005 and at this time oil production will begin at Kashagan. Nazarbayev stressed that the Kazakh government will immediately begin work on reaching an cooperation agreement on the Baku-Ceyhan project, Jones said. 


	Since the pipeline will pass via Chechnya, security remains topical, said Jones. The American administration is in talks with all countries participating in the Baku-Ceyhan project to ensure security along the entire route. 


	To Jones, start of work of the Caspian oil pipeline consortium on the Tengiz-Novorossiisk line will be a great victory for Kazakhstan, Russia and the United States. For Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey it is very important to have an additional route for pumping vast reserves of oil. It is to be established what route would be most acceptable, she said. The US special presidential envoy also added that the United States and companies co-sponsoring the project will welcome the involvement of Russia's Lukoil and other companies.