The only thing that the Georgian side managed to achieve during the negotiations was that the investor undertook the obligation not to lay the pipeline through sanitary zones of reservoirs situated in the Borzhomi gorge – the Tsalki reservoir and Lake Tabatskuri. However, the ambiguous formulation of the document signed at night of December 1 does not allow to understand, whether it means, that the pipeline will be laid around the Borzhomi region famous for its resorts and healing water. There are two contradicting versions concerning this. The operator of the project of the “British Petroleum – Azerbaijan” company, on behalf of its General Director David Woodward ensures that the signed document does not require any modifications of the route of the pipeline. It means that the pipeline, according to Woodward, will pass through Borzhomi.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Ecology of Georgia Nino Chkhobadze voiced her disagreement with this saying that the conditions put by the Georgian side suppose the necessity to find alternative route for the pipeline. So, this means that the sanction on construction of the oil pipeline have not decided anything, as the main issue which caused the conflict remains open.
Judging from the Tbilisi press, the negotiations with operators of the project were passing in a shameful situation. The Georgian side underwent a strong pressure from all the sides. This particularly was informed by the Minister of Ecology of Georgia Nino Chkhobadze. According to her, not only the Ministry was under a pressure but also President Shevardnadze. She didn’t rule out that these pressures would continue in the future, until the Georgian side does not revise the conditions. Speaking about the sources of force pressure, the Minister recalled also the “British Petroleum”. However, the information of the Tbilisi media gives the grounds to assume that pressure was also made by Ankara, Washington and especially Baku. It is known that on November 30 Heydar Aliyev and Ahmed Sezar have called Eduard Shevardnadze. The words of David Woodward allow to guess, what was the content of the conversation between the Azerbaijani President and the leader of Georgia. Representative of the “British Petroleum” said recently that in Baku they had all the basis to count on the compliance of the official Tbilisi, as Azerbaijan was not even trying to hide, why it made essential concessions in the issue of the tariff for transit transportation of the oil. Shevardnadze should have really understood that the favorable tariffs will lead to dependence of Georgia from the neighboring country.
This dependence is being more complicated by the ultimatum put down by Azerbaijan. Special adviser to the U.S. President Steven Mann recently made it clear that the official Baku would not continue the negotiations on construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum gas pipeline until all the issues connected with the route of the oil pipeline were solved. This is nothing else but a blackmail. It is known that Georgia connects its hopes on overcoming the energy crisis with the gas pipeline. Under such circumstances the Georgian government can not act independently.
