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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DavesM who wrote (160313)	3/9/2006 11:29:36 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793974

>>Copyright 2000 Financial Times Information All rights reserved Global News Wire Copyright 2000 The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd. The Times of India September 24, 2000 LENGTH: 399 words HEADLINE: MOVES TO TAP C ASIAN OIL RESERVES BYLINE: MAHENDRA VED BODY: NEW DELHI: The continuing global oil crisis has prompted the major oil consumers to look towards the vast, largely untapped, oil and gas reserves of Central Asia and find ways to access them. According to International Petroleum Encyclopaedia 1998 (Oklahoma, USA), Turkmenistan has between 1.7 and three trillion cubic meters of untapped gas, estimated to be world's second largest reserve. Other Central Asian Republics together have oil and gas equivalent to that of Qatar, Oman and UAE put together. They can produce seven million barrels of oil daily, but for this huge investments are required. A firm indication is the talks being held at various levels with the Taliban in the neighbouring Afghanistan. A Taliban delegation headed by an aide of foreign minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil is currently holding talks in Paris with representatives of the French Government. Three European Union members have also taken the initiative in talking to the Taliban. Ashqabad, capital of Turkmenistan, which professes "neutrality" with regard to any conflict in the region, is the hub of these contacts, well placed diplomatic sources say. The most preferred venue, however, is Pakistan, where diplomats have been interacting with the Taliban. Last month, a senior official accompanying Chinese Foreign Minister Tang met Ambassador Haqqani who represents the Kabul regime. US ambassador to Pakistan, William B. Milaim, had a much-publicised meeting in with Mohammed Naim Khan, head of the Afghan commissionerate in Peshawar. The Frontier Post prominently carried a photograph, but gave no details. The diplomatic drive, including a media conference at the UN headquarters by Abdur Rahman Zahid, Taliban's deputy foreign minister, comes amidst reports of their victories against Northern Alliance. Taliban are seeking world recognition, conscious that they hold the key to peace in the region that could guarantee smooth movement of oil and gas out of Central Asia. The French initiative is being credited to the interest shown by the country's il multinational corporations in Central Asian oil and gas reserves. Unocal, a US MNC that planned to pay a $ 2.5 billion gas pipeline from Daulatabad in Turkmenistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan, closed its operations last year. But this and many other MNCs are awaiting conducive times to resume work on this and other projects. JOURNAL-CODE: WTIN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright 2000 Financial Times Information All rights reserved Global News Wire Copyright 2000 The Nation Publications (PVT) Ltd. The Nation (Pakistan) July 19, 2000 LENGTH: 237 words HEADLINE: SHARJAH FIRM TO BUILD PAK-QATAR GAS PIPELINE BYLINE: FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT BODY: ISLAMABAD - Crescent Petroleum Company of Sharjah would finance, construct and operate a gas pipeline from Qatar to Pakistan with a capacity of carrying 1.6 cubic feet of gas per day. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Crescent Company. The MoU would lead the parties to an agreement through due negotiations. A gas sale and purchase agreement would also be the part of the main agreement. The MoU would be valid for 12 months and would be extended only if significant progress would be reported on the project itself and on the negotiations of further agreements. This is in line with Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf's initiative to have as many gas pipelines through Pakistan as possible to feed the growing need of natural gas against dinimishing reservoirs. After the Qatar pipeline, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources would concentrate on Turkmenistan Pipeline line that would reach Pakistan through Afghanistan. A consotium including the government of Pakistan is already in place under the name of CentGas Limited. The only hurdle in the way of Turkemen gas is the war torn area of Afghanistan. On behalf the of the government of Pakistan Abdullah Yousuf, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, inked the MoU while Ahsanullah Khan, Director, on behalf of Crescent Petroleum signed it. JOURNAL-CODE: WTNP From Lexis-Nexis. It appears what stopped the pipe line was our funding the Northern Alliance in a bid to take out the Taliban.