Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent
LONDON, Mar. 14 -- US Energy Sec. Samuel W. Bodman has urged Kazakhstan to speed up talks on joining the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan crude oil pipeline project.
In Astana, Bodman said he discussed with Kazakh officials "the desire of the United States to see negotiations concluded between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to transport Kazakh oil through the BTC pipeline."
Last year, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan were reported to have prepared a framework agreement for Kazakhstan to join the BTC pipeline project (OGJ Online, Oct. 4, 2005). The governments have yet to sign a final version of the document.
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