Speech by Heydar Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the meeting with Richard ‎Matske, the President of "Chevron" Oil Company - Houston, Winham Warwick Hotel, August 2, ‎‎1997‎


Esteemed Mister Matske!

Firstly, I would like to thank you for kind words you addressed to the Republic of Azerbaijan and me, as the President of this Republic and would like to say you that I am very pleased to meet you. I congratulate you on signing of contract between State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic and "Chevron" Oil Company in White House.

Stressing the fact that we are in the White House for the first time and sign such contract, and your remarks about my role in that, I say: yes, I brought you to the White House. Albert Gore, the US Vice-President, Mrs. Albright, the US State Secretary, Mr. Penya, Mr. Deily, the US Secretary of Energy and other high-ranked officials, attended the ceremony of signing the contract.

During my meeting with Mr. Bill Clinton I told him in details about delivering of Kazakh oil, extacted from "Tenguiz" oil field, by tankers through the Caspian Sea to Baku and transfer it to the world market from there and I said him that during my official visit to Kazakhstan in June of this year, me and Mr. Nazarbayev, we signed an agreement on construction of underwater pipeline through Caspian Sea for delivering of "Tenguiz" oil to Azerbaijan.

I would like to point out also that I have informed President Bill Clinton about forwarding of 300 thousand of oil, extracted by "Chevron" Oil Company, from Baku to Batumi via railway and the US President displayed a special interest to this fact.

Mr. Matske, as the president of "Chevron" Oil Company I would like to draw your attention to the fact that speeding-up of the construction underwater pipeline through the Caspian Sea is of great importance. I am also sure that you will do your best for abrogation of unfair amendment to the 907th Section of "Freedom Support Act" adopted by US Congress. Your appraisal of project proposed by Congressman Peter King for abrogation of amendment to the 907th Section of Freedom Support Act and your saying that you will do your best for realization of this project strengthened my certainty in that. I express my gratitude for this and I would like to stress that in the new stage of US-Azerbaijan cooperation that was launched by my visit to the United States, the more active participation of US companies will be of great importance.

I would like to bring to your attention once again, that there are good opportunities for establishing of close relationships with Azerbaijan, which have chosen the way of market economy. We pay a special attention to the development of cooperation with world business centers. We are sure that investment made in Azerbaijan will be of mutual benefit.