France to take part in building pipeline from Caspian to Europe.

6/10 Tass 202

ASTANA, October 6 (Itar-Tass) - The presidents of Kazakhstan and
France, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Nicolas Sarkozy, have agreed during their
talks on the participation of the French side in the construction of a
trunk oil pipeline to stretch from the Caspian to Baku and to Europe,
Kazakhstan's president announced at the joint news conference on Tuesday.

"The arrangements were made on the participation of the French side in
the project for the construction of an export trunk oil pipeline from the
Caspian to Baku and to Europe. This is a project of exceptional
importance, the main artery of transportation of Kazakhstani oil and gas
to Europe," Nazarbayev stressed.
He said Kazakhstan and France were also ready to cooperate in the
development of oil-and-gas deposits.
A number of intergovernmental agreements were signed in the framework
of the state visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Kazakhstan.
For instance, the agreement was concluded on the transit of military
property and personnel over Kazakhstan's territory in connection with the
participation of French military forces in the efforts for stabilization
and rehabilitation in Afghanistan.
In addition, the agreement was signed on cooperation in the studies
and peaceful uses of the outer space, and the agreement on terms of
developing and using a space system for distance probing of the Earth and
spacecraft assembly-and-test complex.
KazMunaiGaz joint-stock company and Spicapag signed the memorandum of
understanding regarding the Eskene-Kuryk oil pipeline. Kazatomprom
joint-stock company and Areva/Cogema signed the documents to found a joint
venture on marketing and setting up the production of fuel assemblies in
Kazakhstan and increasing uranium output.
-0-saf/gor