Cheney talks about energy, Black Sea, Georgia in four-nation tour

At his first stop in Azerbaijan, Wednesday, Sept. 3, vice president Richard Cheney was briefed on the impact of the Georgia conflict on the prospects of diversifying energy supplies and pipelines from the Caspian to lessen Europe’s dependence on Russia. With Azerberjani president Ilham Aliyev, Cheney will discuss the events in Georgia and troop contributions to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Tuesday, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin was in Uzbekistan to clinch a deal on a new gas pipeline to pump Turkmen and Uzbek gas across Uzbekistan into the Russian pipeline system for re-export to Europe.
The vice president continues to Georgia to discuss Mikhail Saakashvili’s quarrel with Russia, the highest level US official to visit Tbilisi since the crisis erupted on Aug. 7. That crisis will also loom large in his talks with another US ally, Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko, on Friday.
Cheney winds up his tour in Italy.

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