KAZAKH

On December 15 President Nursultan Nazarbayev officially announced the completion of the 988-kilometer long Kazakh-Chinese oil pipeline from Atasu in West Kazakhstan to the Chinese border town Alashankou, and pushed the button of the pumping installation at the main control center of the national oil transporting company KazTransOil. The same day, Nazarbayev sent a message of congratulation to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao and at the opening ceremony characterized the event as a proof of fruitful Kazakh-Chinese strategic partnership. But the future of the pipeline is still in limbo.
Cacianalyst