Latest Articles about Middle East
TRANSNEFT SQUEEZING OIL MAJORS IN THE CASPIAN PIPELINE CONSORTIUM
On July 19 Transneft president Semyon Vainshtok told the press that Russian demands “are becoming more severe” toward Western companies in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). The added severity includes a concoction of tax claims retroactively. The U.S. companies Chevron and ExxonMobil are among the... MORE
SPY ROW CHILLS U.K.-RUSSIA RELATIONS: FOR HOW LONG?
As the diplomatic crisis between Moscow and London deepened over the extradition request that Andrei Lugovoi stand trial for the murder of former spy Alexander Litvinenko, Russian politicians and media have reacted angrily to Britain’s decision to expel four Russian “diplomats.” British Foreign Secretary David... MORE
RUSSIA SHOWS MUTED PLEASURE OVER PROGRESS TO DENUCLEARIZE NORTH KOREA
The six-party talks over North Korea’s denuclearization resumed Wednesday, July 18, amid real grounds for cautious optimism. The agreement reached in February 2007 has held despite some delays in implementation, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that the DPRK has shut down... MORE
TURKEY OFFERS ROUTE TO EUROPE FOR IRANIAN AND TURKMEN GAS
On July 13 in Ankara, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler and Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on gas deliveries from Turkmenistan and Iran to Turkey and via Turkey to Europe. A deal along these lines could,... MORE
KREMLIN WOULD RE-WRITE OR KILL CFE TREATY
On July 14 Russia notified the 29 other state parties to the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) as well as other countries of Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the Treaty. The suspension would take effect 150 days after the notification.... MORE
DISTINCT CHILL SETTLES OVER U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS
At first, it seemed that the "lobster summit" in Maine between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month had reversed the ever-widening Russo-Western fray. The two presidents announced further consultations on outstanding issues including missile defense, and they approved... MORE
RUSSIA PRODS CHINA TO PAY FOR SIBERIAN PIPELINE
On July 13 the foreign ministers of Russia and China met in Moscow to discuss bilateral ties, including energy issues. After the meeting Russia's top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, noted a shared interest in investment cooperation and coordination of plans to develop Russia's Far East and... MORE
Massoud Barzani Conducting Dangerous Games in Northern Iraq
With the Turkish army massing on the border of northern Iraq, the hard-won gains of Iraq's Kurdish nationalists now face a serious threat. Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the president of Kurdistan since 2005, has adopted a provocative stance... MORE
THE SHTOKMAN GAS DEAL: AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF ITS IMPLICATIONS
Gazprom’s just-concluded agreement with the French firm Total to develop the Shtokman gas field marks a new stage in Russia’s energy strategies and policies. First, it re-defines to Russian unilateral advantage the concept of Western access to Russian energy reserves, by separating access from ownership.... MORE
KREMLIN BRINGS FRENCH TOTAL ON BOARD GAZPROM’S SHTOKMAN PROJECT
Russian energy giant Gazprom created a double business sensation last Friday by signing an agreement with French oil “champion” Total on developing the Shtokman gas field in the Barents Sea. Part of that surprise was the reversal of the wholly unexpected October 2006 decision to... MORE