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A moment of truth for Obama in Moscow
Through a series of labyrinthine
maneuverings, Russia has sought leverage in US-Russia relations by offering
greater cooperation to President Barack Obama over Afghanistan. It is possible
that at a juncture when the overall US-Russia relationship is lurching
dangerously close to breakdown, cooperation in the Hindu Kush might provide a
much-needed leitmotif for Monday's summit in Moscow. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jul 3,'09)
Nabucco is still
alive
An agreement this week for Russia's Gazprom to buy offshore Azerbaijani gas,
coming hard on the heels of Europe's failure to sign up with Turkey on the
Nabucco pipeline project as scheduled, looks like a dagger going to the heart
of Europe's gas supply plan. Not so. Nabucco is still alive. - Robert M Cutler
(Jul 2,'09)
Russia flits from Tehran to
Washington
Just when Russia's 14-year saga over building a nuclear plant for Iran appeared
at an end, Moscow has pointed to financial problems that will delay the
facility's scheduled opening next month. In doing this, Russia is sending a
message not so much to Tehran as to Washington, that it is considering a move
more into the US's orbit. - Dmitry Shlapentokh
(Jul 2,'09)
Kyrgyzstan tackles black economy
The Kyrgyzstan government hopes a tax amnesty will help clean up the economy,
up to 60% of which is illegal. Critics say it will merely legalize illegally
acquired property. Any businessmen wondering on the best path to take can still
resort to bribes. (Jul 1,'09)
China boosts gas imports from
Turkmenistan
China is on the way to overtaking Russia as Turkmenistan's leading market for
gas after agreeing to boost the volume of its imports of the fuel while also
increasing credit lines to the Central Asian country.
(Jul 1,'09)
Lukoil goes Dutch
Russian oil giant Lukoil has broken into Western Europe's most lucrative oil
refining and retail market with the purchase of 45% of Dutch refiner TRN, less
than a year after a ground-breaking if less valuable raid far to the south in
Sicily. (Jun 30,'09)
Kremlin extends welcome to foreign
miners
With formerly wealthy Russian miners running short of cash, Russia is once
again laying out the welcome mat for foreign investors. That means new
opportunities for Chinese, South Korean and Kazakh copper miners and refiners.
- John Helmer (Jun 30,'09)
Naval overhaul slides off Russia’s
agenda
Russia’s military is in need of a realistic assessment of its global
capabilities in the face of the country’s economic woes. Should Moscow redirect
its power aspirations to become more local than global, this would leave the
ambitious elements of its modernization agenda, including the navy and its
dream of multiple aircraft carriers, out in the cold. - Roger N McDermott
(Jun 25,'09)
Taliban threat spooks Central Asia
As Pakistan and Afghanistan continue efforts to push the
Taliban out of their borders, Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are stepping up security efforts in the fear the
escaping militants will head for these territories. - Farangis Najibullah
(Jun 17,'09)
BRIC group plans its own
revolution
Russia's choice of Yekaterinburg, scene of the execution of Tsar Nicholas II
and his family, for the summit of Brazil, Russia, India and China may be
telling. This week's gathering could prove to be a milestone in developing a
new global economic order as the countries seek to move away from US-dollar
dependence. - W Joseph Stroupe (Jun 16,'09)
This is the second article of a three-part report.
 Part 1:
Awakening ahead
on bond delusion
Sino-Russian baby comes of age
After eight years, the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization has evolved
from being "little more than a discussion forum" into a powerful bloc, with
China and Russia its main drivers. From economic clout to gatecrashing the
United States' AfPak strategy, the group demands attention, so much so it is
being talked of as an emerging military alliance. This is not the case, but the
SCO's leaders are ensuring that security in Central Asia and beyond is in
trusted hands. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jun 12,'09)
Putin resolves protest in Pikalevo
As Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was speaking to international financiers
and business leaders in St Petersburg, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was a few
kilometers away showing who was the real power in the land - defusing protests
and humiliating an oligarch while he was at it. (Jun
10,'09)
Turkey steps on the gas
Ankara's reluctance to provide fair transit for Azerbaijani gas, and its
apparent choice of strategic partnership with Russia, could also result in
Turkmenistan's continued isolation from Europe - not to mention Turkey's.
(Jun 9,'09)
West and Russia spar, China wins
The Kremlin's choice of Khabarovsk, near the Chinese border, for a summit venue
should have sent a clear message to the attending European Union leaders as
they discussed future energy supplies from Russia. The Europeans, however,
appear to have badly missed the point. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Jun 8,'09)
Russia boosts Mongolia ties
Russian investment in Mongolia has been boosted by a series of
agreements covering nuclear, transport and agricultural cooperation and may
lead to power plants in Mongolia exporting electricity to China. Russian
officials insist the projects are economically viable, a view questioned by
Russian media. - Sergei Blagov (Jun 4,'09)
Russia, Ukraine revisit gas
conflict
Ukraine's attempts to supply Europe with gas that transits from Russia appear
to be weakening further as it struggles to restock vast underground caves with
gas for delivery come winter. Key company Naftohaz Ukrayiny may be close to
bankruptcy, adding to Moscow's leverage for its pipeline strategy.
(Jun 2,'09)
The Taliban as Bolsheviks
The Afghan conflict is not between superpower proxies over ideology, unlike the
wars which dominated the latter part of the 20th century. For a meaningful
historical comparison, there are the Boxer Rebellion and the Bolshevik
Revolution. Like the Bolsheviks, the Taliban hate democracy and capitalism and
seek Utopia, while the West's quashing of the Boxers showed that international
coordination can be effective. - Dmitry Shlapentokh
(May 27,'09)
Severstal under pressure to sell
US mills
Alexei Mordashov's ambitions to develop Severstal into the world's largest
steelmaker are increasingly proving a drain on the Russian company. The debts
run up to buy stakes beyond the Kremlin's reach have now turned into
liabilities that give his foreign creditors power to dictate terms. - John
Helmer (May 20,'09)
Nabucco starts to shape up
Turkish municipal elections may have been key to the European Union
and Turkey last week resolving differences over terms to build the Nabucco
pipeline carrying natural gas from Azerbaijan to Austria. A deal could be
signed next month - barring remaining hitches. - Robert M Cutler
(May 14,'09)
China, Russia face up to Taliban threat
China and Russia are stepping up ties with a focus on Central Asia - and not
due to fears of Washington's designs on the region. They fear the US's planned
surge in Afghanistan is a last, desperate attempt before a hasty exit, and that
the Taliban could capitalize and creep into Central Asia and their own
Muslim-dominated regions. - Dmitry Shlapentokh
(May 14,'09)
INTERVIEW
Russian broadcaster looks forward
Launched in 2005, Russia Today is an English-language cable and satellite
broadcaster to over 100 countries spread over five continents. Margarita
Simonyan, Editor-in-Chief, explains how the venture aims to present views that
differ from those viewers get through other channels.
(May 14,'09)
Pipelineistan goes Af-Pak
From the "Las Vegas of Central Asia" to the backlands of Taliban-controlled
Afghanistan and Pakistan to Beijing, Moscow and Washington, the politics of
"blue gold" (natural gas) and great-power politics are playing out in a lethal
liquid war. -Pepe Escobar (May 13,'09)
UN suffers disarmament depression
United States President Barack Obama has signaled his commitment to a
nuclear-free world, but this week's United Nations conference on
non-proliferation showed that global consensus on the issue remains elusive.
The problem is rooted in the conflicting interpretation of "common security" in
a world divided between the nuclear haves and nuclear have-nots. - Kaveh L
Afrasiabi (May 11,'09)
The czar and the pirates
In the context of grand strategy, and with half a millennium of gunboat
diplomacy to learn from, the Russian Navy has been increasingly active in
projecting its capabilities in international waters, as it was before the
Soviet government fell in 1991. As made clear by a recent Kremlin transcript,
President Dmitry Medvedev is seeking to show the world that he's a can-do guy
when it comes to dealing with pirates. - John Helmer
(May 11,'09)
Azerbaijan can look the other way
Azerbaijan, for two decades a reliable energy supplier for the West, may
reconsider that "partnership" as Europe drags its feet over the proposed
Nabucco pipeline and the Caspian country sees its hope that it could eventually
join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization extinguished. - Robert M Cutler
(May 7,'09)
Uzbekistan mixes rich and poor
Former Soviet republic Uzbekistan may have somewhat recovered from the
post-dissolution economic crash that hit many of its counterparts, but
prosperity continues to elude it. Thanks to a fossilized political structure
led by the uncharismatic President Islam Karimov - who would rather focus on
the Great Game than economics - it is a rich country filled with poor people. - Ian
Williams (May 7,'09)
Gazprom shadow falls over Hungary
Russian energy giant Gazprom may be preparing to take over a large part of the
Hungarian domestic gas distribution network. The opaque scheme may also be
designed to siphon off funds for the Kremlin. (May
7,'09)
Russia, China on comradely terms
Russia's deteriorating ties with the West - evident most recently in a blowout
with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization over "spies" - are moving the
country strategically closer to China. Moscow and Beijing have agreed to
intensify military cooperation, while a plan is in the works to utilize the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization to counter US expansion into Central Asia. - M
K Bhadrakumar (May 1,'09)
China deal helps out Kazakhs
The Kazakhstan government has been spending heavily to brake a reverse in
economic fortunes as oil prices have tumbled. A US$10 billion deal to hand over
the country's fourth-biggest oil company to China National Petroleum
Corporation will ease the strain. As will a $5 billion loan, also from neighbor
China. - Robert M Cutler (Apr 29,'09)
German potash finds growth in
China
China's big potash buyers are holding back on international purchases even as
the country's farmers are expected to require more fertilizer than usual
following a particularly dry winter. In such a contradictory market, a German
company appears to be finding China fertile territory. - John Helmer
(Apr 29,'09)
Medvedev highlights concern on
jobless
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev is making clear his concern at the country's
growing number of unemployed, as fears grow that joblessness might become an
ingrained, and dangerous, part of the economy. (Apr
28,'09)
US promotes Iran in energy market
Washington, under a new energy czar, is leaving no option unexplored. This
includes touting the benefits of Iranian involvement in a 3,300 kilometer-long
pipeline from the Caspian via Turkey to Austria that would reduce the European
Union's growing dependence on Russian energy. Evidently, Iran anticipated the
inevitability of such a shift in US thinking. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Apr 27,'09)
West traps Russia in its own
backyard
American diplomats are scouring Central Asia for chances to drive wedges
between Moscow and regional capitals in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and,
increasingly, Turkmenistan. They're scrambling to convince the energy producers
to "defect" from the Russian middle man and gain direct access to the
international market. The relentless US hammering is eroding Russia's position.
- M K Bhadrakumar (Apr 24,'09)
BOOK REVIEW
Ungainly friendship
Axis of Convenience by Bobo Lo
China and Russia's strategic partnership is at its apex, but they are unlikely
to forge a new anti-Western axis any time soon, as historical distrust and
their divergent relationships with the United States and Europe are a constant
limiter. Geopolitical games for control of Central Asia and the energy trade
also loom as areas of conflict, argues the author of this concise analysis. - Sreeram
Chaulia (Apr 24,'09)
Germans in groundbreaking Turkmen
deal
German energy giant Rheinisch-Westfaelische Elektrizitaetswerk
has entered what could become a breakthrough agreement with Turkmenistan on
offshore gas field development and gas deliveries. Alongside a public clash on
a pipeline explosion, it is a sign of a new era in Turkmenistan's policies.
(Apr 22,'09)
Putin gets to work on Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is demonstrating unprecedented outspokenness and
persistence in standing up to Russia to defend its own interests, notably in
efforts to evade the close embrace of energy giant Gazprom. In Moscow, Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin is taking notice. (Apr
22,'09)
Hunt the billions - Russia style
Depending on how the sums are calculated, Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska
and his companies currently owe between US$20 billion and $30 billion. As a key
London court decision approaches, interest is growing among creditors as to
where the aluminum oligarch keeps his cash. - John Helmer(Apr
20,'09)
Cash-rich China courts the Caspian
China on Thursday agreed to loan Kazakhstan US$10 billion in return for the
right to take a big stake in the Central Asian country's energy sector. This
follows similar initiatives with Russian energy giants and the financing of a
gas pipeline from Turkmenistan via Uzbekistan to China. The global financial
crisis has provided cash-rich Beijing with opportunity, and it is grasping it
with gusto. - M K Bhadrakumar (Apr 17,'09)
Kazakh budget in shrinking act
As the Kazakhstan government reduces its budget forecast yet
again, critics claim its economic outlook is still too optimistic, while others
warn that inflation is already eroding assistance to the general public.
(Apr 16,'09)
Asia's battleship supplier fights
for survival
Oligarch Sergei Pugachev owns French newspaper France-Soir and
a stake in a company run by a nephew of Britain's Queen Elizabeth. But his
control of a St Petersburg yard that supplies battleships to China and India is
in doubt, as are his continued good relations with Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin. - John Helmer (Apr 15,'09)
Turkish magic
Turkish stocks appear to be defying gravity as the economy
slows and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government drags its feet on a
standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund. - Robert M Cutler
(Apr 15,'09)
Obama may cede Iran's nuclear rights
United States President Barack Obama plans to ease the standoff on Iran's
nuclear program - and stage a US comeback in Central Asia - by offering Tehran
access to a global nuclear fuel bank in Kazakhstan. Tehran has welcomed the
strategy, and the likely involvement of Japan serves up other geopolitical
dimensions favorable to Washington. Moscow is less enthusiastic. - M K
Bhadrakumar (Apr 9,'09)
Russian phosphate shake-out ahead
The easy-money days are over for the giants of Russia's fertilizer industry.
Losers in the shake-out that is expected could include leading customer India,
unless buyers there can afford to match the price paid in Latin America and
Europe. - John Helmer (Apr 6,'09)
US-Russia ties on a new trajectory
The meeting this week between United States President Barack Obama and his
Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev will not in itself repair the badly damaged
relationship between the countries. It does, however, mark a coherent effort to
create a critical mass in their ties that could lead to better things. Their
agreement on Afghanistan is as good a place as any to start. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Apr 3,'09)
Kazakhstan rail link on hold
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev is seeking to build a network of
road and rail links that can capitalize on his country's location between China
and the West and Russia and Iran. Now an important part of the spider's web
faces delay, reportedly for financial reasons. (Apr
2,'09)
Russia tests EU energy plans
Energy conflicts in Europe involving Russia have subsided since the
Russian-Ukrainian "gas war" in January, but now Moscow has initiated a new
offensive aimed at Turkey, Turkmenistan and, again, Ukraine.
(Mar 31,'09)
Russia steel protection has
suicide look
Hopes that domestic demand would lift Russia's steel industry
have reversed, with the China market now looking a better prospect for sales.
Protectionist measures by the Kremlin against steel imports from China look
short-sighted at best. - John Helmer (Mar
30,'09)
Europe keeps Nabucco on
life-support
The European Union's leaders have decided to allocate enough cash to the
proposed Nabucco gas pipeline from Azerbaijan to Italy to keep the project
alive. Even that was more than the Germans, preferring supply from Russia,
would like. - Robert M Cutler (Mar 26,'09)
Fool's gold
Russia, with the world's second-largest and remarkably untapped gold reserves,
is deterring hungry foreign interests with cash to spend, such as China's Zijin
Mining and Zhongjin Gold, thanks to one of the strangest prospector's
pay-sheets ever drafted. - John Helmer (Mar
25,'09)
Liquid war: Welcome to
Pipelineistan
The new Silk Road of energy sees Washington, Beijing, Moscow and Tehran fight
for control of Caspian oil lines on a global energy battlefield on which the
fate of humankind could well be settled. Pepe Escobar enters the Space
Odyssey-style map room of Russian energy giant Gazprom, spends a rainy
"night" in Georgia, and discovers the thrill of following energy around the
"arc of instability". (Mar 25,'09)
Turkey risks gas bypass
Turkey's efforts to extract advantageous terms for permitting
the transit of Azerbaijani gas to Europe are holding back a decision to further
develop the Shah-Deniz gas field. That won't last, given the range of routes
available. - Robert M Cutler (Mar 19,'09)
Pumping iron in the wrong
direction
Steelmaker Severstal's diversification into overseas plants
may in the long term prove a positive move. Yet with the Russian company's US
outfits draining cash from more successful domestic units, the judgement of
owner Alexei Mordashov is being questioned. - John Helmer
(Mar 19,'09)
Oligarchs bank on overseas
survival
Oligarchs who have survived under the protection of former
Russian president and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are recognizing that
their longer-term interests might lie outside the country, with offshore
tax-havens playing a useful role. (Mar 18,'09)
Unlikely bedfellows in Afghanistan
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, of which Russia and China are key
members and Iran is an observer, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are
both to hold conferences on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. These
high-profile events set the stage for a breakthrough over SCO-NATO cooperation,
beginning with the low-security issues of drug trafficking and arms smuggling.
- Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Mar 17,'09)
Russia recovery not yet enough
A strengthening oil price and a declining rouble have added a much-needed
bounce to Russia's stock markets, yet concerns remain over the ability of the
country's banks and large companies to pay billlions of dollars of debt coming
due this year. - Robert M Cutler (Mar 11,'09)
When Barbie conquered the Soviet
Union
When Barbie dolls first arrived in the Soviet Union, the
lucky girls who got one thought they may be ethereal creatures from another
world. Like blue jeans, chocolate bars and chewing gum, Barbie embodied
attributes of a new world opening up, and she also held promise of complex new
notions of womanhood and beauty which young Soviet girls happily embraced.
(Mar 11,'09)
Russia has 'Chechnya' ploy for
Afghanistan
Russia is already looking ahead to the time when the United
States pulls out of Afghanistan, leaving behind an Islamic force that could
spread all the way across Central Asia. Moscow's attempts to create a
multinational force to meet this contingency are going nowhere. Another plan,
drawn from the template used in Chechnya, would see Russia extend its hand deep
into northern Afghanistan. - Dmitry Shlapentokh
(Mar 11,'09)
Muddied look to Kyrgyz power deal
Russian money could mean salvation for the Kyrgyz hydropower
industry and future income for Kyrgyzstan as an energy exporter. It could also
lead to the country losing control over its own water resources.
(Mar 10,'09)
The trade-off season begins on
Afghanistan
Given the interlocking cross-currents swirling around the US-Iran-Russia
equation, it seems that a dizzying number of trade-offs are set to be floated.
One possibility is Russia returning to Afghanistan as a key partner of the
United States in exchange for stalling the deployment of the US missile defense
system. Meanwhile, Moscow maintains its excellent relations with Tehran by
proceeding with Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Mar 10,'09)
Russia's military reform plan
falters
President Dmitry Medvedev says the global economic crisis will not affect plans
to radically reform the Russian military. Yet the pace of the overhaul may be
stalled as the Kremlin's worries over the potential social effects of the
current global financial crisis take prominence. - Roger N McDermott
(Mar 9,'09)
Ukraine raids draw a blank
Political fighting over control of vast volumes of gas stored underground in
Ukraine intensified with a raid by Ukrainian security officials on gas company
Naftohaz. Urged not to be "a tool of criminals and corrupt officials", they
left apparently without the contract they sought. (Mar
9,'09)
Russia's diamonds up for grabs
The president of Russia's far eastern Sakha region is battling the Kremlin to
run diamond-producer Alrosa. The prize could include world domination in the
industry as long-term market leader De Beers and its controlling Oppenheimer
family close mines amid a struggle to find customers. - John Helmer
(Mar 9,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
The Obama-Medvedev turbo
shuffle
US President Barack Obama won't ever play chess like the Russian masters, but a
solid knowledge of Francis Coppola's Godfather flicks could carry the
day with his Kremlin counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev. If Washington intends to
lure Russia to the anti-Iran train, Obama had better leave the gun at home and
call on Moscow with some cannoli. - Pepe Escobar
(Mar 4,'09)
Zyuzin falls for West Virginia
The purchase by debt-burdened Russian miner Mechel of US-based
Bluestone Coal has raised investor concerns over more than just the price tag.
But owner Igor Zyuzin, whose business tactics have led to clashes with Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin, may see benefits in the Appalachians that go beyond
the balance sheet. - John Helmer (Mar 4,'09)
China on buying and lending
spree
The oil pipeline agreement signed recently between Russia and China is only one
aspect of Beijing's policy to acquire foreign assets during the global
downturn. Large though the Russia deal is, Australia is the main target for
investments. - Robert M Cutler (Mar 4,'09)
Turkey hops aboard Russia's ride
Continuing its efforts to firm alliances in the region, Russia
has initiated cooperation with former rival Turkey in a variety of political
and economic areas, taking advantage of Ankara's cooling relations with the
United States and the European Union. Washington is waking up to its worst
nightmare: strategic cooperation among the powers of Eurasia. - F William
Engdahl
(Mar 3,'09)
Tajik cotton farms picked clean
Tajikistan's cotton industry faces bankruptcy as tumbling prices have
undermined a loan scheme intended to break farmers' dependency on non-bank
sources of funds. They are not helped by government officials' insistence that
they plant the crop, whatever the cost. (Feb 27,'09)
Divided Ukraine skirting default
Ukraine's worsening international credit ratings may, by focusing the attention
of the country's political elite, encourage leaders to avoid the catastrophe of
sovereign debt default. Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko could, however,
believe election victory over President Viktor Yushchenko a more alluring
prize. - Robert M Cutler (Feb 26,'09)
An Iranian 'Sputnik' and the new
world order
If totalitarian regimes are so allegedly repressive of inspiration and
creativity, why then do striking scientific accomplishments so often emanate
from such places? Iran's recent "Sputnik" moment calls the question to the
fore, and a comparison of the Soviet Union and Mao's China with today's
free-wheeling America makes an interesting case. - Dmitry Shlapentokh
(Feb 25,'09)
Watch on Rusal
Oleg Deripaska, owner of aluminum giant United Company Rusal, says he does not
need any financial support from the Kremlin, exchanges with President Dmitry
Mevdevev notwithstanding. Even so, government officials taking a close interest
in the fate of his company extend far beyond Russia's borders. - John Helmer
(Feb 25,'09)
Russia enters LNG market
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso attended the inauguration last week of
Russia's first liquefied natural gas plant. The US$22 billion project will help
diversify Japan's gas supply - if not its sense of energy security.
(Feb 25,'09)
Gul gets little from Russia trip
Flourishing economic ties between Turkey and Russia meant business was an
important topic during President Abdullah Gul's upgraded visit to the Russian
Federation this month. Yet words of friendship came with little that will alter
a trade imbalance heavy in Russia's favor. (Feb
24,'09)
China loan turns Russian oil east
Agreement on a US$25 billion loan from China to the Russian state oil sector
means that fuel from new Russian oilfields will move to Asian markets, rather
than to Europe. The pact also signals the defeat of a similar objective by
Japanese while adding to the strategic influence Beijing will have on
development of the Russian economy.- John Helmer
(Feb 23,'09)
Russia's 'virtual cold war' in
Central Asia
Moscow is working hard to minimize Western influence in regions it perceives as
its own backyard, re-asserting its security credentials in the South Caucasus
and Central Asia while actively pursuing policies to thwart NATO objectives or
make future engagement in these regions more difficult without its consent. At
the same time, Russia is presenting itself as "user friendly" and willing to
cooperate with the West. - Roger McDermott (Feb
20,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Obama, Osama and Medvedev
The 1,600-kilometer Karachi-Khyber-Kabul supply line envisioned by the United
States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is for all practical purposes
dead - thanks to neo-Taliban guerrillas in Pakistan's tribal areas. If
Washington and Moscow can't hash out a new route, the only other realistic
possibility for the coalition is courting Iran, which is already deeply
connected to Russia, and China. - Pepe Escobar
(Feb 19,'09)
Dry hope for Uralkali
China's worst drought in 50 years may yet be the saving of Russian potash miner
Uralkali and its controlling shareholder Dmitry Rybolovlev, who has seen the
company's value shrink by about 90% pending a government ruling on a potential
US$3 billion bill. - John Helmer (Feb 18,'09)
Kazakhstan pays for devaluation
The people of Kazakhstan are discovering that devaluation of their currency, an
emergency measure designed to correct trade and monetary imbalances, may spark
inflation as traders and consumers pay more for much-needed imports.
(Feb 17,'09)
US and Russia see common cause
The United States and Russia have taken an unceremonious plunge into a marriage
of convenience. Moscow is warming to US President Barack Obama. But detractors
ranging from hardliners in the US to "New Europeans" and Iranians have reason
to worry. They dread that if Obama pursues his "contextual intelligence"
approach to its logical conclusion, he and the Kremlin leaders might enter into
trade-offs at their expense. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Feb 17,'09)
US still has its Kyrgyzstan base
covered
It's easy to believe that the reason for Kyrgyzstan wanting to shut down the
United States Manas military base near the capital is Russia's US$300 million
sweetener to Bishkek. But other factors are in play, and it could be some time
before - if ever - the 1,000 US personnel pack up and leave. - Anara Yusupova
(Feb 11,'09)
Kazakhstan's tenge far from secure
The new head of Kazakhstan's central bank, Grigorii Marchenko, wasted little
time before slashing the value of the country's currency by almost one-fifth.
That may not be enough to stave off calls for help from the International
Monetary Fund and further declines in the tenge.- Robert M Cutler
(Feb 11,'09)
Moscow, Tehran force the US's hand
The blowing up of a bridge in the Khyber in Pakistan, the usage of an air base
in the foothills of the Pamirs in Central Asia and the launch of a 37 kilogram
satellite into the night sky over Iran have triggered the political and
diplomatic equivalent of chess' zugzwang. In this case, the United
States will be forced to make a move it would rather not. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Feb 5,'09)
Russia anchors ties with India
On the surface, Russia's recent joint naval exercises with India were held to
increase counter-terrorism capabilities and combat piracy. But Moscow's
participation was also part of its aim to show the international community the
country's resurgence. India, meanwhile, has its sights set on military
procurement, with a Russian aircraft carrier still at the top of its wish list.
- Roger McDermott (Feb 5,'09)
COMMENT
Little prospect of East-West
accommodation
The West-dominated world order is being discredited in a grand fashion for all
its failures and for all the ill-effects it has brought. Against that backdrop,
the East - in particular China and Russia - will not agree to any accommodation
with the West that keeps such an order intact. East-West competition can only
intensify on a fundamental level for control of the globe's finite strategic
resources and access to, and control over, its finite capital wealth. - W Joseph
Stroupe (Feb 5,'09)
This is the concluding article in a two-part report.
Part 1:
The contest for
global domination
Evraz fortifications weaken
Russian economy
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has made some hefty loans to Evraz - Russia’s
largest steelmaker - which the company is using to reduce steel production in
its Russian plants and raise profit streams in global markets. "Making the
world stronger" may be the company motto, but the latest production and sales
reports suggest Evraz - and Putin - are softening Russia’s already battered
economy. John Helmer (Feb 4,'09)
Russia in outer darkness
Russian share prices are falling even as the oil price rises. This is the
equivalent of outer space. No wonder that everyone in the Russian market - from
the oligarchs down - is gasping for an oxygen mask and a safety belt. - John
Helmer (Feb 2,'09)
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Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong
Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
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