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Russia Flexes Muscles in Oil Deal With Chávez
Ellen Barry, New York Times
Russia continued its international muscle-flexing on Friday, strengthening its ties to Venezuela through a $1 billion military loan and a new oil consortium as it announced an upgrade of its own military focusing on nuclear deterrence and permanent combat readiness.
After a military exercise on Friday in the southern city of Orenburg, near the border with Kazakhstan, the Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, declared that by 2020 Russia would construct new types of warships, including nuclear submarines carrying cruise missiles and an unspecified air and space defense system.
… At a meeting with Mr. Chávez, Mr. Medvedev agreed to a form a Russian-Venezuelan energy consortium that would share resources to produce and sell oil and gas. Russian companies are already at work exploring oil fields in Venezuela, but the agreement will allow them to expand their reach into more areas, including fields in Ecuador and Bolivia.
Mr. Chávez described the agreement as “a colossus being born.”
More cooperative efforts are in the works: On Thursday, Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin said Russia would consider working with Venezuela to build nuclear power facilities.
(26 September 2008)
Cold War stand-off over pirates’ weapons ship
Daniel Howden, The Independent
Russia has dispatched a frigate to the scene of an increasingly tense stand-off between the US Navy and pirates who have seized a tanker laden with tanks and weapons in the Indian Ocean off Somalia.
The tussle over the fate of the Soviet-designed tanks captured off a failed African state has developed into an international incident worthy of a James Bond novel. Pirates are demanding a $20m (£11m) ransom and governments in the region are denying any knowledge of the arms shipment, amid fears of a new civil war in Sudan.
Russia has seized upon the crisis to send the missile frigate The Intrepid, prompting speculation that it might attempt to free hostages in another public projection of its military power.
American helicopters and warships from the 5th Fleet have surrounded the Ukraine-flagged Faina after Somali pirates boarded her six days ago and seized a cargo which includes 33 T-72 battle tanks, ammunition and heavy weapons such as rocket launchers…
…The pirates blame overfishing by foreign trawlers for destroying their livelihoods,
forcing them into hijacking ships and demanding ransoms…
…The London-based think-tank Chatham House says piracy could see shipping forced away from the Gulf and into the longer route to Europe and North America, producing a drastic effect on oil and commodities prices…
(1 October 2008)
Lukashenko waits for recognition as Belarus goes to the polls
Luke Harding, The Guardian
Belarussians yesterday voted for a new house of representatives, or lower chamber, in an election the country’s president Alexander Lukashenko hopes will improve the ex-Soviet state’s dismal relations with the west…
…The EU has denounced previous elections in Belarus as illegitimate. In 2006 the US and EU imposed travel bans on Lukashenko and 40 of his senior officials, after accusing him of fraudulently arranging his re-election.
Recently, however, the west has shown interest in improving ties with Belarus. This has come as relations with Moscow have nose-dived following last month’s war in Georgia and amid a row over Russia’s claim to “privileged interest” in former Soviet states…
(29 September 2008)
Belarus elections labelled corrupt as Lukashenko backers win all seats
Luke Harding, The Guardian
The opposition in Belarus has failed to win a single seat in parliamentary elections, with pro-government candidates sweeping the board, the country’s election commission announced today.
The result raises serious doubts about President Alexander Lukashenko’s commitment to democratic reform and his pledge that Sunday’s elections would be free and fair.
Britain and the EU had offered to review sanctions against Belarus if the poll showed an improvement on previous fraudulent ballots.
This morning, opposition leaders in Belarus said Sunday’s election was rigged and called on the west not to recognise the result…
(29 September 2008)
