Piebalgs on Gasfinger: “These meetings between Russia and Algeria makes us nervous”

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: January 24, 2007

EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs issued comments in regards to the latest Russia-Algeria energy agreements. Andris Piebalgs: “We want to have a fair price. This is not only about commercial interests. It is about transparency, too.” (IHT) Excerpts: EU official says Russia is seeking gas cartel Energy chief worried about a Gazprom linkup with Algeria […]

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Energy Revenue Makes Diversification Difficult in Russia

By James Kimer | Published:

From the Associated Press: But local industry is flagging and economists argue that the time to act to modernize the economy is now — while Russia has the luxury to spend its oil bonanza on incentives and tax breaks aimed at spurring decrepit industries and boosting small businesses. Wait too long, they say, and the […]

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Litvinenko Co-Writer Cancels Visit to London for Security

By James Kimer | Published:

Call me a skeptic, but this one sounds like a PR stunt by the book publisher. Today in the FT: Russian exile cancels London visit after FBI security advice By Jimmy Burns A Russian exile who co-authored a book with Alexander Litvinenko, the murdered former KGB agent, has cancelled a visit to London after being […]

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Grigory Pasko: Political Prisoners in Today’s Russia – Svetlana Bakhmina

By Grigory Pasko | Published:

Political Prisoners in Today’s Russia: Svetlana Bakhmina By Grigory Pasko, journalist Svetlana Bakhmina worked at YUKOS in the post of deputy head of the legal department. The nature of her position was such that it was quite impossible for her in any way to influence those decisions that were adopted by the upper management of […]

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Shell and Repsol Getting Closer to Iran’s Top Gas Field

By James Kimer | Published:

The Spanish business paper Expansion recently broke a story revealing that Royal Dutch Shell and Repsol are close to signing a service contract deal with the Iranian government to work on phases 13 and 14 of the South Pars gas field. The $4.3 billion deal will involve the construction of a major liquefied natural gas […]

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Latynina on the Putin-Merkel Relationship

By James Kimer | Published:

Yulia Latynina has a column in the Moscow Times examining the Putin-Merkel relationship. Latynina: “The Kremlin operates according to simple principles. Make a friend of someone and you can do as you please; your friend will always back you up. If someone does not give you his support, it is not because of what you […]

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Editor: Russia Arms Trader Becoming Central Kremlin Instrument

By James Kimer | Published:

[this article was compiled and written by the editor of this website] When we talk about the notable trend of Russia “reasserting state control of the economy,” generally the debate goes straight to the energy sector and never comes back. Meanwhile there have been more quiet developments in other sectors of the economy such as […]

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EDM on the Threat to BP at Kovykta

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: January 23, 2007

Vladimir Socor has a piece running today on the next target of the Kremlin: TNK-BP. On January 21 in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured a skeptical Angela Merkel — visiting in a triple capacity as German Chancellor, holder of the European Union presidency, and incoming G-8 chair — about Russia’s purported reliability as an […]

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Grigory Pasko: Political Prisoners in Today’s Russia – Zara Murtazaliyeva

By Grigory Pasko | Published:

Political Prisoners in Today’s Russia – Zara Murtazaliyeva By Grigory Pasko It looks like the only thing Zara is guilty of is that she is a Chechen and that in its day, open season on Chechens was declared in Russia, unofficially, of course. In 2003, after her father’s death, Zara Murtazaliyeva, a student in her […]

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The Return of Gasfinger

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: January 22, 2007

This weekend Bloomberg reported on a new energy agreement between Russia and Algeria, reviving fears among Europeans that further coordination among the continent’s two largest natural gas suppliers could eventually lead to cartel-like production quotas and price manipulation. Despite assurances to the contrary from representatives close to the deal, it seems that many in the […]

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