Year: 2008

February 20, 2008

Deep Purple on Gazprom

When looking for insightful political analysis over complex issues of authoritarianism, resource nationalism, and human rights abuses, of course Western culture tends to look toward its rock stars. Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, however, boldly demons...
February 20, 2008

Gazprom Advances with Deals in Iran

Alalam is reporting that Gazprom has reached terms with the Iranian state energy company for the development of “two or three” blocks of the massive South Pars natural gas field. Gazpromneft also landed a participation deal in oil refi...
February 20, 2008

Human Rights Leader Denied Visa to Russia

Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, has been denied for the first time ever a visa to enter the Russian Federation, according to Kommersant. Roth was preparing to travel to Moscow to present a new 72-page report on Russia e...
February 20, 2008

Energy Blast, Feb. 20, 2008

Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, arrives in Moscow today to meet with Russia’s Prime Minister Victor Zubkov and to try and finally put an end to the countries’ gas disputes. Meawhile, Ukraine’s state energy firm Naftog...
February 20, 2008

Today in Russian Business

Russia’s fast-growing steel pipe industry “is in danger of overheating” as the country’s biggest producers build more capacity than required to meet demand for oil and gas pipelines. Miner and steel maker Severstal will invest $140 mil...
February 20, 2008

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Feb. 20, 2008

TODAY: Algeria accuses Russia of trying to sell it “substandard” aircraft; Russian Nationalists oppose Medvedev; further harsh words traded over Kosovo; UK press speculates over Russia’s past and future. One UK paper today debates the future of Ru...
February 19, 2008

The Kremlin’s Bagman Loses Some Deals

Remember Oleg Shvartsman? The dimunitive, shiny-pated venture capitalist who blew the doors off the Kremlin by dropping the “velvet reprivatization” bomb in a Kommersant interview? It appears business has gone south for him and Finansg...
February 19, 2008

Grigory Pasko: Déja-vu in Brussels – Part 2

[see Part 1 of this series here] Déja-vu in Brussels – Part 2 Grigory Pasko, journalist By the way… On 11 February 2008, the press secretary of Gazprom management board chairman Alexey Miller, Sergey Kupriyanov, said on the air on the radio ...
February 19, 2008

LUKoil Cuts Oil Supply to Germany

Right now as I am writing this, Nymex crude oil has just dropped back down $99.94 a barrel after briefly surpassing $100. Many analysts are pointing toward several contributing factors behind today’s commodity rally, including a refinery out...