Posted on 10/29/2005 12:34:20 PM PDT by Lorianne
The decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to refer Iran's nuclear programme to the UN Security Council has thrown into sharp focus relations between Iran and Russia. Moscow may soon have to choose whether to back Iran or align itself with the US and the European Union (EU) in reining in Iran's nuclear intentions.
Russia appears ready to co-operate with both the USA and Iran in order to boost its trade relations with the two countries. Although Russia is also a leading oil exporter and therefore unlikely to be intimidated by Iranian threats to reduce oil sales, the Russian nuclear industry is dependent on the completion of Iran's USD1 billion Bushehr project, which Moscow hopes will be followed by future billion-dollar contracts. Russia's defence industries, also badly in need of an economic boost through exports, have also been selling weapons systems and aircraft to Iran.
Meanwhile, China is becoming even more dependent on Iran for energy. A November 2004 deal to supply China with gas worth USD100 billion is likely rise to a total of USD200 billion after a similar oil agreement is finalised. Iran will export 10 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually for 25 years in return for Chinese investment in exploration and drilling. This energy co-operation is rendering the US administration's economic sanctions on Iran ineffective. However, the Russians must now assess the likelihood of being supplanted by China if they appear willing to trade favours with Washington and lose the confidence of Tehran. Iran may yet emerge as a leading member of a post-Cold War alliance which will work to undermine US regional objectives.
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I've never understood why Russia likes to be so cozy with Islamic thoecracies. It seems to me that is like sleeping with scorpions or rattle snakes or swimming with crocodiles..
Communism and Islamofascism hate each other with a passion. I wish I could figure it out, but I can't.
Indeed. Russia and China...now there is a marriage made in heaven or two vultures made for one another. The beauty of it is the Russian "culture" is tumbling toward extiction at an ever increasing rate, and China is looking for a place to expand.
Then back to Iran, since the goal if Islamic imperialists seems to be to make everyone as miserable as your garden variety Muslim, perhaps Putin and Russia have a death wish.
Well, Putin should look grand carrying his prayer rug wherever he goes.
Wen Jibato should also carry a prayer rug, as he is also arming the Islamists. The problem is that China also has a problem with the fanatics.
18-08-05 Iran received a military delegation from China, paving the way for cooperation in the defence field, according to Brigadier General Nasser Mohammadi Far, the commander of the Iranian army's ground forces. The Chinese delegation is in Iran for talks on “developing military relations, deepening bilateral ties and paving the way for military cooperation,'' a report said.
“Our mutual enemies possess advanced military technology, and undoubtedly they would rely on this technology in any possible future wars,'' Mohammadi Far was quoted as saying. “Therefore, it seems necessary that both Iran and China upgrade their defence and military technology.''
China is Iran's third-largest export market for crude oil, and ties between the two countries have strengthened in recent years as Iran started granting stakes in the development of its oil and gas fields.
Iran, under US economic sanctions and at odds with both the US and the Europe Union over its nuclear program, is increasingly turning to the East for new markets, opening its economy in return.
Energy contracts
Iran, holder of the world's second-largest oil and gas reserves, has given Chinese state oil company Sinopec a 50 % stake for the development of the Yadavaran oil field, one of the Iran's largest undeveloped field.
In March, China agreed to buy more than 110 mm tons of Iranian liquefied natural gas over 25 years in a contract which may be worth more than $ 20 bn. The two countries said a month earlier they may set up a tanker venture to carry liquefied natural gas to help Iran ensure deliveries of its gas to the world's second-largest energy consumer.
China is also involved in the construction of the Iranian capital's metro and plans to invest $ 220 mm to help finance a new highway linking Tehran with its Caspian Sea coast.
Chinese President Hu Jintao was among the first to congratulate Iran's new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his election victory in June, and said Chinese leaders looked forward to working with him
Asia Times Dec 22, 2005
KOLKATA - India and China, the most aggressive shoppers for oil and gas assets in the world, and normally archrivals in the race for overseas oilfields, have finally come together to pursue their energy security in the global arena.
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the two largest oil companies in the respective countries, announced on December 20 that they had jointly won a bid to acquire 37% of Petro-Canada's stake in Syrian oilfields for US$573 million. ONGC and CNPC, both state-owned, will have equal stakes in the al-Furat oil and gas fields.
In addition, in the past 12 months, Chinese oil companies have been consistently outmaneuvering India in just about every oil property the two countries chased. In their bid for oil security, the two countries, allege oil industry analysts, have also contributed immensely to the record high oil prices this year.
Take the following instances. In early August, CNPC and an ONGC consortium competed directly in an attempted buyout of the Canadian firm PetroKazakhstan, which had most of its operations in Kazakhstan, but CNPC grabbed the deal at the last moment by topping the Indian consortium's bid.
And last October, despite an agreement between Shell and OVL that entailed offloading Shell's 50% stake in Angola Block 18 to OVL, India was stymied because Sonangol, Angola's national oil company, which is the sole concessionaire for exploration and production of oil in Angola, wanted the property to go to Chinese oil companies.
SHANGHAI, Jan. 9 - Cnooc, the giant state-owned Chinese energy company, said Monday that it would pay nearly $2.3 billion in cash to acquire a large stake in a Nigerian oil and gas field, one of the biggest overseas acquisitions by a Chinese company.
With the deal, Cnooc would acquire almost half of an oil field in the Niger Delta, one of the world's largest oil and gas basins. The field is believed to hold more than one billion barrels of oil and is operated by the French oil company Total, which also has a large interest in the project. Cnooc has also committed itself to spending $2.25 billion over the next few years to help develop the field.
So ya....the reader[Of the prophecy's]... ponders why ....*The Kings of the East would cross the Euphrates,
Might we be seeing the whyfore being laid down presently?
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