Free Republic

MOSCOW — Russia has profited handsomely from natural gas exports to Europe. Now, after years of false starts and disputes, and mutual suspicions between Moscow and Beijing, Russia is turning its attention to Asia. The moves are prompted by both the promise of a marriage of Russian resources with Asian manufacturing, and Russia’s financial desperation as interest from Western banks and investors dries up. On Wednesday — just a day after agreeing to supply oil to China for the next 20 years, in exchange for $25 billion in loan guarantees — Russia opened its first liquefied natural gas plant to...

Russian and Chinese troops are joining forces this week in the first military exercises by an international organisation that is regarded in some quarters as a potential rival to Nato. Thousands of soldiers and 500 combat vehicles will take part in “Peace Mission 2007”, organised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia. Russian officials have also proposed an alliance between the SCO and a body representing most of the former Soviet republics. Scores of Russian and Chinese aircraft begin joint exercises tomorrow before a week of military manoeuvres from Thursday that will include Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan...

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will close ranks to oppose Washington’s growing influence in the Central Asia, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Lavrov said in Kyrgyzstan earlier this week. The SCO is set to boost ties with Iran as controversy with the United States is growing. Sergey Lavrov warned that the deployment of the U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe can adversely affect the Central Asia. ”We see that consequences of the unilateral action will affect Central Asia and we should take into account not only the interests of the member states, but also the interests of the observers in this...