BAKU, June 29 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom will buy 500 million cubic meters of natural gas from Azerbaijan annually from January 1, 2010, CEO Alexei Miller said on Monday.
The Russian energy giant, which has not so far bought Azerbaijani gas, signed an agreement with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) earlier in the day.
"Gazprom will buy Azerbaijani gas from January 1, 2010. Initially we will buy 500 million cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas," Miller said, without disclosing either the price or the pricing formula.
"The agreement signed today fixes a basic price that is commercially attractive to our Azerbaijani partners," the Russian businessman said.
The agreed volume of deliveries from SOCAR is less than one tenth of one percent of the 549.7 billion cubic meters of gas Gazprom itself produced last year.
Azerbaijan plans eventually to increase gas supplies to Russia, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
"We plan in the future to increase supplies as the volume of Azerbaijani natural gas production goes up," Aliyev said on Monday after talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Baku.
According to the Gazprom CEO, Azerbaijani gas to be pumped via a pipeline running between the two countries will be used in south Russian territories. He also pledged that similar volumes of gas would be reserved for European consumers.
Miller added that Gazprom was listed as a potential buyer of gas from the Shakh Deniz field with some privileges reserved for the company.
"We are confident that Gazprom has very good negotiating positions regarding long-term cooperation in the purchase of Azerbaijani gas," he said.
Speaking in early June at an oil conference in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Matthew Bryza said that in 2012-2015 Azerbaijan would supply Europe with 12 billion cu m of gas from its Shakh Deniz field alone, raising supplies to 15 billion by 2015, and increasing them further by 2015-2020.
понедельник, 29 июня 2009 г.
Exercise “Kavkaz-2009” begins in Russia’s south
MOSCOW, June 29 (Itar-Tass) -- The operational-strategic exercise “Kavkaz-2009” has begun in Russia’s south on Monday.
As head of the Information and Public Relations Service of the North-Caucasian Military District (NCMD) Colonel Andrei Bobrun told ITAR-TASS, “the exercise in the NCMD is being held in the period from June 29 to July 6 in accordance with a plan of training of the Russian Armed Forces under the direction of chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces General of the Army Nikolai Makarov.”
“Large units and military units of the NCMD, as well as interacting and dependent agencies - - the armies of the Air Force and Air Defense, the Caspian small fleet, the Novorossiisk naval base, the regional command of Interior Troops of the Russian Interior Ministry and the Airborne Troops are being involved in the exercise,” Bobrun specified. “The exercise will be held in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov Regions, the Republics of North Ossetia – Olania, Ingushetia and Dagestan, as well as the Karachayevo-Cherkess and Chechen Republics.
As head of the Information and Public Relations Service of the North-Caucasian Military District (NCMD) Colonel Andrei Bobrun told ITAR-TASS, “the exercise in the NCMD is being held in the period from June 29 to July 6 in accordance with a plan of training of the Russian Armed Forces under the direction of chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces General of the Army Nikolai Makarov.”
“Large units and military units of the NCMD, as well as interacting and dependent agencies - - the armies of the Air Force and Air Defense, the Caspian small fleet, the Novorossiisk naval base, the regional command of Interior Troops of the Russian Interior Ministry and the Airborne Troops are being involved in the exercise,” Bobrun specified. “The exercise will be held in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov Regions, the Republics of North Ossetia – Olania, Ingushetia and Dagestan, as well as the Karachayevo-Cherkess and Chechen Republics.
пятница, 26 июня 2009 г.
GENGHIS-KHAN GRAVE-SITE MYSTERY
The issue we are going to speak about is the greatest of mysteries which may possibly result eventually in the greatest of finds — Genghis Khan’s grave, or rather, the unknown whereabouts of his grave. Researchers from various countries have been exerting themselves to spot the tomb for decades, but so far with little success.
Few will know that Genghis Khan was born in the Trans-Baikal area, specifically in the Delyun-Boldok district on the Onon River, in the south of Russia’s current Chita region, supposedly in October 1155. His father Yesugei was the head of a clan of great antiquity. What is known of Genghis Khan’s infancy and adolescence has more to do with inventions and myths than hard facts. Temujin, which was Genghis Khan’s original name, had obviously defeated his main rivals during their struggle for power between 1183 and 1204, so when the chieftains of steppe tribes and clans met in a Kurultai, their council, in 1206, they acknowledged him “Khan” of all Mongols, and he took a new title Genghis, which is the Turkic for sea, or ocean. Genghis Khan means an absolute ruler, the one with ocean-wide powers, who governed from sea to sea. Following the required reorganization of his country and the Army he launched, within several years of the 1206 Kurultai, his invasions and conquests that actually shook the whole of the 13th century Eurasia. Genghis Khan died in the Tangut land known as Xi Xia during the invasion of that land that he started in 1226. Since by then he had been invariably escorted by his life chroniclers, the date of his death was accurately registered as the 25th of August, 1227.
After that his body was secretly taken to some place in Mongolia or China, with several such places officially named in the two countries to date. However, the surviving sources fail to report the exact location and none of the allegedly official whereabouts has offered final confirmation.
Russian orientalists have followed up the lead that Genghis Khan was buried in his birthplace on the Onon River. Legend has it that his war lords brought his dead body to the place and had a dam built near Delyun-Boldok mountain to make the river deviate from its riverbed. The sarcophagus with Genghis Khan’s body was placed on the riverbed, laid bare, and then the water was brought back to follow its original course.
Ancient people are known for secret burials of their chiefs. Legend says that the Great military leader Attila the Hun was laid to rest in a triple coffin made of gold, silver, and iron, along with some of the spoils of his conquests. His men diverted a section of the river Tisza, buried the coffin under the riverbed, and then were killed to keep the exact location a secret. The whereabouts have failed to be established to this day. The situation is perfectly similar to the Genghis Khan’s burial. All those who interred the Greatest of Mongols were killed afterwards, just as those who killed the grave-diggers.
So, why the grave location should be shrouded in complete mystery? The point is the nomads had a longstanding tradition to desecrate the graves of their enemies. The Turkis and Mongols believed that their community comprised all of their tribesmen, whether alive or dead. The soul of a dead relative may return to this world to get reincarnated in a descendant, but only if the entombed skeleton was complete with all its bones.
Mongol and Chinese chronicles offer a number of desecrations of dead enemy bodies. Tradition to desecrate enemy graves was alive in the steppe-land from the Bronze Age and was occasionally resorted to, to bring pressure to bear for political ends. Since the wise nomad chiefs were aware of this sort of things, they ordered their men to bury them in secret and with few of their riches. Genghis Khan was no exception to the rule. He proved perfectly far-sighted and told his sons, when about to die, to keep the location of his grave a secret to protect it from desecration by evil-doers.
But increasingly great numbers of researchers are set to uncover the secret of his grave whereabouts. The interment would beyond doubt prove of enormous value to archaeologists and historians. It is clearly premature to draw the line at the effort to search for the location of the tomb of the Great Mongol Ruler and War Lord Genghis Khan.
Source:The Voice of Russia
G8 find compromise on Iran
G8 foreign ministers have managed to find common ground on the situation in Iran. The joint statement says the G8 regrets the actions by Iranian authorities after the presidential election, which killed civilians.
The ministers are calling on Tehran to observe fundamental human rights. They have gathered in Trieste, Italy to work out the agenda of the upcoming leaders’ summit in L'Aquila in July.
The Islamic republic announced it would boycott the summit.
Speaking at the beginning of the meeting, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the G8 was working on “a good document that would include condemnation…but at the same time one that will recognise that electoral procedures are an Iranian question.”
The document appeared to be a compromise between states that intended to send a tough message to Tehran over the violence that followed the disputed reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and those who were insisting on a dialogue. The latter include Moscow.
On Thursday, commenting on the Iranian issue, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said:
“We are certain that all questions concerning the latest elections in Iran must be settled on the basis of Iranian laws and in compliance with the procedures those rules establish.”
“As far as I understand, this is precisely what is going on there.”
“Naturally, we urge one and all to refrain from any actions that might create problems, in the first place those permitting violence that puts people's lives at risk,” Lavrov said.
Non-proliferation on the agenda
G8 foreign ministers have welcomed a Russian-American initiative on nuclear non-proliferation, a joint statement says.
Lavrov said Moscow will be coming to L'Aquila in July with several proposals.
“Russia hopes that during the summit some concrete discussion will take place on how to strengthen international security and stability,” he said.
Lavrov said Russia believes “it is necessary to strengthen the role of the UN in all possible ways and regional organizations cooperating with the UN.”
As for energy security, the minister went on, “President Medvedev has presented new suggestions to the world community on how to work out new international laws of energy cooperation in all spheres and including all affected – the producers, the consumers and the transit countries.”
Such worrying issues for international society as the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran were also discussed today by the top diplomats. As for Tehran’s nuclear plans, Lavrov has once again called on the international community to be patient.
The summit participants condemned North Korea over its nuclear tests, but urged the situation to be resolved in a peaceful manner.
Middle East peace process
Lavrov is also taking part in a meeting of the Middle East Quartet, which is being held on Friday on the sidelines of the G8 meeting. The talks are aimed at restarting the peace process between Israel and Palestine.
Russia supports the Arab point of view, saying Israel should leave territories it occupied after the1967 war, and lift its blockade on the Gaza strip.
President Dmitry Medvedev, during his visit to Egypt on June 23, whilst addressing the League of Arab States, also spoke of a need to find a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We understand that resolving the Palestinian conflict and halting the occupation of Palestinian and other Arab lands are key to the overall normalization of the situation in the Middle East,” he said.
“The resolution,” he continued, “must include the creation of an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state with the capital in East Jerusalem, which will coexist peacefully with all the countries in the region, including Israel.”
Ahead of Obama’s visit to Russia
In Trieste, the Russian Foreign Minister met with US Under Secretary of State William Burns. The two discussed the course of preparation for President Obama’s upcoming visit to Moscow as well as Russian-American bilateral relations and international issues.
The US President is expected to visit Moscow from July 6-8.
The foreign ministers of China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey are taking part in the three-day meeting in Northern Italy.
After the G8 summit Lavrov will move on to the Greek island of Corfu for an informal summit of the foreign ministers of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and an unofficial meeting of the Russia-NATO Council. The meetings will take place on June 27. These will be the first talks on such a high level after the conflict in the Caucasus in August last year.
Source:RT
The ministers are calling on Tehran to observe fundamental human rights. They have gathered in Trieste, Italy to work out the agenda of the upcoming leaders’ summit in L'Aquila in July.
The Islamic republic announced it would boycott the summit.
Speaking at the beginning of the meeting, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the G8 was working on “a good document that would include condemnation…but at the same time one that will recognise that electoral procedures are an Iranian question.”
The document appeared to be a compromise between states that intended to send a tough message to Tehran over the violence that followed the disputed reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and those who were insisting on a dialogue. The latter include Moscow.
On Thursday, commenting on the Iranian issue, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said:
“We are certain that all questions concerning the latest elections in Iran must be settled on the basis of Iranian laws and in compliance with the procedures those rules establish.”
“As far as I understand, this is precisely what is going on there.”
“Naturally, we urge one and all to refrain from any actions that might create problems, in the first place those permitting violence that puts people's lives at risk,” Lavrov said.
Non-proliferation on the agenda
G8 foreign ministers have welcomed a Russian-American initiative on nuclear non-proliferation, a joint statement says.
Lavrov said Moscow will be coming to L'Aquila in July with several proposals.
“Russia hopes that during the summit some concrete discussion will take place on how to strengthen international security and stability,” he said.
Lavrov said Russia believes “it is necessary to strengthen the role of the UN in all possible ways and regional organizations cooperating with the UN.”
As for energy security, the minister went on, “President Medvedev has presented new suggestions to the world community on how to work out new international laws of energy cooperation in all spheres and including all affected – the producers, the consumers and the transit countries.”
Such worrying issues for international society as the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran were also discussed today by the top diplomats. As for Tehran’s nuclear plans, Lavrov has once again called on the international community to be patient.
The summit participants condemned North Korea over its nuclear tests, but urged the situation to be resolved in a peaceful manner.
Middle East peace process
Lavrov is also taking part in a meeting of the Middle East Quartet, which is being held on Friday on the sidelines of the G8 meeting. The talks are aimed at restarting the peace process between Israel and Palestine.
Russia supports the Arab point of view, saying Israel should leave territories it occupied after the1967 war, and lift its blockade on the Gaza strip.
President Dmitry Medvedev, during his visit to Egypt on June 23, whilst addressing the League of Arab States, also spoke of a need to find a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We understand that resolving the Palestinian conflict and halting the occupation of Palestinian and other Arab lands are key to the overall normalization of the situation in the Middle East,” he said.
“The resolution,” he continued, “must include the creation of an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state with the capital in East Jerusalem, which will coexist peacefully with all the countries in the region, including Israel.”
Ahead of Obama’s visit to Russia
In Trieste, the Russian Foreign Minister met with US Under Secretary of State William Burns. The two discussed the course of preparation for President Obama’s upcoming visit to Moscow as well as Russian-American bilateral relations and international issues.
The US President is expected to visit Moscow from July 6-8.
The foreign ministers of China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey are taking part in the three-day meeting in Northern Italy.
After the G8 summit Lavrov will move on to the Greek island of Corfu for an informal summit of the foreign ministers of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and an unofficial meeting of the Russia-NATO Council. The meetings will take place on June 27. These will be the first talks on such a high level after the conflict in the Caucasus in August last year.
Source:RT
среда, 24 июня 2009 г.
Medvedev takes Africa-wide safari
Russia is hoping to reestablish close links with Africa as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev embarks on a tour across the continent. He is accompanied by a trade delegation which will focus on striking energy deals.
Medvedev has arrived in Egypt on an official visit. He met with the country’s leader Hosni Mubarak and discussed international issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, energy security, and the crisis in Iran.
Speaking after the meeting in Cairo, the Russian president said:
“We highly appreciate the efforts which the Egyptian president is making to build an atmosphere of trust and cooperation in the region. We hope that we will continue our reciprocal cooperation in this sphere. I think that an international Middle East peace conference will really contribute to achieving this goal. We are planning to hold it in Moscow before the end of the year.”
The presidents have signed a strategic partnership agreement sealing future relations in military cooperation, tourism, trade and other areas.
Egypt, Russia’s top partner in Africa, is a magnet for Russian tourists, one of the top holiday destinations. Last year almost two million Russian tourists visited this North African country, but since the beginning of this year their number has been affected by the global economic downturn, which is something Egypt would like to change.
During the Egyptian leg of his African tour, Medvedev has also met Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria, the second most important figure in the Russian Orthodox hierarchy.
The Russian leader spoke at the headquarters of the League of Arab States – a regional organization made up of 21 Arab states, where he also met the organization’s Secretary-General Amr Moussa.
A meeting with speaker of the Egyptian parliament and chairman of the Egypt-Russia Friendship Association Fathi Sorour will round up Medvedev’s working day in Cairo.
After Egypt, Medvedev will visit Nigeria, Namibia and Angola.
Medvedev’s big African tour has already been hailed as Russia’s return to the continent. This is because in Soviet times and during the Cold War the USSR played a very active role in Africa. Back then, Russia had particularly close ties with Angola and to some extent with Egypt as well. The latter’s biggest infrastructure projects were built with Soviet help.
Some analysts are already saying that this visit is about reestablishing Moscow’s influence in the former Soviet sphere of interests.
Back then it was all about ideology and now it is all about business. Moscow is very much interested in the continent’s vast natural reserves. Dmitry Medvedev is being accompanied on the tour by a large number of Russian businessmen and top officials.
For example in Namibia, Russian interests are focused on oil and gas exploration, as well as uranium extraction and diamond cutting.
In Nigeria, a nuclear cooperation deal could be on the cards. Also, Russia’s gas giant Gazprom is very much interested in taking part in the key pipeline project that would send Nigerian gas to Europe. The project is heavily backed by the EU and is aimed at diversifying Europe’s energy supply.
At the same time, despite a very tight schedule, Medvedev is sparing time for some sightseeing. He is expected to visit the legendary pyramids of Egypt and go on a safari trip in Namibia.
Source:RT
Medvedev has arrived in Egypt on an official visit. He met with the country’s leader Hosni Mubarak and discussed international issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, energy security, and the crisis in Iran.
Speaking after the meeting in Cairo, the Russian president said:
“We highly appreciate the efforts which the Egyptian president is making to build an atmosphere of trust and cooperation in the region. We hope that we will continue our reciprocal cooperation in this sphere. I think that an international Middle East peace conference will really contribute to achieving this goal. We are planning to hold it in Moscow before the end of the year.”
The presidents have signed a strategic partnership agreement sealing future relations in military cooperation, tourism, trade and other areas.
Egypt, Russia’s top partner in Africa, is a magnet for Russian tourists, one of the top holiday destinations. Last year almost two million Russian tourists visited this North African country, but since the beginning of this year their number has been affected by the global economic downturn, which is something Egypt would like to change.
During the Egyptian leg of his African tour, Medvedev has also met Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria, the second most important figure in the Russian Orthodox hierarchy.
The Russian leader spoke at the headquarters of the League of Arab States – a regional organization made up of 21 Arab states, where he also met the organization’s Secretary-General Amr Moussa.
A meeting with speaker of the Egyptian parliament and chairman of the Egypt-Russia Friendship Association Fathi Sorour will round up Medvedev’s working day in Cairo.
After Egypt, Medvedev will visit Nigeria, Namibia and Angola.
Medvedev’s big African tour has already been hailed as Russia’s return to the continent. This is because in Soviet times and during the Cold War the USSR played a very active role in Africa. Back then, Russia had particularly close ties with Angola and to some extent with Egypt as well. The latter’s biggest infrastructure projects were built with Soviet help.
Some analysts are already saying that this visit is about reestablishing Moscow’s influence in the former Soviet sphere of interests.
Back then it was all about ideology and now it is all about business. Moscow is very much interested in the continent’s vast natural reserves. Dmitry Medvedev is being accompanied on the tour by a large number of Russian businessmen and top officials.
For example in Namibia, Russian interests are focused on oil and gas exploration, as well as uranium extraction and diamond cutting.
In Nigeria, a nuclear cooperation deal could be on the cards. Also, Russia’s gas giant Gazprom is very much interested in taking part in the key pipeline project that would send Nigerian gas to Europe. The project is heavily backed by the EU and is aimed at diversifying Europe’s energy supply.
At the same time, despite a very tight schedule, Medvedev is sparing time for some sightseeing. He is expected to visit the legendary pyramids of Egypt and go on a safari trip in Namibia.
Source:RT
понедельник, 22 июня 2009 г.
War lyric song -"Good-bye, boys"
Lyrics and music by famous russian bard-Bulat Okudzhava
Oh war, what have you done, you villain!
Our courtyards have all grown silent.
Our boys have raised their heads,
they've become men too soon.
They appeared in the doorway a moment
and departed - soldier after soldier...
Good-bye, boys!
Boys -
try to retrn!
Don't hide yourselves, stand tall,
don't spare either bullets or shells,
and don't spare yourselves, but still try to return!
Oh war, what have you done, you villain!
Instead of weddings there are partings and smoke.
All our girls have given their wedding dresses
away to their little sisters.
How can you get away from those boots?!
Or from those green epaulets?!...
Spit on the gossips, girls,
we'll settle the score with them later!
Let them babble that there's nothing for you to believe in,
that you go through the war blindly...
Good-bye, girls!
Girls -
try to return!
Sings Anzhelika Varum
Source:www.geocities.com
Response to crime in Ingushetia to be tough - Medvedev
MOSCOW, June 22 (Itar-Tass) - President Dmitry Medvedev has assigned Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov to step up work for suppressing terrorist manifestations in the republic. Medvedev assured that the authorities would respond in a tough way to the attempt on the life of Ingush President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov.
“A crime was staged today – an attempt on the life of the President of Ingushetia. This is certainly the result of the work being done by the president of your neighbouring republic – a friendly, fraternal republic -- for establishing order and destroying gangsters,” Medvedev said at a meeting with Ramzan Kadyrov in Moscow.
“I think the work should be continued, so that those who take such actions will realise that the response will be direct and tough,” the Russian President stressed.
“A crime was staged today – an attempt on the life of the President of Ingushetia. This is certainly the result of the work being done by the president of your neighbouring republic – a friendly, fraternal republic -- for establishing order and destroying gangsters,” Medvedev said at a meeting with Ramzan Kadyrov in Moscow.
“I think the work should be continued, so that those who take such actions will realise that the response will be direct and tough,” the Russian President stressed.
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