Latest articles from Vladimir Socor
Russia Enters Global LNG Market Thanks to Foreign-Built Plant
Russia's first-ever plant for liquefied natural gas (LNG) was inaugurated near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on February 18 in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Britain's Prince Andrew, Netherlands Economic Affairs Minister Maria van der Hoeven, and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso. The plant will process gas... MORE
Oil-for-Loans Deal Will Increase Russian Oil Deliveries to China
On February 17 and 18 Russia made its entrance as a significant supplier of oil and gas to Asian countries. Natural gas earmarked for Japan and South Korea came on stream at Russia's first-ever, foreign-built liquefaction plant; and, in a parallel move, Russia signed a... MORE
Nord Stream in the Russo-German Special Relationship
A former Stasi (East German secret police) officer and current Nord Stream general manager Matthias Warnig traveled around the world this week to promote that Russo-German gas transport project on the Baltic seabed. Warnig now also serves as an "independent member" of the board of... MORE
No Gas Sources Foreseen for Gazprom’s South Stream
Gazprom vice-president Aleksandr Medvedev's extensive briefing on the South Stream transport project for potential investors (see article above) left the matter of sourcing it with gas entirely obscure. This omission could not come as a surprise, given Russia's gas production shortfall now setting for several... MORE
Russia in EurAsEc: Imperial Largess from Dwindling Resources?
The presidents of Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEc) member countries -Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, as well as observer country Armenia- held an extraordinary summit of that organization in Moscow on February 4, the day after the CSTO summit there (see EDM, February 5, 6).... MORE
Russia Preparing to Buy Allies Through Anti-Crisis Assistance
While facing a financial and economic crisis of its own, Russia has launched an ambitious program of anti-crisis subsidies to several loyalist governments. The program seeks to consolidate a sphere of Russian economic and political influence in selected countries. Moscow plans to disburse those subsidies... MORE
The CSTO: Missions, Capabilities, Political Ambitions
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which adopted decisions to develop Collective Rapid Response Forces at a summit in Moscow on February 4 (see EDM, February 5), owes its existence to Russia's ambition to cast itself as the leader of a political-military bloc on the... MORE
CSTO Summit: Rapid Deployment Forces Advance at a Snail’s Pace
The Presidents of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan held a session of the Collective Security Council-the top political decision-making body of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)-on February 4 in Moscow, where they signed an agreement on further developing the CSTO's Collective... MORE
Chancellor Merkel’s Letter Perturbs EU’s Energy Debate
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reacted negatively to the high-level meeting in Budapest, which improved the prospects for European Union funding of the Nabucco gas transport project (see EDM, January 29, 30). Merkel has taken a contrary position in a confidential letter to EU Commission... MORE
How Much Longer Can Azerbaijan Wait For Nabucco to Materialize?
"It's a good question, how long we are going to wait," Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev warned with regard to the Nabucco gas transport project during the World Economic Forum just held in Davos. As a potential large-scale producer with proven reserves of 2 trillion cubic... MORE