Russia and China can expand their oil trade, global warming fears be damned. State-owned Russian gas firm Gazprom hopes to pump 38 billion cubic
meters (bcm) of natural gas per year to China beginning in 2018, via the
first pipeline between the world's largest producer of conventional gas
to the largest consumer. The EU and Turkey took 182 bcm of gas from
Russia last year. This year China overtook Germany as Russia's biggest
buyer of crude oil, thanks to Rosneft, Russia's biggest oil company,
securing deals to boost eastward oil supplies via the East
Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline and another crossing Kazakhstan.
Reuters also points out that Igor Sechin, the head of Rosneft, was in Tokyo when he said that "If Europe and the United States isolate Russia, Moscow will look East for new business, energy deals, military contracts and political alliances." Japan, which has supported the West verbally over the Crimea, but has refrained from sanctions, is dependent on Russian gas to replace energy lost from the closing of the Japanese nuclear sector. Sechin also included India, Vietnam, and South Korea on his Asia trip.
Russian relations with India are also good, Reuters notes. In a speech earlier this week, Putin took time to thank one other country for its understanding over Ukraine and Crimea, saying India had shown "restraint and objectivity." On March 19, he called Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the crisis, suggesting there is room for Russia's ties to flourish with traditionally non-aligned India.
Putin's moves to assert Russian control over Crimea were seen very favorably in the Indian establishment, N. Ram, publisher of The Hindu newspaper, told Reuters. "Russia has legitimate interests," he added.
Reuters also points out that Igor Sechin, the head of Rosneft, was in Tokyo when he said that "If Europe and the United States isolate Russia, Moscow will look East for new business, energy deals, military contracts and political alliances." Japan, which has supported the West verbally over the Crimea, but has refrained from sanctions, is dependent on Russian gas to replace energy lost from the closing of the Japanese nuclear sector. Sechin also included India, Vietnam, and South Korea on his Asia trip.
Russian relations with India are also good, Reuters notes. In a speech earlier this week, Putin took time to thank one other country for its understanding over Ukraine and Crimea, saying India had shown "restraint and objectivity." On March 19, he called Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the crisis, suggesting there is room for Russia's ties to flourish with traditionally non-aligned India.
Putin's moves to assert Russian control over Crimea were seen very favorably in the Indian establishment, N. Ram, publisher of The Hindu newspaper, told Reuters. "Russia has legitimate interests," he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment