About 230 million rubles have been transferred to the federal
Ministry of Energy. A new refinery is in the works.
Russia lately signed a production agreement to develop oilfields in
central Sudan in return for Sudanese arms purchases.
Armenia owes Itera, a Florida based, Gazprom related, oil concern, $35
million. Itera has agreed to postpone its planned reduction in gas
supplies to the struggling republic to February 11.
Last month, President Putin called for the establishment of a "Eurasian
alliance of gas producers" - probably to counter growing American
presence, both economic and military, in Central Asia and the much
disputed oil rich Caspian basin. The countries of Central Asia have
done their best to construct alternative oil pipelines (through China,
Turkey, or Iran) in order to reduce their dependence on Russian oil
transportation infrastructure. These efforts largely failed (a new $4
billion pipeline from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea through Russian
territory has just been inaugurated) and Russia is now on a charm
offensive.
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