[lbo-talk] Re: Eurasianism

[Chris Doss]

Georgia is a wreck. 10% of Georgia's foreign trade comes from sales of 
Boijumi mineral water. Something like half of the money that goes into 
Georgia comes from migrant workers and petty traders in Russia sending money 
home their families. Plus they got a civil war, and now Russia has control 
of the energy system (see article below from the very fine Eurasia.net site 
you linked to). So much for the blessings of "independence."

DEALS GIVE RUSSIAN COMPANIES INFLUENCE OVER GEORGIA’S ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
Zeyno Baran: 8/18/03

The fragility of Georgia’s electric system became vivid on August 18, when a 
disruption to a transmission line switched off the entire country. 
Government officials promptly claimed sabotage. But opposition politicians 
in Tbilisi accuse President Eduard Shevardnadze of betraying citizens by 
allowing Russian energy companies potentially decisive influence over how 
Georgia delivers electricity. Russia’s electricity monopoly took controlling 
interest of Georgia’s power plants on August 6, weeks after a Moscow-based 
natural gas giant won the right to upgrade and manage pipelines through 
Georgia. Many observers suspect Shevardnadze of trading strategic assets in 
return for a promise that Russian players will back his political allies in 
a contentious upcoming parliamentary vote.

http://love.flirt.ru/cgi-bin/love/show.cgi?id=30970

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