>
> See the following news report "No cheap oil if you
> join the west: Russia." Any comments Chris?
>
> Ulhas
>
Lavrov is reminding Tbilisi and Kiev that, if they do not take Moscow's economic interests into account, it can always pull the plug and end their free ride. That would do a real number on the local economies by the way.
He doesn't say anything about NATO or "joining" or "allying" with the West. That seems to be Radyuhin's extrapolation.
I really think the term "the West" should be dropped. It hasn't meant very much for about a decade. What does "the West" mean? Germany has a pro-Russian policy. Poland is anti-Russian. What is "the West's" policy?
>
> The Hindu
>
> Tuesday, Jan 04, 2005
>
> No cheap oil if you join the west: Russia
>
> By Vladimir Radyuhin
>
> MOSCOW, JAN. 3. Russia may stop cheap energy
> supplies to Ukraine and other former Soviet states
> if they ally themselves with the West.
>
> "We have our legitimate interests [in the former
> Soviet Union] and we want them to be respected as we
> respect the interests of those countries," said the
> Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov. He
> explained that those ex-Soviet states which were
> willing to build "friendly, allied" ties with
> Russia, can count on economic privileges "including
> energy supplies."
>
> However, those neighbours who ally themselves with
> the West may find these privileges taken away from
> them.
>
> "We respect the right of each country, including all
> our neighbours, to pick their partners and decide
> what organisations to join," Mr. Lavrov said in an
> interview to a German daily released by the Russian
> Foreign Ministry. "But it will be their choice, and
> we will of course assume that they will figure out
> for themselves what policy they will pursue, which
> partners and allies they will rely upon in
> developing their economy."
>
> Calibrated remarks
>
> Russia supplies oil and gas to members of the
> Commonwealth of Independent States at prices about
> one-third cheaper than it gets in international
> markets. Mr. Lavrov's carefully calibrated remarks
> can be read as a warning to Georgia and Ukraine that
> Russia will hike oil, gas and electricity prices for
> them if they join NATO. Georgia's President, Mikhail
> Saakashvili, who came to power in the course of
> "rose revolution" a year ago, and Ukraine's
> President-elect, Viktor Yushchenko, who led an
> "orange revolution" in Kiev last month, have both
> said they want to lead their countries to NATO and
> the European Union.
>
> Copyright © 2005, The Hindu.
>
>
>
>
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