Discussion Forums > Politics

Russia says it will join sanctions against Iran.

<< < (3/5) > >>

relic2279:
Those pictures do it justice actually. Unfortunately, North Korea isn't that nice:


http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3

^ video documentary on one mans week there on one of the few tourist visas they give out. Excellent watch. I think I've posted it before.

darkjedi:
North Korea is poor but it's nonetheless a very clean country.

relic2279:

--- Quote from: darkjedi on September 26, 2009, 12:50:06 AM ---North Korea is poor but it's nonetheless a very clean country.

--- End quote ---

Really?

Here are some 'other' pics...
:P


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8256890.stm

darkjedi:
By clean I mean green and such such

There are many countries which are both poor and dirty. I don't think North Korea is one of them.

darkjedi:
Russia Says Threats of New Iran Sanctions Are Counterproductive

(click to show/hide) Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said threats to impose new sanctions against Iran are “counterproductive” and the international community should push for a diplomatic solution on the country’s nuclear program.

“Our position is that at this stage all efforts should be made to support the negotiating process,” Lavrov said in Moscow after talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “Sanctions and the threat of pressure in the current situation are counterproductive in our view.”

Clinton said that while new sanctions against Iran aren’t yet inevitable, “in the absence of significant progress and assurances that Iran isn’t pursuing nuclear weapons,” the U.S. will “be seeking to rally international opinion” in favor of imposing sanctions.

Clinton arrived in Moscow last night for meetings with Lavrov and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The U.S. and its European allies are concerned that Iran is making headway on acquiring the capability to build a nuclear weapon. Iran told United Nations nuclear inspectors last month it is building an underground nuclear-fuel plant, a facility that the U.S., Britain and France said was a secret site.

During an Oct. 1 meeting near Geneva with the U.S., other members of the UN Security Council and Germany, Iran agreed to allow an inspection of the new enrichment facility outside Tehran. The country also agreed to meet with negotiators for the U.S. and other UN members later this month.

Uranium Enrichment

The U.S. and other powers have said they will wait until the end of the year before pushing for any new sanctions against Iran. Three rounds of Security Council sanctions have failed to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment. U.S. officials welcomed Medvedev’s comments in New York last month that new sanctions may become inevitable.

Still, Russia has long been cool to new penalties and it is yet to be determined what types of sanctions, if any, Russia would support.

“We should not overestimate how far it carries the Russians in our direction,” James Collins, U.S. ambassador to Russia from 1997-2001, and now an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said of Medvedev’s comment.
Well, told ye.

I don't think Russia's going to hunt down Iran unless there was irrefutable proof that Iran was posing an undeniable threat to Russian strategic interests, e.g. by threatening the Middle East by building a nuclear weapon.

For now Iran's denying a nuclear weapon program, which is a minus to its strategic deterrence.


And here's France, China, and even South Korea engaging in multi-billion dollar projects with Iran despite the threat of economic sanctions:

Iran sees possible Total deal worth $7.5-8 bln

(click to show/hide) TEHRAN, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A senior Iranian energy official said on Monday the value of a possible new liquefied natural gas development deal with France's Total (TOTF.PA) had fallen to $7.5-8 billion, state broadcaster IRIB reported.

Reza Kasaiezadeh, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Export Company, said this would represent a reduction compared with an earlier contract concerning phase 11 of the South Pars gas field in the Gulf which he valued at $12 billion.

Total declined to be drawn on the details of any possible deals in Iran. "We have no comment to make. However, Iran remains a country of interest to us in the long term," a Total spokeswoman said.

"If it is finalised, the value of the new contract with Total will be between $7.5 to 8 billion considering the fall in the oil price," Kasaiezadeh told IRIB.

"If a contract is signed with this company we would be witnessing some changes in the value of the contract in the midstream section, which means LNG production," he said.

In June, the official Iranian news agency IRNA said Tehran had signed a $4.7 billion contract with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to help develop phase 11 of South Pars, replacing Total which it had accused of delays.

Total had a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the state National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) to develop Phase 11 but the project was overshadowed by haggling over contract terms. U.N. and U.S. sanctions have also deterred Western firms in Iran.

But the semi-official Mehr News Agency on Saturday said NIOC and Total had resumed talks about the French energy firm's participation in phase 11 after a gap of several months [ID:nDAH148173].

"Total has announced its readiness to develop both the upstream and midstream sectors of South Pars phase 11, either with the Chinese company or without," Kasaiezadeh said.

"They started talks with the Chinese side and if Total is not serious again this time, the development of the upstream section of phase 11 will be continued by the Chinese company and a new decision must be made for the midstream section," he said.

Iran has the world's second largest gas reserves, almost 16 percent of the world's total, but currently has no major net exports partly because U.S. and U.N. sanctions have deterred investment by Western firms with expertise and technology.

The South Pars reservoir is shared by Iran and Qatar. The Iranian part is divided into 24 phases. (Reporting by Reza Derakhshi; editing by William Hardy)
S.Korea's GS E&C signs $1.4 bln gas deal with Iran

(click to show/hide) SEOUL, Oct 13 (Reuters) - South Korea's GS Engineering & Construction (GS E&C) confirmed on Tuesday it had won a 1.6 trillion won ($1.37 billion) project to sweeten gas from the South Pars field in Iran, increasing its presence in the gas-rich but politically isolated country.

GS E&C (006360.KS) said it and a consortium including Iranian International General Contractor Co had agreed to complete phases 6, 7 and 8 of South Pars gas project with Pars Oil and Gas Co, a subsidiary of Iranian national oil company, by May 2013.

"GS E&C secured a stable base in Iran, the world's second-largest natural gas reserves, by winning the gas desulfurisation project after it had successfully completed the 9-10 phases of South Pars project," Moo-ik Chang, vice president of GS E&C said in a statement.

The South Pars reservoir is shared by Iran and Qatar. The Iranian part is divided into 24 phases. The 1.6-trillion won the South Korean firm will receive is equivalent to 77 percent of the total construction, the statement said.

Iranian media reported on Monday that an Iranian state oil and gas firm had signed a contract with a South Korean company referred to as GS to sweeten gas from the South Pars field in the Gulf, but gave no further details. [ID:nDAH251330]

Iran has almost 16 percent of the world's total gas reserves, but currently has no major net exports partly because U.S. and U.N. sanctions have deterred investment by Western firms with expertise and technology.

It is drawing interest from Indian, Chinese and other Asian firms seen as less susceptible than many other companies to such pressure, but industry experts say it will be many years before Iran becomes a major gas exporter despite its resources.

GS E&C specialises in the construction of oil, gas and petrochemical plants, and power and electrical plants.

GS E&C's 30.5 percent of stake is held by Chairman Huh Changsu family, who also holds a 46 percent of stake in GS Holdings (078930.KS), according to data from GS Engineering & Construction. GS is the holding firm of GS Caltex, South Korea's No. 2 crude refiner.

Shares of GS Engineering & Construction dipped 0.48 percent to 103,500 won as of 0154 GMT, outperforming the broader market. ($1=1165.9 Won) (Reporting by Shin Jieun and Cho Meeyoung in Seoul; Additional reporting by Reza Derakhshi in Tehran, Editing by Lincoln Feast)
It's by no means making sanctions inappropriate but it surely will be a bit more difficult to implement, especially from China's end.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page