Why Greece isn't sweating the U.S. anymore.

[zefs]

Russia-Greece trade grows by 40 per cent a year
itar-tass.com


02.06.2008, 16.18



MOSCOW, June 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Trade turnover between Russia and Greece “is growing steadily, and the increment amounts to 40 per cent annually,” Russian Minister of Agriculture Alexei Gordeyev, who is co-chairman of the Russian-Greek intergovernmental commission, said at the third Russian-Greek business forum on Monday.

“Russia is working to change the character of its economy, which is based mainly on raw materials. We are willing to export to other countries not only oil, but also machinery and equipment for mills and factories, we are ready to introduce novel technologies,” he said.

“A new period is coming in Russia for stepping up cooperation with foreign partners on a long-term basis, specifically, with Greece. Our two countries are friends and partners of long standing. Russia and Greece drew up a plan of actions for 2007-2008. There is only one more EU member country – Holland – with which Russia has a similar plan,” Gordeyev continued.

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Petros Doukas, who is Greek co-chairman of the intergovernmental commission, described Russia as “a great and friendly country.” “Greece exports goods and services to Russia worth 300.5 million dollars a year, and its imports from Russia are worth 2.5 billion dollars,” he said.

According to Doukas, “Greece is creating most favourable conditions for investments.” “We have a very low inflation rate and low interest rates, while our banking sector is very strong,” he stressed.

[pankration]

If I donate a million dollars for cancer research it can't be used for forestry studies. So why does that writer have a problem with Princeton? What a malaka.

[zefs]

The Russians are slowly making themselves a big player and diminishing U.S.
influence in Europe..

Russians and EU to seek new pact

Energy issues were at the top of the summit's agenda
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and top EU officials have announced the start of talks on a new strategic partnership agreement.

The start of negotiations has been long delayed, amid strained ties under Mr Medvedev's predecessor, Vladimir Putin. But, at a meeting with EU officials in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk, Mr Medvedev said he was looking for a "new impulse" to relations with the EU. The talks will formally begin on 4 July in Brussels, he said.

They will primarily focus on trade - Russia is the EU's third biggest trading partner and half of all Russian exports go to the EU.

Objections lifted

A relaxed Mr Medvedev hailed the "sincere, neighbourly" mood at the summit, and EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he "really enjoyed this... very open, relaxed, constructive atmosphere".

Mr Putin stayed away from the summit. But despite much talk of co-operation and mutual interest, old problems reared their heads, says the BBC's James Rodgers.

President Medvedev said Russia was alarmed by what he called a tendency to use European solidarity to promote the interests of individual members in bilateral disputes with Russia.

He also harshly criticised US plans to site missile defence facilities in Europe, and warned the EU against relying on others to ensure security in Europe.

Indeed, Russia proposed a new treaty covering security across the European continent - a suggestion it said was warmly welcomed.

Objections dropped

The new agreement is meant to replace the previous 10-year deal, which expired in 2007, but will continue to govern relations until the new text comes into force.

Talks had been stalled since late 2006, when Warsaw objected to a Russian ban on meat imports from Poland.




Fuel woes overshadow talks

After that Lithuania held up progress, saying it wanted discussions on Russia's support for separatists in Georgia and Moldova.

It dropped its objections in May, allowing talks to go ahead.

Energy supplies were a key issue at the summit, with the EU getting about a quarter of its natural gas from Russia.

The host city is at the heart of Russia's oil boom and more than 4,000km (2,500 miles) from Brussels.

The European Commission says it wants the new partnership agreement to establish "a level playing field for energy relations".

New cloud

Russia's previous gas rows with its former Soviet neighbours - especially Ukraine - have made Europe nervous, our correspondent says.

Among the other subjects covered by the summit were financial market stability, the rise of sovereign wealth funds, climate change and the current food crisis.

There was a potential new stumbling block raised on the eve of the summit, when Finland - a major Russian trading partner - announced it was considering retaliation for Russian moves to increase export duties on raw timber.

The country said Russia's measures - which it says are designed to bolster the country's paper-processing industry - would cost up to 16,000 jobs in Finland.


bbc.com

[zefs]

Greece ratifies South Stream deal
29 August 2008 | 10:33 | Source: Tanjug
ATHENS -- The Greek parliament has ratified an agreement with Russia for the construction of an artery of the South Stream pipeline.

MPs from the ruling New Democracy party, the opposition PASOK, as well as members of the National Orthodox Gathering voted in favor of the agreement, while the Radical Left Coalition voted against, reports the Greek ANA agency.

South Stream is due to transport Russian natural gas to Europe from Novorossisk, passing under the Black Sea to Bulgaria and Greece.

Greece called the agreement, signed in April, “historic”, while Development Minister Christos Folias said that everything was on schedule, and that the pipeline would be complete by 2014.

Folias stressed that this project was not in conflict with other pipelines, and that South Stream would be a boon as demand for gas in Greece and the EU was constantly rising.

The joint venture between Russian Gazprom and the Italian petrochemical concern ENI is envisaged for the transport of Russian and, maybe, central Asian gas to Europe.

The overall capacity of the pipeline, whose construction will cost over USD 10bn, will amount to 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

By the end of the year, Gazprom plans to complete market research and analysis into the technical and economic feasibility of the project, while the pipeline would come into operation in 2013.

The underwater section of the pipeline from the Russian Black Sea coast, near the town of Arhipo-Osipovka, to Burgas in Bulgaria will be 900km long, reaching a maximum depth of 2,000 meters.

The overland section of the pipeline is planned to be made up of two arteries, one going through Bulgaria and Greece and on under the Adriatic into Brindisi in Italy, with the other heading north into Austria.
http://www.phantis.com/

[zefs]

I love it. Greece finally realized you can play and use both sides..
ATHENS - The USA interfered for yet another time in Greece’s energy policy. This is the common commentary on the meeting between US ambassador to Athens Daniel Speckhard and Greek Minister of Development Christos Folias, organized only a day after the Greek government ratified the agreement with Russia over the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, Greek Ethnos newspaper writes.

Six days before the minister leaves for Azerbaijan, the USA rushed to require information from Folias, as well as to express support for Greece’s attempts to mobilize the big Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline.

According to the information provided, the US ambassador again stressed on Washington’s position against "Greece and EU’s dependence on Russian gas," focusing on the risks for the energy safety caused by monopoly.
phantis.com

[zefs]

Russia to sell over 400 armored vehicles to Greece
16:17 | 06/ 10/ 2008



MOSCOW, October 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Greece are drafting an intergovernmental agreement and a contract for the supply of 420 BMP-3M infantry fighting vehicles, a spokesman for Russia's arms export monopoly, said on Monday.

The Rosoboronexport spokesman said that in early 2008 the Greek Defense Ministry had made an official request for the delivery of the armored vehicles from Russia, the second-largest arms exporter in the world.

"Preparations for signing a corresponding intergovernmental agreement and contract are currently underway," he said.

He also said that the BMP-3M will be showcased at the Defendory International 2008 arms show due to take place in Athens, Greece, from October 7-11.

The BMP-3M is one of the most heavily armed infantry fighting vehicles in service. It has been exported to nearly a dozen countries with the United Arab Emirates having around 600 operational vehicles in service.

Russia exports arms to about 80 countries. Among the key buyers of Russian-made weaponry are China, India, Algeria, Venezuela, Iran, Malaysia, and Serbia. The country has doubled its annual arms exports since 2000 to $7 billion last year.

The U.S., which is the world's top arms exporter, has repeatedly imposed sanctions on Rosoboronexport and other Russian companies, including over the sale of TOR-M1 air defense systems to Iran, despite the fact that the deals were in line with international agreements.

phantis.com