From Volume 38, Issue 1 of EIR Online, Published Jan. 7, 2011
Russia and the CIS News Digest

Indian-Russian Cooperation Looks To Future of Nuclear Energy

Dec. 21 (EIRNS)—India and Russia have signed a memorandum on jointly developing new-generation fast neutron reactors, the head of the Russian nuclear power corporation Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, announced today in New Delhi, where he is accompanying President Dmitri Medvedev. "Both Russia and India have sufficient experience in this field," he said. "We are interested in the Indian research in creating a thorium cycle, as India has vast deposits of thorium. We have a long list of issues on the agenda, associated with scientific and technological cooperation meant to perfect today's and future nuclear technologies." Russian experts will build 18 reactors in India, Kiriyenko said, in addition to the two 1,000 MW power reactors under construction in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu. There was no formal agreement on building the two additional units planned for Kudankulam, but, Kiriyenko said, India and Russia have agreed on credit for the units.

India and Russia have long carried out advanced technological cooperation, in military, space, and nuclear energy technology. The two nations today also signed the largest-ever agreement, worth $30 billion, to jointly produce an Indian version of Russian fifth-generation jet fighter and military transport aircraft. They will also cooperate in pharmaceuticals, in which India is very advanced, and IT.

Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin told the Deccan Herald in an interview published Dec. 19, that Russia is the only state that offers India advanced military hardware and joint production of state-of-the-art weapon systems. Andrei Volodin, head of Oriental Studies at the diplomatic academy of Russia's Foreign Ministry, told Novosti today that Russia's contribution to India's energy sector in the field of atomic energy is crucial. This is a vast area for bilateral cooperation, because of the lack of natural resources in India and the growing population, he said.

At the joint press conference of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Medvedev, both pointed to nuclear cooperation. Singh said: "Of particular significance in terms of concrete projects is our cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, the hydrocarbons sector, IT, outer space, and the immense potential of expanding cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals." Medvedev responded that high technology is in the focus of attention in cooperation. "This is beneficial for the modernization of both the Russian and Indian economies. Over 50% of the trade turnover with our Indian friends lies in industrial products, which will always be innovative.... We recently signed a comprehensive cooperation program in science, technology, and innovations for the period of up to the year 2020." Medvedev welcomed India's decision to set up a Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership and agreed to discuss future cooperation with this Center.

The two sides signed 30 agreements, including one to more than double trade to $20 billion worth by 2015. In addition, both nations are considering entering a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, which would take into account the customs union agreements among Russia, Kazakstan, and Belarus. Both Russia and Kazakstan are key nations in the world nuclear energy economy. Russia backed India for a permanent UN Security Council seat, and supported India joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a full member, as well as the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC). Russia also supports India joining international nuclear and missile technology export control groupings such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime.

Russia-China Oil Pipeline Opened

Jan. 2 (EIRNS)—Today, 42,000 tons of crude oil flowed from Russia, the world's biggest supplier, to China, in the first full day of operation of the new Skovorodino-Daqing pipeline. The 1,000 km pipeline will transport 15 million tons of crude oil per year from Russia to China from 2011 to 2030.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who had officially opened the pipeline during his visit to the Amur region of eastern Siberia in August, has praised the strategic project not only for increasing Russian-Chinese energy cooperation, but also for giving Russia the opportunity to diversify its energy exports, which now rely heavily on the European market.

'Financial Times' Spews Desire for Putin's Ouster and Death

Dec. 24 (EIRNS)—Mirroring the British monarchy's Thatcher-era "Germany=Fourth Reich" campaign, London's Financial Times today published a filthy propaganda piece against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, smearing all Russian nationalism as de facto a Nazi phenomenon, and the Russian Prime Minister as the sponsor of Hitler-supporting, xenophobic extremist movements in Russia, because he has dared inspire to nationalism in his country.

EIR has extensively documented how London is the actual, synarchist "mother" of the extremist anti-immigrant movements spreading across all Europe, which movements the Financial Times now builds up as "a fearsome new political power" in Russia, out to oust London's enemy, Putin, from power.

London's intent of removing, and, if possible, even killing Putin, is placed in the mouth of one Anton Susov, some member of the extremist Movement Against Illegal Migration. Susov boasts to the Times: "This is a massive political wave, and no one can stop it." Putin "faces one of two scenarios. The Polish scenario, where the regime simply gave up power [after the fall of communism], or the Romanian scenario. He could be Nicolae Ceausescu." Lest anyone has forgotten Ceausescu's fate, the Times explains that he was "the Romanian dictator executed by firing squad in 1989."

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