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22.04.2008

Russians and Libyans are brothers forever

On his way from presidential chair to the chair of PM V.Putin visited Libya where he was an immediate foreign-policy success. In the course of the visit ten agreements were signed as well as large contracts. For example Russian Railroad public corporation signed a contract to the sum of almost 3, 5 billion dollars for railway building in Libya. A number of defense technology supply agreements are planned to be signed. Libyan party signed a number of memoranda with “Gasprom” and promised to support energy policy of Russia, in particular the initiative of gas OPEC formation. The visit could be considered as splendid if not a little but. Libyans became compliant only after the Kremlin agreed to write off a 4, 5 billion-debt that Russia inherited from USSR.

On his way from presidential chair to the chair of PM V.Putin visited Libya where he was an immediate foreign-policy success. In the course of the visit ten agreements were signed as well as large contracts. For example Russian Railroad public corporation signed a contract to the sum of almost 3, 5 billion dollars for railway building in Libya. A number of defense technology supply agreements are planned to be signed. Libyan party signed a number of memoranda with “Gasprom” and promised to support energy policy of Russia, in particular the initiative of gas OPEC formation. The visit could be considered as splendid if not a little but. Libyans became compliant only after the Kremlin agreed to write off a 4, 5 billion-debt that Russia inherited from USSR.

We may be only glad for Russians – not every day it is possible to find a strategic partner in perspective region. Everybody has his own interests in Libya - railway men expect to fight for the contracts in certain countries. Oilmen hope to join rich land resources of Libya. Military-industrial complex reckons on armament supply that caught the fancy of Libyan military since soviet times.”Gasprom” is in general ready to love everyone who likes the idea of cartel formation on international gas market. Again not every country can afford to write off the debt of 4, 5 billion dollars reckoning on future profits. Life confirms that Russia can. Great!

Ostentatious generosity and readiness to mutually beneficial cooperation do their part-Moscow has all the chances to consolidate her grip in the perspective region. Though Libyan present arouses some kind of bewilderment – somehow there isn’t any such a generosity on the postsoviet space. Moreover relations between former soviet republics more and more are measured by dollars and rubles. Can it really be so that thereby Russia gives to understand where strategic regions are for her today?

If it is so then Russian talkers mustn’t be surprised that American military look attentively at for the time being Russian bases at the Black sea. In Tbilisi army instructors from the USA are working at the top of their speed. Ukraine and Georgia following Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have one foot in NATO.

And I very nearly forgot. It was just a week before Vladimir Putin’s visit when Victor Yuschenko was on a visit to Tripoli. Then Muamar Kadafi promised him as well to expand cooperation in energy, in particular in nuclear one, and to use the possibilities of common prospecting and oil and gas field development as well as oil processing development. Ukrainian president in his turn called for the expansion of military and technical cooperation with Libya, for cooperation in the sphere of space research, aviation and aircraft building industries. Thus the colonel Kadafi is ready to promise everybody and everything so that the debts were written off.