Miscellaneous News

delft

Brigadier
The geopolitical situation is very complex. For their own reasons US, China and Russia want Greece to remain in the Euro zone. The Greek government wants Greece to remain in the Euro zone. All for their own reasons. US want Greece to remain within NATO and EU. Russia wants to route the gas pipe line through Greece and Serbia to Hungary. China want to build a high speed rail line from Greece to Hungary. Russia and China want to reduce the influence of US on EU through Greece. US want to prevent a growth of economic influence of Russia and China to prevent that. All are also looking at Ukraine, Turkey, Middle East, Iran, Central Asia.
 

kwaigonegin

Colonel
The geopolitical situation is very complex. For their own reasons US, China and Russia want Greece to remain in the Euro zone. The Greek government wants Greece to remain in the Euro zone. All for their own reasons. US want Greece to remain within NATO and EU. Russia wants to route the gas pipe line through Greece and Serbia to Hungary. China want to build a high speed rail line from Greece to Hungary. Russia and China want to reduce the influence of US on EU through Greece. US want to prevent a growth of economic influence of Russia and China to prevent that. All are also looking at Ukraine, Turkey, Middle East, Iran, Central Asia.

Basically everyone wants Greece (including most Greeks) to remain in the EU except the EU.. LOL
 
... Russia wants to route the gas pipe line through Greece and Serbia to Hungary. ...

I thought you would declare the South Stream opened :) so I checked the Gazprom webpage:
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Progress
At present, the major part of the western route of the gas pipeline system has been completed; the construction of the eastern route of the Southern Corridor gas pipeline system is in progress.
(the western route from the above quote -- in blue below; eastern -- yellow):
2014-09-30-southern-corridor-map-en.jpg
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Sampan...I just don't think so.

A pipeline is one thing. But a total turnover economically to Russia? Not likely because Russia is in bad straits economically itself and is unlikely to be able to address, much less solve the economic issues of a nation like Greece..

In addition to that, both nations (Turkey and Greece) are solid members of NATO. I have seen nothing in the wind that would indicate a change in that policy.
 

delft

Brigadier
I thought you would declare the South Stream opened :) so I checked the Gazprom webpage:
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(the western route from the above quote -- in blue below; eastern -- yellow):
2014-09-30-southern-corridor-map-en.jpg
South Stream was to land in Bulgaria, but was called off due to obstruction from Brussels.The alternative is to be Turk Stream from Russkaya to European Turkey and then on to the Greek border. From there the gas is to flow through Greece, Macedonia and Serbia to Hungary and I think on to Austria.
The Saker supposed that the recent trouble in Macedonia was instigated to sabotage this pipe line route.
 

kwaigonegin

Colonel
Sampan...I just don't think so.

A pipeline is one thing. But a total turnover economically to Russia? Not likely because Russia is in bad straits economically itself and is unlikely to be able to address, much less solve the economic issues of a nation like Greece..

In addition to that, both nations (Turkey and Greece) are solid members of NATO. I have seen nothing in the wind that would indicate a change in that policy.

You brought up an interesting point Jeff. I was just thinking this not long ago myself. Assuming official succession from EU, I think Greece's NATO membership also faces uncertainty. Not immediately mind you but certainly in the future. It won't help let's put it that way.

While EU membership is obviously not a requirement for NATO, it will however have profound negative impact over the long term especially if Greece continues to hemorrhage $$ and contributes very little to NATO.
There are also political influences as well especially if Russia becomes more active in their involvement in Greece.

anyway just thinking out loud!
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
I think Greece's NATO membership also faces uncertainty. Not immediately mind you...

While EU membership is obviously not a requirement for NATO, it will however have profound negative impact over the long term especially if Greece continues to hemorrhage $$

There are also political influences as well especially if Russia becomes more active in their involvement in Greece.
Well, strange things do happen.

But IMHO, I simply do not see any plausible scenario where Greece (or for that matter, Turkey) gravitates to the Russian sphere of influence in the near term.

And by near term I mean...well, since I am pushing 60 years...not in a time frame where it is something that I will be worrying about. LOL!
 

Miragedriver

Brigadier
Well, strange things do happen.

But IMHO, I simply do not see any plausible scenario where Greece (or for that matter, Turkey) gravitates to the Russian sphere of influence in the near term.

And by near term I mean...well, since I am pushing 60 years...not in a time frame where it is something that I will be worrying about. LOL!

Very strange things have been happening in the last six years, or so. Who knows, Greece may decide to go the way of the non-aligned nations. Although that would not be a good move especially with its past confrontations/tension with Turkey; and Turkey being a contributing member of NATO.

Personally I see Greece pulling out of the Euro, going back to printing the Drachma and licking its wounds from the financial rigidity that was imposed. They will be happy printing more moneys to balance their budgets; unfortunately it will be on the backs of the average Greek as they will soon deal with inflation.


Back to bottling my Grenache and only accepting dollars
 
...The alternative is to be Turk Stream from Russkaya to European Turkey and then on to the Greek border. From there...

Turkey-Russia Gas Pipeline Deal Said to Stall on Price Clash
Russia’s plan to build a new $15 billion pipeline to Turkey is at risk of delay because of a fight over gas prices, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

State-run OAO Gazprom and its Turkish counterpart Botas had a six-month period to agree on prices for gas supplies between the two countries, which expired on Monday. The Ankara-based company now has the right to take the matter to international arbitration, three of the people said, asking not to be named because the information is private.

The dispute over prices means there’s no immediate prospect of signing a binding pact for the new pipeline, the second between Russia and Turkey. An agreement could now be delayed until at least October, two more people said, also asking not to be identified.

The delay is a blow to President Vladimir Putin’s plan to use the new link to ship gas to Turkey and onto Europe, bypassing existing pipelines in Ukraine. He proposed the project last year after the European Union, which gets about 30 percent of its gas from Russia, blocked a similar link through Bulgaria.

Gazprom
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to extend a gas-transit contract with Ukraine after 2019 and the EU would have to accept the new route, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in April.

Things changed last week, however, suggesting uncertainty about the Turkey pipeline. Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexey Miller said Putin ordered the company to discuss transit with Ukraine before the contract expires.

Key Market
Gazprom’s press office and Turkey’s Energy Ministry declined to comment.

Turkey is Russia’s second largest gas-export market with about $10 billion in revenue last year and two-thirds of volumes are bought by state-run Botas.

The deal also
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because the ruling party in Ankara lost its parliamentary majority in a June 7 election, one of the people said. Officials from Gazprom and Turkey had previously said they had agreed on pricing.

If a price accord is reached, a binding deal on the pipeline is possible later this year, two people said.

Gazprom declines to comment on the possible cost of the link. The sub-sea section of the scrapped South Stream pipeline under the Black Sea was estimated at 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) to 14 billion euros.

Five years ago, the Moscow-based gas exporter faced massive claims from EU clients that its prices were too high after gas demand collapsed amid the global economic crisis. Now Germany’s EON SE, one of Gazprom’s key clients, and Poland’s dominant natural-gas distributor are also seeking price cuts through
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.
source:
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plus, in Russian, through gazeta.ru article
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"Mass Media: The Turk-Stream Threatened Endangered By International Arbitration"
I found an analysis "Ankara Buries The Turk-Stream"
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