Windows to Russia

Vietnam has just upped the ante (so to speak) in this part of the world. My news sources here in Russia have expressed the confirmation of this data…

“Vietnam signed contracts for the purchases of submarines and planes from the Russian side,” he said without elaborating after Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport signed an agreement to supply “special material” to the Vietnamese navy.

The Inter-fax news agency said that Russia will sell Vietnam six (6) diesel-electric submarines of “Project 636” type, more widely known under its NATO codename “Kilo”, for a total of around $2 billion. These subs will be built at a rate of one per year until completed at a shipyard in St. Petersburg.

Inter-fax also said that Russia had also discussed a deal for delivery of eight Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters to Vietnam. With a possibility of twelve more in the future.

Vietnam, China and other countries have longstanding competing claims of sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, including the potentially oil and gas-rich Spratly and Paracel island chains.

Changing the balance of power in this area may take more than a few subs and jets, but Vietnam just purchased a pile of bargaining chips that you can not ignore…

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PS: The claim that China says they own rights to is the red outline in the sea area. Kinda looks like China went a little crazy when they drew that line. All those other countries got a little bit upset. Oil is one of the roots of all wars…

From BANGKOK, December 16 (RIA Novosti):

The Kazakh and Belarusian crew of a plane caught transporting arms from North Korea may face the death penalty, a Thai paper said on Wednesday, citing police.

The Il-76 cargo plane, carrying about 40 tons of weaponry, was seized after landing for refueling at Bangkok’s Don Muang airport on December 12. Officials said the weapons included missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.

The paper quoted a senior police official as saying that the crew would be charged with the illegal possession of explosives, punishable by “from two years to death.”

The plane’s five crew members, one Belarus national and four Kazakhs, were taken to Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison after their arrest.

The Bangkok Post quoted investigators as saying the crew were planning to offload part of their cargo in Sri Lanka and the Middle East. However, the suspects reportedly refused to name the buyers or locations.

The plane’s Belarusian commander earlier said that the plane had flown from Ukraine, and claimed that neither he nor the other crewmembers knew of the military nature of the cargo.

Mikhail Petukhov was earlier quoted by the Thai news agency TNA as saying the aircraft refueled in Azerbaijan, then in the United Arab Emirates, and then in Thailand while en route to Pyongyang. The plane’s commander said the aircraft was scheduled to refuel in Thailand and Sri Lanka on its way back, after which the cargo was expected to be delivered to Ukraine.

From MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti)

Yegor Gaidar, one of the leading architects of free market reforms in post-Soviet Russia, has died at the age of 53, his aide said on Wednesday.

“Yegor Gaidar has died, I cannot currently give any more details,” Gennady Volkov said.

A source told RIA Novosti that a blood clot was the cause of death.

From MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti):

The head of Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Tuesday that Russia expects no problems with Ukraine’s payment for Russian natural gas in December.

“I presume Gazprom officials will be celebrating New Year at their homes,” Alexei Miller said.

However, he said concerns remain over January payments, with the first installment for 2010 due on January 7.

From TBILISI, December 15 (RIA Novosti):

The recognition of Abkhazia’s independence by Nauru, the world’s smallest island state, is utterly irrelevant, the Georgian minister for reintegration said on Tuesday.

Nauru, an island in the South Pacific Ocean, recognized the independence of the former Georgian republic earlier on Tuesday, with both countries signing an agreement on establishing diplomatic relations.

Nauru is the fourth country to recognize Abkhazia’s independence, joining Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

“The recognition of Abkhazia’s independence by Nauru is more like a comedy… it changes nothing in the international arena,” Temur Yakobashvili said.

Nauru, which has a population of about 15,000 people, is the world’s only country with no capital. It became a member of the United Nations in 1999.

Russia recognized Abkhazia and another former Georgian republic, South Ossetia, as independent states shortly after a five-day war with Georgia in August 2008 that began when Georgian forces attacked the latter in an attempt to bring it back under central control.

From MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti):

A man in southwest Russia’s Samara Region has been jailed for seven years for murdering a woman who snored too loudly, national media said on Tuesday.

Viktor Rudakov, 46, had been drinking with friends at the woman’s house on August 13 and was invited to stay the night. But he was unable to get to sleep due to her loud snoring. After failing to wake her up, he took a plank of wood and beat her around the head and body some 30 times.

The woman died the next day of her injuries.

Rudakov, who will serve his time in a maximum security jail, confessed to the murder.

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Republic of Nauru has recognized Abkhazia as a independent country! (That makes Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela and Republic of Nauru.)

The Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island nation in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbor is Banaba Island in Kiribati, 300 km to the east. Nauru is the world’s smallest island nation, covering just 21 square kilometres (8.1 square miles).

Now that might not seem like a big deal but really it is! The slow process of Abkhazia’s independence is still moving forward.

I wonder how many Nauru’s would fit in Abkhazia? 🙂

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PS: Bet you did not know about this tiny little Republic and of course Georgia says that Russia bought them off! Nauru also says that they will acknowledge South Ossetia!

Last night I was walking the dog at about 2am and it became real interesting! I knew it was going to get around -18 C., but I could tell it was colder than that.

At the half way point of our walk I had to carry the dog. His little feet got so cold that he was just having serious issues. Now I also had to carry him a little bit earlier when Svet and I walked him, but that was because he had stepped in some ice melt that was put on the sidewalk.

Well when Boza and I got home I checked the temperature and at that point is was -25 C. When I got up around 8am it was officially -27 C. For you all from America that equates to -16 to -17 F. (Other words it was cold…)

We seem to have gotten a little colder than Moscow because we live on the outside of the city. I think Moscow showed -24 C.

I took some pictures of our window. It is frozen solid almost and covered for the most part with a thick layer of ice on the outside. Kinda cool…

The first picture was taken at about 10am and that is the sun trying to peep through the ice. I found a thin spot in the ice and took the second picture. I thought that was a neat design.

Have a warm day!

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PS: They are calling for even colder! (That is so neat)

The EU has hurried out a statement to counteract the fact that they signed off on a fair and democratic election in Abkhazia:

The mission of foreign monitors that over saw the presidential election in Abkhazia said that the election met the international democratic standards. (Here comes the – Oops)

The mission admitted the election was legitimate, then it has confirmed that legitimacy by putting the statement in writing and was signed by 16 of the monitors! Of these 16 monitors was representatives from the USA, Germany and France.

The mission of foreign monitors also stated the election was held in accordance with norms of acting local electoral norms and meeting the international democratic standards in conditions of fair political competition. (Oops)

Now the EU is scrambling to counter this fact of a fair and legitimate election in Abkhazia…

Oops!

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PS: Please ignore all legitimate previous statements and only concentrate on the EU statement! (Thank you!)

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He did it! NO! He did it! No way – He did it!!!!!

According to Georgi Buchukuri, the head of the United Transport Administration of Georgia, Tbilisi has nothing to do with the aircraft detained in Bangkok on December 12th.

“This incident has nothing to do with the Georgian side. That IL-76 belongs to Air West, one of the Georgian aviation companies, which leased that aircraft to SP Trading, a Ukrainian company”.

Looks like pass the buck time?

Regardless the weapons found are in the normal channels and it seems that both Ukraine and Georgia are involved! (Seems to be normal for the course)

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PS: Wonder when we will be back to “North Korea Did It?”

The Abkhazian elections are over and the monitors announce no serious violations by the voters. But Georgia is upset and Tbilisi is stomping its feet at the results.

According to preliminary official results announced by the Abkhazian Central Election Commission, incumbent President Sergei Bagapsh won 59.4% of the vote, with his former vice president, Raul Khadzimba, trailing with 15.4%.

The president of Georgia (Sassafras)has condemned the vote as an illegal Russian, Kremlin-backed gesture in an “occupied territory”!

Darn Evil Russian’s…. 🙂

Aircraft with weapons, detained in Bangkok, belongs to Georgia:

On December 12th an aircraft with weapons was detained in the airport of Bangkok. The world immediately announced that North Korea was at fault. As it turned out, it belongs to a Georgian air company – RIA Novosti.

“The aircraft belongs to Georgia, previously it was in the register of Kazakhstan, but on October 7th 2009 was sold to a Georgian air company and excluded from the register in Kazakhstan,” said Radilbek Adimolda from the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kazakhstan.

The aircraft Il-76 contained 40 tons of weapons, including grenade launchers and portable missile launchers. Weapons were transported under the guise of “well drilling equipment”!

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PS: I realize that no one cares and 90% of everyone will only remember that North Korea was at fault. The truth is North Korea was not at fault… (damage done)

Police officer who killed south Russia journalist gets two years:
A court in the southern Russian republic of Ingushetia sentenced a police officer on Friday to two years in prison for killing a journalist in 2008. (That is all!)

Russia’s GDP down 8.9% in 3Q09 year-on-year:
Russia’s GDP fell 8.9% in the third quarter year-on-year and grew 13.8% on the second quarter, the Federal Statistics Agency said on Friday.

Russian monetary base up $1.7 bln in week to $136.664 bln:
Russia’s Central Bank said Friday the country’s narrowly defined money supply (M1) was 4 trillion 154.7 billion rubles ($136.664 billion at the current exchange rate) as of December 7, up 51.2 billion rubles ($1.7 billion) in the week since November 30.

Two more nightclub blaze victims die, toll climbs to 141:
Two more victims of a Russian nightclub fire died on Friday bringing the death toll to 141 people, a spokesman for the governor of the Urals Perm region where the tragedy happened said.

Dollar down 41.61 kopeks, euro down 58.22 kopeks – Central Bank:
The official dollar rate set by the Russian Central Bank for December 12-14 is 30.2107 rubles, down 41.61 kopeks, the Central Bank said on Friday.

Russia, U.S. to continue arms cut talks in Geneva next week:
Russia and the United States will continue talks on a new nuclear arms reduction deal to replace the expired START 1 treaty in Geneva next week, a Foreign Ministry official said on Friday.

Russia could cut oil export duty to $266-268 per ton in January:
Russia could slightly reduce oil export duty on its Urals blend from the current $271 to $266-268 per metric ton starting in January, a Finance Ministry official said.

Why Russia doesn’t care about Copenhagen?:
The rest of the world’s passions may be boiling over in Copenhagen this week, but Russia is paying no attention. There is a widespread opinion among the Russian ruling elites that global warming could be beneficial to Russia.

Russia pledges to complete Iran’s first nuclear plant on time:
Russia is fully committed to completing the construction of Iran’s first nuclear power plant on schedule, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said on Thursday.

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