quote:

GENEVA, March 16 (Reuters) - Switzerland's foreign minister was travelling to Tehran on Sunday to sign a natural gas purchase contract between Iran and a Swiss utility, a deal she said could help ease Europe's dependence on Russian gas. Micheline Calmy-Rey would also meet Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and other officials to discuss Iran's human rights record and ongoing international concerns about the country's nuclear programme. The gas deal between Elektrizitaetsgesellschaft Laufenburg (EGL) (EGL.S: Quote, Profile, Research) and the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC) does not violate United Nations or U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran, Calmy-Rey said. "This contract does not violate any of the sanctions," she told journalists before her departure at Geneva airport. "It is planned that natural gas from Iran together with natural gas from Azerbaijan will one day feed into a gas pipeline running from Greece via Albania to Italy," the Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement. EGL said last year it had completed a 25-year deal with NIGEC to deliver 5.5 billion cubic metres of gas per year to Europe through a pipeline scheduled to be complete in 2010. The energy group at the time declined to disclose the value of the deal, but said it was above 10 billion euros ($13.32 billion) and below 22 billion euros, depending on a number of factors such as the price of energy. Calmy-Rey said she had been invited by Iran to visit and sign the deal. She said it was in Switzerland's strategic interest to diversify its source of energy supplies. "We decrease our dependence, and the dependence of Europe, on Russian gas," she said. Continued...

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbss...613888820080316


I think this is a good deal for Iran. Personally I support it.

Focking media. They always like to shove the "dependence on Russia" bullshit in their energy articles. Pisses me off every focking time. Focking morons - because its a bold assertion, a dubious one, which makes little sense and which cannot materialize into a threatening situation for Europe.

Fock, even I support this agreement between Switzerland and Iran. As long as European Union can sleep at night, whatever floats their boat, whatever tickles their pickle, and so on. The illusion of false security will always haunt them, they are just pussies afraid of something that just cant happen - Russia is the one afraid that the pipes are not under its control to provide 100% uninterrupted and secure transition to the always-and-on-time-paying (western) European customers.

Heck, EU can even switch to be 100 percent dependent on Algerian, Iranian, whatever other country's gas. Not a problem to Russia, not at all. We (Russians) got lots of clients, and always will. Business as usual.

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quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium Focking media. They always like to shove the "dependence on Russia" bullshit in their energy articles. Pisses me off every focking time. Focking morons - because its a bold assertion, a dubious one, which makes little sense and which cannot materialize into a threatening situation for Europe. Fock, even I support this agreement between Switzerland and Iran. As long as European Union can sleep at night, whatever floats their boat, whatever tickles their pickle, and so on. The illusion of false security will always haunt them, they are just pussies afraid of something that just cant happen - Russia is the one afraid that the pipes are not under its control to provide 100% uninterrupted and secure transition to the always-and-on-time-paying (western) European customers. Heck, EU can even switch to be 100 percent dependent on Algerian, Iranian, whatever other country's gas. Not a problem to Russia, not at all. We (Russians) got lots of clients, and always will. Business as usual.

Nothing wrong with diversification...

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Originally posted by Krypton Nothing wrong with diversification...

Nothing wrong with that, but why do they have to throw in Russia in that description? I read it too often ... Russia this, Russia that, Russia using its energy resources to push an agenda, Russia flexing its energy muscle to take over European countries/companies/politics/etc, Russian domination returning in the form of energy exports, etc. etc. etc. Its all merely speculation that's not only damaging for Russia but to Russia-Europe relations as well. I dont think Europe's share of about 25% of supply of energy resources from Russia is "dependence".

Besides, as much as Europe likes to whine and complain and cry about Russia's "evil", they can never ever afford to just ditch Russian energy exports for other countries' exports. For many reasons, with costs and security being the top ones.

Tell me, why the hell do you think Russia is building that massive energy pipeline on the bottom of the Baltic sea? Because its bored to death and has nothing to do? No, its to provide DIRECT and SECURE flow of energy resources to Europe. Bingo.

___________________
Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture

Actually my point was It's a good deal because Iran will get financed by the EU, i.e. basically speaking they gonna have funds to continue their researches in peaceful nuclear energy program.

quote:

Originally posted by otec Actually my point was It's a good deal because Iran will get financed by the EU, i.e. basically speaking they gonna have funds to continue their researches in peaceful nuclear energy program.

Yeah, EU should fund more brutal regimes instead, like that of Iran. Besides, hypocrisy and double standards are among some of the main skills of the EU bloc.

___________________
Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture

quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium Yeah, EU should fund more brutal regimes instead, like that of Iran. Besides, hypocrisy and double standards are among some of the main skills of the EU bloc.

There is no more brutally in their regime than the one in Russia. I bet more innocent people get killed by Russian government/FSB/whatever than by Iranians in Iran.

quote:

Originally posted by otec There is no more brutally in their regime than the one in Russia. I bet more innocent people get killed by Russian government/FSB/whatever than by Iranians in Iran.

LMAO, yeah, sure, dream on. Yeah, democracy in Iran is far better than in Russia, LMAO. Besides, thats what an average Westerner thinks from all that Russophobic media - they all think its authoritarian regime in Russia right now. However, if that illusion and that assumption makes you sleep better at night, well then stick to it.

___________________
Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture

The Ruskies are back..

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quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium LMAO, yeah, sure, dream on. Yeah, democracy in Iran is far better than in Russia, LMAO. Besides, thats what an average Westerner thinks from all that Russophobic media - they all think its authoritarian regime in Russia right now. However, if that illusion and that assumption makes you sleep better at night, well then stick to it.

LOL, yeah whatever, better keeping reading a brainwashed RBCDaily.

quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium LMAO, yeah, sure, dream on. Yeah, democracy in Iran is far better than in Russia, LMAO. Besides, thats what an average Westerner thinks from all that Russophobic media - they all think its authoritarian regime in Russia right now. However, if that illusion and that assumption makes you sleep better at night, well then stick to it.

What are you basing that one? The articles you read from the same media you are criticizing? I doubt you have been to Iran, so don't just yap junk.

quote:

Originally posted by Lemonad What are you basing that one? The articles you read from the same media you are criticizing? I doubt you have been to Iran, so don't just yap junk.

Yeah, they hang people for being gay, for example.

They have the supreme leader, and their media is tightly controlled, and many aspects of Iranian life are monitored and controlled. Many Western items are banned, like certain movies, shows.

And so on.

If you guys think that Russian media is tightly controlled - not the case, its merely regulated more. Russian media does not allow to air material that would incite public upheaval or unrest - Gusinski promoted national uprising! Which is why Gusinski's media empire was shut down. Gusinski was doing on TV what Kasparov is doing in the streets right now - calling for resistance to the government as the main message and intentionally acting in such ways as to provoke police to use force (by carrying out illegal/unsactioned marches, blocking off roads, businesses, etc., safety concern).

Besides, Russia gave in to the Western temptations in the 1990s, and that was the worst decade in Russian history since the 1600s.

___________________
Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture