EU should recognize South Stream as priority - Gazprom deputy CEO.

BUDAPEST, January 30 (Itar-Tass) -- In resolving legal issues related
to the implementation of the South Stream pipeline project and in securing
its recognition by the European Union as a priority Gazprom will invite
Brussels to follow a pre-determined plan, Gazprom's Deputy CEO Alexander
Medvedev told Itar-Tass in an interview.

"We would like South Stream to enjoy the same status as Nord Stream,
that of a priority project," he said. "We are planning to arrange for a
corresponding presentation in Brussels, and we see no problems with
obtaining such a status, first and foremost, because this gas and this
project is necessary for Europe."
About Friday's signing of a package of constituent documents on the
establishment of a joint Russian-Hungarian project commission, responsible
for feasibility studies, financing, construction and operation of the
pipeline in Hungarian territory Medvedev said this step would help speed
up work on the Hungarian section of the South Stream pipeline. The
personnel has been prepared already. Such joint ventures have been created
with Italian and other partners.
Austria is the sole leg along the entire South Stream route that has
fallen far behind. There still is no inter-government agreement on the
project between Moscow and Vienna. At the same time, according to
Medvedev, intensive talks along these lines are underway.
"Some minor technicalities are still to be settled, and I hope that
they will be settled in the near future and the agreement will be
concluded," he said. "Simultaneously, joint preparations are underway to
create an inter-corporate structure."
In general, Gazprom's deputy CEO likened the laying of the
trans-European pipeline to a marathon race. The athlete may repeatedly
slow down or pick up speed again, as the race proceeds, but crossing the
finishing line remains the end goal. The timetable of the South Stream
marathon was approved a long while ago. The gas carrier is to start
delivering fuel to consumers in 2015 and there are no reasons to doubt
that this will happen on time.

.Moscow against groundless rehabilitation of Taliban leaders - FM.

MOSCOW, January 30 (Itar-Tass) -- Moscow disagrees with the idea of
rehabilitating Taliban leaders on the excuse of supporting national
reconciliation in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei
Nesterenko said on Friday.
Russia's decision to back up Afghanistan's request for removing from
the black list of international terrorists and Al-Qaeda supporters five
high-ranking leaders of the Taliban movement fits in well with the general
policy, agreed with the UN Security Council, of checking and actualizing
the authorized list of the 1276 Committee, and also enhancing the
effectiveness of the regimen of sanctions," the diplomat explained. He
recalled that extensive preparatory work had been carried out earlier. At
the same time Nesterenko recalled that Russia's fundamental position on
the issue remained unchanged and "we are prepared to consider the issue of
re-listing certain personalities on the condition of observance of a
number of clear-cut requirements."
"They must lay down arms, recognize the Constitution of Afghanistan
and break off with Al-Qaeda and other extremist organizations, as well as
terminate terrorist activities," he said.
Russia is consistent in its rejection of "any attempts at groundlessly
rehabilitating the leaders of the Taliban movement on the pretext of
supporting the process of national reconciliation in Afghanistan," the
Russian foreign ministry spokesman said. "In particular, we are against
using the mechanisms of the sanctions regimen for these purposes. Such
attempts are fraught with the risk of undermining the effectiveness of
international anti-terrorist cooperation in the United Nations and of
causing dangerous destabilizing effects in Afghanistan and the region in
general."
Earlier this week the UN Security Council decided in favor or removing
from the list of international terrorists and Al-Qaeda supporters Wakil
Ahmad Muttawakil (former Taliban foreign minister), Faizl Mohammed Faizan
(former first deputy finance minister), Shams-ul Safa Aminzai (former
high-ranking foreign ministry official), Mohammad Musa Hottak (former
deputy planning minister) and Abdul Hakim Monib, (former deputy minister
of frontier affairs).
The United Nations' black list carries the names of those accused of
connections with national or international terrorist organizations.
Currently it includes 144 key figures of the Afghan movement Taliban and
257 Al-Qaeda militants. All those on the United Nations list of terrorists
have been subject to the operation of the regimen of international
sanctions since 1999. The sanctions include a freeze on their financial
assets, ban on crossing the borders of other countries, and arms supply
embargoes. The sanctions are mandatory for all countries without any
exceptions. The Taliban leaders have been saying that they would be
prepared to come to the negotiating table with Afghanistan's government
under President Hamid Karzai on the condition their names are removed from
the black list.

-0-str


Delete & Prev | Delete & Next