Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Shanghaied on the Caspian
Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev outlined likely and possible new export routes for Central Asian hydrocarbons.
Assuming that the list reflects preferred order, not exactly a ringing endorsement for U.S. interests in containing Russian influence, keeping Iran bottled up and frustrating efforts to create some sort of Shanghai Cooperation Organization-based group of buyers and sellers.
Nazarbayev said:
"One route is from Turkmenistan via Kazkhstan to Russia. Another route is to China, a third route is via Iran to the Persian Gulf. And we don't exclude using the Caspian as a transport corridor."
In other words, the preferred American route is not excluded--not really a ringing endorsement.
Assuming that the list reflects preferred order, not exactly a ringing endorsement for U.S. interests in containing Russian influence, keeping Iran bottled up and frustrating efforts to create some sort of Shanghai Cooperation Organization-based group of buyers and sellers.
Nazarbayev said:
"One route is from Turkmenistan via Kazkhstan to Russia. Another route is to China, a third route is via Iran to the Persian Gulf. And we don't exclude using the Caspian as a transport corridor."
In other words, the preferred American route is not excluded--not really a ringing endorsement.
