An Unlikely Pipeline Partnership
ИТАР-ТАСС reports...
Belarus, Venezuela enter strategic partnership - SC secretary.
25.07.2006, 15.55
MINSK, July 25 (Itar-Tass) - Belarussian-Venezuelan relations enter a qualitatively new level of strategic partnership, Belarussian Security Council Secretary Viktor Sheiman said on Tuesday summing up the results of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’ visit to Minsk. Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko appointed Sheiman responsible for implementation of the Belarussian-Venezuelan agreements. The two countries agreed to create joint ventures on oil exploration and marketing, he said. “We also consider joint gas exploration and development and the construction of a thousand-kilometer gas pipeline,” Sheiman said. During Chavez’ visit to Belarus, the two presidents signed agreements not only on economic, but also defence and military-technical cooperation, he said. A group of Belarussian experts will visit Venezuela in August for further consultations, he said.
WTF?!? Joint explorations??? There is no oil and gas in Belarus to explore, and Belarusian economy and technology are poor enough that I daresay there is any benefit for Venezuela in this partnership... This is an example of a Russian "behind the scene" involvement in this deal. Just think of the benefit to Russia if the pipelines would go through a Russia-friendly Belarus as opposed to the West-friendly Ukraine... But I still do not understand what lucrative benefits did Venezuela find for itself in this whole deal. Hmm... I guess, time will show.
EDIT: More detailed articles are unfortunately no clearer than the first blurb. C'mon, technology and housing as Belarusian exports? They don't even have it figured out within the country. In this case Chavez is either stupid or he is playing some covert game with Russia behind this seemingly weird display of cooperation with Belarus. I suppose that Chavez' visit to Russia might shed some light on what's he up to.