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Putin. Greetings to Arab readers
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Russia boosting financial ties with Arab world

Moscow interested in strengthening its economic relations with Arab countries, encouraging cooperation in technological field as well. As part of PR efforts, Moscow News weekly redistributed in Arabic after 10-year break

Russia has formed a strategic plan for strengthening its relations with the Arab world, particularly in the economic field. The person behind this initiative, which will also include the launching of an Arab satellite from Russian soil with the help of Russian experts, is Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

 

London-based Arabic-language al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported recently that the Russian plan seeks to expand Moscow's ties with Arab countries, especially those who do not have traditional relations with Russia, like Syria and Algeria.

 

Today, the volume of trade between Russia and the Arab world is estimated at $10 billion, but the Russians seek to double this sum, and even triple it, in the coming years.

 

According to the report, the Russians are not only interested in expanding the trade, but are also seeking to increase the bilateral investments, boosting the cooperating in the banking field and encouraging the cooperation in the technological field, including launching the satellite on a Russian missile.

 

The Russian aspirations are accompanied by a considerable PR effort. The Russians have decided to redistribute the Moscow News newspaper in Arabic after a 10-year break.

 

The newspaper's first edition is being distributed these days in some 150,000 copies across the Arab world, using the extensive Russian mechanism in Arab countries. Putin himself offered his greetings to the Arab readers on the newspaper's front page, praising the need to boost Russia's economic cooperation with the Arab world.

 

Earlier this year, St. Petersburg a conference which was attended by senior representatives from the Arab world, to discuss possibilities for increasing the economic cooperation between the sides.

 

Putin's deputy, Igor Shuvalov, said during the conference, "The investment in the Arab world and Arab investments in Russia are very important to us, and we will work to have them realized."

 

Shuvalov also noted that Russian banks were holding talks with banks from Arab countries on ways to increase the cooperation.

 

Qatar's finance minister, who took part in the discussions, stated that his country was interested in joint initiatives with Russia in the energy field. Last year, Russian energy company Gazprom decided to establish a "troika" with Qatar and Iran in order to strengthen the cooperation in the gad industry. These three countries control the global production of natural gas.

 

Doron Peskin is head of research at Info-Prod Research (Middle East) Ltd.

 


פרסום ראשון: 11.07.09, 19:21
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