Posted on 06/17/2018 10:41:10 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Russian gas giant Gazprom has resumed talks with South Korea over a decade-old idea to build a gas pipeline from Russia’s Far East to South Korea through North Korea, Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of Gazprom’s Management Committee, said on Friday.
“To date, the political situation has been somewhat different, and the South Korean side has asked Gazprom to resume the project, and a series of talks has been held on this issue, and these talks are continuing."
“The ideas behind the pipeline look very difficult to implement, especially given the complex political-military context continuing on the Korean peninsula, and the obvious political risks. However, if there is political will and a mutual commitment, this project could take place, strengthening not only energy, but also military and political security in this rather turbulent region,” Gazprom said in a corporate newsletter back in October 2012.
At the end of March, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that the idea of the Russian gas pipeline to South Korea via North Korea could be revived if the security situation on the Korean peninsula improved.
“Should the security situation on the Korean Peninsula improve, we will be able to review the PNG [pipeline natural gas] business involving the two Koreas and Russia,” Kang said at the time, as carried by the Yonhap news agency.
Between March this year and this week, the political situation around the Korean peninsula indeed changed after a meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in April, and this week’s U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore.
(Excerpt) Read more at oilprice.com ...
I see the gas pipeline as a “go” given the more relaxed situation on the Korean Peninsula and both Koreas would like to revive the relationship with Russia .
Both North and South could benefit from the energy project. Would also like to see a couple of hydro-electric dams built
Maddow’s head’s gonna explode.
Great news!! We can send Starbucks there so those communists can sit there all day and not buy anything like our communists do.
Pipelines ‘hardwire’ countries together. The N.Korea security issues would really have to be secure to actually pull this off. Since Kims asking for ‘security’ it could fall under that perhaps, whatever it is they’re going to do and what it means.
The pipeline would force the world to keep NK serious.
The could be a good thing, but in the back of my mind I’m reminded that Russia has been looking for an ice-free seaport ever since they lost Port Arthur.
Note to S.Korea...never trust a Russian.
Understand the eonomics. Korea, like Japan has, other than coal, next to nil natural fossil fuel resources.
However, just like embracing China economically, embracing energy dependency on Russia can come with political price tags slipped as a “policy agreements”.
The pipeline would be worthwhile once Russia’s toxic leadership changes.
The Kremlin has been enablers of the Kim regime even though China replaced them as the main benefactors following the fall of the Soviet Union. Russia, not China, is why North Korea developed nuclear capabilities in the first place.
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