CASPIAN

Russia Pushes South Stream Construction Start Forward To 2012

Russia announced on 20 January a decision to bring forward the start of construction of the South Stream gas pipeline system to December 2012, almost a year earlier than the original schedule. The move is an indirect attempt to pressure Ukraine into accepting the privatization of its National Gas Transmission System and to back off from demands for a drastic reduction of its annual intake of Russian gas. The...