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Putin and the Persians Plan to Compete with Suez Canal
 Russia and Iran agreed to strengthen transport connections, including a potential railway link through Azerbaijan that would aim to grab a share of the cargo now being shipped through the Suez Canal.Always got something cooking, Putin does. The only country bordering both Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan is seeking to position itself as a major transportation hub. The former Soviet Union’s third-largest crude producer is using oil revenue to build the Caspian region’s biggest seaport 70 kilometers (44 miles) south of the capital. It’s also funding the construction of a railway link that will connect central Asia with Europe via Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The Russian used a 5'-0" track gage to discourage invasions. Will the Azeri be as clever? Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, discussed the plan during a rare joint visit to Azerbaijan on Monday. The fight against terrorism and maritime boundaries in the Caspian Sea were also among the topics of discussion, according to a statement distributed to journalists in the Azeri capital, Baku. Boundaries of the Caspian Sea? I wonder what Putin has up his sleeve? "If the rail link to Iran is built, it can take some share of the cargo that’s being transported via Suez," Russian Transport minister Maxim Sokolov said in an interview. Plans for the railroad may be completed next year, he said. Then somebody will have to fund it. Maybe the Clinton Foundation? Posted by: Bobby 2016-08-10 |
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