Author: Steven Sahiounie

In October 2022, Putin proposed creating the largest gas hub in Europe in Turkey and redirecting the volume of gas, the transit of which is no longer possible through the Nord Stream, to this hub ISTANBUL, August 7. /TASS/. The issues of bilateral cooperation in the area of energy and the creation on the Turkish territory of a gas hub will be on the agenda of possible talks between Turkish and Russian presidents, Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, a source in local diplomatic circles told TASS when commenting on the government-backed newspaper Hurriyet’s report of a planned visit by the…

The dollar-to-ruble rate fell by 0.41% and amounted to 95.27 rubles, the euro rate dropped by 0.31% to 105.30 rubles MOSCOW, August 7. /TASS/. The Russian stock market made up for significant part of Friday’s drawdown, but by the end of the day it still showed a negative trend. By the end of the trading session, the MOEX index fell by 0.27% to 3,084.08 points, the dollar-denominated RTS index rose by 0.13% to 1,017.03 points. The dollar-to-ruble rate fell by 0.41% and amounted to 95.27 rubles, the euro rate dropped by 0.31% to 105.30 rubles, the yuan edged down by…

Alexander Novak reassured Peter Szijjarto that Russia will continue oil supplies in line with its contract liabilities BUDAPEST, August 7. /TASS/. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday that he spoke over the phone with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who reassured him that Russia will continue oil supplies in line with its contract liabilities. “Today, I had a telephone conversation with Russian Deputy Prime Minister for energy issues Alexander Novak, who reassured us that the Russian partners will supply crude oil to Hungary in conformity with their contract obligations. So, energy security of our country is ensured,”…

The Iranian foreign minister has rejected accusations of providing weapons to Russia, calling for an end to Western arms supplies to Kiev after a meeting in Tokyo, Japan. During his visit to Tokyo, Japan, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reaffirmed Tehran’s stance on the war in Ukraine, highlighting its position on securing a peaceful settlement to the conflict that NATO seeks to extend. “We consider NATO and its provocations among the root causes of the war and crisis. We continue our efforts to stop the war and make the parties focus on a political solution,” the Iranian foreign minister stated on Monday…

Wang Yi noted that the trend he mentioned had intensified after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia in March this year BEIJING, August 7. /TASS/. Sino-Russian cooperation in trade and energy is successfully developing thanks to friendship and mutual trust between the people of the two countries, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “The trade turnover between China and Russia is once again updating records. Energy cooperation between our countries is developing steadily, and humanitarian exchanges are rapidly recovering,” the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry quotes Wang as…

Palestinian child Ramez Hamed succumbs to his injuries three days after an Israeli settler brutally shot him in Silwad, the occupied West Bank. Palestinian child Ramzi Hamed was martyred on Monday, three days after he was shot in the town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, by an Israeli settler. The young boy, only 17 years old, was mourned by his family and town in a public funeral attended by scores of people. Ramzi was shot in the abdomen three days ago by the guard of an illegal Israeli settlement while he was in his vehicle…

Majid Chegini also said that Iran held constructive talks with countries such as Oman, Russia and Pakistan in the field of gas trade and that some European countries are also requesting to import gas from Iran DUBAI, August 7. /TASS/. Iran and Russia have reached certain agreements on the creation of an energy hub, negotiations on this issue are ongoing, Deputy Minister of Oil of the Islamic Republic and CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Majid Chegini said. “Russia has proposed setting up an energy hub between Tehran and Moscow,” he said as quoted by Tasnim news agency. He…

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor says 67 countries and 20 international organizations’ representatives have been invited to attend the BRICS summit in South Africa. South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor announced, on Monday, that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa invited a total of 67 country leaders and 20 representatives of international organizations to the BRICS summit taking place on August 22-24, but France’s President Emmanuel Macron is not one of them. In a statement, Pandor said “Emmanuel Macron – No invitation issued in that regard,” adding that South Africa has “invited (with consensus support from his fellow BRICS Leaders) sixty-seven (67) Leaders from…

Transportation companies are 60,000 long-haul drivers short, a logistics executive told Vedomosti Russian transportation companies face a “catastrophic shortage” of drivers of trucks weighing more than 3.5 tons, according to Vadim Filatov from the logistics services operator PEC. Over the past five years the shortage has grown from 15% to 21%, he told Vedomosti newspaper on Wednesday. To put it into numbers, the industry needs roughly 60,000 more drivers, Filatov said. The shortage in his own company amounts to about 5% of the force of full-time truck drivers, lamented the executive. Filatov blamed the situation on shortcomings in education, low prestige of…

Ankara continues its dialogue with Western partners on the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and continues an interdepartmental dialogue with Russia as well, a source in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration has told Sputnik. “Of course, [the dialogue] is underway. In parallel, we are also in dialog with Russia, with specific agencies. Mr. President [Erdogan] has repeatedly emphasized the importance of this initiative for countries in need,” the source said when asked whether Ankara was in talks with Western partners to remove obstacles to the export of Russian food products and ammonia. Later in the day, Turkish Foreign…