Ayatollahs play in Russia’s backyard
By Sergei Blagov
Asia Times Online, Hong Kong
Sept 15 2004
MOSCOW – Amid growing Western pressure over Iran’s nuclear
ambitions, Tehran is losing no time in boosting its clout north of
its frontiers. Furthermore, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami toured
three former Soviet states when their former “big brother”, Russia,
was distracted by terrorist attacks and domestic political reforms.
During a three-day official visit to Tajik capital Dushanbe this week,
Khatami and his counterpart President Emomali Rakhmonov discussed
energy and infrastructure projects. The two nations also clinched a
deal to launch a joint venture that would finalize construction of
the 670-megawatt Sangtudin hydropower station in Tajikistan.
Last December, Tajikistan and Iran agreed to launch a consortium to
raise funds to complete the Sangtudin plant. On Monday, Rakhmonov
said Iran would bear 51% of the total construction cost, estimated
at about US$500 million. Forty-nine percent of the project is to be
funded by Tajikistan and other countries, including Russia. Moscow
has put up $100 million for the project.
Khatami is also reported to have observed the construction site of the
five-kilometer-long Anzub Tunnel crossing the Gissar mountain range,
which is slated to be part of a highway project to link Tajikistan and
Iran via northern Afghanistan. The tunnel is being built by Iranian
firm Sobir, which won an international tender by pledging to complete
construction by the end of 2006 for $39 million. The 110km road from
Iran to Herat, Afghanistan, has already been built. Khatami also
pledged that Iran would invest more than $700 million in the Tajik
economy in the coming five years.
Subsequently, Iran’s leader opted to come up with some diplomatic
overtures toward Moscow. On Sunday, Khatami told journalists in
Dushanbe that cooperation with Russia had benefited the region. He
hailed Iran’s nuclear plant deal with Moscow, and lauded Russia for
continued ties with Iran, despite US pressure. “We need cooperation
with Russia for safeguarding stability in Central Asia, the Caspian
and Caucasus regions,” Khatami was quoted by Interfax news agency
as saying.
Nevertheless, Khatami’s tour of the former Soviet states could be
viewed as Tehran’s attempt to poach a territory still considered by
Moscow as “near abroad”, at a time when Russia is overwhelmed by its
terrorist outbreaks.
>>From last Thursday to Saturday, Khatami visited Belarus, where he met
with President Alexander Lukashenko, Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky
and other top Belarusian officials. Iran has close relations with
Belarus, which is regularly under verbal attack from the West for the
authoritarian regime of Lukashenko. Russia has also been struggling to
create a “union state” with Belarus. And despite Western criticism,
Belarus sold Russian-made conventional military equipment and spare
parts to Iran.
While in Belarus, Khatami took the opportunity to criticize the
US-led “war on terror”, saying that “crises and tensions in the
Middle East only serve the illegitimate interests of outsiders”, and
that “countries that prevent others from living in peace” in their
homelands are the real members of the “axis of evil”. He also claimed
that “injustice and discrimination” were the causes of terrorism.
“Those who illegally occupy land belonging to others and those who
fuel chaos and extremism worldwide are the main components of the
axis of evil,” Khatami said. Leaving no doubt whom he bore in mind,
Khatami also lashed out at “the Zionist regime”.
Top Belarus officials told Khatami that they shared Iran’s
opposition to unilateralism and believe that countries that label
others as members of the “axis of evil” do so just to pursue their
own interests. Incidentally, some years ago, Lukashenko gained
international notoriety by suggesting that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
had certain merits for restoring order in Germany and making the
economy grow.
Prior to the Belarus visit, on September 8-9, Khatami traveled to
yet another former Soviet state, Armenia, mainly driven by economic
reasons. Khatami and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian
signed a framework treaty on the “principles and bases” of bilateral
relations. They also formalized the release of a $30 million Iranian
loan to Armenia, to be used for construction of a gas pipeline
that will link the two neighboring countries. The construction of
the Armenian section of its gas pipeline with Iran is expected to
begin by the end of next month. Iranian company Sanir is to become
a subcontractor for the project.
Hence Armenia is limiting its dependence on Russian energy supplies.
In May, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh traveled to Armenia
and signed an agreement on the construction of the 114km Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline that would cost $120 million. Iran reportedly agreed to
supply 1.27 trillion cubic feet (36 billion cubic meters) to Armenia
from 2007-27.
The Iran-Armenia pipeline could also be extended through
Georgia to Ukraine and on to the European Union. The
Iran-Armenia-Georgia-Ukraine-Europe gas pipeline, with a 550km
underwater section from the Georgian port of Supsa to the Crimean
town of Feodosia, has been estimated to cost $5 billion. The planned
gas supply would amount to 2.12 trillion cubic feet (60 billion cubic
meters) per annum, including 353 billion cubic feet (10 billion cubic
meters) for Ukraine.
Russia has been wary that Armenia’s extended pipeline could be
used to funnel Iranian gas to European markets. It could also allow
Turkmenistan to circumvent Russia’s gas-pipeline network. Presumably
fearing Moscow’s wrath, Armenia is yet to make a decision on the
extended pipeline.
Meanwhile, Russia has reiterated its proactive approach in the
“near abroad”. Last Thursday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated
that Russia is ready to face Western competition in the former Soviet
states. “Our world is being globalized and one need learn to compete,”
he told Voice of Russia Radio. “We have to defend our line in the
pursuit of energy and other natural resources, we have capabilities
for it,” Lavrov said.
It remains to be seen, however, whether Russia is prepared to face
non-Western competition, such as Iran.
Sergei Blagov covers Russia and post-Soviet states, with special
attention to Asia-related issues. He has contributed to Asia Times
Online since 1996. Between 1983 and 1997, he was based in Southeast
Asia. In 2001 and 2002, Nova Science Publishers, New York, published
two of his books on Vietnamese history.