by Pepe Escobar, posted with the author’s permission and widely cross-posted
Everything that matters in the complex process of Eurasia integration was once again at play in Astana, as the – renamed – Kazakh capital hosted the 6th Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
The roll call was a Eurasian thing of beauty – featuring the leaders of Russia and Belarus (EAEU), West Asia (Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Palestine) and Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan).
China and Vietnam (East and Southeast Asia) attended at the level of vice presidents.
CICA is a multinational forum focused on cooperation toward peace, security, and stability across Asia.,Kazakh President Tokayev revealed that CICA has just adopted a declaration to turn the forum into an international organization.
CICA has already established a partnership with the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU). So in practice, it will soon be working together side-by-side with the SCO, the EAEU and certainly BRICS+.
The Russia-Iran strategic partnership was prominently featured at CICA, especially after Iran being welcomed to the SCO as a full member.
President Raeisi, addressing the forum, stressed the crucial notion of an emerging “new Asia”, where “convergence and security” are “not compatible with the interests of hegemonic countries and any attempt to destabilize independent nations has goals and consequences beyond national geographies, and in fact, aims to target the stability and prosperity of regional countries.”
For Tehran, being a partner in the integration of CICA, within a maze of pan-Asia institutions, is essential after all these decades of”maximum pressure” unleashed by the Hegemon.
Moreover, it opens an opportunity, as Raeisi noted, for Iran to profit from “Asia’s economic infrastructure.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, predictably, was the star of the show in Astana. It’s essential to note that Putin is supported by “all”nations represented at CICA.
High-level bilaterals with Putin included the Emir of Qatar: everyone that matters in West Asia wants to talk to “isolated” Russia.
Putin called for “compensation for the damage caused to the Afghans during the years of occupation” (we all know the Empire of Chaos, Lies and Plunder will refuse it), and emphasized the key role of the SCO to develop Afghanistan.
He stated that Asia, “where new centers of power are growing stronger, plays a big role in the transition to a multipolar world order”.
He warned, “there is a real threat of famine and large-scale shocks against the backdrop of volatility in energy and food prices in the world.”
Hefurther called for the end of a financial system that benefits the “Golden billion” – who “live at the expense of others” (there’s nothing “golden” about this “billion”: at best such definition of wealth applies to 10 million.)
And he stressed that Russia is doing everything to “form a system of equal and indivisible security”. Exactly what drives the hegemonic imperial elites completely berserk.
“Offer you can’t refuse” bites the dust
The imminent juxtaposition between CICA and the SCO and EAEU is yet another instance of how the pieces of the complex Eurasia jigsaw puzzle are coming together.
Turkey and Saudi Arabia – in theory, staunch imperial military allies – are itching to join the SCO, which has recently welcomed Iran as a full member.
That spells out Ankara and Riyadh’s geopolitical choice of forcefully eschewing the imperial Russophobia cum Sinophobia offensive.
Erdogan, as an observer at the recent SCO summit in Samarkand, sent out exactly this message. The SCO is fast reaching the point where we may have, sitting at the same table, and taking important consensual decisions, not only the “RICs” (Russia, India, China) in BRICS (soon to be expanded to BRICS+) but arguably the top players inMuslim countries: Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar.
This evolving process, not without its serious challenges, testifies to the concerted Russia-China drive to incorporate the lands of Islam as essential strategic partners in forging the post-Western multipolar world. Call it a soft Islamization of multipolarity.
No wonder the Anglo-American axis is absolutely petrified.
Now cut to a graphic illustration of all of the above – the way it’s being played in the energy markets: the already legendary Opec+ meeting in Vienna a week ago.
A tectonic geopolitical shift was inbuilt in the – collective – decision to slash oil production by 2 million barrels a day.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a very diplomatic note with a stunning piece of information for those equipped to read between the lines.
For all practical purposes, the combo behind the teleprompter reader in Washington had issued a trademark Mafia threat to stop “protection” to Riyadh if the decision on the oil cuts was taken before the US mid-term elections.
Only this time the “offer you can’t refuse” didn’t bite. OPEC+ made a collective decision, led by Russia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Following Putin and MBS famously getting along, it was up to Putin to host UAE President Sheikh Zayed – or MBZ, MBS’s mentor – at the stunning Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, which datesback to Peter the Great.
That was a sort of informal celebration of how OPEC+ had provoked, with a single move, a superpower strategic debacle when it comes to the geopolitics of oil, which the Empire had controlled for a century.
Everyone remembers, after the bombing, invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, how US neo-cons bragged, “we are the new OPEC”.
Well, not anymore. And the move had to come from the Russians and US Persian Gulf “allies” when everyone expected that would happen the day a Chinese delegation lands in Riyadh and asks for payment of all the energy they need in yuan.
OPEC+ called the American bluff and left the superpower high’n dry. So what are they going to do to “punish” Riyadh and Abu Dhabi? Call CENTCOM in Qatar and Bahrain to mobilize their aircraft carriers and unleash regime change?
What’s certain is that the Straussian/neocon psychos in charge in Washington will double down on hybrid war.
The art of “spreading instability”
In St. Petersburg, as he addressed MBZ, Putin made it clear that it’s OPEC+ – led by Russia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – that is now setting the pace to “stabilize global energy markets” so consumers and suppliers would “feel calm, stable and confident” and supply and demand “would be balanced”.
On the gas front, at Russian Energy Week, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller made it clear that Russia may still “save” Europe from an energy black hole.
Nord Stream (NS) and Nord Stream 2 (NS2) may become operational: but all political roadblocks must be removed before any repairing work starts on the pipelines.
And on West Asia, Miller said additions to Turk Stream have already been planned, much to the delight of Ankara, keen to become a key energy hub.
In a parallel track, it’s absolutely clear that the G7’s desperate gambit of imposing an oil price cap – which translates as the weaponization of sanctions extended to the global energy market – is a losing proposition.
Slightly over a month before hosting the G20 in Bali, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati could not make it clearer: “When the United States is imposing sanctions using economic instruments, that creates a precedent for everything”, spreading instability “not only for Indonesia but for all other countries.”
Meanwhile, allMuslim-majority countries are paying very close attention to Russia. The Russia-Iran strategic partnership is now advancing in parallel to the Russia-Saudi-UAE entente as crucial vectors of multipolarity.
In the near future, all these vectors are bound to unite in what ideally should be a supra-organization capable of managing the top story of the 21st century: Eurasia integration.
The “post-Western multi-polar” world proceeds apace.
No need to watch the baseball on the idiot box; Pepe is chronicling the process and, if you read and listen carefully, then you can hear the crack of the bat as the ball leaves the park…
correction from “Putin is the star of the show” to Putin is the Star of the world!!
an Truly God is shedding His favor on Russia.
The proposal of Russia to make Turkeye / Turkstream the main hub for exporting gas to the EU is a masterstroke. The Balkan countries, Italy, Spain + Czech Republic & Slovakia are being baited with gas deals, while big & rich bullies (Germany and The Netherlands + the rest of the EU) are literally pushed to the back. At the same time the ‘Sick man of Europe’ (the 19th century nickname of the Ottoman Empire) is enjoying the prospect of getting healthier than those who were so keen to stick the ‘Sick man’ label on other countries.
“The proposal of Russia to make Turkeye / Turkstream the main hub for exporting gas to the EU is a masterstroke.”
Yes this is true. Both Serbia and Turkey may have last laugh over long-term tormentors. Cheap plentiful energy supplies now need to run through their lands to formerly prosperous northern Europe. Hungary already cut deals.
This also humiliates and puts to waste such dramatic efforts in the Baltic.. With Turkey and Russia dominant in Black Sea, and other littorals lacking the tech to dive 3km to disrupt South Stream, it is quite a game changer. Connections can send the gas all way to Germany, but it feels like this is a gambit strictly for southern/Med countries. If North Europe wants a future, they need to bend the knee, evict Anglos, and guarantee NS1/NS2…
Anglo-Saxon Oceania is not merely the current ‘Sick man of Europe’ but a dying one.
The blowing up of undersea pipelines as we saw with NS1 and NS2 is over at this point from the US side anyway, everyone with a functioning brain knows it was the US that did it.
To blow up Turkstream would mean cutting gas off from Turkey which would cause a crisis between the US and Turkey and cause a crisis within NATO, it’s a bridge too far for the US.
This is why it’s a masterstroke as has been pointed out, it’s a win win for Russia if Turkey goes ahead with it, if the US blocks the proposal via blowing up the pipelines as happened with NS1 and NS2 then they will have a crisis with Turkey, if it doesn’t then Russia gains a critical ally in the energy sector, in essence they are offering Turkey what was being offered to Germany via NS1 and NS2.
Germany was too bought and sold for to take the once in a lifetime deal, Turkey I bet will spring at it.
Each Washington terrorist chess move whether cutting the NS’s or Bridge interruption or the next MH17 – is met by a work around – Erdogan pipeline switching station – eliminates any deal with UAE / Qatar w Germany – any game with Greece to disrupt Turkey is not viable nor any gas production for Israel is going nowhere. Ditto Syria is soon taking back eastern oil properties. TAP is tapped out – no flexibility.
Odessa to Kharkov as RF yields the rump Kiev – as the Washington prize
so now what?
The leading cultures of Orthodox Christianity, Islam and Confucianism as the core of the Eurasian area will be very interesting to see going forward. Better than whatever passes for “Western” culture these days…
The gas hub deal with Turkey as someone else has already mentioned is a master stroke.
The US is going to put a lot of pressure on Turkey to decline this gas deal but their influence in Ankara is limited and they cannot in any way match what Russia is offering Turkey. The gas hub would give Turkey immense power over Europe and in effect Moscow is offering Turkey this former power that Moscow no longer can wield due to sanctions, etc.
I don’t see how Turkey especially Erdogan who has been acting in Turkey’s best interest can say no to this. I also see nothing the US can offer Turkey to counteract this. Their only real option would be coup which was already tried a few years back, but this comes with big risks.
If this is the strategy that Russia is going to use with respect to all its exports then the European alliance is heading for a very big nasty split.
@silverfox: re: Russia’s offer to make Turkey an energy hub
“I also see nothing the US can offer Turkey to counteract this. Their only real option would be a coup which was already tried a few years back, but this comes with big risks.”
Here is another option: USA can bomb Turk Stream and blame it on Russia, which all the AngloEuroZionist media sewer outlets will report in unison. USA can then offer Turkey the “tremendous opportunity” to buy US LNG at the bargain price of only 10x more than Russian gas.
I am assuming here that the Turks are as equally f*cking stupid as the Germs.
I could be wrong about that.
Don’t think the US has much options countering the move to make Turkiye
a future energy hub. The only serious option for the Anglosaxons and their Zionist Collaborators would be to push the Pan-Turkism idea, which envisions a revitalization of the former Ottoman Empire this time even bigger covering northern China all the way to the Balkans. In that case, energy could be transferred across the vast domain from Central Asia to Azerbaijan to the EU supposedly through the very narrow Zangezur corridor bypassing both Iran and Russia. Armenia will have to lose the southern border region with Iran. I think that’s too much of a fantastic planning, isn’t it. We have a joke here in Iran: …one day a passerby saw Mulla Nasredin holding a bowl of yogurt mixing its contents with the waters of the Caspian sea. The passerby asked Mulla what are you doing? Mulla replied: I am making Dough (a local soft drink made of Yogurt, water and salt. Passerby: well that’s futile don’t you think so? Mullah: I know but imagine if this could happen then we will have Dough forever.
Pepe is the best reporter. Delivers the facts. Highlights the nuances. Interprets the cryptic.
Yes, he cheerleads. He’s seen all the horrors and, when hope arrives, he salutes it.
Eurasian Integration is hope.
Does anyone think that the US will occupy the Saudi oil fields?
How? Those fields are under an umbrella of missiles from many directions and can be destroyed within minutes.
HIMAR Unicorns. that’s how!
The Saudis should be celebrating as Biden is cancelling weapon deals. Russia can now deliver superior merchandise at half price, along with their increased diesel shipments.
Don’t you just love a happy never-ending, not a dry eye in the house?
Stop it, I’m coming over all emotional, grr.
Thanks for posting this excellent article by Pepe. We can see that the kinhdom of SA is incteasingly afraid of its once closest ally the US. MBS is for sure thinking the US is up to something bad regarding SA like a coup d’etat or color revolution. Iran,Russia and China should support SA until it can release itself of the US stranglehold.
A champagne-supra-nova in the sky, indeed,
We were getting high; we were getting high . . .
Oasis
So, the meek town cowards (non-Western vassals) turn to a bounty hunter to clear their towns of deviants (US). Well, the bounty hunter (Russia), meanwhile, has already been hung out to dry several times for crimes they didn’t commit, and seeks vengeance on the Outlaws (US-NATO) and towns folk who never lifted a finger to help their fellow brothers, in fact, were sadly co-conspirators, useful idiots.
Behind the scenes I know Russia’s receiving help fighting US-NATO, however, every one of those countries looking to escape American usury needs to bring their very best support to the table now, while Russia needs you most.
Does that mean the CICA has established a functioning:
Balance of Payment System?
It’s own World Bank?
It’s own IMF?
Those are the Essentials, identified by Dr. Michael Hudson, that will make for a solid repudiation of the US Financial Hegemon.
I believe they will achieve that but first an alliance of trust, trade, and protection of national sovereignty has to be established. Notice how Putin has advanced the notion of cooperation and peace while still maintaining control of the war efforts. That doesn’t occur in a vacuum by himself. He has great depth of support and everyone who speaks on behalf of Russia is highly intelligent. Unlike the idiots in the US government, who display no political prowess.
The question I have is what is the standing on the poorer countries who had to borrow money to buy the vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. I believe they had to commit to so many doses and buy them no matter what happens. It’s also my understanding many countries had to secure these contracts by pledging national assets as security. Unless they actively decide to default on their debt obligations and have another source of borrowing they are still held captive by American interests. An alternative to the IMF would definitely be needed. Does anyone have knowledge about this situation?
Hello Cindy, There seems to be an alternative on the horizon. You may find this article from 6 months of interest, Pepe Escobar interviewed the main architect ( Sergey Glazyev)of the alternative system :
https://thecradle.co/Article/interviews/9135
Small or even big counties don’t have to buy that shit if they have no money…they just give up sovereign rights to natural resources, it’s a scamdamic if one looks at the finances and what countries had to offer up for a bucket of suspect Rx’s.
In that light, rather than use the old Colonial methods of smash bash and grab, so favoured for the old ‘rules based order’ of Imperialism, the Woke Virtuous Warriors found a soft patch of skin to inject their Satanic poisons into the system, world wide. Few countries resisted, those that did had heads of state mysteriously die. Weird coincidence that.
Cheers M
Those nation’s you are referring to have become impoverished because of the US’ IMF Loans/the US military and the huge US corporate monoliths has exacted against them.
Take Chile as an example. Chile has some of the most resourceful, verdant land on Earth. But in the 70s, the US installed Pinochet who went in, and aside from murdering thousands, he/it also decimated small farms, agriculture and products the native made. Afterwards, with huge bribes of $$ for Chile’s very wealthy,and the politicians; the US grabbed up and privatized Chile’s land, while it strip-minded thousands of acres finding rich mineral deposits, etc.
At the same time the US provided IMF loans, which demanded and still demands that these nations must cut labor costs to grow what the US can’t or won’t produce. It’s a free ride for the US who then takes plantation food and the mineral resources then sells it at high costs in the US, Europe, etc.
It leaves all these nations “poor” because they are not allowed to grow food for their citizens. An extreme case is found in most parts of Africa.
Thusly, the importance of Eurasia, Latin America, China, Africa to establish their own ironclad IMF, a World Bank and a sound “balance of payment system” that does NOT use the US $$.
See Dr. Michael Hudson’s take on those factors that must be instituted into this growing awareness of what must be accomplished.
– Take Chile as an example. Chile has some of the most resourceful, verdant land on Earth. But in the 70s, the US installed Pinochet who went in, and aside from murdering thousands, he/it also decimated small farms, agriculture and products the native made.
There was a Chilean on theSaker who confirmed Chile became a successful case for economic development in the 80-ies (passing Argentine). The same guy told Chile 1973 was bankrupt.
On theSaker no one believed it could be true.
If we are going to believe theSaker commentators the Chilean army is puppets of Pentagon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJAL_OR8-MY
Actually, there is nothing resembling American in Chilean army, more a nazi army
Thanks for all the good feedback to my question. Have a couple observations.
Agree. The IMF is basically a usuary instrument of the US. I just learned about how they weaponized it against countries to use it as investment opportunities for mega companies. 40 years ago I was reading of how we were going to help Africa with water needs, etc through new tech and thought, great. Why are they still so poor and struggling? I get it now. Total disallusionment on my part.
Read the Cradle article. Sounds like some real thought is going into a new system. Read that it could be backed by resources like water. Would they be swapping one form of capital capture upon default like the Vax contracts under the new system? Using digital currency is a concern especially if that same digital currency is used by the countries citizens. Then it becomes a matter of control so abuses cannot occur. Somewhat like we are seeing right now of certain banks closing accounts of prominent people who express independent thought. Read that about 46 countries are piloting digital currency programs. It’s going to happen. No doubt whatsoever.
I, too, concluded those heads of states who outright stated we will not participate in the vaxxes were conveniently assassinated. Africa has rightly learned that US vaxxes are harmful and quite often deadly. Tired of pharma and Gates and US using Africa as testing guinea pigs because of corrupt leaders.
All that on Chili was new to me. Did find the marching video interesting. It does look like Nazi style, but is that just European style? Noticed when Putin was signing the referendum adoptions into law, the aides delivering the documents to the 4 Donbass representatives walked like that. Found that most peculiar.
Really appreciate the comments and links, am learning the truth and lots of new information. Sadly, it’s all confirmation of the treachery and decline of the US. My son peaked my interest with an article on here in mid 2020, about the influence of Blackrock on the US, and undermining democracy. Then it lead to an article by the same author about the medical scam we have, and half the population didn’t have $500 in savings for an emergency. I could relate to that and so do many other people I talk to as small business employees. Now it’s down to $400 per our govt. Been a saker reader ever since. Thanks to Andrei and all who participate in comments. .
The author’s quotes: “OPEC+ had provoked, with a single move, a superpower strategic debacle when it comes to the geopolitics of oil, which the Empire had controlled for a century.”
“OPEC+ called the American bluff and left the superpower high’n dry. So what are they going to do to “punish” Riyadh and Abu Dhabi? Call CENTCOM in Qatar and Bahrain to mobilize their aircraft carriers and unleash regime change?”
We would temper that enthusiasm by noting that the US is still in full control of OPEC. As long as the $$$ hegemony continues, there will be no” independent” oil nations.
The only chance for “oil/gas independence” from the $$$ dependency will come *if* and *when* those nations construct their own trading/supplies using their own currencies that can be exchanged with other non-Western nation’s currencies.
Not an easy task considering how to establish a new financial structure devoid of US $$ and its brutal appetite for complete financial control.
The economist, Dr. Michael Hudson has explained the difficulties in establishing this new system.
Pray for all non-western nations who see their citizens in the future free from the predatory claws of US/UK/EU Financial Aristocrats.