2006年VOA标准英语-Energy Issues Top Russia-EU Talks

By Lisa McAdams
Moscow
03 November 2006

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, shares with Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja during a media conference, Nov. 3, 2006  
  

Russia's foreign minister is meeting in Brussels with European Union officials ahead of a Russia-EU summit later this month. There is Western concern that Russia is using its massive energy riches as political blackmail¹ against former Soviet² Republics like Georgia is expected to feature high on the agenda.

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On the eve of the meeting, Russia's state-run gas monopoly, Gazprom, announced it plans to more than double the price it asks Georgia to pay for gas beginning in January.

The announcement brings back painful memories of last winter's gas dispute with Ukraine, when Gazprom briefly³ halted the flow of gas to Kyiv in a bid to exact higher prices. That disruption halted supplies across much of Europe, and raised alarm bells in Western capitals over Russia's energy policy.

 
Gazprom's headquarters in Moscow, June 2006
  
Chief Strategist Chris Weafer of Moscow's Alfa Bank says he expects Russia will continue to play the energy card with Europe.

"They are pushing this broader economic/industrial agenda, which means that they want access to foreign markets for Russian companies," he said. "They want Russian companies to be able to buy equity⁴ stakes in international companies across all industries. Europe has actually been resistant⁵ to that up to now. And, I think, Russia is holding up this energy card as a sword of Damocles over Europe, to try and force this issue."

Weafer says Europe has demands of its own. Namely, he says, Europe wants Russia to agree to invest more in energy development, so that Russia can produce and export more energy to Europe.

In Brussels, Finland's foreign minister, Erkki Tuomioja, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana are hoping for more positive news from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the situation with Georgia.

Tbilisi is struggling under a full travel and trade blockade imposed by Moscow, after Georgia expelled four Russian military officers for alleged⁶ spying in September. But most analysts⁷ agree progress seems unlikely, given that the foreign ministers of Georgia and Russia failed to reach any breakthrough earlier this week, during the first high-level contacts in Moscow since the crisis began.

Georgia's foreign minister was quoted as saying that the price Georgia ultimately pays Gazprom for its gas will be the price it pays for aligning⁸ itself with the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected criticism that Russia is playing politics with oil in Georgia, or elsewhere.

Strategist Weafer is skeptical⁹.

"Obviously, the timing¹⁰ is dictated¹¹ by political considerations. So, yes, long-term, Gazprom will sell gas at a higher price. But how quickly it does that, and in what steps to what countries, that will be based on political considerations, rather than economic considerations," said Weafer.

Meanwhile, Gazprom, which has to import gas from neighboring republics to meet its supply commitments, faces price hikes of its own. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan both recently said they would raise their gas export prices to Russia from $55 to $100 as of January.

1 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

2 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

3 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

4 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

5 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

6 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 aligning   

n. (直线)对准 动词align的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals. 有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。
• ToolTips provide textual hints that assist in drawing lines and aligning objects. 工具提示提供了协助画线和对象对齐的文本提示。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

10 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

11 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》