Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

UK lists Iran among key future gas producers

This may make it even more difficult for Bush to maneuver although I imagine it is the China deal with Iran that will shut the door on Bush.

China and Iran have signed a 100 billion dollar gas deal that eventually could take the total value to as much as 200 billion dollars and China is known to trade weapons for oil or gas.
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-Am


LONDON (IRNA) -- The British government has launched its first-ever International Energy Strategy, referring to the importance of Iran's oil and gas supplies as its own resources in the North Sea dry up.

"In gas, key future producers are likely to include Norway, Russia and former Soviet Union states, Algeria, possibly Libya, Iran and other Caspian countries," it said. With regard to the oil sector, the strategy referred to expectations that both OPEC and non-OPEC productions will increase, but said the "Middle East will remain the largest producing region and its share is forecast to increase."

"The European Commission is engaged in energy dialogues with Russia, Iran and Algeria. The UK needs to work closely with the commission and member states and help ensure dialogues yield maximum mutual benefit," it said.

Launching the strategy on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw referred to energy security as being one of Britain's eight international priorities identified last December.

"Our growing need for energy over the next decades has to be seen in a changing context -- that of a probable fall in our own domestic production, as North Sea reserves is run down. We are likely to become net importers of gas by 2006 and of oil by 2010," he said. Straw said that "by 2020, we will probably be importing three-quarters of our primary energy needs -- and we will need to adapt to that."

He announced that he would be tasking British ambassadors "in priority posts overseas" to take personal charge of implementing the energy strategy and delivering its objectives.

"We will be developing with them individual Country Action Plans on energy and climate change. And we will be enhancing our posts' capacity on energy issues and making better use of our network of energy attaches," the foreign secretary said.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=10/30/2004&Cat=9&Num=030