Big Bush's Visit Fuels Talk of Big Deals (Russia)

[Whoa_Nelly]

Friday, Sep. 12, 2003. Page 1

{b}Big Bush's Visit Fuels Talk of Big Deals

By Catherine Belton
Staff Writer He may be retired from public life but George Bush seems to cause a stir every time he comes to Russia.

You name it and market players were buzzing Thursday about the real reasons behind the former American leader's visit -- an $18 billion play by U.S. oil giant ChevronTexaco for a blocking stake in the new Yukos-Sibneft combo? The launch of a $500 million private tie-up between Alfa Group and Pentagon-connected Carlyle Group? Divvying up the hydrocarbon resources of postwar Iraq?

Late Wednesday, before Bush Sr. had even left, traders in New York had already heard word that he was heading to Russia to help clear the way for the sale of a strategic stake in YukosSibneft to ChevronTexaco, which named one of its tankers after Condoleezza Rice, a former board member who is now his son's national security adviser.

<snip>
"We use him to speak at conferences and events," said Carlyle's London-based spokeswoman Katherine Elmore-Jones. Jones, however, would not say if a new private equity fund would be officially announced, but did say that the deal, which the Financial Times first reported is in the works, was still being discussed.


more...
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/09/12/002.html

[Gloria]

1. The Carlyle -Alfa thing was reported some weeks ago ....I picked

up the story in the World Media Watch. In the WMW I just put up, I have a couple of stories from the MT and Interfax...reporting that Bush sr. will meet Putin. One says it's a private visit, the other that there's an international conference. Bush is there with...Henry Kissinger AND Rudolf Guiliani...and Babs, of course...

By the way, I also posted a story on how the Carlyle group is already in Russia...in a drug company, I think....had that up a couple of weeks ago...

[lindashaw]

2. And I suppose that the big oil deal Russia just made with the Saudis

will all work nicely with the Americans????

[PartyPooper]

3. ChevronTexaco named one of its tankers after Condoleezza Rice.

Hmmm. Maybe they shoulda' named one after GHWB, too...instead of the USN naming an aircraft carrier after him. An oil tanker 'name-sake'...is much more apropos for Poppy, dontcha' think?