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Putin in further threat to gas supplies

I have mentioned the problems that we face by being beholden to Kremlin Inc (Gazprom) on numerous occasions, yet our politicians seem so damned slow to move. We are in greater danger than ever of having no security over our energy supplies and very little in the way of strategic planning has been achieved over the past year.

Now Vladmir Putin, has issued a new threat to Ukraine which may ultimately lead to Europe having it’s gas supplies cut off. In another dispute with his western leaning neighbour over pricing, Russian PM Putin has said that he would have no qualms in cutting gas supplies to Ukraine even if European consumers were affected – although he did promise to warn the EU in advance if a halt was ordered.

How nice of him to offer to warn us in advance that we may freeze unless Ukraine bends it’s knee!

We haven’t taken a look at Gazprom’s board of directors in the past, so perhaps now is a good time to discover who the men and women are behind Europe’s most ambitious gas supplier (who now control much of what we consume here in South Shields.)

Chairman of the Board: Viktor Alexeevich Zubkov

First deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

From 1989 to 1991, he worked as first deputy chairman of the Leningrad Regional Executive Committee of the Communist Party while future Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Yarov was the chairman.

From 1992 to 1993, Viktor Zubkov served as deputy chairman of St. Petersburg’s committee on external relations where Vladimir Putin was chairman.

From July 1999 to November 2001, he was Deputy Tax Minister and head of the ministry’s tax service for St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region.

In November 2001, he was appointed First Deputy Finance Minister and head of the financial monitoring committee at the Finance Ministry.

He holds orders of The Badge of Honor, The Red Banner of Labor, For Service to the Homeland (2nd Class). His daughter, Yulia, is married to Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.

Deputy Chairman: Alexei Borisovich Miller

From 1991 to 1996 Alexei Miller served with the Committee for External Relations of the Saint Petersburg Mayor’s Office under Vladimir Putin.

In 2000 Alexei Miller was appointed Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, and since 2001 he has served as Chairman of the Management Committee of Gazprom.

Alexey Miller has been awarded with 4th Degree Order for the Outstanding Services to the Fatherland and the Medal of the Outstanding Services to the Fatherland II Degree Order.

Deputy Chairman of Gazprom’s Management Committee: Ananenkov Alexander Georgievich

Mr. Ananenkov has been involved in the gas industry since 1969. He served as Deputy General Director, First Deputy General Director, Chief Engineer, Yamburg gas production Department, Urengoygazprom.

Mr. Ananenkov was General Director, Yamburggazdobycha, from 1997 to 2001.

January 17, 2001, Dr. A. G. Ananenkov was appointed Deputy Chairman, Management Committee, Gazprom.

Alexander Ananenkov was elected Member, Board of Directors, Gazprom, at the annual shareholders’ meeting on June 28, 2002.

Bergmann Burckhard

Dr. Burckhard Bergmann has served as Member of the Board of Directors at Gazprom OAO since 2002. He worked at the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology from 1968 to 1969.

He has also been Member of the Executive Board of E.ON AG and Chairman of the Executive Board of E.ON Ruhrgas AG since March 5, 2003.

Boris Grigorievich Fyodorov

On November 20, 2008 Gazprom Board of Directors Member Boris Fyodorov suddenly passed away.

From 1990 to 1991 Boris Fyodorov served as Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation.

Boris Fyodorov was Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, the Government of the Russian Federation from 1992 to 1994.

Mr. Fyodorov was a Deputy, State Duma, in 1994 – 1998. He was Head, State Tax Service of the Government of the Russian Federation, from May to September 1998.

Farit Rafikovich Gazizullin

Mr. Gazizullin was involved in the Komsomol, CPSU and the Soviet Union Organizations’ activities from 1967.

Mr. Gazizullin was Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman, Republic of Tatarstan State Property Committee from 1991 to 1995. In June 1996 he was appointed First Deputy Chairman, the State Property Committee of the Russian Federation. Dr. F. R. Gazizullin was appointed First Deputy Minister, Ministry for Property Relations of the Russian Federation since the Committee was reorganized into the Ministry.

Farit Gazizullin was appointed Minister for State Property of the Russian Federation in accordance with the Russian President’s Decree 1350 of December 29, 1997.

From 2000 to 2004 Dr. F. R. Gazizullin held position of Minister for Property Relations of the Russian Federation

Head of the Department for Pricing and Economic Expert Analysis: Elena Evgenievna Karpel

Since 1967 Elena has been the model apparatchik with a succession of posts within Russia’s bureaucracy.

1991-1992, Deputy Chairman, First Deputy Chairman of the Pricing Committee with the Economics Ministry of the Russian Federation, Moscow

1992-1994, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Pricing Policy Committee

1994-1997, Head of the Main Division for Economic Efficiency of Russian Joint-Stock Company Gazprom, Moscow

1997, Head of the Department for Pricing and Economic Expert Analysis of Russian and, later on, Open Joint-Stock Company Gazprom, Moscow

Viktor Borisovich Khristenko

Career politician

Industry and Trade Minister of the Russian Federation

Viktor Khristenko served as Deputy Finance Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation from 1997 to 1998.

Mr. Khristenko was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation in 1998, and from 1998 to 1999 he served as First Deputy, Minister of Finance of the Government of the Russian Federation.

In May 1999, Dr. V. B. Khristenko was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation, and on January 10, 2000 was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Elvira Sakhipzadovna Nabiullina

Economic Development Minister of the Russian Federation

Apparatchik

From 1996 to 1997 she served as Head, Economic Reform Department, Ministry of Economy of the Russian Federation and Member of the Board, Ministry of Economy of the Russian Federation.

From 2000 to 2003 – First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

Since May 12, 2008 – Economic Development Minister of the Russian Federation.

Deputy Chairman of Gazprom’s management committee: Mikhail Leonidovich Sereda

Banker by profession.

Mr. Sereda was Senior Economist, Chief Economist, Credit Department, St. Petersburg Branch Office, Savings Bank of the Russian Federation from 1997 to 1999.

From 1999 to 2001 he was Deputy General Director, Finance, Balttiiskaya Truboprovodnaya Sistema – BTS (Baltic Pipeline System).

In 2001 was appointed Head, Gazprom Management Committee Administration.

Igor Khanukovich Yusufov

Ambassador at Large for the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Igor Yusufov was Engineer, Mosenergo, from 1979 to 1984, and Senior Expert, Habana steam electric power plant construction, Cuba.

Mr. Yusufov has held various government jobs since 1991, including: Deputy Chairman, Economic Security Committee of the Russian Federation, the office of the President of RSFSR in 1991 – 1992, Deputy Minister, Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations of the Russian Federation in 1993, top management position at Rosvooruzheniye in 1994 – 1996, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry of the Russian Federation in 1996 – 1997, First Deputy Chairman, Acting Chairman, Chairman, State Reserves Committee of the Russian Federation in 1998 – 1999, General Director, the Russian State Reserves Agency in 1999 – 2001.

From 2001 to 2004 Igor Yusufov held position of Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.

It’s fairly plain to see that Gazprom is little more than a government run energy agency bent upon swallowing as many European, and Asian supplies, along with the distribution and pipeline networks as possible. Over the course of the past ten years this Russian giant has become the pre-eminent supplier of gas and oil to the majority of the European market and Centrica, the company we used to know as British Gas, has long been coveted by the Russians.

Economically, strategically, and politically, it is now more imperative than ever to secure supplies of our future energy needs, and to diversify those supplies into the emergent alternative energies markets. Nuclear power certainly needs to be considered, and fast, because renewables will not be able to meet demand in the shorter term.

I am not one who is convinced totally by the climate change arguments, but I do see that the use of the earth’s resources can be wasteful and recognise that they can be finite, therefore it makes good common sense to look at alternatives, particularly if the market is to be controlled by Russian oligarchs and  puppets of Putin.

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