USSR 1991

Page 270

After reading the news, President Mario's face immediately turned livid, while Advisor Berger standing beside him touched his nose in embarrassment.This can only be regarded as an accident, because no one thought that the Soviet Union's oil exploration project would play a vital role at this critical moment.

"Is it true that even God is taking care of the Soviet Union!" President Mario lamented and sat down on the sofa.He can even predict the next move.The OPEC countries took the initiative to end the oil production cuts, and the Asia-Pacific countries that originally wanted to part ways moved closer to the Soviet Union like flies.After all, there is an oil field with oil reserves comparable to Saudi Arabia, and the Soviet Union's confidence in speaking is instantly sufficient.

Berger also sighed unexpectedly, and said, "This is the end of the matter, we can only wait and see what happens. I hope Japan can realize that we are their real allies."

President Mario shook his head, denying Berger's views, he was too aware of the Japanese ambitions.After becoming an economic power in the 80s, the ambition to seek a political power was increasingly exposed. He said with emotion, "In the face of interests, former allies can become enemies, and former enemies can become allies. Japan and the Soviet Union just happened to be It's the latter relationship."

President Mario looked at the busy street outside the White House window. For a moment, he felt very helpless. He always felt that fate had already favored Yanayev, and the American national fortune accumulated in the 80s seemed to have been completely consumed in the past few years.The previous policy led them to push China, a love-hate ally, completely towards the Soviet Union, and the plan to contain the Soviet Union strategically was also unsuccessful.Yanayev is like a cunning piranha, always easily avoiding the bait and traps of Mario's men.It can also bite hard on the fisherman's finger in the dense net.

Many times Mario had the idea of ​​letting the CIA assassinate Yanayev, if the Kremlin hadn't guarded him too tightly.He believes that the Soviet Union's struggle to the present is entirely due to Yanayev's relationship. As long as the general secretary closes his eyes forever, the Soviet Union will grow old with him.

"This contest, we lost again."

President Mario said sadly.

It is bad news for the United States, but it is great news for Japan. At least Ryutaro Hashimoto doesn't have to look at the face of the Americans to live, and becoming an ally of the Soviet Union is obviously more in line with Japan's current interests.After all, the United States is always looking forward to an accident in Japan.

Since the Soviet Union and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of the United States cooperated to develop the foreign trade version of the bastion system, the United States has become increasingly dissatisfied with Japan's actions. He even believes that Japan's move is to relieve his neck.

Of course, as far as Japan's political leaders are concerned, they still rely on the US nuclear umbrella to maintain their own security, and undertake more obligations such as providing military bases, expanding armaments, and fighting together.Even a pro-China prime minister like Ryutaro Hashimoto can only avoid talking about the contents of these treaties.

But evasion can't solve any problems. If Japan wants to get rid of the shadow of the United States, it must move closer to another powerful ally.And Hashimoto Ryutaro also realized that a red alliance is slowly running in. Although there are certain contradictions and conflicts between the two parties, they put aside their contradictions and chose to cooperate in the face of the common enemy.

Ryutaro Hashimoto is keenly aware of this point. If the Soviet Union, China, and Japan can reach an agreement organization, then the influence of a major country exerted by this organization will be amazing.Japan's economy, the strong military strength of the Soviet Union, and China's strategic position will all have an immeasurable impact on the world situation.

Of course, this idea is only Ryutaro Hashimoto's idea. After all, such an agreement organization is much more difficult than forming the European Union.

Hashimoto Ryutaro called General Secretary Yanayev, changed his previous tone, and began to discuss the oil cooperation project between Japan and the Soviet Union.And Yanayev just sneered in his heart when he picked up the phone, thinking that Japan is really unprofitable.After hearing about the plan for the Kara Sea Super Oilfield, he immediately turned around and hooked up with the Soviet Union.

"General Secretary Yanayev, we would like to know when the exploration plan of the Kara Sea oil field will be carried out?"

What Hashimoto Ryutaro is most concerned about is the issue of oil production, and it may be that the Soviet Union can completely get rid of Saudi Arabia's oil supply and turn around to embrace the Soviet Union.

"It depends." Yanayev's answer was somewhat perfunctory. "We want to know how many countries will sign contracts with us to buy oil, otherwise exploiting such an oil field is equivalent to throwing it into our own hands."

What Yanayev said was deliberately disgusting Hashimoto Ryutaro. He was also the one who tried to interfere with the price during the Soviet oil crisis, and now it is Japan who licked his face and forced him back.I have to say that even Yanayev was a little surprised by this two-sided attitude.It's a pity that Japan has thousands of calculations, but it didn't calculate that Yanayev still had a hand.

"We want to see the production status of the Kara Sea Oilfield and the actual oil reserves. Do you mind if we go to the Far East for inspection?" Ryutaro Hashimoto's expectation is to send the Minister of Foreign Affairs to appear at the oil exploration platform drilling ceremony to express Japan's support for the oil production platform. Financial support for Soviet oil projects.

However, Yanayev's performance has been a bit soft and hard. He is also hanging on Japan's appetite and never mentions the oil pipeline project. "Of course, you are welcome to visit the Far East. But regarding other issues, we will We can discuss it later."

Now Japan is in a state of loss, and the longer Yanayev delays, the better it will be for him.How could Moscow let Japan go, not to mention that Japan is one of the allies of the Soviet Union worth trying to win over in the future.

Moreover, the Japanese delegation's trip to the Soviet Union is also an important opportunity for Yanayev to export the Il-96 airliner.I believe Hashimoto Ryutaro will seize such an opportunity.

"Okay, General Secretary Yanayev."

"If there is nothing else, I will leave the rest of the details to the assistant and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss. Welcome to Moscow."

Even if he said welcome, Yanayev's tone was unusually cold.

Hashimoto Ryutaro sighed helplessly, the more cold the other party behaved, the more flustered his heart became.Taking advantage of the fire to rob was unsuccessful, and in turn, he had to humbly ask the Soviets for help.

After hanging up the phone, Hashimoto Ryutaro scratched his head and said helplessly, "This move is really terrible."

Chapter 6 and One to Promote the Il-96 Passenger Aircraft

Keizo Obuchi has set foot on the territory of the Soviet Union for the third time as a Japanese delegation, but this time they are not prepared for a comfortable Moscow hotel, but for the Kara Sea in the north of the wild Siberia.This time the Japanese delegation will take the Il-96 special plane provided by the Soviet Aviation Department to Siberia, and then take a ship from Siberia to the Kara Sea.As a super oil field near the Arctic Circle, this major discovery by the Soviet Union has attracted strong dissatisfaction from the United States.The U.S. government announced that it would prohibit a series of oil exploration companies, including Mobil, from cooperating with the Soviet Union to develop oil fields in the Arctic Circle, in an attempt to slow down the development of oil fields by the Soviet Union in this way.

But Yanayev, who has a big family and a big business, doesn't care about the sanctions of the United States. The current Soviet Union is the Soviet Union, not Russia that wants to live by the faces of capitalists.Yanayev didn't care about the means of the United States at all. Just after the United States announced the prohibition of any oil company from participating in the development of the Kara Sea Oilfield, Yanayev announced that the Soviet government allocated nearly [-] billion funds to maintain the early project development.

It is estimated that this development may have a budget of nearly [-] billion U.S. dollars, which is equivalent to nearly half a year’s income of the Soviet government. Even after the severe financial pressure is invested in the first phase of the budget, the next one will be a gold-swallowing monster in the foreseeable future.That's why Yanayev wanted to pull the Asia-Pacific countries into the water and share the expenditures for development projects.

On the Il-96 special plane specially prepared for the Japanese delegation, in addition to the Japanese delegation, there was also Shevardnadze, the chairman of the Soviet Union who accompanied Keizo Obuchi.Rather than being an escort, the aloofness shown by Shevardnadze made Obuchi Keizo think that he was the accompanying official.

On the plane, Keizo Obuchi simply consulted Shevardnadze with several questions, such as the actual storage capacity of crude oil and the expected progress of engineering development.Although the other party's answer was very concise, the content revealed in the message surprised Obuchi Megumin [-].

"Crude oil storage capacity? The proven reserves of the operating drilling wells in the Soviet Union are 10 billion barrels of crude oil, and the surrounding area also has the same geological structure. The oil reserves in this place are comparable to the Gulf of Mexico in the United States, so you think the super oil field in the Kara Sea will be bigger than Is the Middle East bad? What’s more, the proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia are only 8 million barrels.”

Shevardnadze's answer made Obuchi Keizo silent, which means that Japan should join the Soviet Union's oil development plan. The sooner it seizes the initiative, the more benefits it will have for Japan.

Keizo Obuchi asked cautiously, "Minister Shevardnadze, how many countries are expected to participate in the Kara Sea oil development plan?"

This is the issue that Japan is most concerned about. According to the Japanese market, it will definitely not be able to eat most of the oil supply, but he can take advantage of the priority to eat a large piece of cake, especially when Shevardnadze proposed that no country has yet participated in the process. When he came, Keizo Obuchi sensed an opportunity.

"Then, the Japanese government is willing to jointly develop the Kara Sea Oilfield with the Soviet Union. What do you think?" This was Keizo Obuchi's first attempt. rhetoric.

However, Shevardnadze's performance was somewhat unpredictable. He looked at the scenery outside the glass window of the plane and said slowly, "I have a question, Minister Megumin Obuchi, what do you think of this Il-96?"

"En?" Obuchi Keizo didn't know why Shevardnadze suddenly mentioned the Il-96, but he always had a premonition that something was going on behind the scenes.

Shevardnadze said, "This is the latest Il-96 Airbus developed by the Soviet Union. It is ready to compete with Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 in the civil aviation market in the 90s. Now you are the first delegation to board this new Soviet Airbus .This is also an advertising promotion for the development of the civil aviation industry in the Soviet Union."

Keizo Obuchi took a deep breath. He didn't expect that even a civil airliner had hidden tricks carefully designed by the Soviet Union. In this way, how many sinister tricks were waiting for the journey along the way? look at yourself.Keizo Obuchi felt very embarrassed. For one thing, the oil-poor countries all over the world are now paying close attention to the fat meat of the Soviet Union, trying to get a share of it in the early development. There is no doubt that Japan is now the first, and it is also The one with the biggest advantage.

Shevardnadze sighed intentionally, and said to himself, "Compared with the previous Chinese government, it seems much more generous. When they learned that the Soviet Il-96 airliner was going to go online, they immediately raised the question of Air China and China. China Southern Airlines' commercial transaction to purchase Il-96..."

Keizo Obuchi also heard rumors that China gave up purchasing Boeing 777 models for the first time and instead purchased Soviet Il-96, but what Minister Shevardnadze said had a different meaning.This means that the rumors are very likely to be true, and the Chinese side's fawning behavior also makes Keizo Obuchi feel a little scared.

But all of this was made up by Shevardnadze. Although China has made a request to purchase Il-96, no delegation has been to Moscow for negotiations.Shevardnadze simply used this incident to put psychological pressure on Keizo Obuchi.

"Think about it, Megumin Obuchi, Third Minister."

Just as Shevardnadze was about to say this, Keizo Obuchi added something first.

"We will go back and carefully consider the request made by Minister Shevardnadze, and the senior leadership of ANA will also fully consider your new model. After all, it is time for Japanese aircraft to be replaced. And the new Soviet model is also You can rest assured that it will be included in the consideration of high-level officials."

Obuchi Keizo expressed his "will" very timely. In his opinion, if he does not want the Kara Sea oilfield exploration plan to be delayed, then it is best to follow the Soviet Union's request at this time.

Keizo Obuchi's acquaintance made Minister Shevardnadze sneer inwardly, he would never believe that Japan would succumb so quickly.As long as Japan does not express its willingness to buy, he will not get a share of the Kara Sea project development.

But as long as the gap is opened in Japan for Il-96, then he doesn’t have to worry about the sales of Il-96. Some people even proposed to use the Kara Sea oilfield project to bundle and sell Il-96, but Yanayev rejected it. .

After all, Yanayev hopes to use a market-led approach to nibble away Boeing's poor share bit by bit.

Chapter 6 Bow

The Japanese delegation needs to take a Soviet research ship from Cape Skuratov to the drilling platform in the Kara Sea. Keizo Obuchi needs to go through two days of turbulence to reach the so-called Kara Sea drilling platform.Even Yanayev began to sympathize with what happened to them as a diplomat had to suffer such crimes along with the delegation.

However, as the number one politician in the Soviet Union, Yanayev must of course be present at the scene to express the Soviet's position.In particular, Yanayev expressed indignation at the Americans' attempt to stifle the Soviet Union's status as a major oil production country.And there is another more important reason. In another 15 years, the Siberian oil fields will face the embarrassing situation of oil depletion. Now that the Kara Sea oil fields are developed and put into production, there is no doubt that they will be able to revitalize the Soviet Union's economy.Regarding this situation, Yanayev expressed his wish for it.

However, the early capital investment is indeed a big problem. Even Yanayev can only choose the cooperative development method when he has no choice.The introduction of funds from Japanese companies serves its own policies.However, what he is doing now is a foundational policy, and it is difficult to see the effect all at once during his tenure, but the results will not appear until he abdicates from the position of general secretary.What he does now is unknown, but in the future, everyone will be grateful for the huge income Yanayev's policies have brought to the Soviet Union.

And this time during the inspection of the oil rig, Yanayeft brought Comrade Putin.As a member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, participating in such an oil development project, many people will feel a little inexplicable.But if you look deeper, you can realize that there are deeper political meanings in it.Even some people have already smelled that the political situation is about to change.Although Comrade Putin has rarely appeared in front of the general public over the years, Yanayev has never missed the groundwork for him.Including cultivating power in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and winning the trust of the army, everything seems to imply the possibility of coming to power.

The wind in the Kara Sea is a bit bitter, and the area near the Arctic Circle is cold and windy even in summer, not to mention the ocean with no land on all sides, and the sea water is icy cold.Yanayev was wearing a thick coat, standing on the observation deck of the drilling platform, his eyes were gloomy.

"Comrade Vladimir, this project and the strategic development of the Far East are the last effort of my general secretary. I hope you can carry it on well."