Fox and Putin

From today's RFE/RL Newsline:

PUTIN, MEXICAN PRESIDENT AGREE RUSSIAN GAS SUPPLIES TO NORTH AMERICA... President Vladimir Putin and visiting Mexican President Vicente Fox agreed on 21 June to a plan to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Russian Far East to North America via Mexico,Russian and international media reported. "I am pleased to note that our liquefied gas will be delivered to the Mexican coast from Sakhalin [Island], and part of it will remain in your country," Putinsaid at a joint press conference, according to kremlin.ru. A Sakhalin Energy and Royal Dutch/Shell-led consortium is expected to operate the project, according to "The Moscow Times." The United States is expected to be another major consumer of the Russian LNG. The deal is expected to translate into some 37 million tons of LNG over 20 years,the paper reported. The two men also discussed other ways to boost bilateral trade. Fox told the news conference that Russia "is interested in deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico," according to RIA-Novosti. Putin said Moscow is also interested in hydroelectric- and nuclear-power projects in Mexico, RIA-Novosti reported. VY