NewzIntel.com

Category: Russian Federation

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Active tourist exchanges link Beijing and Moscow

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) — According to statistics, the number of visits to the recently held Moscow Seasons in Beijing festival exceeded 2.85 million people, the press service of the Moscow City Tourism Committee reported.

    The event took place from June 12 to 15 in the Chinese capital in honor of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of sister-city relations between Beijing and Moscow. At the festival site, the Russian tourist information pavilion became one of the most attractive sites.

    Cutting-edge technologies such as 3D modeling offered Chinese visitors innovative ways to experience Russia. A digital twin of Moscow allowed the public to immerse themselves in the Russian capital, showing details of the city’s architectural assemblies, utility networks, and transportation systems.

    “This device gives an incredibly realistic effect. It’s a fantastic way to see iconic Russian landmarks from afar,” said Chinese visitor Hou Wen after enjoying the panorama of Red Square.

    “Chinese tourists have shown a huge interest in Russia,” said festival volunteer Oksana Yakimashenko, who is also a Moscow-based Chinese-speaking guide, helping visitors put on VR goggles for a fascinating virtual tour of Moscow.

    Oksana also introduced Xu Bo, a Beijing native who plans to take an in-depth tour of Russia with his wife after retiring in two years, to Russia’s tourist routes. “We prefer to travel by train rather than by plane because we don’t want to miss any of the scenery along the way,” Xu Bo said, adding that he will definitely visit Moscow and St. Petersburg.

    According to Oksana, in recent years she has received more and more travelers from China, many of whom consider Moscow a beautiful city.

    The close ties between the two cities are clearly reflected in the growing number of tourist exchanges. According to available information, China ranks first among foreign countries in the number of tourists visiting the Russian capital. In 2024 alone, Moscow was visited by more than 420,000 guests from China.

    According to the Beijing City Administration of Culture and Tourism, Beijing received 293,000 tourists from Russia last year, and over 175,000 Russian tourists visited the Chinese capital in the first five months of this year. Among foreign travelers who visited Beijing during the same period, Russians ranked first.

    As noted by the First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee Evgeny Kozlov, in order to increase the attractiveness of Moscow as a tourist destination, the multifaceted strategy includes significant investments in the development of transport infrastructure, urban navigation, hotel services and the digital environment for the sake of a comfortable stay for tourists.

    According to E. Kozlov, in order to raise awareness of Moscow among Chinese travelers, we actively promote the capital’s official accounts in popular Chinese social networks – Douyin, WeChat, Xiaohongshu and Weibo. An important step was the opening of an official page on the Ctrip platform in 2024, where both individual and group tours to Moscow are presented, he added.

    Zheng Fang, deputy director of the Beijing City Culture and Tourism Bureau, said Beijing is offering foreign tourists the Beijing Pass, a card designed to enhance their tourism experience in the Chinese capital.

    The card, which can be purchased at the Beijing Service counters at Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing International Airports, facilitates the process of paying for public transportation, purchasing tickets at tourist attractions, and shopping at shopping malls. In addition, foreign visitors can use it to purchase tickets to 30 popular tourist attractions in Beijing, including parks such as Yiheyuan, Tiantan (Temple of Heaven), and the Badaling section of the Great Wall.

    “I am confident that in the future, tourism exchanges between Beijing and Moscow will be able to steadily expand and demonstrate an even stronger development trend,” Zheng Fang concluded. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yemen’s Houthis Vow to Attack US Ships in Case of US Strike on Iran

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    SANAA, June 21 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement said in a statement on Saturday that it would attack American ships if the United States launched military action against Iran.

    “If America takes part in the attack and aggression against Iran … the armed forces /of the Houthis/ will attack American ships and military vessels in the Red Sea,” warned the official representative of the Houthi armed groups, Yahya Saria, on the air of the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV channel.

    “We are monitoring and controlling all movements in the region … and we will take the necessary measures,” he said, adding: “We support Iran … We will not allow America and its criminal entity to implement its plans in the region.”

    US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that he had given Iran a maximum of two weeks to return to the negotiating table on its nuclear program.

    Last week, Israel launched a campaign of airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities and senior Iranian leaders, destroying several infrastructure sites and killing dozens of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against various targets in the Jewish state.

    The Houthi movement, which controls much of northern Yemen, began shelling Israel in November 2023, weeks after the war between Israel and Hamas began in the Gaza Strip, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Turkish President says he is ready to facilitate dialogue to resolve Iran-Israel conflict

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    ISTANBUL, June 21 (Xinhua) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Türkiye is ready to do its part, including facilitating dialogue, to resolve the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

    As reported by the Turkish leader’s administration, R. T. Erdogan made this statement at a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is visiting Turkey to attend the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul.

    During the conversation, R. T. Erdogan noted the importance of starting operational steps towards diplomacy by organizing negotiations between Iran and the United States at both the technical and high levels.

    He stressed that the region could not withstand another war, calling for an immediate cessation of actions by Israel.

    The Turkish president also emphasized that the solution to the Iranian nuclear issue should be achieved through diplomatic negotiations, adding that Türkiye is making various efforts in this regard. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Igor Sechin Presents Keynote Speech at SPIEF-2025 Energy Panel

    Source: Rosneft

    Headline: Igor Sechin Presents Keynote Speech at SPIEF-2025 Energy Panel

    As part of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an Energy Panel organized with the support of Rosneft was held. Igor Sechin, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, presented the keynote speech “Odyssey Of The Global Economy In Search Of The Golden Fleece. The New Landscape Of Global Energy”.

    The head of Rosneft presented a detailed analysis of the current situation on the energy market.

    Special attention in the report was paid to the overdue transformation of the global energy sector. The development of high technologies requires a significant amount of natural resources, including energy resources. Training and use of artificial intelligence on the basis of large data processing centers is a highly energy-intensive process.

    Igor Sechin noted in his report that our civilization is at a critical juncture – the global energy industry is facing a large-scale transformation and the energy consumption model is changing. Against this backdrop, every country is facing the issue of the need to ensure energy security.

    Huge investments made in recent years to develop alternative energy sources have not yielded tangible results. Moreover, the inclusion of renewable energy sources in the energy systems of a number of countries has reduced reliability and even caused large-scale blackouts.

    The Energy Panel at SPIEF also brought together heads of major energy companies and leading market experts to discuss the prospects and new vectors of global energy development in the emerging multipolar world.

    The event was also attended by Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Chairman of Rosneft’s Board of Directors, Delcy Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela, Zhang Daowei, Vice President of CNPC, Panda Madhusudana Shiva Prasad, Executive Director of Reliance Industries, Simon Aloysius Mantiri, Chief Executive Officer of Pertamina, Alexander Dynkin, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese Government’s non-profit initiative for the development of a new oil and gas industry in the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese Government’s non-profit initiative for the development of a new oil and gas industry.

    The Energy Panel was moderated by Rick Sanchez, a renowned American journalist and host of the RT TV channel.

    THE NEW FACE OF GLOBAL ENERGY

    The current state of the global energy industry is at the stage of forming a new image due to the multiple growth of electricity consumption, the generation of which will be provided by both fossil fuels and renewable sources, said the head of Rosneft. In his report, Igor Sechin described the main factors influencing the change in this image, including: the need to ensure energy security and commercial efficiency of energy sources, budget deficit and avalanche growth of public debt, as well as the demography of developing countries.

    Another factor that, according to the head of Rosneft, affects both energy production and consumption growth is the digital revolution with the application of artificial intelligence and work with big data.

    The electric power sector will have a special role to play, as it will have to overcome the risk of shortages due to the surge in consumption growth in China, India, developing countries and the huge need for electricity to supply data centers and heavy industry. According to Sechin, already today the level of electricity generation in China is more than twice as high as in the U.S., whereas 20 years ago the situation was the opposite.

    In his opinion, investments in this sector will exceed investments in fossil fuels by 50% as early as 2025. ” Indeed, over the past 15 years, electricity consumption has grown at a faster pace, and according to IEA projections, electricity generation is set to nearly double over the next 25 years,” Igor Sechin added.

    At the same time, the largest contribution to this growth will also be made by the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, which will provide 60% of the consumption growth. “This trend is particularly evident in India, where peak demand on the power system has risen by nearly 70% over the past decade,” said the head of Rosneft.

    In his report, Igor Sechin quoted Vaclav Smil, one of the most respected scientists of our time and a proponent of a realistic approach to the transition to new energy sources: “Energy is the universal currency. One of its many forms must be transformed to get anything done.”

    The head of Rosneft noted that modern societies with high energy consumption prefer to use resources with the highest useful energy yield, primarily fossil fuels.

    “Those who can actually take part in shaping the new energy landscape will have the opportunity to achieve advanced economic and technological growth. This brings to mind the legend of the search for the Golden Fleece by the Argonauts who overcame enormous hurdles and troubles on the way to achieving happiness and prosperity,” Igor Sechin said.

    The synthesis of conventional and alternative energy sources is currently the optimal solution for the development of the global energy sector, the head of Rosneft is convinced.

    Igor Sechin emphasized that the search for new energy sources never stops, and today there is active work on the development of a number of promising technologies. However, their full-fledged implementation is still a long way off, as current technological solutions in this area are too expensive and inferior to traditional energy sources in terms of a number of parameters.

    CHINA: SMART APPROACH AND ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

    Igor Sechin noted that China is a unique example of a competent approach to the development of the energy system – the country now accounts for a third of global investments in the energy sector.

    “In my opinion, China, which has already ensured its energy security, is confidently moving towards complete energy independence, forming a stable energy balance based on its own resources. There is no doubt, taking into account the persistence and professionalism of the Chinese comrades, that in the foreseeable future they will achieve the desired result, which will turn China from an importer of energy resources into a major energy exporter,” Rosneft CEO said.

    In recent years, China has been commissioning the largest amount of new renewable energy capacity and is home to more than 70% of the world’s green economy equipment manufacturing capacity. This applies to the entire value chain: from critical minerals to the production of high-tech equipment that has no analogues in Western countries, Sechin emphasized.

    The head of Rosneft also noted China’s efforts in increasing investments in related infrastructure: investments in power grids increased by 15% last year and may double this year.

    At the same time, China has never abandoned fossil fuels. The country has outpaced the rest of the world in terms of commissioning new coal-fired generation capacity over the past five years. “Today, coal accounts for almost 60%  of China’s electricity generation. Last year alone, China issued permits for about 100 gigawatts of new coal-fired power generation , the highest in a decade, which should strengthen coal’s role in the grid,” the Rosneft head emphasized.

    Igor Sechin noted that an important part of the strategy to reduce dependence on energy imports is the processing of coal into synthetic fuels and chemical products.

    “Chinese companies are investing billions of dollars in the development of this industry. According to experts, today in China 40 million tons of coal is used to produce synthetic fuels and more than 260 mln tons for ammonia and methanol production,” Igor Sechin stressed.

    ROSNEFT SYNTHETIC OIL

    Rosneft has completed the development of proprietary technologies and catalysts throughout the entire chain of the GTL process and plans to introduce this technology in Taimyr, Igor Sechin said. He added that all stages of the technological process are covered by relevant patents.

    The head of the Company demonstrated to the participants of the energy panel a flask with the obtained fuel, noting that it is synthetic oil consisting of the purest hydrocarbon molecules with zero sulfur content.

    “To anyone who is interested, we are ready to provide samples,” he added, addressing the participants and audience of the Energy Panel.

    NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE

    The importance of nuclear power, which is a natural complement to fossil fuels, is growing, Igor Sechin noted.

    A few years ago, the nuclear power industry was in a deep crisis due to the decline in activity in the industry. However, then the situation started to change. “Over the past five years, global annual investments in nuclear energy have increased by 50%, reaching 70 billion dollars last year . China has become one of the leaders in nuclear power today. Over the past ten years, the installed capacity of nuclear generation in this country has increased fivefold and approached 60 GW. China plans to complete the construction of 32 more reactors in the coming years,” said Rosneft’s head.

    At the same time, Sechin called it important that China relies on the latest technological achievements of the leading nuclear powers – Russia, the United States and France – to develop its nuclear industry.

    He noted that Russia has many years of experience in building nuclear power plants. The cost of the most modern Russian VVER-1200 reactor is significantly lower than that of the American AP-1000. Today, such reactors are already operating in Russia and are planned to be commissioned in friendly countries.

    “Today, Russia is the only country in the world that has expertise in the entire technological chain of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining to nuclear fuel disposal. In total, 80 nuclear reactors have been built in the world using Russian technologies,” Igor Sechin said.

    Also, a sodium-cooled nuclear reactor belonging to the category of fast neutron reactors, the BN-800, has been successfully operating in our country for ten years, another latest-generation fast neutron reactor, the BN-1200, is under construction.

    The head of Rosneft expects further growth of investments in the nuclear sector: new technologies, such as small modular reactors, are now attracting increased attention from investors. While such reactors are more mobile, their implementation also requires investments in the development of power grids. In addition, special attention should be paid to their safety and security against terrorist threats.

    ENERGY – DRIVING FORCE OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION

    The energy sector is one of the main drivers of the new technological revolution, Igor Sechin believes.

    He noted that the digital revolution with the application of artificial intelligence and work with big data should become the basis for labor productivity growth. According to the assessment of investment bank Goldman Sachs, large-scale implementation of high technologies will increase labor productivity by 1.5 p.p. for developed countries and by 1 p.p. for developing countries within 10 years.

    “The development of advanced technologies requires substantial natural resources, as well as large-scale investments in infrastructure and human capital. This, in turn, means a multiple increase in energy consumption,” Rosneft CEO noted.

    He recalled that the use of artificial intelligence on the basis of big data processing centers is a highly energy-intensive process. Such centers, according to Sechin, will contribute more to the growth of global electricity demand than heavy industry or heat supply.

    Igor Sechin also cited the development of the cryptocurrency market as an example of the impact of digitalization on the global energy system. According to him, in less than ten years, cryptocurrency has become an independent industry that today consumes resources on a par with entire countries. For example, the energy consumption of the entire bitcoin network as of May 2025 has already exceeded the level of electricity consumption in Poland.

    “GREEN” TRANSITION TO REGRESSION

    Proponents of the “net zero” concept are leading mankind to energy regression, Igor Sechin believes.

    He recalled that whenever mankind switched to a new type of fuel, the efficiency of the energy system increased and its capabilities expanded. “This was due to the fact that the new energy source usually had a higher energy flux density,” the Rosneft head explained.

    Eminent scientist Pyotr Kapitsa proved – energy flow density is a key characteristic of any kind of energy. “By this indicator, such types of fossil fuels as coal (135.1 W/m2), oil (195 W/m2) and gas (482 W/m2), as well as nuclear energy (241 W/m2) are far ahead of both solar (6.6 W/m2) and wind energy (1.8 W/m2) . Thus, the concept of ‘net zero’ actually crosses out centuries of progressive development of society, offering mankind an energy regression,” said the head of Rosneft.

    At the same time, European politicians do not have the courage to publicly recognize this fact. “Their blind faith in the ‘green’ transition already resembles an addiction. As one of the classics of French literature aptly put: ‘A red nose is a sign of constancy of character’,” Igor Sechin emphasized. The ill-considered strategy of abandoning conventional generation has already resulted in the fact that the cost of electricity in Europe today is five times higher than in the US, he added.

    Sechin also reminded that the European Union continues to try to push through the reduction of the price cap on Russian oil to 45 dollars per barrel.

    “I believe that the real purpose of this is the EU’s desire to increase the efficiency of its purchasing from Russia, not to reduce Russian budget revenues, as was publicly declared. Figures confirm this: according to Western experts, since the beginning of 2023, Europe has purchased more than 20 billion euros worth of Russian oil, thus becoming the fourth largest buyer,” Sechin said.

    However, he thinks it is clear that the U.S. will not agree to lower the price cap because it would negatively affect the profitability of U.S. oil exports.

    THE DECLINE OF THE WEST

    Igor Sechin noted that interest payments on the U.S. government debt divert significant budgetary resources. He reminded that the predicament in which developed countries find themselves due to the growth of government debt is already reflected in the assessment of their creditworthiness. Thus, in May, Moody’s became the last of the three leading international rating agencies to strip the US of its highest credit rating.

    The Rosneft head explained that with the growing deficit, interest payments divert significant budget resources from social and defense spheres. “Last year, net interest payments on the national debt reached a trillion dollars, which accounted for 14% of all state budget expenditures, exceeded defense spending and is already approaching the amount of healthcare spending,” Sechin said.

    The head of Rosneft also recalled on history and gave an example of how great powers come to decline due to excessively high levels of government debt. ” By the late 18th century, French rulers had experienced firsthand how a fiscal guillotine could swiftly transform into a literal one,” Igor Sechin noted.

    By that time, France had accumulated so much debt that it took more than half of all government expenditures to service it, which led to an increase in taxes. According to the Rosneft CEO, this was one of the main reasons for the Great French Revolution, which, in essence, ensured the transition from a monarchy to a bourgeois parliamentary republic.

    INDUSTRY LEADERS

    The Energy Panel of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum continued with presentations by leading industry experts, politicians, scientists, government officials and heads of major international energy companies.

    Their assessments and forecasts largely coincided with the industry development concept presented by Igor Sechin, head of Rosneft.

    Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Chairman of Rosneft’s Board of Directors, opened the discussion of Igor Sechin’s report, noting the depth of his analysis. “It was comprehensive – the way you showed that progress and energy are inseparable,” Al-Sada addressed Sechin.

    The head of Rosneft’s Board of Directors drew the audience’s attention to the fact that despite the active promotion of the idea of transition to renewable energy sources, the share of fossil energy sources in the energy mix has not changed in recent decades. He recalled that Igor Sechin mentioned in his report that fossil fuels account for 80% of the global energy balance.

    “I would also like to take as a baton from Mr. Sechin, and pass my comment to you. It’s like food for thought: are we really moving from fossil fuels to renewable fuels?”,” Al-Sada addressed the audience.

    Zhang Daowei, Vice President of China’s CNPC, noted that he listened with interest to the report of Rosneft’s CEO. In his speech, the top manager of the Chinese company expressed similar assessments of the ways of global energy development, in particular, the need for synergy between traditional and new energy sources.

    According to the vice president, CNPC, on the one hand, continues to increase the exploration and development of oil and gas fields domestically and import high-quality resources from abroad, including strengthening long-term cooperation with Russia in hydrocarbon trade. On the other hand, CNPC is actively pursuing a “green” strategy, low-carbon development and realizing the development of a “three-step strategy” combining oil and gas projects with wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen and carbon capture technologies.

    Simon Aloysius Mantiri, President and CEO of Pertamina Indonesia, said the company is pursuing a dual growth strategy that is based on both conventional resources and low-carbon solutions. At the same time, natural gas plays an important role in the country’s energy mix.

    The head of Pertamina doubled down on the thesis of Igor Sechin’s report and emphasized that by achieving a balance of energy sources and a comprehensive approach, the company is able to ensure high rates of economic growth and, in parallel, carbon neutrality.

    Reliance Industries executive director P.M.S. Prasad said India is not choosing between energy access and innovation. “India is integrating both. By developing scalable, context-specific solutions, India is addressing local priorities while making a significant contribution to global sustainability. From rural microgrids to energy efficient data centers, India is turning its potential into a strategic asset,” Prasad said.

    He also emphasized the significant role of nuclear power generation in the country’s energy balance and spoke about plans to build nuclear power plants in India, including modular ones.

    The renewed interest in investments in NPP construction was noted in the speech of the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov. He told about joint plans with Russia to build two units of 55 megawatts each, and two units of WWR type reactors – water-water energetic reactor. The head of the ministry also said that gas-fired power plants are being installed in the country , hydropower is being developed, the share of renewable sources is increasing, and storage systems are being created at the same time.

    The Minister noted the substantial nature of Igor Sechin’s report, which contains a detailed analysis and reflects all trends in the development of global energy, science and economy.

    In her speech, Delcy Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela, supported the thesis expressed by the Head of Rosneft that energy security issues should come first and named the main components of a stable energy system of the future: energy security, reliable supplies, accessibility for all, and at the same time respect for nature – with minimal environmental impact.

    Speaking about the main threats to energy security, Rodriguez supported Igor Sechin’s assessment: illegal sanctions against producing countries and the hegemony of the dollar are the main threats.

    Nobuo Tanaka, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese government’s non-profit Low Carbon Technology Initiative, for his part, said that the answer to energy security is always related to diversifying sources of supply, improving energy efficiency and seeking alternative energy sources, including renewable energy, nuclear energy and regulating the market through predictable policies.

    Igor Sechin’s thesis that the digital revolution opens a new era in the development of the oil and gas industry was warmly echoed by the audience. In particular, David Gadzhimirzaev, General Director of TOFS Oilfield Services Group, thanked Rosneft for supporting innovation and technology development. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the availability, stability and reliability of resources, which is exactly what new technologies that will reduce the cost of bringing barrels to the surface can provide.

    REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF ROSNEFT I.I. SECHIN AT THE SPIEF ENERGY PANEL

    PRESENTATION OF I.I. SECHIN`S REPORT AT THE SPIEF ENERGY PANEL

    Department of Information and Advertising
    Rosneft Oil Company
    June 21, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The number of China-Europe freight trains with a schedule for the entire route has exceeded 1 thousand units

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) — A freight train carrying auto components, LED monitors and other goods left Xi’an in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province for Duisburg, Germany on Saturday, marking a milestone as the number of scheduled China-Europe freight trains for the entire route has exceeded 1,000 units.

    The full schedule service, first launched in October 2022, allows China-Europe freight trains to operate according to a pre-arranged schedule, including assigned train numbers, lines, departure times and arrival times between countries along the respective route.

    Today, the number of routes operating on a full schedule has increased to 11, with 17 trains running weekly. The increase in the number of trains with a set schedule is expected to ensure even greater reliability in the delivery of goods by the China-Europe express train.

    The mode of transportation has also become the preferred option for high-value-added goods, including photovoltaic panels, solar modules and marine diesel engine parts. The average value of one container of cargo carried by these trains is about 41 percent higher than other services, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

    As noted by the corporation, to date, China-Europe freight trains, operating on a full schedule, have transported more than 98 thousand twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

    China-Europe freight trains have become a cornerstone of the Belt and Road Initiative, promoting trade and connectivity between Europe and Asia. At present, China-Europe freight train routes have been launched from 128 Chinese cities, reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Israeli airstrikes delay Iran’s nuclear program by 2-3 years – Israeli FM

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BERLIN, June 21 (Xinhua) — Israel’s recent air strikes on Iran have delayed Tehran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by at least two to three years, the Jewish state’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Friday.

    As G. Saar noted in an interview with the German newspaper Bild, which was given in Jerusalem and published on Saturday, the Israeli armed forces launched a large-scale operation against Iranian military infrastructure and nuclear facilities, which resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists.

    “I consider this a success – we have achieved many results,” he said. “We will not stop until we do everything possible to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat.”

    An Israeli diplomat has called on Germany and other European countries to increase political and military support for the Jewish state.

    Mr. Saar made the statements after US President Donald Trump said on June 19 that he would decide within two weeks whether to order the US military to launch a direct strike on Iran.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency on Saturday that Iran was “fully prepared” to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program through negotiations. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 8 killed in hot air balloon crash in Brazil

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    SAO PAULO, June 21 (Xinhua) — Eight people were killed on Saturday when a hot air balloon carrying tourists caught fire and crashed in Praia Grande, a popular tourist destination in southern Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, regional authorities said.

    The balloon was carrying 21 people when it burst into flames and crashed to the ground – an incident that was captured on video by nearby tourists and widely shared on social media.

    “There were 21 people in the balloon – 8 of them died, 13 survived,” Santa Catarina Governor Jorginho Mello said on the social network X.

    Praia Grande is known as one of the best places in southern Brazil for hot air balloon rides. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Global Energy Balance: Heads of Major Energy Companies, Experts Discuss Future of Energy Sector at SPIEF

    Source: Rosneft

    Headline: Global Energy Balance: Heads of Major Energy Companies, Experts Discuss Future of Energy Sector at SPIEF

    At the Energy Panel of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, leading industry experts, politicians, scientists, government officials and heads of major international energy companies discussed current trends in the global energy market.

    Their assessments and forecasts largely coincided with the visionary concept of industry development presented by Igor Sechin, Head of Rosneft. In his report “Odyssey of the Global Economy in Search of the Golden Fleece. The New Landscape a of the Global Energy Industry”, he announced that the current state of the global energy industry is at the stage of formation of a new image due to the multiple growth of electricity consumption, the generation of which will be provided by both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. According to him, the optimal solution today is “synthesis of conventional and alternative energy sources”.

    The event, organized with the support of Rosneft, was addressed by Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Chairman of the Rosneft Board of Directors, Delcy Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela, Simon Aloysius Mantiri, Chief Executive Officer of Pertamina, Zhang Daowei, Vice President of CNPC, Shiva Prasad Panda Madhusudana, Executive Director of Reliance Industries, Alexander Dynkin, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Nobuo Tanaka, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese government’s non-profit Low Carbon Technology Initiative, and David Gadzhimirzaev, President of TOFS.

    ENERGY TRANSITION WITHOUT TRANSITION

    Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada opened the discussion of Igor Sechin’s report, noting the depth of his analysis. “It was comprehensive – the way you showed that progress and energy are inseparable,” Al-Sada addressed Sechin.

    The head of Rosneft’s Board of Directors drew the audience’s attention to the fact that despite the active promotion of the idea of transition to RES, the share of fossil energy sources in the energy mix has not changed in recent decades. He recalled that Igor Sechin mentioned in the report that fossil fuels account for 80% of the global energy mix. “And this statistic has not changed for the last 20 years! We are fluttering around these 80% fossil fuels and energy sources, and so not much has changed!” exclaimed Al-Sada, describing the situation in the global energy sector.

    “In other words, we are essentially not making any transition away from hydrocarbons,” he concluded, emphasizing that the transition to renewables is being imposed on the industry and the public.

    “I would also like to take as a baton from Mr. Sechin, and pass my comment to you. It’s like food for thought: are we actually transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable fuels?“,” Al-Sada addressed the audience.

    The Rosneft Chairman also noted that energy demand does not always coincide with production growth for various reasons.

    “I would like to express two small thoughts in order to further enhance the valuable things we heard in Mr. Sechin’s words. <...> Lack of investment is already a reality in the hydrocarbon and energy sectors. This is something that could really bring us to a serious energy shortage. “If this trend continues we could face an energy shortage. This is not only my personal opinion, but also what a large number of analysts, including the International Energy Agency, and other respected experts, who in their reviews have emphasized the importance of having sufficient investment in the hydrocarbon sector. Otherwise, we will face the risk of a primary energy shortage!”, emphasized Al-Sada.

    FUTURE FOR SYNERGY

    Zhang Daowei, Vice President of China’s CNPC, remarked on the interest in the report by Rosneft’s CEO. In his speech, the top manager of the Chinese company expressed similar assessments of the ways of development of the global energy sector – in particular, the need for synergy between traditional and new energy sources.

    “We have always believed that in the context of the energy transition course, it is necessary to adhere to synergetic, integrated development of traditional and new energy sources, to take full account of the characteristics and degree of development of our countries’ markets, to properly link energy transition with energy security, and to promote a fair and sustainable model of energy transformation,” Daowei said.

    According to the vice president, under this philosophy, CNPC, on the one hand, continues to increase the exploration and development of oil and gas fields domestically and import high-quality resources from abroad, including strengthening long-term cooperation with Russia in the field of hydrocarbon trade. On the other hand, CNPC is actively pursuing a green, low-carbon development strategy and realizing the development of a “three-step strategy” combining oil and gas projects with wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen and carbon capture technologies.

    Simon Aloysius Mantiri, President and CEO of Pertamina Indonesia, said that the company is pursuing a dual growth strategy that is based on both conventional resources and low-carbon solutions. Meanwhile, natural gas plays an important role in the country’s energy mix.

    “Natural gas is at the center of our strategy to transition to cleaner fuels. And today we are expanding our LNG capacity and capability for both domestic and export needs,” he said.

    The Pertamina chief virtually reiterated the point made in Igor Sechin’s report and emphasized that by achieving a balance of energy sources and a comprehensive approach, the company is able to ensure high economic growth and carbon neutrality in parallel.

    Reliance Industries CEO P.M.S. Prasad said India does not choose between energy access and innovation. “It is integrating both. By developing scalable, context-specific solutions, it is addressing local priorities while making a significant contribution to global sustainability. From rural microgrids to energy efficient data centers, India is turning its potential into a strategic asset,” Prasad said.

    He emphasized that international partnerships play a vital role in this ambitious effort. “Energy remains a key cornerstone of the strategic relationship between India and Russia. India values this trusted partnership and appreciates the cooperation forged over decades. The leadership of both countries is committed to take this partnership to an even higher bar in the future,” summarized Reliance Industries’ CEO.

    NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ARE NOT BEING WRITTEN OFF

    Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, in his keynote speech at the Energy Panel, noted the growing interest in nuclear power generation worldwide and, accordingly, the growth of investments in this area. According to him, this is happening against the backdrop of growing energy consumption and in future nuclear power will be in demand along with fossil sources and renewable energy sources.

    Reliance Industries CEO Panda Madhusudana Shiva Prasad, in turn, speaking on India’s energy outlook, emphasized the significant role of nuclear power generation.

    “Gas, renewables supported by energy storage systems and a robust transmission grid, and nuclear power will play a key role. India’s bold nuclear program, including small modular reactors, reflects its commitment to long-term energy security and decarbonization,” Prasad said.

    The renewed interest in investments in NPP construction was noted in the speech of Uzbek Minister of Energy Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov. He spoke about joint plans with Russia to build two units of 55 megawatts each, and two units of VWR type reactors – water-water power reactor. The head of the ministry also said that gas-fired power plants are being installed in the country, hydropower is being developed, the share of renewable sources is increasing, and storage systems are being created at the same time.

    The Minister noted the substantial nature of Igor Sechin’s report, which contains a detailed analysis and reflects all trends in the development of global energy, science and economy.

    ENERGY SECURITY IN FIRST PLACE

    Delcy Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela, in her speech supported the thesis expressed by the head of Rosneft that energy security issues should come first.

    “We always advocate that the energy transition be carried out responsibly, taking into account reality, to avoid abrupt changes that could jeopardize energy security,” Rodriguez said.

    Venezuela’s Executive Vice President named the main components of a stable energy system of the future: energy security, reliable supply, accessibility for all, while respecting nature – with minimal environmental impact.

    Among the main threats to energy security, Rodriguez named illegal sanctions against producing countries and the hegemony of the dollar.

    Nobuo Tanaka, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese government’s non-profit Low Carbon Technology Initiative, said the answer to energy security is always to diversify supply sources, improve energy efficiency and seek alternative energy sources, including renewable energy, nuclear energy and regulate the market with predictable policies.

    AGAINST LOGIC

    The panelists drew attention to the political events of recent decades and stated that geopolitics is now shaping the direction of economic cooperation. And often against the logic of market expediency and economic efficiency.

    Tanaka recalled how he discussed Germany’s energy policy with Chancellor Merkel in 2009: “I asked her why Germany does not use nuclear power. She answered like this: Mr. Tanaka, I am a scientist, I know how important it is to use nuclear power, but in order to use it in Germany, she said, give me votes in exchange. Yes, she’s a good scientist, but she’s also a very smart politician.”

    The professor is sure that despite her experience Merkel made a very serious mistake by changing the policy on the use of nuclear power plants under the pressure of public opinion. Another mistake was the refusal to use Russian energy carriers and Russian natural gas. “I think she was misled,” Tanaka said.

    “Geopolitics is a factor of the 21st century global economy. It is geopolitical interests that brought the BRICS countries together.  The criterion for membership is not to use sanctions against other members of the organization. But geopolitics has also become a kind of “trap” for Germany after Trump’s victory,” said Alexander Dynkin, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    He noted that the European bureaucrats are concerned about the complete refusal of energy supplies from Russia by 2027. “They are not stopped by the growth of costs, undermining the competitiveness of the EU,” – said Dynkin and recalled that if in 2014, the U.S. GDP was ahead of the EU GDP. US GDP was only 12% ahead of EU GDP, last year the US economy was already 50% larger than the European one.

    “Although the German energy crisis is formally over, the country paid for it with three years of stagnation, deindustrialization, inflation, and migration crisis,” said the RAS academy member.

    DIGITAL REVOLUTION

    The thesis in Igor Sechin’s report that the digital revolution opens a new era in the development of the oil and gas industry was warmly echoed by the audience. In particular, David Gadzhimirzaev, General Director of TOFS Oilfield Services Group, thanked Rosneft for supporting innovation and technology development. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the availability, stability and reliability of resources, which is exactly what new technologies can provide, which will reduce the cost of bringing barrels to the surface.

    “We all know that just this year the Energy Strategy-2050 was approved, which includes the fact that by 2050 about 70% of the Russian Federation’s production will be from hard-to-recover reserves. Therefore, we are not only working on expertise, but also working on the production of new technologies,” Gadzhimirzaev said.

    Department of Information and Advertising
    Rosneft Oil Company
    June 21, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Global Energy Balance: Heads of Major Energy Companies, Experts Discuss Future of Energy Sector at SPIEF

    Source: Rosneft

    Headline: Global Energy Balance: Heads of Major Energy Companies, Experts Discuss Future of Energy Sector at SPIEF

    At the Energy Panel of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, leading industry experts, politicians, scientists, government officials and heads of major international energy companies discussed current trends in the global energy market.

    Their assessments and forecasts largely coincided with the visionary concept of industry development presented by Igor Sechin, Head of Rosneft. In his report “Odyssey of the Global Economy in Search of the Golden Fleece. The New Landscape a of the Global Energy Industry”, he announced that the current state of the global energy industry is at the stage of formation of a new image due to the multiple growth of electricity consumption, the generation of which will be provided by both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. According to him, the optimal solution today is “synthesis of conventional and alternative energy sources”.

    The event, organized with the support of Rosneft, was addressed by Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Chairman of the Rosneft Board of Directors, Delcy Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela, Simon Aloysius Mantiri, Chief Executive Officer of Pertamina, Zhang Daowei, Vice President of CNPC, Shiva Prasad Panda Madhusudana, Executive Director of Reliance Industries, Alexander Dynkin, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Nobuo Tanaka, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese government’s non-profit Low Carbon Technology Initiative, and David Gadzhimirzaev, President of TOFS.

    ENERGY TRANSITION WITHOUT TRANSITION

    Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada opened the discussion of Igor Sechin’s report, noting the depth of his analysis. “It was comprehensive – the way you showed that progress and energy are inseparable,” Al-Sada addressed Sechin.

    The head of Rosneft’s Board of Directors drew the audience’s attention to the fact that despite the active promotion of the idea of transition to RES, the share of fossil energy sources in the energy mix has not changed in recent decades. He recalled that Igor Sechin mentioned in the report that fossil fuels account for 80% of the global energy mix. “And this statistic has not changed for the last 20 years! We are fluttering around these 80% fossil fuels and energy sources, and so not much has changed!” exclaimed Al-Sada, describing the situation in the global energy sector.

    “In other words, we are essentially not making any transition away from hydrocarbons,” he concluded, emphasizing that the transition to renewables is being imposed on the industry and the public.

    “I would also like to take as a baton from Mr. Sechin, and pass my comment to you. It’s like food for thought: are we actually transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable fuels?“,” Al-Sada addressed the audience.

    The Rosneft Chairman also noted that energy demand does not always coincide with production growth for various reasons.

    “I would like to express two small thoughts in order to further enhance the valuable things we heard in Mr. Sechin’s words. <...> Lack of investment is already a reality in the hydrocarbon and energy sectors. This is something that could really bring us to a serious energy shortage. “If this trend continues we could face an energy shortage. This is not only my personal opinion, but also what a large number of analysts, including the International Energy Agency, and other respected experts, who in their reviews have emphasized the importance of having sufficient investment in the hydrocarbon sector. Otherwise, we will face the risk of a primary energy shortage!”, emphasized Al-Sada.

    FUTURE FOR SYNERGY

    Zhang Daowei, Vice President of China’s CNPC, remarked on the interest in the report by Rosneft’s CEO. In his speech, the top manager of the Chinese company expressed similar assessments of the ways of development of the global energy sector – in particular, the need for synergy between traditional and new energy sources.

    “We have always believed that in the context of the energy transition course, it is necessary to adhere to synergetic, integrated development of traditional and new energy sources, to take full account of the characteristics and degree of development of our countries’ markets, to properly link energy transition with energy security, and to promote a fair and sustainable model of energy transformation,” Daowei said.

    According to the vice president, under this philosophy, CNPC, on the one hand, continues to increase the exploration and development of oil and gas fields domestically and import high-quality resources from abroad, including strengthening long-term cooperation with Russia in the field of hydrocarbon trade. On the other hand, CNPC is actively pursuing a green, low-carbon development strategy and realizing the development of a “three-step strategy” combining oil and gas projects with wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen and carbon capture technologies.

    Simon Aloysius Mantiri, President and CEO of Pertamina Indonesia, said that the company is pursuing a dual growth strategy that is based on both conventional resources and low-carbon solutions. Meanwhile, natural gas plays an important role in the country’s energy mix.

    “Natural gas is at the center of our strategy to transition to cleaner fuels. And today we are expanding our LNG capacity and capability for both domestic and export needs,” he said.

    The Pertamina chief virtually reiterated the point made in Igor Sechin’s report and emphasized that by achieving a balance of energy sources and a comprehensive approach, the company is able to ensure high economic growth and carbon neutrality in parallel.

    Reliance Industries CEO P.M.S. Prasad said India does not choose between energy access and innovation. “It is integrating both. By developing scalable, context-specific solutions, it is addressing local priorities while making a significant contribution to global sustainability. From rural microgrids to energy efficient data centers, India is turning its potential into a strategic asset,” Prasad said.

    He emphasized that international partnerships play a vital role in this ambitious effort. “Energy remains a key cornerstone of the strategic relationship between India and Russia. India values this trusted partnership and appreciates the cooperation forged over decades. The leadership of both countries is committed to take this partnership to an even higher bar in the future,” summarized Reliance Industries’ CEO.

    NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ARE NOT BEING WRITTEN OFF

    Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, in his keynote speech at the Energy Panel, noted the growing interest in nuclear power generation worldwide and, accordingly, the growth of investments in this area. According to him, this is happening against the backdrop of growing energy consumption and in future nuclear power will be in demand along with fossil sources and renewable energy sources.

    Reliance Industries CEO Panda Madhusudana Shiva Prasad, in turn, speaking on India’s energy outlook, emphasized the significant role of nuclear power generation.

    “Gas, renewables supported by energy storage systems and a robust transmission grid, and nuclear power will play a key role. India’s bold nuclear program, including small modular reactors, reflects its commitment to long-term energy security and decarbonization,” Prasad said.

    The renewed interest in investments in NPP construction was noted in the speech of Uzbek Minister of Energy Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov. He spoke about joint plans with Russia to build two units of 55 megawatts each, and two units of VWR type reactors – water-water power reactor. The head of the ministry also said that gas-fired power plants are being installed in the country, hydropower is being developed, the share of renewable sources is increasing, and storage systems are being created at the same time.

    The Minister noted the substantial nature of Igor Sechin’s report, which contains a detailed analysis and reflects all trends in the development of global energy, science and economy.

    ENERGY SECURITY IN FIRST PLACE

    Delcy Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela, in her speech supported the thesis expressed by the head of Rosneft that energy security issues should come first.

    “We always advocate that the energy transition be carried out responsibly, taking into account reality, to avoid abrupt changes that could jeopardize energy security,” Rodriguez said.

    Venezuela’s Executive Vice President named the main components of a stable energy system of the future: energy security, reliable supply, accessibility for all, while respecting nature – with minimal environmental impact.

    Among the main threats to energy security, Rodriguez named illegal sanctions against producing countries and the hegemony of the dollar.

    Nobuo Tanaka, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese government’s non-profit Low Carbon Technology Initiative, said the answer to energy security is always to diversify supply sources, improve energy efficiency and seek alternative energy sources, including renewable energy, nuclear energy and regulate the market with predictable policies.

    AGAINST LOGIC

    The panelists drew attention to the political events of recent decades and stated that geopolitics is now shaping the direction of economic cooperation. And often against the logic of market expediency and economic efficiency.

    Tanaka recalled how he discussed Germany’s energy policy with Chancellor Merkel in 2009: “I asked her why Germany does not use nuclear power. She answered like this: Mr. Tanaka, I am a scientist, I know how important it is to use nuclear power, but in order to use it in Germany, she said, give me votes in exchange. Yes, she’s a good scientist, but she’s also a very smart politician.”

    The professor is sure that despite her experience Merkel made a very serious mistake by changing the policy on the use of nuclear power plants under the pressure of public opinion. Another mistake was the refusal to use Russian energy carriers and Russian natural gas. “I think she was misled,” Tanaka said.

    “Geopolitics is a factor of the 21st century global economy. It is geopolitical interests that brought the BRICS countries together.  The criterion for membership is not to use sanctions against other members of the organization. But geopolitics has also become a kind of “trap” for Germany after Trump’s victory,” said Alexander Dynkin, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    He noted that the European bureaucrats are concerned about the complete refusal of energy supplies from Russia by 2027. “They are not stopped by the growth of costs, undermining the competitiveness of the EU,” – said Dynkin and recalled that if in 2014, the U.S. GDP was ahead of the EU GDP. US GDP was only 12% ahead of EU GDP, last year the US economy was already 50% larger than the European one.

    “Although the German energy crisis is formally over, the country paid for it with three years of stagnation, deindustrialization, inflation, and migration crisis,” said the RAS academy member.

    DIGITAL REVOLUTION

    The thesis in Igor Sechin’s report that the digital revolution opens a new era in the development of the oil and gas industry was warmly echoed by the audience. In particular, David Gadzhimirzaev, General Director of TOFS Oilfield Services Group, thanked Rosneft for supporting innovation and technology development. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the availability, stability and reliability of resources, which is exactly what new technologies can provide, which will reduce the cost of bringing barrels to the surface.

    “We all know that just this year the Energy Strategy-2050 was approved, which includes the fact that by 2050 about 70% of the Russian Federation’s production will be from hard-to-recover reserves. Therefore, we are not only working on expertise, but also working on the production of new technologies,” Gadzhimirzaev said.

    Department of Information and Advertising
    Rosneft Oil Company
    June 21, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Biography of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) — Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will pay an official visit to China from June 22 to 26 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

    Lawrence Wong was born in December 1972. He was elected to the Singapore Parliament in 2011 and has served successively as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Minister for National Development, Minister for Education and Minister for Finance.

    In 2022, the politician took up the post of Deputy Prime Minister, simultaneously serving as Minister of Finance. In May 2024, he became Prime Minister, retaining the post of head of the Ministry of Finance, and in May 2025, he began his second term in this post. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Iranian drone hits residential building in northern Israel – IDF

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    JERUSALEM, June 21 (Xinhua) — Iran launched 10 drones toward Israel on Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

    One of the drones hit a two-story residential building in the northern Israeli city of Beit She’an, causing significant damage but no one was hurt, Israel’s Magen David Adom national health service said.

    Another drone crashed in an open area in the Negev Desert in southern Israel, causing no casualties. The IDF said the remaining eight UAVs were intercepted by Israeli air defenses.

    Earlier on Saturday, five rockets were fired from Iran before dawn towards central Israel.

    All rockets were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force, and there were no reports of casualties, the IDF said.

    According to Magen David Adom, a fallen fragment of an intercepted drone caused a fire in a residential building in Tel Aviv. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Over 1,200 Afghan refugee families returned to their homeland in one day

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KABUL, June 21 (Xinhua) — A total of 1,247 Afghan refugee families returned home from neighboring Iran and Pakistan on Friday, state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported Saturday.

    All returnees were reportedly provided with necessary assistance by government agencies at checkpoints before leaving for their home provinces.

    Hundreds of Afghans are returning home every day since Pakistan and Iran began deporting foreign nationals living illegally on their soil.

    About seven million Afghan refugees live abroad. Two million refugees, mostly from neighboring Pakistan and Iran, are believed to have returned to Afghanistan in the past year. Host countries are pressuring undocumented refugees to return home. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Over 400 people have died in Iran since the conflict with Israel began — Health Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    TEHRAN, June 21 (Xinhua) — Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 Iranians and injured 3,056 in the past nine days, Health Ministry public relations chief Hossein Kermanpour said on Saturday.

    “Among the injured, 2,220 people received treatment and were discharged from the Ministry of Health hospitals, and 232 people were provided outpatient care on the spot,” H. Kermanpour reported on the social network X.

    The official said most of the victims in the Israeli strikes were civilians, with 54 of the dead being women and children. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement: Palestine Action

    Source: Scottish Greens

    21 Jun 2025 External Affairs Justice

    Using terrorism legislation against non-violent protestors is deeply authoritarian

    More in External Affairs

    Following news reports that the UK plans to proscribe Palestine Action, the Scottish Greens warned of the deeply authoritarian implications of using terrorism legislation to go after non-violent protesters.

    Patrick Harvie MSP said:

    “Labour’s use of terrorism legislation against non-violent protesters is deeply authoritarian, and it’s astonishing that a former human rights lawyer is doing this.

    “Palestine Action have been accused by Keir Starmer of ‘vandalism’ – which the RAF said would have no impact on their operations. It’s obviously absurd that throwing red paint on things could cause a group to be listed alongside Al Qaeda, ISIS and Russia’s Wagner Group, with membership carrying a 14-year prison sentence.

    “Human rights groups like Amnesty International have rightly raised significant concerns over this aggressive use of powers that should be reserved for only the most extreme and dangerous organisations.

    “And while Labour pull out all the stops to prosecute these protesters, they continue to train, arm and support Israel as it regularly and openly commits war crimes as part of an ongoing genocide. It’s impossible to overstate how backwards Labour’s priorities are here.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Another Iraq? Military expert warns US has no real plan if it joins Israel’s war on Iran

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, held talks with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom yesterday in Geneva as Israel’s attacks on Iran entered a second week.

    A US-based Iranian human rights group reports the Israeli attacks have killed at least 639 people. Israeli war planes have repeatedly pummeled Tehran and other parts of Iran. Iran is responded by continuing to launch missile strikes into Israel.

    Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have protested in Iran against Israel. Meanwhile, President Trump continues to give mixed messages on whether the US will join Israel’s attack on Iran.

    On Wednesday, Trump told reporters, “I may do it, I may not do it”. On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a new statement from the President.

    KAROLINE LEAVITT: “Regarding the ongoing situation in Iran, I know there has been a lot of speculation among all of you in the media regarding the president’s decision-making and whether or not the United States will be directly involved.

    “In light of that news, I have a message directly from the president. And I quote, ‘Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.’”

    AMY GOODMAN, The War and Peace Report: President Trump has repeatedly used that term, “two weeks,” when being questioned about decisions in this term and his first term as president. Leavitt delivered the message shortly after President Trump met with his former adviser, Steve Bannon, who has publicly warned against war with Iran.

    Bannon recently said, “We can’t do this again. We’ll tear the country apart. We can’t have another Iraq,” Bannon said.

    This comes as Trump’s reportedly sidelined National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard from key discussions on Iran. In March, Gabbard told lawmakers the intelligence community, “Continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.”

    But on Tuesday, Trump dismissed her statement, saying, “I don’t care what she said.”

    Earlier Thursday, an Iranian missile hit the main hospital in Southern Israel in Beersheba. After the strike, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to assassinate Ayatollah Khamenei, saying Iran’s supreme leader, “Cannot continue to exist.”

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the hospital and likened Iran’s attack to the London Blitz. Netanyahu stunned many in Israel by saying, “Each of us bears a personal cost. My family has not been exempt. This is the second time my son Avner has cancelled a wedding due to missile threats.”

    We’re joined now by William Hartung, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. His new article for The National Interest is headlined, “Don’t Get Dragged Into a War with Iran.”

    Can you talk about what’s going on right now, Bill, the whole question of whether the U.S. is going to use a bunker-buster bomb that has to be delivered by a B-2 bomber, which only the US has?


    Another Iraq: Military expert warns US has no real plan    Video: Democracy Now!

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: Yeah. This is a case of undue trust in technology. The US is always getting in trouble when they think there’s this miracle solution. A lot of experts aren’t sure this would even work, or if it did, it would take multiple bombings.

    And of course, Iran’s not going to sit on its hands. They’ll respond possibly by killing US troops in the region, then we’ll have escalation from there. It’s reminiscent of the beginning of the Iraq War, when they said, “It’s going to be a cakewalk. It’s not going to cost anything.”

    Couple of trillion dollars, hundreds of thousands of casualties, many US veterans coming home with PTSD, a regime that was sectarian that paved the way for ISIS, it couldn’t have gone worse.

    And so, this is a different beginning, but the end is uncertain, and I don’t think we want to go there.

    AMY GOODMAN: So, can you talk about the GBU-57, the bunker-buster bomb, and how is it that this discussion going on within the White House about the use of the bomb — and of course, the US has gone back and forth — I should say President Trump has gone back and forth whether he’s fully involved with this war.

    At first he was saying they knew about it, but Israel was doing it, then saying, “We have total control of the skies over Tehran,” saying we, not Israel, and what exactly it would mean if the US dropped this bomb and the fleet that the US is moving in?

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: Yes, well, the notion is, it’s heavy steel, it’s more explosive power than any conventional bomb. But it only goes so deep, and they don’t actually know how deep this facility is buried. And if it’s going in a straight line, and it’s to one side, it’s just not clear that it’s going to work.

    And of course, if it does, Iran is going to rebuild, they’re going to go straight for a nuclear weapon. They’re not going to trust negotiations anymore.

    So, apparently, the two weeks is partly because Trump’s getting conflicting reports from his own people about this. Now, if he had actual independent military folks, like Mark Milley in the first term, I think we’d be less likely to go in.

    But they made sure to have loyalists. Pete Hegseth is not a profile in courage. He’s not going to stand up to Trump on this. He might not even know the consequences. So, a lot of the press coverage is about this bomb, not about the consequences of an active war.

    AMY GOODMAN: Right, about using it. In your recent piece, you wrote, “Israeli officials suggested their attacks may result in regime change in Iran, despite the devastating destabilising impact such efforts in the region would have.”

    Can you talk about the significance of Israel putting forward and then Trump going back and forth on whether or not Ali Khamenei will be targeted?

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: Yeah, I think my colleague Trita Parsi put it well. There’s been no example of regime change in the region that has come out with a better result. They don’t know what kind of regime would come in.

    Could be to the right of the current one. Could just be chaos that would fuel terrorism, who knows what else.

    So, they’re just talking — they’re winging it. They have no idea what they’re getting into. And I think Trump, he doesn’t want to seem like Netanyahu’s pulling him by the nose, so when he gets out in front of Trump, Trump says, “Oh, that was my idea.”

    But it’s almost as if Benjamin Netanyahu is running US foreign policy, and Trump is kind of following along.

    AMY GOODMAN: You have Netanyahu back in 2002 saying, “Iran is imminently going to have a nuclear bomb.” That was more than two decades ago.

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: Exactly. That’s just a cover for wanting to take out the regime. And he spoke to the US Congress, he’s made presentations all over the world, and his intelligence has been proven wrong over, and over, and over.

    And when we had the Iran deal, he had European allies, he had China, he had Russia. There hadn’t been a deal like that where all these countries were on the same page in living memory, and it was working.

    And Trump trashed it and now has to start over.

    AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about the War Powers Act. The Virginia Senator Kaine has said that — has just put forward a bill around saying it must be — Congress that must vote on this. Where is [Senator] Chuck Schumer [Senate minority leader]? Where is [Hakeem] Jeffries [Congress minoroity leader] on this, the Democratic House and Senate leaders?

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: Well, a lot of the so-called leaders are not leading. When is the moment that you should step forward if we’re possibly going to get into another disastrous war? But I think they’re concerned about being viewed as critical of Israel.

    They don’t want to go out on a limb. So, you’ve got a progressive group that’s saying, “This has to be authorised by Congress.” You’ve got Republicans who are doubtful, but they don’t want to stand up to Trump because they don’t want to lose their jobs.

    “Risk your job. This is a huge thing. Don’t just sort of be a time-server.

    AMY GOODMAN: So, according to a report from IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, released in May, Iran has accumulated roughly 120 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, which is 30 percent away from weapons-grade level of 90 percent. You have Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, saying this week that they do not have evidence that Iran has the system for a nuclear bomb.

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: Yes, well, a lot of the discussion points out — they don’t talk about, when you’ve got the uranium, you have to build the weapon, you have to make it work on a missile.

    It’s not you get the uranium, you have a weapon overnight, so there’s time to deal with that should they go forward through negotiations. And we had a deal that was working, which Trump threw aside in his first term.

    AMY GOODMAN: Talk about the foreign minister of Iran, Araghchi, in Geneva now speaking with his counterparts from Britain, France, the EU.

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: Well, I don’t think US allies in Europe want to go along with this, and I think he’s looking for some leverage over Trump. And of course, Trump is very hard to read, but even his own base, the majority of Trump supporters, don’t want to go to war.

    You’ve got people like Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon saying it would be a disaster. But ultimately, it comes down to Trump. He’s unpredictable, he’s transactional, he’ll calculate what he thinks it’ll mean for him.

    AMY GOODMAN: And what impact does protests have around the country, as we wrap up?

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: Well, I think taking the stand is infectious. So many institutions were caving in to Trump. And the more people stand up, 2000 demonstrations around the country, the more the folks sitting on the fence, the millions of people who, they’re against Trump, but they don’t know what to do, the more of us that get involved, the better chance we have of turning this thing around.

    So, we should not let them discourage us. We need to build power to push back against all these horrible things.

    AMY GOODMAN: Finally, if the US were to bomb the nuclear site that it would require the bunker-buster bomb to hit below ground, underground. Are we talking about nuclear fallout here?

    WILLIAM HARTUNG: I think there would certainly be radiation that would of course affect the Iranian people. They’ve already had many civilian deaths. It’s not this kind of precise thing that’s only hitting military targets.

    And that, too, has to affect Iran’s view of this. They were shortly away from another negotiation, and now their country’s being devastated, so can they trust us?

    AMY GOODMAN: Bill Hartung is senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. His new piece for The National Interest is headlined, “Don’t Get Dragged Into a War with Iran.”

    Republished from Democracy Now! under Creative Commons.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China is ready to cooperate with Russia to strengthen political mutual trust and expand areas of common interest – Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    St. Petersburg, June 21 (Xinhua) — Member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ding Xuexiang said on Friday that China is ready to cooperate with Russia to continuously strengthen political mutual trust and expand areas of common interest.

    A senior Chinese official made the statement at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    He recalled that in May, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russia at the invitation and took part in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. According to him, Xi Jinping held in-depth strategic communication with V. Putin and developed new high-level projects for the development of Chinese-Russian relations at the next stage.

    Ding Xuexiang noted that the leadership and strategic guidance of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin provide a reliable guarantee for deepening China-Russia cooperation and maintaining friendship for many generations, and also serve as confidence for the two countries to jointly overcome various uncertainties on the way forward.

    China is ready to cooperate with Russia to further expand trade and investment, deepen practical cooperation in the energy sector, promote relevant projects and mutually support development and national revival, the Vice Premier added.

    Against the backdrop of profound changes in the international situation, China and Russia should maintain comprehensive strategic coordination, uphold international fairness, support the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, jointly safeguard supply chain stability, and deepen multilateral cooperation through mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS, so as to promote the building of an equitable and orderly multipolar world as well as win-win and inclusive economic globalization.

    In turn, V. Putin noted that despite external difficulties and challenges, Russian-Chinese relations have received comprehensive development and reached an unprecedented high level.

    He expressed Russia’s readiness to further strengthen practical cooperation with China and work together to create a better future for both countries and the entire world.

    In conclusion, the Russian President stressed that he was looking forward to visiting China to participate in the SCO summit in Tianjin and the commemorative events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Hainan Free Trade Port to Play Key Role in China’s Opening-Up Policy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    HAIKOU, June 21 (Xinhua) — Canadian tourist Stephanie Wing Xi Yao found the wellness treatments at a medical center in Boao Township, south China’s Hainan Province, more like a “resort.”

    “Everything here is top-notch, the staff pays attention to all aspects of health – not only physical but also mental,” she told Xinhua at the Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Boao, which is home to more than 30 leading domestic and foreign medical institutions.

    Through special policy measures, 485 advanced drugs and medical equipment licensed abroad but not yet available domestically were brought into the pilot zone, benefiting more than 130,000 patients, including Yao.

    Her four-day experience at the medical centre, which combined cutting-edge medical examinations, traditional Chinese medicine treatments, tea ceremonies and cultural immersion, was much more than just a chance to relax. It demonstrates the concrete outcome of a key step in China’s opening-up strategy: turning Hainan into a free trade port (FTP).

    As Hainan FCT prepares to launch a separate customs control regime by the end of the year, it plans to become not only a tourist mecca but also an important gateway for China’s high-level opening-up.

    PLACE OF FREE MOVEMENT OF FACTORS

    The central component of this transformation is the Lecheng Medical Tourism Pilot Zone. A total of 25 medical tourism routes have been launched, covering a wide range of needs, including traditional Chinese medicine, chronic disease treatment, premium diagnostics, and beauty rehabilitation, which have gained popularity among residents of Indonesia, Russia, Spain, and other countries.

    In 2024, the medical special zone was visited more than 410,000 times, which is 36.76 percent more than the previous year.

    Lecheng is just one part of Hainan’s broader efforts to open up. Beyond the medical sector, the province is accelerating foreign companies’ access to finance, education, communications and high-tech industries as China seeks to create a free trade zone with the highest global trading standards.

    Backed by China’s huge domestic market and its strategic positioning, Hainan is an important hub linking the world’s second-largest economy to global markets.

    The Hainan PCT is poised to become “a key gateway leading China into a new era of opening up,” said Chi Fulin, head of the China Institute of Reform and Development Studies.

    With the approach of the launch of the separate customs control regime, the political system of the PST was formed, based on such features as zero tariffs, low tax rates, a simplified tax system and facilitated movement of production factors.

    For companies based in Lecheng, the zero-tariff policy on medical imports has saved nearly 8.2 million yuan (about $1.14 million) in duties since December 2024.

    The launch of separate customs control will be a concrete step towards creating an important gateway for China’s high-level opening up, Chi Fulin noted.

    INSTITUTIONAL OPENNESS ATTRACTS FOREIGN CAPITAL

    Since the Hainan FCT has prioritized institutional integration and coordination in trade, financial and regulatory systems, experts believe that this will create a strong driving force for the development of the FCT and contribute to China’s high-level opening-up expansion strategy.

    Official data show that Hainan Province has implemented a total of 158 institutional innovations to date. These reforms include technology-enhanced government tenders, a one-stop shop for business licenses, and the establishment of a dedicated IP zone to support the breeding industry.

    The Hainan Free Trade Zone serves not only as a testing ground for the free movement of goods, services and data, but also as a front for innovation in regulation and mechanisms, said Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BOA).

    With an optimized business environment, Hainan has become a leading destination for foreign investment, ranking among the best in the country in terms of its performance. In 2024, the number of foreign-invested enterprises in Hainan increased by 19.2 percent year-on-year, and the volume of foreign direct investment attracted allowed the region to rise to 10th place in the country.

    To date, Hainan has attracted investment from 158 countries and regions, and its economic openness ratio – the ratio of total foreign trade to GRP – has more than doubled from 17.3 percent in 2018 to 35 percent in 2024.

    The province’s landmark events such as BAF, a leading platform advocating for openness and multilateral cooperation, and the China International Consumer Goods Expo, the largest consumer expo in the Asia-Pacific region, offer dynamic opportunities for global investors to observe China’s evolving opening-up agenda.

    LVMH’s luxury retail arm DFS made its largest single investment in 60 years in 2024, opening a landmark complex in Yalong Bay in Sanya, Hainan’s famous tropical resort city. The project will combine luxury retail, hotels and entertainment to create a premier luxury shopping and tourism destination.

    “The Hainan FTA represents China’s commitment to high-standard opening-up,” said DFS China President Nancy Liu.

    China’s special economic zones, such as the Hainan Free Trade Zone and the 21 pilot free trade zones, serve as key drivers of industrial transformation and opening-up, Chi Fulin stressed, noting their role as “growth accelerators for both regional and global economies.”

    Once the separate customs control is put into effect, the Hainan FCP will create key opportunities for international enterprises to more effectively access China’s domestic market and play a greater role in strengthening market connectivity with global markets through regulatory harmonization focused on trade in services, he added. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China ready to work with Russia to consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen bonds of shared interests: vice premier

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    China ready to work with Russia to consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen bonds of shared interests: vice premier

    Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    ST. PETERSBURG, June 21 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said here on Friday that China stands ready to work with Russia to continuously consolidate their political mutual trust and strengthen the bonds of shared interests.

    Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Ding first conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Putin.

    Not long ago, Xi was invited to visit Russia and attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War, Ding said. Xi had in-depth strategic communication with Putin and made new top-level designs for the development of China-Russia relations for the next stage, he said.

    The leadership and strategic guidance of Xi and Putin provide the strongest assurance for deepening China-Russia cooperation and sustaining their friendship for generations to come, and also serve as the biggest certainty for the two countries to jointly deal with various uncertainties on the way forward, Ding said.

    He said China stands ready to work with Russia to further expand trade and investment, deepen practical cooperation in the energy sector, advance relevant projects, and support each other’s development and revitalization.

    The vice premier said that in the face of profound changes in the global landscape, China and Russia should uphold comprehensive strategic coordination, defend international justice, support the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, jointly safeguard the stability of supply chains, and deepen multilateral cooperation through mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, so as to contribute to promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world as well as universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

    For his part, Putin asked Ding to convey his sincere greetings to Xi and welcomed Ding’s attendance at the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

    Putin said that despite external difficulties and challenges, Russia-China relations have achieved all-round development and reached an unprecedented level.

    He expressed Russia’s readiness to further strengthen practical cooperation with China and work together to create a better future for both countries and the world.

    Putin said he looks forward to visiting China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin and the commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft plans work based on oil prices of $45 in 2025 and $42-43 in 2026 – Sechin

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The energy panel organized by Rosneft Oil Company as part of the SPIEF ended with the traditional oil price forecast from its participants. This year, the head of the Company Igor Sechin and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the non-profit initiative of the Japanese government to develop low-carbon technologies Nobuo Tanaka presented their vision of the development of events.

    Professor Tanaka recalled that a year earlier, Energy Panel participants predicted the price of oil at $60 per barrel. “This year, I am afraid that the price may exceed $100 due to the crisis that is currently happening in the Middle East,” said the Japanese expert, who headed the International Energy Agency from 2007 to 2011.

    In turn, the head of Rosneft responded to this: “Whatever it (the price of oil – ed.) may be, it is difficult for us to guess what will happen. Nobody knows. I will remind Machiavelli: “The power of power is in its secret.”

    At the same time, Igor Sechin named the price that the Company included in the business plan for 2025 and 2026: “We do not know what geopolitical factors will affect the market. But whatever they are, our company Rosneft is setting its business plan for this year at 45 dollars, and for the next year at 42-43. We do not want to depend on this volatility,” he said.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 21, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Global energy balance: heads of major energy companies and experts at SPIEF discussed the future of energy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    At the Energy Panel of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, leading industry experts, politicians, scientists, government officials and heads of major international energy companies discussed current trends in the global energy market.

    Their assessments and forecasts largely coincided with the visionary concept of the industry development presented by Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin. In his report “The Odyssey of the World Economy in Search of the Golden Fleece. The New Image of World Energy,” he announced that the current state of world energy is at the stage of forming a new image, caused by the multiple growth of electricity consumption, the generation of which will be provided by both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. According to him, the optimal solution today is “the synthesis of traditional and alternative energy sources.”

    The event, organized with the support of PJSC NK Rosneft, was attended by Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer of Pertamina Simon Aloysius Mantiri, Vice President of CNPC Zhang Daowei, Executive Director of Reliance Industries Panda Madhusudana Shiva Prasad, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Dynkin, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the non-profit initiative of the Japanese government for the development of low-carbon technologies Nobuo Tanaka, as well as President of TOFS Group David Gadzhimirzaev.

    ENERGY TRANSITION WITHOUT TRANSITION

    Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada opened the discussion of Igor Sechin’s report, noting the depth of his analysis. “It was comprehensive – the way you showed that progress and energy are inseparable,” Al-Sada addressed Sechin.

    The head of the board of directors of Rosneft drew the audience’s attention to the fact that, despite the active promotion of the idea of switching to renewable energy sources, the share of fossil energy sources in the energy balance has not changed in recent decades. He recalled that Igor Sechin mentioned in his report that fossil fuels account for 80% of the world’s energy balance. “And these statistics have not changed in the last 20 years! We flutter around these 80% of fossil fuels and energy sources, and, therefore, little has changed!” exclaimed Al-Sada, describing the situation in the global energy sector.

    “In other words, we are essentially not making any transition away from hydrocarbons,” he concluded, emphasizing that the transition to renewable energy sources is being imposed on the industry and the public.

    “I would also like to take the baton from Mr. Sechin and pass on my comment to you. This is food for thought: are we really moving from fossil fuels to renewables?” Al-Sada addressed the audience.

    The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft also noted that the demand for energy for various reasons does not always coincide with the growth of production. “I would like to express two small thoughts in order to further color the valuable things that we heard in the words of Mr. Sechin. The lack of investment is already a reality in the hydrocarbon and energy sectors. This is what can really lead us to a serious shortage of energy. “If this trend continues, we may face a shortage of energy resources. This is not only my personal opinion, but also what a large number of analysts say, including the International Energy Agency and other respected experts, who in their reviews emphasize the importance of having sufficient investment in the hydrocarbon sector. Otherwise, we will face the risk of a shortage of primary energy!” Al-Sada emphasized.

    THE FUTURE IS SYNERGY

    Vice President of China’s CNPC Zhang Daowei noted that he listened with interest to the report of Rosneft’s Chief Executive Officer. In his speech, the top manager of the Chinese company expressed similar assessments of the development paths of the global energy sector – in particular, the need for synergy between traditional and new energy sources.

    “We have always believed that in the context of the energy transition course, it is necessary to adhere to the synergetic, comprehensive development of traditional and new energy sources, fully take into account the characteristics and level of development of our countries’ markets, properly link the energy transition with energy security, and promote a fair and sustainable model of energy transformation,” Daowei noted.

    According to the vice president, within the framework of this philosophy, CNPC, on the one hand, continues to increase the exploration and development of oil and gas fields at home and import high-quality resources from abroad, including strengthening long-term cooperation with Russia in the field of hydrocarbon trade. On the other hand, CNPC actively adheres to the strategy of “green”, low-carbon development and implements the development of the “three-step strategy” combining oil and gas projects using wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen and carbon capture technologies.

    Indonesia’s Pertamina President and CEO Simon Aloysius Mantiri said the company is pursuing a dual growth strategy that relies on both traditional resources and low-carbon solutions, with natural gas playing a major role in the country’s energy mix.

    “Natural gas is at the center of our strategy to transition to cleaner fuels. And today we are expanding our capacity and ability to produce LNG for both domestic and export needs,” he said.

    The head of Pertamina essentially repeated the thesis voiced in Igor Sechin’s report, and particularly emphasized that by achieving a balance of energy sources and a comprehensive approach, the company is capable of ensuring high rates of economic growth and, at the same time, carbon neutrality.

    Reliance Industries CEO PMS Prasad said India does not choose between energy access and innovation. “It integrates both. By developing scalable, context-specific solutions, it addresses local priorities while making a significant contribution to global sustainability. From rural microgrids to energy-efficient data centres, India is turning its potential into a strategic asset,” Prasad said.

    He stressed that international partnerships play a vital role in this ambitious endeavour. “Energy remains a key cornerstone of the strategic relationship between India and Russia. India values this trusting partnership and appreciates the cooperation built over decades. The leadership of both countries is committed to taking this partnership to even higher levels in the future,” the Reliance Industries CEO concluded.

    NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ARE NOT WRITTEN OFF THE ACCOUNTS

    Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin noted in his keynote speech at the Energy Panel the growing interest in nuclear power generation worldwide and, accordingly, the growth of investments in this area. According to him, this is happening against the backdrop of growing energy consumption and in the future nuclear energy will be in demand along with fossil fuels and renewable energy sources.

    Reliance Industries CEO Panda Madhusudana Shiva Prasad, speaking in turn about the prospects for the development of India’s energy sector, particularly emphasized the significant role of nuclear power generation.

    “Gas, renewables supported by energy storage systems and a robust transmission grid, and nuclear power will play a key role. India’s ambitious nuclear programme, including small modular reactors, reflects its commitment to long-term energy security and decarbonisation,” Prasad said.

    The revival of interest in investment in the construction of nuclear power plants was noted in the speech of the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov. He spoke about joint plans with Russia to build two units of 55 megawatts each, and two units of VVR-type reactors – water-cooled power reactors. The head of the ministry also reported that the country is installing power plants where gas is burned, hydropower is developing, the share of renewable sources is increasing, and storage systems are being created at the same time.

    The Minister noted the content of Igor Sechin’s report, which provided a detailed analysis and reflected all the development trends in global energy, science and economics.

    ENERGY SECURITY FIRST

    In her speech, the Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, supported the thesis expressed by the head of Rosneft that issues of ensuring energy security should be a top priority.

    “We always advocate that the energy transition be carried out responsibly, taking into account reality, in order to avoid abrupt changes that could threaten energy security,” Rodriguez said.

    The Executive Vice President of Venezuela named the main components of a stable energy system of the future: energy security, reliable supplies, accessibility for all, and at the same time respect for nature – with minimal impact on the environment.

    Among the main threats to energy security, Rodriguez named illegal sanctions against producing countries and the hegemony of the dollar.

    Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese government’s non-profit initiative to develop low-carbon technologies Nobuo Tanaka, in turn, noted that the answer to energy security issues is always associated with diversification of supply sources, increasing energy efficiency and searching for alternative energy sources, including renewable energy sources, nuclear energy and regulating the market through predictable policies.

    CONTRARY TO LOGIC

    The participants in the discussion drew attention to the political events of the last decades and stated that today geopolitics shapes the directions of economic cooperation. Moreover, often contrary to the logic of market expediency and economic efficiency.

    Tanaka recalled in this regard how he discussed Germany’s energy policy with Chancellor Merkel in 2009: “I asked her why Germany does not use nuclear energy. She answered like this: Mr. Tanaka, I am a scientist, I know how important it is to use nuclear energy, but in order to use it in Germany, she said, give me the votes of the voters in exchange for it. Yes, she is a good scientist, but she is also a very smart politician.”

    The professor is sure that despite her experience, Merkel made a very serious mistake by changing her policy on the use of nuclear power plants under pressure from public opinion. Another mistake was the refusal to use Russian energy resources and Russian natural gas. “I think she was misled,” Tanaka said.

    “Geopolitics is a factor in the global economy of the 21st century. It is geopolitical interests that united the BRICS countries. The criterion for membership is not the application of sanctions against other members of the organization. But geopolitics has also become a kind of “trap” for Germany after Trump’s victory,” says academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Dynkin.

    He noted that Eurocrats are concerned about the complete rejection of energy supplies from Russia by 2027. “They are not stopped by the growth of costs, which undermines the competitiveness of the EU,” Dynkin noted and recalled that if in 2014 the US GDP was ahead of the EU GDP by only 12%, then last year the American economy was already 50% larger than the European one.

    “Although the German energy crisis is formally over, the country paid for it with three years of stagnation, deindustrialization, inflation, and a migration crisis,” said the member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    DIGITAL REVOLUTION

    The thesis voiced in Igor Sechin’s report that the digital revolution is opening a new era in the development of the oil and gas industry received a warm response from the audience. In particular, David Gadzhimirzaev, CEO of the oilfield services company TOFS, thanked Rosneft for supporting innovation and developing technologies. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the availability, stability and reliability of resources, which can be provided by new technologies that will reduce the cost of lifting barrels to the surface.

    “We all know that literally this year the energy strategy-2050 was approved, which includes the fact that by 2050 about 70% of the Russian Federation’s production will be from hard-to-recover reserves. Therefore, we, in turn, are not only working on the expertise, but also working on the production of new technologies,” Gadzhimirzaev said.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 21, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Shanghai pub promotes barrier-free recreation for people with disabilities

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    SHANGHAI, June 21 (Xinhua) — People sit in camping chairs and wheelchairs at an open-air concert. They sing, listen to music, chat and drink alcoholic beverages. As night falls, a neon sign reading “Pub Handycup” glows with a warm light.

    This scene, reminiscent of a still from a movie, unfolded in Shanghai. A year ago, this unusual establishment, designed with people with disabilities in mind, opened in the city center.

    Founder Xia Yujie watches with pride as his friends in wheelchairs move around the pub with ease, ordering and feeling at ease. “This is the perfect picture I have imagined for many years,” he says.

    With gentle ramps instead of steps, tables with rounded corners, a tactile pub map, a sign language board and ample room to maneuver, this 30-meter bar is a pioneer of its kind in China.

    Since opening last May, the pub has become a haven for people with and without disabilities. It serves around 10 craft beers daily, with a rotating selection, so they can drink and relax. It also hosts a range of accessibility events, including Braille workshops, book clubs and photography exhibitions.

    A regular customer surnamed Cui particularly appreciates the pub’s relaxed atmosphere. “No one judges you by your appearance here,” she told Xinhua. “Everyone is kind and willing to help each other.”

    For Xia Yujie, opening this bar was a mission of sorts. As a law school graduate with his left arm paralyzed due to a medical error in high school, he always wanted to create a welcoming space where people with disabilities could socialize, feel at home, integrate into the community, and shed stereotypes.

    For him, accessibility is not just about physical infrastructure. It is also about ensuring that everyone has equal access to recreational spaces that foster relationships and deepen connections.

    “People with disabilities have the same needs as everyone else,” Xia Yujie said. “But I often couldn’t find accessible places where everyone could just go, have a drink, and socialize as equals.”

    According to official statistics, there are about 85 million people with disabilities in China, equivalent to one-sixteenth of China’s entire population.

    In recent years, China has stepped up efforts to create a barrier-free environment. Significant progress has been made: libraries for the visually impaired have been created, special cinemas for wheelchair users have been equipped, and intelligent navigation systems for the blind have been introduced in public transport.

    In addition, in a number of regions, local authorities are actively involved in the refurbishment of housing and territory for people with disabilities, ensuring a barrier-free environment to facilitate their daily lives. Places such as Pub Handycup go beyond meeting basic needs, seeking to enrich the social life of these people and promote their sense of community and inclusion.

    Another regular, Bai, whose parents are hearing impaired, likens the pub to his childhood neighbourhood, where he feels a sense of belonging and enjoys the friendships of other guests. “It’s also pet-friendly. You can just play with them.”

    In the virtual world, pub-goers are also actively communicating. The Pub Handycup chat group brings together a wide range of members. Every day, the group is buzzing with discussion, sharing information about resources and activities to ensure accessibility, and joking about everyday topics.

    Active member Xiao Mi has received many birthday wishes in the chat. Living near the pub, he often comes to court in a wheelchair. Some time ago, he offered his help when Xia Yujie and his business partner were too busy.

    At the pub, Xiao Mi learned to pour drinks and make mulled wine, something he had never tried before. When the pub was busy, the outgoing man helped with service, moving between guests in his wheelchair. He even created a map that hangs on the wall with information about nearby facilities.

    Almost every week the pub hosts various events to support an accessible environment: master classes in sign language and Braille, art therapy sessions, and personal exhibitions of deaf photographers.

    Most of these events are initiated by the visitors themselves, who create pub-style events while showcasing their skills and ideas.

    “Some of our blind friends are good at Braille, so we collaborate with them to hold workshops to teach more people. In addition, our deaf-mute business friends sell their handicrafts in our pub,” Xia Yujie explained.

    The owner of the establishment expressed hope that the bar will be able to attract more residents of nearby areas to participate in events to support an accessible environment.

    “The many like-minded people I have met since opening the bar have reinforced my initial belief that what we do is not narrow-minded and we are not alone in this. It is a common idea for many people,” he said. “I also hope that more people can resonate with this.” -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Japanese Foreign Minister Calls for Preventing Escalation of Israeli-Iranian Conflict

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    TOKYO, June 21 (Xinhua) — Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya called for a de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, he told his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar in a telephone conversation on Friday.

    The Japanese minister expressed deep concern over the ongoing exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran and the massive damage caused.

    He said any action that could lead to further escalation should be avoided and that restoring calm was of paramount importance.

    Takeshi Iwaya also asked the Israeli government for support in ensuring the safety of Japanese citizens in the country.

    Japan’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a total of 87 Japanese citizens and their family members have been evacuated from Israel and Iran to neighboring countries. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese-Russian relations are strong and unshakable – Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    St. Petersburg, June 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said on Friday that China-Russia relations are currently at their highest level of development in history, adding that they are stable, solid and unbreakable.

    The senior Chinese official made the statement while answering questions after speaking at the plenary session of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

    He noted that China is pleased to see the resumption of contacts and exchanges between Russia and the United States. According to him, interaction between major countries is a benefit to the entire world, as it can help stabilize the international situation and revive the world economy.

    Ding Xuexiang also stressed that major countries should act accordingly and take a leading role in upholding the international system with the UN at its core, safeguarding international justice and providing greater certainty to the world.

    China, as a responsible country, is willing to work with all parties to promote global prosperity and stability, the vice premier said.

    Attributing the achievements in education and technology that have been achieved worldwide to exchanges and cooperation, Ding Xuexiang noted that some countries politicize educational and technological cooperation and create obstacles, which harms global sustainable development.

    Reality shows that innovation and progress can occur despite blockades or containment. China is willing to work with Russia to consistently expand the scale and scope of cooperation and improve interaction mechanisms to jointly raise bilateral educational and technological cooperation to a new level. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Seven killed, 20 injured in Nepal bus collision

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KATHMANDU, June 21 (Xinhua) — Seven people were killed and 20 others injured in a head-on collision between two passenger buses in south-central Nepal on Saturday morning, local police said.

    At around 10am local time, an electric bus and a bus collided on the Chitwan section of the East-West Highway, killing three people on the spot.

    Four others died from their injuries while receiving medical treatment, Rabindra Khanal, a Chitwan district police spokesman, told Xinhua.

    According to him, the injured have been hospitalized in different hospitals in Chitwan. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • India to evacute citizens of Nepal, Sri Lanka from Iran

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian Embassy in Iran has said that it will make efforts to evacuate citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka. The embassy noted that these efforts will be made at the request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka.

    “On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,” the Indian Embassy in Iran posted on X.

    The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran, given the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

    Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Saturday that, so far, 517 Indian nationals have returned to India from Iran under Operation Sindhu.

    Jaiswal stated that a special flight from Turkmenistan’s Ashgabat carrying Indians from Iran arrived in New Delhi on June 21.

    In a post on X, Jaiswal stated: “Operation Sindhu continues. A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home. With this, so far 517 Indian nationals from Iran have returned home under Operation Sindhu.”

    The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its ninth day on Saturday. The conflict began after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed “Operation Rising Lion.”

    In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, “Operation True Promise 3,” targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.

    This is not the first time the Indian government has launched an operation to evacuate citizens from another country. In 2023, India launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate its citizens during violent military clashes in Sudan. Operation Ajay was launched in 2023 to evacuate Indian nationals from Israel during the Israel-Hamas conflict. Operation Ganga was launched in 2022 to evacuate Indian nationals when war erupted between Russia and Ukraine. 

    In 2021, the Indian government launched Operation Devi Shakti to evacuate citizens from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Operation Samudra Setu was launched in 2020 to evacuate Indians via sea during the COVID-19 pandemic. Operation Raahat was conducted in 2015 to evacuate citizens amid the civil conflict in Yemen. In 2011, India launched Operation Safe Homecoming to bring home nationals during the Libyan civil war amid the Arab Spring.

    (ANI)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Modern Chinese archaeological technologies facilitate joint training of personnel with Uzbekistan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) — The Samarkand branch of the China-Central Asia Belt and Road Joint Laboratory for Humanity and Environment Studies recently successfully held its second course on Chinese-Uzbek archaeological technology, according to the website of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Northwest China University (Shaanxi Province, northwest China).

    The event was organized by the above-mentioned university and the International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage “Silk Road” of Uzbekistan /hereinafter referred to as the Silk Road University/. The course was attended by 32 teachers and students from the Silk Road University, Samarkand State University, Samarkand Archaeological Institute and Samarkand State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering.

    The course participants were given lectures by Chinese archaeologists. They told the participants about the principles of analysis of osteochemical and molecular paleobiological technologies, as well as their application and the latest achievements in the field of studying the life models of the ancient population of Central Asia, human migration and genetic evolution, as well as the origin and spread of domesticated animals. Subsequently, in the joint laboratory, Chinese archaeologists familiarized the participants in detail with the procedures for processing samples and the basics of working with devices, conducting practical classes on sample preparation using the bone remains of animals discovered by the joint Chinese-Uzbek archaeological team.

    At the end of the course, Professor Wang Jianxin, Chief Researcher of the Silk Road Joint Archaeological Research Center of Northwest University of China, and Professor Mastura Sidikova, Dean of the Faculty of History and Cultural Heritage of Silk Road University, presented certificates to the participants. Wang Jianxin noted that modern scientific methods make it possible to extract rich historical and cultural information from archaeological sites. He expressed hope that the course would enable the participants to gain a basic understanding of the principles and standards of archaeological technology, awaken interest in this field and the desire to devote themselves to the protection of cultural heritage and archaeological research in Uzbekistan in order to become experts in this field. He also invited the participants to study and exchange experiences at Northwest University of China.

    Mastura Sidikova thanked Northwestern University for establishing an international joint laboratory at the Silk Road University, deepening academic cooperation and organizing major international scientific conferences that have caused a wide resonance in academic circles. She was sincerely pleased with the increase in the number of participants in the current course and expressed hope for strengthening cooperation to create more advanced platforms and opportunities in the field of training international talents. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft CEO on Western sanctions: “Victory will be ours!”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin is confident that Russia and its economy will successfully overcome unprecedented external pressure.

    “Despite the fact that our dream of an open global economy, of immutable laws protecting the inviolability of property and contractual obligations, of equal legal guarantees for all turned out to be an illusion, despite the unprecedented external pressure in history, we repeat the great words spoken in June of 1941 and which became a symbol of the indestructible spirit of our people: “Our cause is just, the enemy will be defeated, victory will be ours!” said the head of Rosneft, speaking at the Energy Panel within the framework of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

    The head of Rosneft, concluding the report “The Odyssey of the World Economy in Search of the Golden Fleece. The New Face of World Energy,” reminded the participants of the Energy Panel that, having obtained the fleece, the Argonauts returned to Greece, but did not find happiness.

    “But what is the meaning of the myth, if evil is followed only by evil, and good intentions turn into their opposite? Perhaps the meaning is that the Golden Fleece, obtained by criminal means, does not bring happiness, and evil always breeds evil. A miracle will not happen,” Igor Sechin concluded.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 21, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft CEO Explains EU Attempts to Lower Russian Oil Price Cap

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The European Union is seeking to increase the efficiency of oil purchases from Russia when it tries to push through a reduction in the price ceiling for Russian oil, said Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin at the Energy Panel at the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

    During his keynote speech, the head of the Company noted that the European Union continues to try to push through a reduction in the price ceiling for Russian oil to $45 per barrel.

    “I believe that the real goal is the desire of the European Union to increase the efficiency of its purchases from Russia, and not to reduce the income of the Russian budget, as was publicly declared. The figures confirm this: according to Western experts, since the beginning of 2023, Europe has purchased Russian oil for more than 20 billion euros, thus becoming the fourth largest buyer,” Sechin said.

    However, he believes it is clear that the US will not agree to lowering the price ceiling because it will negatively affect the profitability of US oil exports.

    The head of Rosneft specifically noted the situation in Saudi Arabia, saying that imports of Russian dark oil products after the start of sanctions restrictions allow the kingdom to effectively meet the needs of its energy industry for raw materials without affecting oil exports. The volume of fuel oil and vacuum gas oil supplied to this country from Russia over the past 12 months is more than 6 times higher than the volume of supplies four years ago.

    According to Sechin, Indian refiners are using a similar approach today. India, the second largest buyer of Russian oil, has almost doubled its export of oil products to Europe over the past three years.

    “To balance the budgets of many producing countries, the price of oil is required to be significantly higher than current levels. Thus, according to IMF calculations, in 2025 for the budget of Saudi Arabia this price is at a level of more than $90 per barrel,” Sechin concluded.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 21, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sechin named Russia, Venezuela and Iran key players in ensuring global energy security

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Russia, Venezuela and Iran are key players in the energy market, on whose supplies global energy security depends, said Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin at the Energy Panel at the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

    “Russia, Venezuela and Iran are key players in the energy market, on whose supplies global energy security directly depends. They account for a third of the world’s liquid hydrocarbon reserves and 15% of global production. Without their resource base, the transition to a new image of global energy is impossible,” the head of the Company said.

    At the same time, according to Sechin, Russia’s real contribution to the global economy is proportional to its share in the global resource balance.

    “Our country’s share in global hydrocarbon exports is about 15%. However, the Russian resource base is not only hydrocarbons, but also metals. Russia’s share in gold mining is about 10%, and in the production of metals such as high-grade nickel and palladium, it reaches 20% and 40%, respectively,” the CEO said.

    The head of Rosneft also noted that Russia contains about 10% of the world’s reserves of rare earth metals, without which the development of modern technologies is impossible.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 21, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sechin advocates increasing dividend payments to Russia: this will reduce budget risks

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin proposed that Russian banks with state participation increase dividend payments to the state, which would reduce budget risks, allow the authorities to consider easing fiscal regimes for producers and become an incentive for the country’s development.

    “The banking system is stable due to the relatively low tax burden and increased yield on federal loan bonds, which allows it to operate with high efficiency. But we expect an increase in its contribution not only to the budget, but also to the country’s economy. At a minimum, increasing dividend payments in favor of the state would be reasonable and appropriate and could reduce budget risks, which would allow us to consider reducing fiscal regimes for producers and become an incentive for the country’s development,” said Igor Sechin, speaking at the Energy Panel within the framework of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

    The head of Rosneft recalled that the Russian economy has been under unprecedented sanctions pressure for more than three years. “However, despite numerous negative forecasts, it has been able to assert its viability during this period. In the last two years, Russia’s GDP growth rates have exceeded the world average,” he emphasized.

    According to the Ministry of Finance, the federal budget remains balanced, and the level of public debt is stable and under control, noted Igor Sechin.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 21, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –