Friday, March 22, 2013

Russian Energy Company Tries to Bribe Cyprus

Geography Note: Russian Energy Company Tries to Bribe Cyprus -:
"Russia’s relationship to Cyprus was already deeply weird.
Though average Russians have long used the island as a vacation destination, recently the Putin government has appeared to be seeing the country more strategically.
Reports of official involvement in everything from tax shelter schemes to gun running are commonplace.
It’s also a preferred tax haven for the Russian elite.
Before yesterday, however, they hadn’t tried to just straight-up buy the place. 
This is the first time in Europe’s five-year crisis that a private(-ish) entity has offered to pay off a national debt in exchange for raw materials. 
Though one wonders.
There are still a few Italian banks that accept deposits in hard cheese.
Perhaps the Russian company is on to something."

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