US alarmed with Russia-Cuba oil exploration plans

1 July 2014, 05:48

US alarmed with Russia-Cuba oil exploration plans

Russia has agreed to join the search for oil in deep waters between Cuba
and Florida, thereby reviving fears among Americans of a possible
environmental catastrophe - a large oil spill. Last month, under the
supervision of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian companies
Rosneft and Zarubezhneft signed an agreement with Cuba on the
exploration of offshore oil deposits off the coast of Cuba.

The agreement also covers the construction of the equipment of offshore
drilling rigs in the Cuban port of Mariel, as well as the creation of a
pipeline network and a helipad.
The drilling area is located north from Havana, on both sides of the
Gulf Stream. State Department spokesman has already announced that the
US officials "expressed their concerns" to Cuba and its partners,
however, the United States cannot do anything to stop drilling in Cuban
waters.
Certain US politicians were not as calm as their colleagues. Thus, US
Republican Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, a leading critic of the Castro
regime, said the growing relationship "has damaged US interests and
invited cronies of Putin's oil and security industries to our doorstep."
He as well as many other officials believes that this agreement reflects
Putin's support to countries that had at one time, close ties with the
Soviet Union. Undoubtedly, this move recreates the Russian presence in
90 miles from Florida. Cuba, which once relied on the patronage of the
Soviets, now restores close ties with Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that many
resources are running dry and "therefore, we have to move to new areas,
often hard to access ... and develop reserves that were traditionally
considered economically less efficient and hard to reach."
According beforeitsnews.com, the Pentagon has suspicions that Russia
will deal not only with the Cuban intelligence oil. And that concerns
Pentagon to a great extent as it is a matter of the US national security.

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