Putin and Iraqi PM Sudani at Russia's Energy Week Plenary Session

Palestine won't be ignored.

Another filled hall for the sixth Russian Energy Week which runs from the 11th to the 13th with this year’s theme being "The New Reality of Global Energy: Creating the Future". The moderator of the panel discussion for the first time is Al Ghad TV presenter Amro Abd Al-Hamid. Sharing the stage with Putin is Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Sudani. The Kremlin tells us, “More than four thousand people from more than 60 countries of the world” are attending the event. This year the event occurs as the Middle East region is roiled by the Al-Aqsa Flood in the Gaza region of Occupied Palestine which hasn’t yet really affected global oil prices.

Putin’s speech reviews Russia’s domestic energy industry and government policies then its overseas operations. That leads into an economic review and then a look at the future of LNG markets at the close of his speech. PM Sudani’s speech follows a similar pattern and also talks about Iraq’s green energy plans. From there, the conversation moves to the current hot spot, the Middle East or West Asia as some prefer, the Levant also being another description. No foreshadowing of what they discuss will be done. With that, we start with the moderator’s introduction, then the two leaders’s speeches, followed by the discussion on events in the Middle East:

A. Abd El Hamid: Good afternoon, distinguished guests!

Welcome to the Russian Energy Week forum.

I also welcome the distinguished speakers of the meeting-President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammad Sudani.

My name is Amro Abd El Hamid. I am a television journalist for the inter-Arab Al Ghad television, broadcasting from Cairo, and also the director of the Arab-Eurasian Research Center.

Before inviting Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to make a speech, I would like to note that this is the first time that the leader of an Arab country is participating in this forum, which has become a major international platform for discussing topical issues in the fuel and energy sector.

At the forum last year, Vladimir Vladimirovich limited himself to a speech, and today he is participating as a speaker in our main meeting, which is a great success for me, since many years ago I had the honor of interviewing him, and now I again have the opportunity to ask him questions that, of course, will not be discussed. be limited to energy issues only.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, your word.

Vladimir Putin: Dear Mr. Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, Ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends!

I would like to welcome the participants and guests of the Russian Energy Week.

This is the sixth time that this forum has brought together heads of leading industry companies and research institutes, politicians, and experts from Russia and abroad to assess global energy trends and prospects, exchange views on the challenges facing the global fuel and energy sector, and how to ensure long-term stabilization of the world's energy markets.

This is especially important today, when the world economy is moving to a multipolar model in which several growth centers operate, and the place, role and significance of each country is determined by how it perceives these deep, irreversible processes, how effectively it is able to defend its economic, industrial, technological and energy sovereignty, and rebuild investment, trade and cooperation structures. connections.

The Russian economy is currently undergoing such a stage of structural transformation. The geography of foreign trade, employment parameters, and the industry picture are changing. There are completely new market prospects for small and medium-sized businesses.

The Russian fuel and energy sector is also undergoing profound changes. They cover all areas of work: extraction and processing of energy resources, service and logistics, interaction with foreign partners.

Today I would like to focus on four key elements of this transformation, which, of course, take into account external factors, but at the same time are, in my opinion, fundamental and are part of the sovereign, long-term strategy of our country.

First. Our basic priority is to ensure the national market and a sufficient supply of fuel and energy resources within the country. I would like to emphasize that this is not just about the current needs of businesses and citizens – we will consistently work on the qualitative development of our own market, increasing its capacity. The opportunities here are certainly huge.

Our gas industry is a good example of such work. Let me remind you that in 2021, a nationwide program of social gasification was launched. Its goal is for natural gas to reach every house in the village, in the city where the main gas pipeline is laid.

According to the results of the first years of the program, it is technically possible to connect more than a million households. 375 thousand of them have already been connected.

Last year, we agreed to make the program permanent. Moreover, it has been expanded to include polyclinics, hospitals and schools, where heat supply can be switched to natural gas.

A year ago, here, at the Russian Energy Week, I offered to provide targeted assistance to citizens in gasification of private homes. The state subsidizes the cost of purchasing equipment and carrying out work on the land plot in the amount of up to 100 thousand rubles per household.

This opportunity was used by about 52 thousand citizens who have benefits. This includes large families and low-income people who were able to quickly and without high costs connect gas to their homes, make life more convenient and comfortable.

I propose to expand the list of citizens who can receive subsidies for gas equipment and its installation, namely: to include in this list participants in a special military operation and their families, as well as disabled people of the first group and families who raise disabled children.

I would like to add that we have launched a number of strategic projects for the development of the gas transmission system. They are designed to increase the availability of natural gas for companies, enterprises, cities and towns.

Thus, it is planned to combine the gas transmission systems of the west and east of Russia. At the first stage, we will connect the Power of Siberia and Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas pipelines, and then integrate them into a single gas supply system. Together with the construction of the Power of Siberia – 2 system, this will allow gas to be delivered to many regions of Siberia and the Far East of the country.

We regularly discuss the implementation of this task with the Government and companies, including during meetings on master plans for Far Eastern cities. Thus, specific plans and schedules for the development of [cities]have already been defined Yakutia, Buryatia, Khabarovsk, Primorsky and Trans-Baikal Territories, the Amur Region and the Jewish Autonomous Region, as well as Krasnoyarsk.

A project for gasification of the Kamchatka Territory using LNG has been launched. And the Murmansk Region and Karelia will receive gas from the Volkhov – Murmansk – Belokamenka branch gas pipeline. The pipeline will be laid for the project for the production of liquefied natural gas on the Kola Peninsula. But part of its capacity, namely up to ten billion cubic meters per year, will be used to supply enterprises, social facilities, residential buildings in Karelia and the Murmansk Region, and to develop eco-friendly electricity generation.

I would like to note that last year Russia recorded a record amount of energy consumption, and there is reason to believe that this year it will be updated. There is no need to tell a specialist: if the volume of energy consumption is growing, then the economy is growing. Actually, this is confirmed by all other data.

I would like to emphasize that this is a high-quality, integral indicator that reflects the positive dynamics of the Russian economy and social sphere. The number of consumers is growing, new production facilities and infrastructure facilities are being opened, as well as jobs, which means that the demand for electricity is increasing.

In this regard, we will consistently improve the reliability of energy supply to the regions. Networks and power transmission lines should work accurately, sustainably, and have a reserve for the development of territories. At the same time, we will pay special attention to improving the energy efficiency of industry, utilities, and transport.

Let me remind you that we have drawn up plans to upgrade the electricity grid in those regions of the Federation where the issue is most acute. I won't list it now, but it's about ten regions.

I would like to draw the Government's attention to the fact that all regional programs in this regard need to be fully funded. Federal budget funds are provided to support such programs.

And one more thing: the key condition for confident, long – term development of the energy market is the stability and availability of prices for electricity, raw materials, and fuel.

As you know, in recent months we have experienced a jump in the prices of gasoline and diesel fuel. The Government has made a number of decisions to return the situation to normal.

Once again, I would like to draw the attention of our leading energy companies to the fact that fuel supplies to domestic consumers should be a priority. In turn, the Government should act more quickly and take preventive measures before the situation becomes acute.

The second strategic and systemic task of the Russian fuel and energy complex is to create maximum added value and develop deep oil and gas processing.

We have already made serious progress in this area. Large - scale oil and gas chemical projects have been developed and are being implemented, including those with state participation and state support.

Thus, a petrochemical plant in Tobolsk was launched. The Amur Gas Processing Plant is increasing its capacity. An LNG production and gas processing complex is being built in Ust-Luga, as well as the Amur Gas Chemical Complex.

It is very important to continue supporting such projects and move forward in strengthening and increasing the potential of such sectors of the domestic economy as the production of large - capacity polymers, other products in the field of medium-and low-tonnage chemicals, and, of course, in the field of oil refining, where large-scale modernization of our refineries is underway.

I would like to emphasize that Russian fuel and energy projects are increasingly based on domestic technologies, equipment, machines and software.

In this regard, this is the third direction of structural transformation of the fuel and energy complex. We are talking about the formation of full sovereignty of the industry: technological, personnel and financial. We will have to dramatically increase the volume and share of Russian equipment production, especially critical equipment, bring the training of qualified personnel to a new level, and, of course, form our own mechanisms for financing investment projects.

I would like to note that we are working systematically to create and introduce domestic machinery and equipment for the oil and gas sector and electricity transmission.

Since 2014, the company has mastered the production of more than 140 types of products, including equipment for drilling and extracting hydrocarbons, heat exchange equipment, catalysts and reagents, high-voltage cables and switches, and much,much more.

Let me remind you that my colleagues from the Government and oil and gas companies have agreed to form large joint orders for domestic machinery and equipment. It is necessary to consolidate the forces and resources of the state, private business, and development institutions in those innovative areas that are in demand in the fuel and energy sector in the first place.

For example, VEB, together with Skoltech and service companies, is already working on investments in projects to produce equipment for field development, including hard-to-recover hydrocarbon reserves.

I understand that this is a difficult task. It is necessary to clearly understand the interests and needs of the industry, both current and long-term. Nevertheless, I ask the Government to speed up and form a long-term package of orders for developers and manufacturers of equipment for the fuel and energy sector.

I also ask you to speed up the transition from foreign to domestic systems of standardization and certification in the oil and gas and petrochemical industry. This will also help to further stimulate import substitution in the energy sector.

I'll tell you about the software separately. Organizations in our fuel and energy sector are already actively developing Russian software and digital solutions.

Please note that when implementing domestic software products, it is very important to ensure the continuity of enterprises, take into account all risks and, of course, adopt the most successful, best practices.

We have such guidelines and examples to follow. I am referring to the nuclear industry, which is increasing its role in Russia's energy mix. It accounts for about 20 percent of all electricity in the country – 19.7 percent, and last year a new record was set for nuclear power generation.

The Russian Engineering School for the Construction and maintenance of nuclear Power facilities is not only strong, but has virtually no competitors at the world level. I would like to emphasize that Rosatom specialists are simultaneously building 22 power units abroad. This is approximately 80 percent of the global market. Among them, the Akkuyu NPP in Turkey is the first foreign project that our specialists will conduct throughout the entire life cycle: from design to decommissioning.

Last week, fuel was loaded at the Ruppur station in Bangladesh. The fourth power unit of the Al-Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt is being built ahead of schedule. This is our flagship project on the African continent, but here we are not limited to the construction of the station. In fact, together with Egyptian specialists and our friends from Egypt, we are creating a whole branch of nuclear energy in this country from scratch, with the training of specialized personnel, maintenance support, and so on. In other words, we are helping Egypt embark on the path of sovereign energy development.

This comprehensive and systematic approach is one of Rosatom's main competitive advantages. Not to mention the traditionally high standards of station safety and reliability.

I repeat, Russia is completely technologically independent both at the stage of creating and maintaining nuclear power plants. At the same time, we are not against the participation of companies from third countries in the construction of nuclear power plants of our design.

What is very important, new areas of nuclear power generation are being developed in Russia, for example, low-power nuclear power plants in land and floating versions. The first floating station "Akademik Lomonosov" has been operating since 2020 in Chukotka. In the near future, four more similar power units will be deployed here. Russia's first low-power land-based nuclear power plant is being built in Yakutia.

Another example of successful development of our competencies is the hydropower industry. The accumulated experience, our own technological solutions, as well as the unique potential of Russia's water resources open up great opportunities for the construction of hydroelectric power plants, which will provide cities and towns, industrial and agricultural enterprises, and citizens ' homes with inexpensive and completely "green" energy.

By developing hydroelectric power, we will be able to make progress in solving the problems of seasonal floods. Regulation of runoff and accumulation of flood waters in the reservoirs of hydroelectric power plants will not only reduce losses from emergencies, but also create huge reserves of clean water – one of the most popular resources in the world.

I would like to add that RusHydro has designed and built more than 350 facilities in 54 countries. Today, the company supplies its technological solutions to 17 countries, including Africa, the Middle East, Central and Central Asia, and Latin America, increases technology transfer and provides engineering for the entire period of plant operation, which is 50-70 years. In other words, the company enters into long-term contracts that help to establish strong ties not only between enterprises, but also between countries.

I ask relevant ministries and agencies to provide broad assistance to our companies that build energy facilities abroad, export engineering and other services in this area, and develop new markets.

And in this regard – the fourth direction of transformation of our fuel and energy complex. It is directly related to new export prospects and geography.

As you know, European countries have actually abandoned our energy sources-not completely, but they are trying to do so-which for many years provided the economic and social well-being of the European Union. Of course, not 100%, but this was also a serious, very serious element of this well-being. Restrictions on banking services, freight, insurance have been introduced, and so-called price ceilings for our oil and gas have been set.

I will now leave aside the effect of these decisions on the European countries themselves, although I will probably return to this point. They are now overpaying for the supply of oil, petroleum products, and gas. As a result, the EU economy is near zero, and industrial production has been in the negative zone since March of this year.

As our experts say, plus 0.5 percent growth in the euro area. And then at the expense of Italy and Spain – I don't know, we need to see, colleagues will still see why they have some growth – real estate is probably growing, the tourism sector is getting back on its feet after Covid. And so, in general, in the industry-a minus, and this is reflected in everything. The dynamics of industrial production in the EU in July this year – minus 2.4 percent, energy production-minus 4.7 percent, for the first half of this year – minus five.

This is reflected in the income of the population. Real disposable incomes in the euro area in the first quarter of this year – quarter to quarter [2023 to 2022]-minus 1.2 percent. Let me remind you that in the Russian Federation for the same period of time – plus 4.4 percent. For the second quarter – plus 5.3 percent. This is an increase in the real disposable income of the population of the Russian Federation.

Yes, the base is different, this is understandable, but the trend is what is important. This is an indicator of the quality of economic policy. Sometimes you look and wonder what they're doing there. Well, that's their choice.

I would like to note that the Russian fuel and energy complex is operating steadily. Production and financial indicators are stable. Thanks to the actions of companies and authorities, the tanker fleet has been increased, new payment mechanisms, insurance and reinsurance of our cargo have been created.

As a result, in a short time, in a short time, we managed to switch oil supplies to fast – growing and promising markets in other regions of the world-these are the South and the East.

According to experts, today the contribution to the world economy of the five largest Asian economies – we always compare China with the United States, but if you look at the five largest Asian economies - China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam-so this contribution to the world economy exceeded the combined share of the United States and all countries The European Union combined. And in the coming decades, the gap will only increase, there is no doubt about it. As for China and the United States: according to the forecast, in 2028, the share of China in the world economy will grow to 19.7 percent, and the United States will decrease to 14.5 percent – this is at purchasing power parity, of course.

To expand supplies to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, and Latin America, the Government has prepared a plan to develop the infrastructure for Russian oil exports. I ask my colleagues to take the implementation of this plan as responsibly as possible.

Logistics is also a critical issue for our coal industry. Now, along with the expansion of the Eastern Polygon of the BAM and Trans – Siberian railways, a number of new transport projects are being worked out. They will allow us to flexibly maneuver coal supplies both through the ports of the Far East, as well as through the north-west and south of Russia.

What else would you like to say? The actions of some of our colleagues, so to speak, the Western elites, of course, made a mess in the global energy market, including the oil market. The negative consequences of such politicized steps affect the entire global economy.

Now it is necessary to correct it, and, of course, responsible market participants have to do it. For the stability of the oil market, it is necessary to cooperate with the main suppliers, and on open, transparent terms. It is in this logic that Russia works with its OPEC Plus partners.

We rely primarily on objective market dynamics of oil supply and demand, as well as on the industry's investment programs. That is why the OPEC Plus member countries are fully fulfilling their commitments and successfully coping with all the challenges.

I am sure that the coordination of actions of our OPEC Plus partners will continue. This is important for the predictability of the oil market, and ultimately for the well-being of all mankind, because global energy depends on the pace of economic growth, and therefore the well-being of people.

Further. Russian gas and coal companies are also switching supplies from the Atlantic market to the Asian one. And these are not any conjunctural decisions, but a natural process, which is also determined not by geopolitical intrigues, but by long-term market trends. I have just mentioned economic growth trends in various regions of the world, and we are focusing on this. Of course, we are also forced to respond to geopolitical challenges, but first of all, we are guided by these objective trends.

Once again, they are as follows: according to experts, demand for natural gas will grow in all regions of the world until 2050, except for North America and Europe. At the same time, Europe's share in global demand will more than double to five percent. The share of Asia, by the way, will grow by one and a half times – from 21 percent to 30 percent.

Russian gas exports to the People's Republic of China are developing. In 2025, the Power of Siberia gas pipeline will reach its design capacity of 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year. But even today, deliveries on it regularly exceed the volume of contractual obligations.

Last year, a contract was signed for another route to China – the Far Eastern one. Here, the volume of deliveries will amount to ten billion cubic meters of gas per year. We are also discussing other promising projects, in particular the transportation of gas through Mongolia.

I would like to add that last week my colleagues and I launched Russian gas supplies to Uzbekistan via the Central Asia – Center gas pipeline. It passes through Kazakhstan.

Thanks to this Eurasian-scale joint project, Uzbekistan's consumers will receive a reliable supply of inexpensive and environmentally friendly fuel. Kazakhstan will be able to solve the problem of gasification of the northern and eastern regions, and Russia will expand its presence in the dynamic markets of Central Asia.

I believe that this is a good example of energy and infrastructure cooperation, which is beneficial for all participants. Therefore, we have agreed with our colleagues from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to work out further energy supply projects to these countries.

Liquefied natural gas plays an important role in the global energy market. Its deliveries are less tied to specific consumers and are able to respond more flexibly to changing market conditions.

Next year, LNG receiving terminals will operate in 55 countries. And according to estimates, by the end of the decade, the demand for LNG in the world may grow by about one and a half times – up to 600 million tons per year.

At the same time, competition in this segment will certainly increase. Projects have already been announced that will allow doubling the total production capacity in the coming years.

Russia also has large-scale plans in the field of LNG. In the next decade, its output should triple to 100 million tons per year. The planned investment volume exceeds six trillion rubles.

And it is very important that Russian projects realize their competitive advantages in the market, including efficient logistics. This includes the potential of the Northern Sea Route, as we all know very well, and the new ports and transport hubs that we are developing in the Arctic.

Today, we are facing restrictions on the supply of technologies and equipment, as well as ships for LNG transportation. However, I would like to repeat once again: in order to reduce such risks, it is necessary not only to cooperate with friendly countries, but also to quickly prepare our own solutions and put new production facilities into operation. And it turns out, we do it.

Thus, a center for the construction of large-capacity offshore structures has been launched in Murmansk. The first floating platform for gas liquefaction – the launch line of the Arctic LNG-2 project-is already in the production area, and its commissioning is already underway. A solid portfolio of orders has been formed at the Murmansk Plant – which means that the company and its staff are provided with reliable, high-demand work.

Dear friends!

Despite the challenges and difficulties of the Russian fuel and energy sector, our companies are developing successfully, confidently ensuring national energy security, creating the basis for our long-term plans in the economy, industry, agriculture, territorial, transport and infrastructure development of the country, and improving the quality of life of citizens of the Russian Federation.

And of course, Russia will continue to make a significant contribution to balancing the global energy market and develop partnership and cooperation ties with those countries that want it and are interested in it.

I am sure that such work will bring benefits to all its participants, guarantee the well-being of our peoples for many, many years to come, but, of course, not without your active, active participation.

Thank you for your attention.

A. Abd El Hamid: Thank you very much, Mr President.

After hearing your detailed speech, I thought that the consequences of Western sanctions against Russia are not so bad. This allowed your country to adapt to these consequences, cope with them and, most importantly, find alternative energy markets. And most importantly, I think that these consequences have made it possible to attract the hands of willing countries to cooperate with Russia independently and independently of external dictates.

Thank you very much.

Before inviting Mr. Sudani to speak, I would like to point out that the forum officials asked me to moderate the session in Arabic in honor of the Iraqi guest. Since I belong to both the Arabic and Russian cultures, I will do so with pleasure.

Mr. Prime Minister, you have the floor.

:(as translated)M.Sudani In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful and Merciful!

Dear Mr. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, ladies and gentlemen, participants of the Russian Energy Week Forum, I welcome you!

Before I begin: I listened to Mr. President's speech and would like to emphasize that he is a wise ruler and responds very correctly to emerging challenges that lead to new opportunities for development. I wish you good luck, development and success in your work.

Today, on behalf of Iraq, I will share with you and tell you during this forum – the VI Russian Energy Week Forum – that cooperation in the energy sector, countering energy challenges in the oil and gas sector-these steps ensure progress and prosperity, help us in this world to rely on fast-developing technologies, and technologies that can be used in the energy sector will help us in turn, they contribute to the development of energy.

We want to make it clear to the whole world and to all our partners in the global market that Iraq, whose name is fixed on the map of oil export and production, is a source of energy and oil resources. Our Government is playing its part in the energy transition, improving energy efficiency and moving towards a low-carbon economy.

By 2024, we aim to strengthen the place of oil and gas as the main sources of energy, which are the mainstay of our economy, to use energy while preserving the environment. We have launched low-carbon projects. We emphasize that oil countries can play an important role in this area by improving energy efficiency, since climate restrictions and climate consequences are not related to the fuel itself. Oil creates the necessary opportunity for competition and competition.

Iraq has made great strides in the renewable energy sector. We are developing the solar power industry, and its volume is three gigawatts-this already covers a third of all needs. Through renewable energy sources, we aim to achieve this goal by 2030.

We want to improve the technology of fossil fuel extraction, but most importantly, what we have planned in terms of financing, investing in the oil and gas sectors, so that Iraq retains its place in the global market, which would correspond to its capabilities.

The vision of our Government is aimed at compensating the needs of the national economy. Since the beginning of oil discovery, we have not invested in the gas sector. This led to an increase in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and we lost opportunities for the development of this sector and were forced to import gas. This had a negative impact on our economy and the needs of our people. Therefore, it is important to invest in the gas sector. We plan to issue licenses for the development of deposits in this sector.

We believe that Iraq is capable of achieving these goals, and we have all the necessary resources that create the foundation for cooperation and mutual success in order to achieve peace and bring our positions closer together. We have chosen rapprochement in order to counter challenges and are interested in diversifying energy sources, expanding economic cooperation, strengthening security and reducing challenges, including in the energy sector, that affect national security.

Undoubtedly, infrastructure projects are of great importance in trade and transport, which will attract donors to projects in the region.

Our region is rich in natural resources. We have experienced a certain period of security problems and political difficulties, but we are striving for economic integration that would strengthen prosperity and cooperation. Based on this vision, we adopted the Path of Development project. This project has no analogues, and we have started implementing it. It includes a number of economic goals that will have a positive impact on the development of the situation in the medium and long term.

We confirm our readiness to work seriously with the countries of the region and the world regarding the implementation of this project, within the framework of our philosophy of attracting investors and capital so that our region becomes a platform for meeting interests, creating new jobs, and this would contribute to establishing stability and security. Iraq has made a big step forward in terms of developing cooperation.

As for the energy markets, we need joint coordination, as competition has a negative impact. The adopted coordination mechanisms within the framework of OPEC Plus should continue to work in order to maintain a balance, a balance between supply and demand, in order to help address the political challenges that arise from the situation in the energy markets.

This mechanism helps to stabilize markets, stabilize prices in the markets, and work within this mechanism is aimed at stabilizing not only prices, but the entire global market in the interests of consumers, investors and producers alike.

Our Government has identified the transition to renewable energy sources as one of its priorities for economic reforms, instead of relying only on oil. We are undertaking comprehensive development projects in the energy and oil and gas sectors. We have established and adopted plans that include the development of eleven fields.

We encourage international specialized companies to invest in these projects, and we, as the government, are ready to prepare and provide all the necessary conditions for the work of the private sector – Iraqi and foreign.

We are interested in increasing investment in modern technologies, infrastructure development, and oil refining infrastructure, and we thank the leadership of the Russian Federation for inviting us to participate in this forum.

We see this as a great opportunity to open new doors to opportunities, to develop cooperation in the search for renewable energy sources, and to establish prosperity in the region and the world.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Thank you very much, Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Sudani.

Perhaps many around the world do not know, even in Russia they do not know, that the first contact between the Slavic civilization and the Arab one occurred in the tenth or eleventh century, when Caliph Abbas of Baghdad sent Ahmad ibn Fadlan, his envoy, to Volga Bulgaria. During this trip, Ibn Fadlan got acquainted with the Slavic culture and recorded it all in his work "Ibn Fadlan's Journey along the Volga". This is the first evidence of contact between civilizations.

I note that this traveler described the way of life and life of the peoples who lived on these lands then-Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians - and called them all by the same name "Russians". Ibn Fadlan, as I mentioned, came from Baghdad – which is a beautiful city from which our dear guest, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, came.

Gentlemen, as you can see, the world is undergoing fundamental changes and conflicts of a geopolitical, economic and military nature. One of the most important reasons for all this is energy. It is no longer possible to understand the cause of various conflicts without their connection – linking and coupling with the topic of energy.

Russia works responsibly in this area, and as Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin said: The Russian Energy Week is a forum where we study the future of this sector.

Thank you very much for your words, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister.

Now we will talk about what is happening in the Middle East, a region that for many decades has forgotten about the concept of "calm". We can see that another spiral of violence is now unfolding in the area of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has led to numerous victims. I would like to hear your positions – the position of Russia and the position of Iraq.

If I may, Mr. President, I would like to start by asking you a question. A few days ago, the US National Security Adviser spoke with pride that the Middle East is experiencing a period of calm and pacification thanks to US policy. But now in the Middle East, we see an escalation in the area of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

My question to you, Mr. President: who is responsible for this ongoing struggle, which has been going on for 75 years, and the only occupation in the world that we are now seeing going on there?

Vladimir Putin: My colleague and I discussed this issue yesterday, and it is impossible not to discuss it. Iraq is a country in the Middle East, and the Palestinian issue is in the heart of every person in this region, and I think in the heart of everyone who professes Islam. This is how life has developed, these are obvious things. And all this, which is happening not only now, but over the decades, is perceived as a manifestation of injustice raised to some incredible degree. Why? Because initially, when the decision to create the State of Israel was made, the decision to create a second state was made simultaneously, in parallel.

It was originally about creating two independent, sovereign States: Israel and Palestine. Israel was created, as you know, but Palestine, as an independent, sovereign state, was never created, did not take place due to various circumstances. I won't go into details now.

Moreover, some of the land that the Palestinians consider, have always considered part of, to be originally Palestinian, has been occupied by Israel – at different times and in different ways, but mostly, of course, by military force.

But what is the problem today? Settlement mechanisms have been established, but the United States has neglected these mechanisms over the past few years and decided to regulate everything on its own, has not used these mechanisms, and in recent years has focused on meeting the material needs of the population living in the Palestinian territories. In fact, they tried to replace the solution of fundamental political problems with some material handouts. Of course, this is very important for people who have a low standard of living, it is important to solve socio-economic issues. But we have always said that this will not be enough: without resolving fundamental political issues, the main one being the creation of a sovereign Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, it is impossible to solve the problem as a whole. Nevertheless, the bet was made on this.

In addition, the settlement policy, as well as a number of other components, eventually led to such an explosion of violence. What's happening is terrible. We understand that there is a lot of violence on both sides, but no matter what it is, no matter what level of violence on both sides, we still need to strive to minimize or reduce to zero, to minimize losses among the civilian population: among women, children, the elderly. If the men have already decided to fight among themselves, let them fight among themselves-leave the children and women alone. This applies to both sides.

Whether it will be possible to calm the situation in the near future is unknown, but we must strive for this, because the expansion of the conflict zone can lead to serious consequences, including in the energy sector.

I don't want to go into details right now. I will give the floor to a person who is probably even better versed in this than I am, since this is the head of government of one of the regional states.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Thank you very much.

A question now for Mr. Prime Minister of Iraq.

What is your country's assessment of what is happening in the Palestinian territories? Yesterday, Russia, as one of the permanent members of the Security Council, called for immediate action to stop the aggression that is taking place in this territory. What is Iraq's position in this regard? You mentioned what needs to be done by the international community. What should the Arab countries do?

:(as translated)M.Sudani Thank you, Mr. President.

Today, the position on the Palestinian issue is not only a political position, it is a position that reflects first of all our humanitarian needs. And this is a legally justified position. The world ignored this problem, and now everyone is wondering how this happened, why Hamas went to this intifada, to resist, because the Palestinian people have experienced years and decades of persecution, oppression, and non-compliance with all internationally accepted resolutions.

More than 70 decisions and resolutions have been adopted by the General Assembly and the Security Council regarding the Palestinian issue. However, none of them, in fact, was fulfilled, including by the Israeli authorities. So what do you expect from a people who have a doctrine, an idea, but their rights are not being implemented?

The Palestinians are a free people, and they are part of an Islamic Ummah of more than two billion people. And so when we see the results, the consequences of this position, and we see that the Israelis insist on using exactly the methods that they are currently using, as a result, spontaneous strikes are carried out on Gaza, there is destruction. At the same time, the Israelis are using all their arsenal, and they openly declare their responsibility for these events. They say that they made the decision to stop the supply of water and electricity not only to humiliate the people who live there, and they even call them words that they don't want to say – this is an insult to all of humanity.

Today, the international community must openly approve whether there are any agreements, international principles that regulate this situation and regulate the situation in the world, or whether there is nothing at all, and any country in the world can take steps at its discretion. This is wrong. We live in a world where the forces of good need to come together.

That is why, Mr. President, I appeal to you, as the President of a country that is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to take the initiative for a cease – fire, a real ceasefire and finding a real solution to the Palestinian problem, because we cannot even predict the consequences of these challenges for the entire region. We are talking about the Arab and Islamic "street", they are just now seething, seeing the events that are taking place in Palestine, the murders and the attack on the Gaza Strip.

Vladimir Putin: I would add that the position of Russia that you mentioned, and I have just outlined it, was formed not today, not in connection with these tragic events, but over the course of decades, and this position is well known both to the Israeli side and to our friends in Palestine. We have always supported the implementation of the decisions of the UN Security Council, meaning first of all the creation of an independent, sovereign Palestinian State. This is the root of all the problems. And, of course, everything that has accompanied this problem in recent years, has aggravated it, is settlement activity.

By the way, this does not mean that Israel's position is that we should do what we are doing, the position of the United States in what I said is to solve only material issues, and Russia's position is different – to create an independent state. In fact, the problem is more complicated: there are many politicians and experts in the United States who believe that we should listen and follow the path of creating an independent state, and there are such people in Israel. But those who have been trying to solve this problem by force for decades are gaining the upper hand, which, unfortunately, leads to such tragic incidents as we are seeing now.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Let me return to Mr. Prime Minister of Iraq once again.

Can this escalation expand beyond the Palestinian territories and Israel? Are you not afraid of the possibility of an Iranian-Israeli confrontation?

:(as translated)M.Sudani Continued bombing of Gaza as we see it now, and hints that there will be a ground operation-all this leads to madness in the region. As I mentioned, the Islamic Arab "street" is hot, it sees all these crimes. And ignoring, ignoring the opinions of ordinary people is a very big threat to the whole world.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Mr. President Vladimir Putin, what is happening in the Middle East is very sad from the humanitarian and moral point of view.

What is the impact of what is happening on energy markets, particularly oil markets? How can this affect energy markets?

Vladimir Putin: First of all, it can affect logistics – it can affect the same... immediately – insurance, freight, and so on – of course, all of this can affect. Of course, this will not affect production, but it may affect all other components that determine the state of global energy markets. These are quite obvious things. If, God forbid, the conflict continues to grow, then this influence will, in my opinion, be inevitable.

I don't understand why the United States is dragging aircraft carrier groups there, to the Mediterranean Sea – one, they are announcing like the second. I don't really see the point. Are they going to bomb Lebanon or something? What are they going to do? Or just decided to scare someone? But there are people who are no longer afraid of anything. It is not necessary to solve problems in this way, but to search for compromise solutions-that is what we need to do.

But, of course, such actions escalate the situation. And if, as you said, the conflict goes beyond the Palestinian territories, then, of course, it will affect. Now we hear that Iran is accused of all serious crimes – as usual, without proof. There's no proof of that.

We'll see. I hope common sense prevails.

:(as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid Mr. Prime Minister of Iraq, you mentioned that the Arab "street" is now very agitated by the events that are taking place. Can this hatred translate into any acts of violence – for example, attacks on American facilities or Western countries that support Israel? Aren't you afraid that something similar might happen in Iraq, for example?

:(as translated)M.Sudani What I said about the growing discontent on the Arab "street" is that there will be growing pressure on Arab governments to take a clear position. The expansion of the crisis and conflict in the region will undoubtedly disrupt stability. As a Government, we are trying to fulfill our de-escalation responsibilities. It doesn't matter whether we work with friendly or unfriendly countries, but it is important for us to respond to emerging challenges.

And to answer the question that you asked Mr. President: energy supplies-there is also a threat that these supplies may stop. This is a very sensitive region, a very important region that fills the energy market with resources. And the tasks of OPEC and OPEC Plus include responding to political challenges in order to maintain market stability.

But you can't flirt with security and stability in the Middle East region, because otherwise it will be very difficult to get the situation back under control and stop the impact on the electricity market.

: (as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister. From the conflict in the Middle East, the escalation there – to the Ukrainian crisis and the development of the situation there in terms of its impact on energy problems.

And my question to Mr. President Vladimir Putin is: what is the impact of the special military operation that you ordered to start in February 2022 on Russia's energy strategy?

Vladimir Putin: I said this indirectly in my speech, but I can repeat it and specify some things. Some of our former partners, first of all in the United States and in Europe, mainly in Europe, have started to abandon our energy sources and introduce certain restrictions: price, volume, insurance, freight. A lot of restrictions were introduced.

I told you the result.

First of all, yes, we could, and probably our energy industry could have worked better over the previous year and a half, but the results are good. That's the first thing.

Secondly, we fulfill all our obligations within the country and to our partners who want to work with us. And those who introduce these restrictions, they face problems that they cannot solve yet. They've given up on our natural gas. They seem to have refused, but prices have skyrocketed, not to mention those prices that were clearly speculative-two thousand euros per thousand cubic meters, but now they are somewhere under 350, under 400. Well, it doesn't matter, somewhere in this limit it fluctuates, goes back and forth. But this is also a lot for the European market, this is a big price.

They blew up the Nord Streams-no one is investigating. I am surprised by the position of many European countries: this is a clear act of international terrorism, and, apparently, at the state level. Because just like that, a team of people who suddenly decided to blow up gas pipelines could not have carried out such an act on their own, without support at the state level, it is impossible. You need to have technology, specially trained people, and so on. No one is investigating. Our repeated requests to participate in this investigation are ignored.

As a result ‒ I said yes in my speech and just recently at the Valdai Forum ‒ all the leading, industrialized countries in Europe, their industrial production is going into negative territory and GDP growth is going into negative territory: the Federal Republic of Germany, in my opinion, is minus 0.1 percent, and the Netherlands ‒ all the other industrial, leading countries Europe. The standard of living of the population has fallen-minus 1.2 percent, and real disposable incomes of the population have fallen.

We have an increase of plus 4.4 percent, and in the second quarter ‒ plus 5.3 percent. Data on the euro area for this position is not yet available. Maybe it will be a little better than a drop of minus 1.2, but it is still an indicator of what is happening in the economy first of all.

They refuse our gas ‒ the question is: why? Look, we have two pipeline systems through the territory of Ukraine: one works, transit goes on, our gas is received in Europe, Ukraine took and closed the second route. Well, look, it gets its money from Europe-four or five billion dollars a month, partly from the United States, but mostly from Europe. Europe could very well say: open the route quickly, we need it, support our economy. No. Why is it possible to transport gas to Europe by one route, but not by another? I don't understand.

Or the Poles took and closed the Yamal-Europe route-a huge, powerful route, took and closed it. It was their initiative. Germany could say: look, we are the biggest donor to European funds. Poland-at least until recently-was the biggest recipient of money from these funds. We could say: listen, if you bite from this hand, then don't bite it, just open it for us, let the gas in. No.

I don't really understand what's going on there. It is clear that the modern political system sometimes raises not very competent people to the top. All right, but there should be some mechanisms of public and parliamentary control over compliance with decisions taken, at least in the economic sphere. Must. But it doesn't work either.

What are we doing? These markets are still shrinking, but I gave examples and showed ‒ these are not our data, but data from international organizations-how the growth trend of markets will change, for example, in Asia and Latin America, and how it will shrink in Europe. And we go to promising markets anyway. We did this anyway, even before any crises. But this trend does not exactly upset us, but surprises us. Because we do not reduce anything, we do not reduce the supply, they themselves refuse. And the result is like this, the opposite of the expected one. We have a saying: don't dig someone else's hole, you'll fall into it yourself. So they fell into this pit.

As for oil, we are with our colleagues from OPEC Plus… This is not directly related, but is, of course, indirectly related to the attempts being made to limit our opportunities in the energy sector,including oil. But, you know, it's not a question of whether people like us or don't like us. The fact is that there is objective data. Mr. Prime Minister himself is a great expert in this field, because he leads the government of an oil country. There is a certain amount of production in the world and there is a certain amount of consumption in the world. If you decide to reduce purchases from us in a certain region, but the total volume of consumption still remains, then you have to buy in another place. It is impossible without it. You have to be absolutely stupid not to understand this. And since the volume of consumption is preserved, it is impossible without our volumes. They have given up on us, they have to buy elsewhere, which they are doing, and we are replacing the volume that went to other markets. It is impossible to live without it, you know, and the world economy cannot develop. And they are forced to buy just more expensive.

I'm not even talking about gas, where American LNG is 30 percent more expensive than what Mr. Miller supplied to Europe ‒ by 30 percent! What did it lead to? Chemical companies, glass companies, and some others are just gradually starting to move to the United States. They move there to work, and here they close businesses. What is this? Is this normal? Didn't they realize what this was all about? There was no such need. What we fought for, that's what we ran into.

Abd El Hamid: Mr. President, you spoke about this topic, you said that the West is shooting itself in the foot. Maybe we'll come back to this problem again.

But let me ask Mr. Prime Minister Mohammad Sudani. Iraq, like other members of the international system, is experiencing the impact of the Ukrainian crisis. Has this influence had any impact on your cooperation with Russia in the energy sector?

We all heard your speech, and you said that Russian companies operate in Iraq, a number of companies, and that the investment of Russian companies in this sector has reached 13 billion. dollars. Is this cooperation continuing and in line with your ambitions in Iraq?

M. Sudani: First, Iraq has a clear position regarding this crisis and Russia's military operation in Ukraine. This position is based on the political vision, the political system that we have adopted in Iraq, the Constitution that the people voted for, and the principles that it provides and guarantees.

Iraq is one of those countries that has suffered greatly from wars and blockades. We are well aware of the price that has to be paid for these wars and for these problems. We strive for dialogue and encourage everyone to engage in dialogue, because dialogue is the way to end the crisis, to reach an understanding that would ensure and guarantee mutual respect.

We have great confidence in the Russian leadership, and personally in Vladimir Putin, that they will try to find channels for finding peace even in the current conditions. As this crisis is associated with major economic and humanitarian problems, Iraq continues to fulfill its part of its obligations and agreements with Russian companies, especially in the oil sector.

Yes, there are certain difficulties associated with bank transfers, and we are trying to find solutions to these problems on a bilateral basis. But Iraq is sticking to its obligations with regard to development licenses already issued, and is discussing new opportunities for cooperation with Russian companies, including in the oil sector. We are looking for new ways to cooperate and circumvent sanctions.

Abd El Hamid: Do you mean that these sanctions do not affect Russian companies operating in Iraq?

M. Sudani: Russian companies continue their work. As I said, there are certain difficulties associated with bank transfers. We are trying to solve them within the framework of our existing understanding and authority.

Vladimir Putin: Overall, Russian companies have invested over $ 10 billion in the Iraqi economy. They have been working there for a long time, Lukoil-since the 90s, successfully.

Yes, Mr. Prime Minister pointed out some difficulties today related to calculations and some other technical issues, but they are all solvable. This is all solvable, and most importantly, all that our companies do in the countries of the region, including Iraq, are mutually beneficial contracts.

Therefore, if Mr. Prime Minister and his colleagues in the Government of Iraq are primarily concerned with national interests, of course they support this joint work. This is not done only by those who, despite their external respectability, still do not have full sovereignty.

By the way, you mentioned our special military operation again. I spoke at the Valdai Club, but this is a different audience, business people are here, they are engaged in specific things, and not in verbiage. So what do I want to say? I'll just repeat it again for this audience. The war began in Ukraine in 2014, when after a coup supported by the United States and Europe ‒ supported by the coup d'etat ‒ fighting began in the south-east of Ukraine. Eight years of fighting, killing women, children, the elderly, and no one paid attention to it. Everyone paid attention only to when we started actions aimed at ending this war. That's what it's all about. And this is a very significant addition to what I said.

A. Abd El Hamid: Your comment makes me ask the following question.

There are a number of forecasts, there are a number of observers who believe that what is happening in Ukraine is a conflict that has been postponed for at least 30 years, a conflict between Russia and the West. Do you agree with this?

Vladimir Putin: Both yes and no ‒ in part.

Why? After all, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we took a number of energetic steps over a long period of time, over the course of decades, aimed at resolving the situation in the historical perspective, creating a security system in Europe that would not infringe on anyone, would be equal for everyone ‒ an equal security system.

I have already said many times that there were all sorts of ideas in Western Europe to create something new, a new security system, including the United States, Canada, the Central European states, and Russia. But unfortunately, we did not follow this path, we took a different path: we promised that we would not expand NATO, and we did ‒ there were five NATO extensions to the east.

They took up Ukraine, started dragging Ukraine there, and also made a coup d'etat there. It became clear to us that no civilized means of ensuring our security are possible. Plus, the war there has been rocked, as I said, since 2014. And then they also abandoned the peace settlement plan based on the documents signed in Minsk. Moreover, they even said openly and publicly that they were not going to do it, they simply led us by the nose.

That's the kind of people you have to deal with. And they have to respond with what we respond with, because there are no other means left.

:(as translated)But.Abd El-Hamid What President Putin said about this confrontation between Russia and the West, the history of this confrontation, is already an old story, as we understand and as everyone understands.

Mr. Prime Minister of Iraq, perhaps some people say that what we are experiencing now, what the world is experiencing now, is a new stage of the cold war. The challenges and threats of what is happening may be influencing the decision-making strategy in Arab countries.

I will especially ask you about Iraq: is Iraq trying to work with different axes?

:(as translated)M.Sudani Yes, of course, there are differences in each country's policy-making.

As for Iraq, we are trying to maintain a balanced policy, not to join any axes, as you said. We try to promote conflict resolution. The main thing is that Iraq itself should not be an arena for such crises and conflicts, as it has been for many years.

We try to implement this principle in our policy and believe that Iraq, due to the resources that it has, the weight and heritage – cultural and historical, its strategic and geographical location-can become a center for meeting and settling all differences, searching for mutual interests and mutual respect. This is the principle of our policy, which we implement.

Today, we can say with complete confidence that the national decisions we are making in Iraq are a movement towards peace in the region, towards world peace.

:(as translated)But.Abd El-Hamid You are visiting Russia for the first time as Prime Minister at a time when the collective West is trying to put pressure on governments, on leaders of countries, not to cooperate with Russia.

Are you not afraid that your visit will lead to some problems in relations with the United States, for example, with other Western countries?

:(as translated)But.Abd El Hamid of course not.

Iraq has the opportunity to make independent, sovereign decisions and build relations in ways that we believe are in our best interests. And we will not allow anyone to dictate to Iraq who our friends are, who our partners are.

The Russian Federation is a state with which we have historical relations. Soon we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Iraq cannot forget Russia's role in supporting Iraq during the war on terrorism and supplying weapons. This has played a crucial role in our battle against ISIS.

Therefore, this visit at this time is a message and confirmation of the course that the Iraqi government is pursuing in the context of relations with Russia. And this applies to the development of relations in all spheres: security, political sphere, economy.

Vladimir Putin: This answer deserves a round of applause.

(Applause.)

:(as translated)But.Abd El-Hamid Let's return once again from politics to economics. Gas theme.

Mr. President Vladimir Putin, I heard what you said about Germany at the Valdai Forum: You said that you in Russia are ready to resume gas supply to Germany through the Nord Stream pipeline, which was not damaged as a result of sabotage.

Have you received any signals from the German side in this regard?

Vladimir Putin: No.

I want to draw your attention to the fact that we already supply goods to Germany through the territory of Ukraine. [Gas] comes to Austria – the Baumgarten hub is called-and from there it is distributed to consumers almost all over Europe. I think that it also reaches Germany.

But Nord Stream 2 is directly to Germany. One line was not affected, which is 27.5 billion cubic meters per year, just click the button. But this requires a decision of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. They prefer to buy everything for 30 percent more and not use our energy resources. Well, that's their choice. 30 percent more expensive to buy in the United States-there only rejoice. Some businesses, as I said, are moving to the United States.

You know, I want to be correct right now, but it seems to me that this is some kind of unwise economic behavior: as if they are deliberately harming the German economy. I just don't understand why. Why is it possible to supply gas to Germany through the territory of Ukraine, but they consider it impossible to use Nord Stream 2? Why can't Poland be offered to open [the gas pipeline] Yamal – Europe? I just don't get it.

I can imagine if they said: close everything, don't take anything. Well, never mind, we'll get over it. But why here-it is possible, and here-it is impossible? I don't understand it, and probably no one else does. I think that very many things that are being done in the economic sphere in Germany, and in Germany itself, very few people understand already. And the volumes are solid. Why bring it to this state? I repeat once again: why is it possible to use one route, but not the other? This is just nonsense. I repeat once again: when I talk to my colleagues from Germany – I still have contacts-they all shrug their shoulders. What guides the government is completely unclear.

Here we can only say one thing: when our gas enters the territory of Ukraine – even in Soviet times, the entire system was built in this way-it flows through gas pipelines inside Ukraine, and everything else is only on paper further, that allegedly it goes entirely through the territory of Ukraine to Western consumers. Then they draw up papers there in the appropriate way, and a certain balance from the western border of Ukraine – from storage facilities, from their own production-is sent there, further. But it's still our gas, our gas. Yes, and Ukraine itself probably partially uses it, our volumes – without our volume, it is impossible to come up with anything there. On reverses, still there, whatever. Why is it possible for someone, but for example, the same Germany-no? There is no sound explanation. So this is for them – ask them why. There is a Minister of economy there – a great specialist in the field of children's literature, and there are also "specialists" in the field of international relations. There are people there to talk to.

:(as translated)But.Abd El-Hamid You ask questions – perhaps you have some explanation for this behavior? Moreover, the pipeline passes through Ukraine, and the rest of the pipelines are closed.

Vladimir Putin: I'm telling you honestly, I'm not inventing anything: this is just irrational behavior. As if they were deliberately planted to harm the German economy. Why are they doing this? You can do it here, but you can't do it here.

(To A. Miller) Alexey Borisovich, can you explain?

Alexey Borisovich Miller can't explain it either. He supplied-supplied... Now Gazprom supplies less, and revenues are less, but nothing: Gazprom feels confident, calm, and coping. We are expanding gasification within the country, supplying more gas to other markets, and building pipelines. Why should European economies, including the German economy, behave in this way? There is no sound explanation. If you ask them, I don't think they'll say anything sensible either. They will probably start talking about a given topic, but it is hardly possible to formulate anything specific.

: (as translated)But.Abd El-Hamid This picture that you have explained, the data that you transmit, that you say that some European countries are buying LNG from the United States at huge prices, instead of buying cheap Russian gas ‒ what are your expectations in light of what is happening in the world, what is happening in Ukraine What is happening in the Middle East now? Do you expect this situation to continue and do European countries continue to buy LNG at high prices from the United States?

Vladimir Putin: I think they will continue to buy. They don't sign contracts with us, so they will have to do it within the framework of existing contracts. By the way, LNG supplies from the Middle East have increased, but mainly from the United States. I don't remember how much increase, 40 percent, in my opinion.

(To A. Novak) Alexander Valentinovich, do you remember?

Alexander Novak: Twice.

Vladimir Putin: Well, we doubled our purchases in the United States. So it is 30 percent more expensive than our pipe gas. It is easy to calculate: immediately profitability falls, competitiveness decreases, it is unprofitable to produce fertilizers – well, it is unprofitable simply. The economy of enterprises that produce fertilizers does not add up. With such high gas prices, it is impossible to calculate the economy of fertilizer companies. It goes into negative territory, they are simply closed. Glass enterprises, which also need a lot of energy, are closing down. Metallurgical plants are in poor condition. Chemistry is a problem for them, but the obvious problems are the same.

Why do we need to create problems for ourselves in the hope that we will collapse? But we will not collapse-everything is already clear and they all understand. No, they have got into this rut and continue to roam along this rut without any analysis of what is happening and without an analysis of what will happen in the near future.

Yes, we may also have questions and problems in the economy as a whole, and in the gas sector, but we see prospects, we see and understand what we need to do. We will also deal with liquefaction. Mr. Mikhelson is working very well, achieving concrete results, and Gazprom is also working on liquefaction. And we will continue to do this, the flexibility of the market is very high compared to the pipe market. Pipe gas is cheaper, but liquefied gas needs to be liquefied, then delivered again, and produced. Pipe gas-go-go.

Huge competitive advantages are gained by those of our partners who take advantage of this, and here they themselves refuse in the hope of harming us. And you know this as a well-known case: to spite the conductor, I'll buy a ticket, but I won't go. To myself [out of spite]. What for?

And most importantly, it is not clear why you can get money on one route – they also get it on the route through Ukraine – but you can't get it here? Through the" Turkish Stream "receive -" Turkish Stream " goes to Europe. Yes, for example, it goes to Southern Europe, to some countries, but all the same, in the end, all this applies to the economy of the whole of Europe.

Why is it possible there, but for the "Nord Stream-2", which some scoundrels did not blow up, which is in working order, for some reason it is impossible to press the button and turn it on? I don't understand. God be with them.

(Applause.)

:(as translated)But.Abd El-Hamid We have not been able to find any political explanation, perhaps an economic one, for what is happening. But perhaps this explanation is psychological, moral. Do you agree with me, Mr. President?

Vladimir Putin: No, I don't agree with you. Because if it was moral, it would have been necessary to say: we will not take it through the Turkish Stream, we will not take it through the territory of Ukraine. Then we can assume that everything is cut off, and no, and we will not take anything from Russia – we will chew grass, but we will not allow Russia to earn a single euro. But they also take other routes. Why don't they take it here? It's just nonsense. They probably blurted it out once, and then realized that it was bad, but they didn't want to unscrew it back. And why? Unclear.

You should ask them. I do not know, ask the Chancellor [of Germany], the Minister of Economy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs – "major" political figures of our time, they will find the answer.

:(as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid In their speeches, President Putin and the Prime Minister of Iraq touched upon issues related to OPEC, OPEC Plus work and other issues. Baghdad announced last June that it would continue a voluntary reduction in oil production in the amount of 211 thousand barrels per day until December 2023, as part of the commitments that OPEC Plus assumed to reduce oil production. Will you stick to this solution?

:(as translated)M.Sudani Yes, absolutely. The coordination mechanism approved to counteract the full range of these challenges-we were able to achieve market stabilization, prevent its failure, and maintain stability and balance between producers and consumers. And these agreements, which are valid, preserve supply and demand, help to stabilize prices and meet the interests of consumers and producers, as well as investors. This is an example of policy and interaction to respond to such challenges.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Mr. President Putin, you also pointed out in your speech the chaos that the West has spread in the energy sector through politicization. Is there a threat of blocking the market in order for Americans to gain a larger share in this market?

And [to you too] my question, which was answered by the Prime Minister of Iraq: are you interested in extending the OPEC Plus agreement beyond 2023, to 2024?

Vladimir Putin: I think that, most likely, it is necessary to consult with colleagues, but here decisions are made by consensus practically, but we always agree. Even if there are differences in positions, we are always looking for consensus. And in this sense, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia plays a very important role, he is very active in this regard, very professionally. But today it looks like we will continue to cooperate, of course.

But I want to draw your attention to the fact that this is not only a reduction in oil production (by how much, by 2.5 million barrels per day we have reduced now), but also cooperation in the field of technology, training of personnel, equipment, and so on. This is an extremely important thing that unites us all.

Will we need to do something together to stabilize the markets next year? I don't rule it out. Most likely, yes. But we will have to look at how the world economy is developing and what the needs will be. Now needs and production, thanks to our solutions, are balanced. If there were no such decisions, the price would most likely go below $ 50 per barrel, and this would lead to the fact that there would not be (experts know) sufficient resources for investment. In the pre-epidemic period, the number of investments, and then in COVID, decreased by more than two times compared to the previous period. This is what causes all the problems in the global energy sector.

The people I have great respect for, the so – called greens, the Green Party, all over the world, they are engaged in a noble cause-they strive to preserve the climate, preserve the viability of the planet, do no harm, and so on. This is correct, but it is necessary to do everything gradually, in stages. But what happened in the same Europe in some countries? They decided to close the nuclear power industry, they decided to abandon coal, and they decided to abandon our gas pipelines. What did it all lead to? Their level of use of coal in the structure of power engineering has increased many times: twice as much as in Russia. This is the result – the result of an unbalanced, ill-conceived policy. This is not really politics, it is work in the domestic political sphere, which consists in simply intimidating people-partly with real, partly far-fetched problems, promising to solve everything, and then on this basis, in fact, on the basis of deception, they make their way to power. And then what? All the same, people feel something later.

Now look at the result of the land elections in the same Federal Republic [Germany]. The Greens failed, because people see what is happening, see the results of this policy, and the consequences in the political sphere are already there. But we need to ensure that the industry receives enough revenue to guarantee the necessary resources for investment, in a timely manner, in oil, gas, and other sources.

But by the way, we have the greenest energy structure in the Russian Federation. We already have almost 20 percent in nuclear power, 19.7 [percent], about the same amount, and a little less in hydroelectric power. A small amount, but still, in my opinion, 0.8 is there, one percent already, right? Two percent, the Deputy Prime Minister [Alexander Novak] suggests, two percent is renewable sources. And 43 percent is gas, which is the most environmentally friendly fuel among hydrocarbons. We have one of the greenest energy structures in the world.

But we will continue to do so, we want to increase nuclear power generation from 20 to 25 percent in the coming years, and we will move along this path. Everything must be done in stages and thought out, and then we will all be successful, including on the path to "green" energy.

We have corresponding plans, how we will go to zero emissions, we will definitely move in this direction.

: (as translated)M.Sudani Indicators, the level of consumption in 2022 is 99.9 million barrels, and in 2023 it exceeded 101 million barrels per day, next year it will exceed 104 million barrels per day. This is in light of the fluctuations of economic organizations in financing and allocating investments for projects in the gas and oil industry. This situation will soon lead to the fact that energy prices will rise.

We hope that the investment and financing of these projects will continue in order to maintain the level of supply and price stability.

: (as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid Before we leave the price of oil and coordination between OPEC Plus members, I also had a question for Mr. President Putin.

You are known to have a very good personal relationship with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman. Do these relations contribute to maintaining stability in the oil market?

Vladimir Putin: You know, it's easier to say no, we are just business people – that's the way it is, and of course, the Crown Prince is primarily guided by the interests of Saudi Arabia, and this is understandable, it would be strange if it were otherwise.

But still, when such a personal relationship of trust is established, it matters. Because when making decisions of this kind, which we are talking about now, mutual trust is still very important. And our Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Novak, who is constantly engaged in practical matters, "sits" in the negotiation process – he will not let you lie, there were several times when it was difficult even to predict the pace of development of the world economy, the needs of Asia, other markets, logistics, and so on. And there were several times when he said: it is difficult to predict, but the Saudis believe that such and such a solution will be optimal. I say: well, let's agree. Because there is no desire to "cheat" or deceive, there is a desire to come to a common solution that a) benefits everyone and b) will benefit the global energy markets. And I believe it is. And this level of trust is very important. I hope it's the same on the other side.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Thank you.

Mr. Prime Minister, approximately six months have passed since the shutdown of the Kirkuk – Ceyhan oil pipeline. The Turkish side announced that the pipeline is ready to resume operation in order to pump Iraqi oil. Are you ready for this step?

:(as translated)M.Sudani Yes, there is no doubt that the government [of Iraq] is ready to restore oil supplies through this pipeline. Export was suspended due to the decision of the International Arbitration Court due to the consequences of the earthquake, which affected the Turkish side. Certain technical examinations were carried out, which showed that the pipeline was ready, and we received a corresponding notification from the Turkish side.

You know that this pipeline carries oil from Kirkuk to the Kurdish region, and there are companies that operate in this area. We have an understanding with these companies in light of the adopted balance Sheet law of 2023. And the Iraqi Oil Ministry continues to consult with companies to reach an understanding – and with the Kurdistan Ministry of Natural Resources. We hope that in the near future we will come to an agreement with them in order to resume transit through this pipeline. Therefore, this is in compliance with Iraq's obligations under the OPEC Plus agreements.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid By the way, as for Turkey. There is a project that is connected with Russia, dear Mr. President – a gas hub in Turkey. How is the work going in this area? Does the Russian vision compare with the Turkish vision of implementing this project?

Vladimir Putin: First of all, we are talking about creating an electronic platform for gas trading on the European continent. Therefore, everyone is interested in this: our Turkish friends and partners, we are interested, and everyone who wants to acquire our resources on the European continent. There are some of them, but today we supply gas there through Turkey.

We have two routes – "Turkish Stream "and" Blue Stream " – working, working efficiently, fully filled. In principle, we have ideas to expand these opportunities.

But I repeat: the first stage is the creation of an electronic trading platform. But here we don't see any big problems in creating it, Turkey is interested, and so are we. We have spoken with Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan is also showing interest. Then, as the work gets better, and I hope it will, we hope that other interested countries will be able to join us.

: (as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid Regarding the topic of Gaza. Mr. Prime Minister, in recent years Iraq has faced difficulties in importing Iranian gas for well-known reasons-sanctions, US sanctions against Iran. We see the challenge in this situation in light of the difficulties with electricity supply in Iraq – you rely on 40 percent of gas imports from Iran.

Do you have any plan to diversify gas supply sources other than Iran?

: (as translated)M.Sudani Of course, I would like to emphasize that the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran [is] to preserve the supply of gas and electricity to Iraq.

In the last period, despite the fact that the corresponding financial payments of 11 billion euros were not received, we were faced with a real problem in maintaining the level of electricity supply to our citizens, especially during the summer, very hot period. That is why we have started work on activating associated gas projects.

As I mentioned, in recent years we have not particularly developed this industry, associated gas, as part of the development of our oil production, which reaches 4.6 million barrels per day, so we turned to Iran, which has large reserves. Of course, we are also interested in expanding natural gas supplies. And so the government's plan was to move towards signing agreements with a number of companies, with Total, to work with Emirati and Chinese companies, in order to ensure the necessary gas supplies for the next three to five years so that we don't have to import any more gas.

As for the announcement of the development of gas fields, our Oil Ministry is preparing these processes. There are promising fields, about 10-12 blocks that can be added to gas production, and we will be able to cover the needs of power plants. And in the future, perhaps, Iraq will be a big player in the gas market.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid You mentioned the French company Total. Your government has signed a $ 17 billion contract with this company.

:(as translated)M.Sudani Yes, this agreement includes four agreements related to the development of the Artavi field, investments in the gas industry, as well as drilling new wells and generating electricity per thousand megawatts.

:(as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid How does Iraq maintain a balance between the West and Russia in the context of energy relations?

:(as translated)M.Sudani As I have already said, balance is what we strive for in our interests, in our politics, but the main thing is our national interests. And if the national interests of Iraq go in this direction, in the direction of this project, then, of course, we will implement it.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid I would like to return to Mr. President Putin.

Last Saturday, gas supplies to Uzbekistan began. This is a very important step, as experts say, and you mentioned it in your speech, the creation of this coalition, this consortium between Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Can we say that one day it will come to the point that Russia will find an alternative or alternatives to the European markets completely?

Vladimir Putin: Well, we have practically found it. Volumes are still lower than on the European continent, but they will increase as the economies of these countries grow. I don't see any problems here. It's just that European countries are still unable to fully cope without our gas, there is simply nowhere to get it. It is possible, probably, but even then it is difficult, even just physical volumes are not enough.

Here we are all talking about buying American gas. But there, too, production volumes are limited, and it is not so easy to quickly promote all this. These are all long-cycle things. But as for Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan-this is an old gas pipeline, still Soviet, "Central Asia-Center", 80 billion cubic meters were transited to eight union republics. Something like this. But it was never used in reverse mode, that is, in the opposite direction, from Russia to these republics.

That's why we had to work here – and Gazprom worked for three months, and our colleagues and friends in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan restored this route and started it in reverse mode. These volumes are still small, but they are significant for these republics. But as their economies grow, they will not have enough of this volume, it is already clear. Therefore, we are thinking about how to expand these volumes of supplies, we are thinking about how [to do this] - either build new routes, or put these in order.

By the way, we were talking about Iran, and our Iranian partners are also discussing the possibility of Russian gas supplies to the Iranian market. There are many options here, and they all have the right to exist.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid will continue this question. Does Russia face any difficulties in importing technologies and necessary equipment for the industrial sector related to energy?

Vladimir Putin: You know, of course, this is a very sensitive area that you have just touched upon. We had serious concerns about whether we would be able to cope with the challenge that we face with oil and gas equipment. And of course, we haven't closed everything yet, our needs, of course, have not acquired all the competencies, but still the situation is changing-and it is changing for the better for us quite quickly.

I was just talking about the plant that NOVATEK has built in Murmansk. This is a plant for the production of plants, as it were, for the production of platforms for gas liquefaction. Almost all the equipment there is Russian.

There are some things (I won't go into details now, there are specialists here, they know me better) that in exploration – in gas production, in oil production, it is probably still difficult for us to find or reach the level that our partners have, especially in the United States and Europe. But we replace people from other countries and acquire our own competencies. And the work is going on, and very actively.

I recently visited the Far East, including two of our major enterprises. One works in the field of gas, and the other in gas chemistry, and the technological equipment was supplied by a German company-I will name it, there is nothing special here, the company is called Linde. It was a clear technology leader in this area of activity.

I ask the head of the company right on the spot – SIBUR, there are no secrets either. I say: how are you? He says: since they refused us the equipment, we had to move the object a little to the right, that is, to move to the right, but there is no doubt that we will launch it. And he gave specific dates – in the very near future.

I say: what's going on with technology? I'll tell you what he said next. He may be wishful thinking, but I think what he told me is very close to the truth. He says: You know, we received [equipment] from Linde, we had very good relations with our partners, there were never any problems, but under political pressure they were forced to leave us. What happened? Their office, a multi-storey building in Germany, is already almost half empty in the evenings, the lights are not on, a huge number of people were taken away. We were forced – forced – to move on to developing our own engineering competencies, and since we have everything: we have the initial product – gas, and there are sales markets - in the Far East, China, and the entire Asia-Pacific region - for our products, engineering orders went to us. We are becoming the center of engineering competencies in the world.

Here is the result. And this is a positive result of the rash economic actions taken by the West in relation to the Russian Federation. It's only a plus for us. This is not the case everywhere, there are also problems, but in general, the trend is like this. I'm sure we'll keep it.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Thank you.

Mr. Prime Minister Mohammad Sudani, last May you announced an ambitious railway infrastructure development plan to make Iraq a logistics hub that will connect the Gulf region with Europe. You have very high hopes for this project, and you have launched the Path of Development project.

I will ask you a direct question: are there any obstacles, does this project compete with the North-South project?

:(as translated)M.I will tell Sudani a little about this project "Path of Development". It is connected to the port of El Faw. This project has been around since the 1980s, but in light of the events that we have experienced over the past 40 years, we haven't really developed it. We started taking certain steps in the port of El-Fao, but we also had to undertake certain reforms of the economic plan, and we are currently implementing them.

We are trying to diversify the economy, invest, and take advantage of the geographical position that Iraq has. Therefore, we are determined to complete the work on the El-Fao project and launch the "Development Path" corridor, which will connect the port of El-Fao with Turkey. Perhaps this path will separate Iraq from other countries in the region, but as far as the North-South project is concerned, I believe that one complements the other. Therefore, even with the "One Belt, One Road" project, these are economic corridors that can be integrated and will provide flexibility and sustainability, reduce the cost of transportation, increase the speed of delivery of goods, which will have a positive impact on the well-being of the entire region.

There are preliminary discussions between Russia and Iraq on the integration of these two projects. We hope that this expert-level dialogue will soon lead to the definition of an appropriate framework for cooperation in these areas.

: (as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Mr. President, do you have any comment on this?

Vladimir Putin: I share the opinion of my colleague, the Prime Minister. And we also believe that the more routes, the better, the easier it will be for participants in economic activity to choose the best one for themselves. North-South is a very good option, and many of our partners are interested in it. There is still interest in Azerbaijan, through whose territory part of the route should pass-this is on one side of the Caspian Sea, on the other side of the Caspian Sea – there are both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, with access to Iran too, on one side [of the Caspian Sea] to Iran and on the other – and then to the Persian Gulf.

And what you just asked the Prime Minister about, what he said, does not bother us at all, cargo traffic will only grow. If we continue to develop the Northern Sea Route, which we will do, it all fits very well... If there is a way out there, to the United Arab Emirates, and thank God, to Turkey – we are in favor. All these routes are known to us, all this is being discussed, we are aware of it, we are "in favor".

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Returning to the North-South project. This project, or its idea, is quite old already, at that time we agreed with Iran, but is there any progress, and will there be progress in the near future? This project should connect the port of St. Petersburg via Iran and come to Mumbai in India.

According to experts, this project meets Russia's interests in reaching warmer seas. Has the practical implementation of this project started? This is a big task. And how easy is it in the current conditions in the Middle East?

Vladimir Putin: Today, and in general, there are no easy tasks, but everything is feasible. We have agreements with all the participants in this process – there are relevant documents with Iran and Azerbaijan. Now I will meet with President Aliyev in the framework of the CIS summit in Kyrgyzstan, and we will definitely talk about this topic. Azerbaijan has many current problems there, but no one refuses this project.

Both Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan show interest on the other side of the Caspian Sea. That's when it practically starts… You know, we are going to create a consortium headed, in my opinion, by VTB and Vneshtorgbank of Russia. This preparatory work is coming to an end. I hope that in the very near future everything will really start.

:(as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid Mr. Prime Minister of Iraq, all these development projects, the ambitious projects that you mentioned and that Mr. President Putin spoke about, all of them need the main factor for their success – this can be called security, stability from the point of view of security.

I would like to ask you this question, Mr. Prime Minister: are there any terrorist risks in Iraq as far as ISIL is concerned? Is coordination still ongoing? Since you mentioned that there was coordination with Russia in the fight against ISIL, is this coordination still ongoing?

:(as translated)M.Sudani Thank God, Iraq has defeated terrorism. Today, ISIL does not pose a threat to Iraqi statehood. Our security forces and their various formations provide security and monitor the possible movements of the remaining ISIL cells, which are still in mountainous areas, in desert areas. They don't have any control on the ground in Iraq.

This is even unexpected, if you look at how the situation has developed in recent years. This is, of course, the result of the sacrifices made by the Iraqi people and thanks to the help that our friends have given us. Coordination in countering terrorism with our friends and partners continues both in the international coalition and with the Russian Federation.

There is, of course, a threat in Syria, but it remains. Terrorist organizations that try to undermine security continue to operate there. They can, of course, also cross the border into Iraqi territory. But there is no doubt that Iraq's position on Syria is clear and honest. Syria is part of Iraq's national security. We support and work to ensure the stability, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria. The Government of Iraq supports and supports all international efforts aimed at establishing security in Syria and combating terrorism there. Therefore, Iraq has created favorable conditions for all companies. It really is. Now companies from different countries are represented, they operate in different provinces, and the Government of Iraq provides them with the necessary conditions for the success of their enterprises.

The Government also establishes strategic partnerships with the countries of the region and the countries of the world to help maintain this stability, so that economic interests prevail and the security situation contributes to the development of the economy in this region.

:(as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid Mr. President Putin, you pointed out in your speech that the Russian school of engineering is not only strong in terms of building power plants, but also has no equal. Of course, we see examples of this. I am personally from Egypt, and I am, of course, watching the construction of the Al-Dabaa nuclear power plant, and last Thursday Bangladesh received the first shipment of nuclear fuel supplied by the Russian Government.

I want to ask, what is the distinguishing feature or distinctive features, competitive features that allow Russia to speak about itself in this way?

Vladimir Putin: This is primarily due to traditions. If we are talking about nuclear energy, these are very good traditions. Then, after Fukushima, we paid a lot of attention to safety issues.

In fact, Russian-designed nuclear power plants are probably the safest in the world, because our specialists have come up with a safety system that can be extended indefinitely. It is replicated in a larger and larger volume, as much as you want, up to a complete zero. It's just a matter of money: how much do you need to put these security elements, how much do you need to wind them up? But this is a fact recognized by international experts, including the IAEA. The IAEA controls everything here, controls all the work of Russian nuclear scientists.

And what is the difference between what we do and what other countries or competing countries do, as a rule-American companies, Japanese company Toshiba, and so on? As a rule, we do not just build a station and make this country dependent on ourselves as a supplier of fuel, a supplier of specialists, and so on. We create an industry – this is the main competitive advantage of our work. We are creating an industry for the country where we work. First of all, we start with training specialists who become absolutely self-sufficient at some point, they become highly qualified specialists – world-class, world-class. The same thing is happening with our Egyptian friends, the same thing is happening in Turkey, in Bangladesh, they are studying with us, all the guys are studying, some are starting this work. First.

Second. We attract quite a large amount of work from local companies. First of all, and at the first stage, of course, these are general construction works, but they are highly appreciated. For example, in Turkey, as well as in Egypt, we are financing the construction of what is $ 25 billion? But of this volume, I don't know, up to 20 percent are general construction projects…

Remark: More.

Vladimir Putin: More? More than 20 percent, 25 – general construction works. They go entirely to the market of the country, in this case, to the market of Egypt. Local companies are involved, people work, and they receive a salary. This is the second one.

The third. We produce full-cycle work – we not only build, transfer technologies, train personnel, we supply nuclear fuel, and then, after finishing, we collect spent nuclear fuel. Do you understand? Moreover, we are even creating engineering centers and research institutes, and we are already working with our partners on the next generation of fast neutron stations. All this together creates this competitiveness.

And, of course, not least of all, it is all competitively priced. These prices are quite reasonable, taking into account the full range of services that we provide – both construction and scientific-they lead to such a result. 80 percent of the world's power plant construction is carried out by Rosatom.

:(as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid To what Mr. President Putin said. We have created a school in Egypt that accepts students who would like to study in the field of nuclear energy, and it is very popular.

Before we leave this topic, Saudi Arabia is also among the countries-we were talking about Bangladesh, Turkey, Egypt, and other countries-Saudi Arabia is also among the countries that seek to develop nuclear energy and peaceful nuclear programs.

It is known that negotiations are underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States on this issue, but the situation is unclear. They say that the United States is putting forward difficult conditions for Riyadh. Question: Is Russia ready to cooperate with Riyadh in accordance with the IAEA rules?

Vladimir Putin: Of course. First, we always cooperate in full compliance with the IAEA regulations. Everything else is commercial. It is necessary to agree on commercial terms between us, between our potential partners and us: the cost, the cost of future electricity, sales markets, the amount of investment on our part, the amount of investment on the part of our partner, if he is ready for this investment, the amount of money spent on the local market, the volume of equipment supplied to Russia, attracting some specialists from third countries-this is a matter of technology. And how Saudi Arabia comes to terms with the United States – we do not know, this is a sovereign decision of Saudi Arabia itself.

:(as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid Regarding Iraq. Mr. Prime Minister, does Iraq have any ambitions to join the club of countries that use or want to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes?

:(as translated)M.Sudani In 1980, we already had attempts, and now there are still bodies that monitor the development of the situation and the prospects for the development of nuclear energy. Recently, the Ministry of Education has set out plans to develop this peaceful nuclear program and discuss it with the IAEA. This project, of course, is in the Government's attention.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid: Which countries would you like to cooperate with in this area?

:(as translated)M.Sudani: We are still at the initial stage, we are in contact with the IAEA, but we have not yet reached the stage to discuss anything specifically with anyone.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Possibly after this meeting…

:(as translated)M.Sudani Yes. If there is, of course, we will respond positively.

:(as translated)But. Abd El-Hamid As for what Mr. Putin said about "green" energy, that Russia is ready for the transition, to the stage of transition to "green" energy. As you know, Mr. President, the Emirates will host the 28th Climate Conference in Dubai next month. The UAE is committed to playing a major role in the development of the green energy project. And as experts say, there are a number of Western countries that are trying to hinder the implementation of Emirati projects, since the Emirates is an oil-producing country, one of the largest oil producers. My question is: is Russia ready to support the Emirates at a future conference?

Vladimir Putin: We support and believe that this is a very noble activity of our friends in the Emirates. Yes, of course, they are the largest producer of hydrocarbons. But if the country that is such is still engaged in a "green" agenda, what's wrong with that? I don't even know who's in the way. And if this is really the case, then why they do it, I don't understand. And we, of course, will support all this, we will take part even at a high level, no doubt. And Russia itself, we have a transition plan, and we have made the appropriate commitments, we are fulfilling everything and will continue to do so.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid I have two final questions.

Question to the Prime Minister of Iraq.

As we mentioned, as everyone knows, this is your first visit to the Russian Federation in this position. What did you like here in Russia, what do you take home with you?

:(as translated)M.Sudani Of course, I would like to thank Mr. President for inviting me to make this visit, which, as you mentioned, confirms that it is in line with the Iraqi Government's policy of strengthening cooperation with Russia.

We discussed a lot of issues in various areas, interacted at the level of departments, ministries and companies. The 10th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission is planned to be held soon in Baghdad. This meeting will serve as an umbrella for the implementation of the agreements and arrangements that were reached during our meetings, so that we can start implementing them.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Mr. President Vladimir Putin, you announced a few days ago at the Valdai Forum (this is the last question, by the way) that the West is targeting any country that does not agree with their policy.

But nevertheless, we have here the leaders of Arab countries, the leaders of African countries who come to Russia and see a friend here, find a partner and an ally here. Your Foreign Minister, Mr. Lavrov, is also very active, and he is warmly received in various countries-in Arab countries, in African countries, and in Latin America. Do you think that the West's attempts to isolate Russia have failed?

Vladimir Putin: That goes without saying, but that's not the point at all. In fact, the depth of the issue is different. Why do many people share the Russian position? Because Russia is actively fighting for the creation of a more just and multipolar world order.

Why is Russia supported? Because she's at the forefront, that's why. And why don't they want or support something else? Because no one has forgotten, say, in Africa of colonial times.

I recently publicly recalled: quite recently, back in ' 57, people from Africa were brought to European countries – to Belgium, in my opinion-in cages and children in cages were brought to the show. It is impossible to watch without tears. How can you forget that? No one will forget.

And in terms of practical politics, many things from colonial times, colonial thinking at least, are preserved, and this is the problem. People don't want to take it anymore, they want to change this situation.

Russia is fighting to change this world order, to create a more just world order and, of course, finds support. And no one is fighting the West there, they just want to build relations in the world on a more just basis. This is the first one.

Second. Based on this logic, the vast majority of participants in international communication proceed from their own national interests and seek to coordinate these interests with other countries, and completely reject any form of pressure.

And unfortunately, this so-called collective West, because everything is being done: these sanctions are pressure, aren't they? Pressure. Constant shouts: "You can't!", " We won't allow it!", "Keep in mind!" Who likes it? No one likes it.

Everyone sees this as an atavism, a relic of colonial thinking and the Cold War era. That's exactly why. Not because Russia is so good - we also have many problems of our own - but because everyone is fighting for a fairer world and a better world order. This is the essence of all the processes taking place in the world today. And we are confident that we are on the right track.

:(as translated)But. Abd El Hamid Thank you very much, Mr. President Vladimir Putin.

Many thanks to our guest in Moscow, the Prime Minister of Iraq.

Thank you very much, dear forum participants, ladies and gentlemen.

We started this forum by talking about what is happening in the Middle East and the escalation that we are seeing. We hope that in the coming days we will see the implementation of development projects, economic projects, and that security will return to this region.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Let me thank our moderator for his energetic and interesting support of all the issues that we discussed today.

Thank you very much.