By Peter Binose From Caribbean360

Prior to the Crimean crisis vote at the UN this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced free scholarships to all the non aligned movement, this included the whole of alba and its member states says Peter Binose.

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent – I actually regret that my home country Saint Vincent and the Grenadines followed the ALBA whip by not voting in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262, and in doing so supported the Russian act of aggression against the sovereign state of Ukraine.

I regret they had to lie to the United Nations about the reason for their decision to abstain, their failure to tell the truth and tell the World it was a block vote by ALBA and the Non Aligned countries in direct support of Russia.

They said they were a small nation with no military, which is untrue, as a full member of ALBA they can call on the military of the whole of the ALBA membership. The whole speech was full of lies and nonsense

At the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262  which is a resolution adopted on March 27, 2014 by the United Nations General Assembly in response to the 2014 Crimean crisis and entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”. The resolution, was supported by 100 United Nations member states, which affirmed the United Nations commitment to recognize Crimea within Ukraine’s international borders and underscored the invalidity of the 2014 Crimean referendum. Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe all voted against the resolution. There were also 58 abstentions  which included Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the rest of ALBA and a further 24 states did not vote through being absent when the vote took place.

The resolution was introduced by Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. The adoption of the resolution was preceded by the unsuccessful attempts of the United Nations Security Council, that convened seven sessions to address the Crimean crisis, only to face Russia’s veto.

Prior to the Crimean crisis vote at the UN this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced free scholarships to all the Non Aligned Movement, this included the whole of ALBA and its member states.

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA:  UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262  Abstained.

Prime Minister W. Baldwin Spencer.

2014, March: Pprior to the UN vote Baldwin Spencer accepts from the Russian Federation 4 fully paid scholarships.

BOLIVIA: UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262  voted Against.

President of Bolivia Evo Morales.

Bolivia is the recipient of a number of annual free scholarships in Russia. Morales travelled to Russia and met with Putin several times during the last twelve months.

CUBA: UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262  voted Against.

President Raul Castro.

Cuba and the Russian Federation are drawing ever closer again, the two nations are currently at a post-Soviet high, and talks about potentially re-establishing a Russian military presence in Cuba. The Russians have allocated 2000 2000 scholarship places for Cubans at Russian Universities.  Russia operates a visa free program for Cubans.

DOMINICA: UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262  Abstained.

President Charles Savarin

Russia operates a visa free program for Dominicans.

ECUADOR: UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262  Abstained.

President Raphael Correa.

Correa has visited Russia several times since 2009. Ecuador–Russia relations is the bilateral foreign relations between Ecuador and Russia. Ecuador has an embassy in Moscow and Russia has an embassy in Quito. October  29th 2013  President Correa has negotiations in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 29. [Ref: Voice of Russia [TASS], 29/10/2013]  the talks resulted in the signing of several bilateral documents including Ecuador to be the recipient of increasing numbers of  Russian Scholarships.

Explaining why Ecuador abstained from the UN vote, Correa explained that “Ecuador could not accept the stance of the Ukrainian government – which he described as an extension of the United States,  and he considered the Ukrain government as illegal, and that  the Crimea was traditionally  Russian”.

Russia operates a visa free program for Ecuador.

NICARAGUA:  UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262  voted Against.

José Daniel Ortega Saavedra

December 2008, Russian warships visited Nicaragua at the invitation of president Daniel Ortega, Wilfredo Navarro of the opposition Constitutionalist Liberal Party said that without parliamentary approval the naval visit would be a breach of the Constitution. During the visit, Russian officials donated about $200,000 worth of generators and computers to hospitals, police, and the army. December 2008, Russian warships visited Nicaragua at the invitation of president Daniel Ortega, although Wilfredo Navarro of the opposition Constitutional Liberal Party said that without parliamentary approval the naval visit would be a breach of the Constitution. During the visit, Russian officials donated about $200,000 worth of generators and computers to hospitals, police, and the army.

December 18, 2008, Russia and Nicaragua concluded several bilateral agreements after talks between presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Daniel Ortega in Moscow, including Memorandums of understanding between the countries’ agriculture ministries, and between the Russian Federa Space Agency and Nicaragua’s Telecommunications.

October 31, 2013  Nicaragua, Russia sign memorandum of international security cooperation. Another step in the strengthening of relations between Nicaragua and Russia made during a visit by a Russian delegation headed by Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev. The sides held negotiations on Wednesday and signed a memorandum of cooperation, which will allow the two countries to coordinate positions on the main problems of international security.

“I am confident that the signed memorandum will promote cooperation between our two countries,” Patrushev said at a meeting with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. From the Nicaraguan side the document was signed by the country’s army Commander in Chief Julio Cesar Aviles.

Russia’s Security Council secretary noted that “Nicaragua is an important partner and friend of Russia in Latin America,” pointing to the coincidence of views of the two countries’ authorities “on many issues.”

Patrushev also expressed gratitude to the Nicaraguan government for supporting the position of the Russian Federation, which was the first to recognise the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “I am confident that Nicaragua has set a good example to be followed by other countries,” said the Russian official.

March 2014, Russia agrees to invest heavily in Nicaragua. They also will push ahead with building a navel military base in Nicaragua. In a press release, it says the commission discussed possible Russian investment in the areas of pharmacology, vehicle and air transportation, training in disaster preparedness, trade, and financing options for Russians who want to invest in Nicaragua.

Russia has an embassy in Managua. Nicaragua has an embassy in Moscow.

Russia operates a visa free program for Nicaragua.

SAINT LUCIA: UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262  Abstained.

Prime Minister, Kenny Anthony

Nov 21 2013, The Ambassador-Designate of the Russian Federation to Saint Lucia presented his credentials to the Governor General  at Government House.

Saint Lucia and the Russian Federation have had bilateral relations for close to 10 years. His Excellency Vladimir Michaelovich Polenov said his country is committed to deepening this diplomatic relationship.

Feb 2014, The Russian Ambassador to Saint Lucia agrees to a Russian Boat Regatta on March 23rd to 28th  intended to lure approximately 120 Russian millionaires to the island. Saint Lucia government have organised several business meetings with many of the guests to discuss investment opportunities.

According to the Russian Federation embassy in Jamaica on an annual basis provides they are to provide for talented young people from Saint Lucia grants for training in federal public educational institutions of the higher and secondary professional education at the expense of means of the Russian federal budget. The embassy continues to support continuous contacts to Association of graduates of the Soviet and Russian higher education institutions.

SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES: UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262  Abstained.

Prime minister Ralph Gonsalves

According to the Russian Government ‘Scholarization, International Scholarships’ the Russian Federation have granted scholarships to  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

Feb 2014, St. Vincent and the Grenadines received donation of medical equipment from the Russian Federation. The gift includes an Intensive Care Infant Ventilator and six Infant Incubators, valued at over one hundred thousand U.S. Dollars.

VENEZUELA: UN Gen Ass Resolution 68/262 voted Against.

President Nicolas Maduro

The Russians have allocated 2000 annual scholarship places for Venezuelans at Russian Universities.  Russia operates a visa free program for Venezuela.

Venezuela is one of Russia’s most important trading and military allies in Latin America, making a strong bond in the bilateral relations between the two nations.  Under Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has purchased more than $4 billion worth of arms from Russia.

2008, September 2008: Russia sent Tupolev TU-160 bombers to Venezuela to carry out training flights.

2008, September:  Following Chavez’s two visits to Moscow in July and September 2008, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin arrived in Venezuela to pave the way for a third meeting within five months between their two presidents.

2008, November: Both countries held a joint naval exercise in the Caribbean.

2008, November: Venezuela and Russia discussed 46 potential cooperation agreements during an Intergovernmental Commission.  The two countries discussed the creation of a bi-national investment bank, the opening of a direct air route between Caracas and Moscow, the building of an aluminum plant, the construction of a gas platform off the Venezuelan coast, plans for automobile production, and Venezuela’s acquisition of Russian planes and ships. While the two countries also reached agreements on the development of outer space and the use of nuclear energy. Maduro added that the two countries “will develop all what has to do with technology and satellite in the space,” while still continuing to work at using nuclear energy with peaceful means to generate alternative energy.

Venezuela sought to develop mines at its largest gold deposits with help from Russian help. Venezuelan Mining Minister, Rodolpho Sanz, told a Russian delegation that a memorandum of understanding would be signed with the Russian-owned Rusoro to operate the Las Cristinas and Brisas mine projects with the Venezuelan government. The former, one of Latin America’s largest gold projects, was under contract to Canada’s Crystallex, which had waited in vain for years for an environmental license to start mining, their hands were tied for years. The minister, however, said the government was taking control of the mine to give to the Russians in 2009, giving them an instant license to start work.

Further ties were in the offing when Chavez said an agreement for the Humberto Fernandez Moran Nuclear Facility would be signed upon Russian President Medvedev’s visit to Venezuela accompanied by a Russian fleet of warships in mid-November 2008. Chavez also revealed that Russian nuclear technicians were already at work in Venezuela.

As a Russian flotilla, including the nuclear-powered warship Peter the Great, was on its way to the Caribbean for naval exercises with Venezuela, analysts saw the move as a geopolitical response to US support for Georgia following the 200 South Ossetia War. Russian fighter jets have also been sold to Venezuela, while Caracas bought 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles  for its military. The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov said “It looks like everyone has been accustomed for a long time to our warships being in naval bases and our warplanes in hangars, and thinking it will be like that forever,” he stated.

2009, September: Russia approved a $2 billion loan to Venezuela.

2010:  by agreement between the Fund of Housing at the mayor of Moscow and the Ministry of Housing Venezuela Russian contractors taking part in the “Great Housing Mission” for the construction of a typical panel housing.

2010, October: Chavez visited Russia where he signed a deal to build Venezuela’s first nuclear power plant as well as buy $1.6 billion worth of oil assets.

2011, 6 October: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin rushed to Caracas to get Chavez to commit to a $4 billion loan to purchase Russian weapons.

2011: Russia classified Venezuela as the top customer for Russia’s arms for ground forces.

2013, October 9th, Russia: PRAVDA press report; Moscow is taking efforts to retain and expand the arms market in Latin America. Next week, the military delegation led by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will visit Brazil and Peru to conduct talks in the field of military-technical cooperation.

Experts attach political importance to the scheduled visit, as large arms deals will allow Russia to consolidate its position in the region. Against the background of difficulties with conclusion of new arms sales contracts with Venezuela, Russia’s success in this area in other countries of the region appears to be particularly important. Ref: http://english.pravda.ru/business/companies/09-10-2013/125848-russia_south_america-0/

Unfortunately, supporting Russia at the UN has given them comfort and confidence in doing what they like, when they like. With Russia now massing troops on the Ukraine borders, I just hope that ALBA leaders have not subscribed to establishing the beginning of World War III; Venezuela and Cuba are in another class. I just cannot believe that these Caribbean nations would be drawn in by Venezuela and Cuba, for us to end up in the way we now find ourselves.

And don’t forget Georgia

Peter Binose, self appointed keeper of the bugle, thrown the whistle away.

For more on this story go to: http://cwp.caribbean360.com/opinion/opinion-bought-by-the-chinese-taiwanese-japanese-and-now-the-russianese#ixzz2yi6diZMT