(MarketWatch-Wall Street Journal) Amotz Asa-El - Following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, Russian gas will start flowing later this decade into Japan through new installations in Vladivostok. Japan saw 48 of its 50 nuclear plants shut down in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster two years ago, meaning that Japan's energy sources had shrunk overnight by 13%. Consequently, Tokyo's shunning nearby Russia's mineral wealth suddenly seemed like a diplomatic luxury the Japanese economy could no longer afford. Also, importing from a shaky Middle East the bulk of the $150 billion worth of crude Japan buys annually has also become irresponsible, from a Japanese viewpoint.
2013-05-03 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive