tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21987184.post-59856390468183828472008-01-27T18:27:00.001+01:002008-01-27T18:36:41.932+01:002008-01-27T18:36:41.932+01:00<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 497px;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9IdlA0v64vk/R5zAwqXF6SI/AAAAAAAAAVc/gbm-QceO3KU/s400/United+Kingdom_big_ben.jpg" alt="EUROASIA: Gazprom, new lord of the dance" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160211215297145122" border="0" /><br /><p style="text-align: justify;" class="drop"><span style="font-size:130%;">They say that energy is <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Russia</span>'s new weapon of diplomacy. And as </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Russia</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;">'s state-owned gas giant, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">Gazprom</span> is never far from the front line. But now, it seems, </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">Gazprom</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;">'s grip extends even to the art world. The group has been credited with brokering the deal to ensure that From </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Russia</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;">, the controversial exhibition of Russian and French paintings which features Matisse's Dance, went ahead at London's Royal Academy.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The exhibition, which opened yesterday, was almost scrapped amid a backdrop of worsening diplomatic relations between </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Russia</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> and the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">United Kingdom</span>. But </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">Gazprom</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> persuaded officials to authorise the transfer of the paintings to London. The show is sponsored by <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">E.ON</span>, which owns a stake in </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">Gazprom</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;">.</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/27/oil.russia" target="_blank">Read more</a> | <a href="http://digg.com/business_finance/Gazprom_new_lord_of_the_dance" target="_blank">Digg story</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/baja-EnergyBlog-laveaga?i={$entrydata.url|escape:url}" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>bajaenergyBlognoreply@blogger.com