Political scientist breaks down latest changes in maritime transport fees

MINSK, 3 May (BelTA) – The United Arab Emirates exited OPEC and OPEC+ in an effort to please President Donald Trump, Russian political scientist and orientalist Karine Gevorgyan said in a recent episode of BelTA’s On Point project.

“The United Arab Emirates, to please Trump, withdrew from OPEC and OPEC+, which caused extreme irritation in Riyadh and made many people nervous. Trump is very pleased. They will now produce oil. There’s another question. They use an oil pipeline that actually goes to the Arabian Sea rather than the Persian Gulf, with terminals at the port of Fujairah, which, incidentally, Iran struck. But how will they ramp up the output if the capacity of this pipeline is limited? So this is all long-term, this is the groundwork for the future,” Karine Gevorgyan said adding that there is also a possibility that Venezuela might leave OPEC.

She also drew attention to what is happening in the Arab League. “Iran is acting cautiously, including through Oman and Pakistan, and Pakistan has longstanding and very deep ties with Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has opened six border crossings for Iran - road passages. Significant volumes of cargo are now reaching Iran overland via Pakistan,” Karine Gevorgyan noted. “Diplomatic consultations are currently underway within the Arab League because Iran has made a proposal that is now quite difficult to turn down. They have proposed creating a security organization for the macro-region based on mutually beneficial agreements.”

“Furthermore, they have introduced differentiated conditions for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. For example, Russian vessels can pass for free. Then they see who and what,” the expert stated. “India and Japan pay Iran in yuan, which goes directly to accounts at the Central Bank of Iran. The money goes precisely there. It's clever."

The political scientist noted that a fee has also been introduced for the passage of ships through Panama Canal: “I think Egypt will also raise the price for passage through the Suez Canal. I believe the British and Moroccans will raise the price for passage through Gibraltar. Let’s see what will happen with the English Channel and the Danish straits.”

As for the Bosporus, an operational headquarters of NATO without the United States has been established in Istanbul. “Against the backdrop of all these events, we also have the visit of British King Charles III to the United States. All of this is interconnected. The Emirates appear to have accommodated Trump, but the Emirates are a branch of the City of London. Very many things are stored in the Emirates,” Karine Gevorgyan said. “Undoubtedly, this NATO operational headquarters without the US in Istanbul was created on the initiative of the British, who also have serious ties with the Turkish leadership. This tug-of-war in the post-Soviet space and across Eurasia is becoming very noticeable. We will see what happens next.”