Kazakhstan & Qatar's Energy Game in Asia! The Winner is China!!

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends. Very excited to be with you on this Saturday, March the 23rd. Where time goes, it goes by so fast. So anyway, I hope you have, uh, or you are having a, a, a good weekend, good day, and, and, and ready to explore this topic with me as we're going to be talking about Qatar and Kazakhstan entering into some major economic ventures worth $17 billion. But it's not about all that, it's about, you know, who the real winners are. So you would be a little bit surprised to find that out. So, so this is what I'm gonna be addressing for you today. Uh, the topic is, as I said, Qatar and Kazakhstan's, uh, energy game in Asia, because that's what it's all about. So, and we will detail few things, uh, just prepare a question or two towards the end. I'm going to answer, uh, one or two or three, whatever that is. So, and we go from there. First, let me see who is here. Oh, uh, uh, Muhammad Sitena, thank you for becoming a channel member. Wow, thank you very much for your support and good to have you here in our community. So, Taiwan Steel, good to see you. By the way, Taiwan Steel, I read your comment, and yes, it was China that saved the world after 2008 GFC, the global financial crisis. So, uh, Chanel, good to see you. Truth Seeker, good to see you as always. Uh, all right, let me— Yan Harcore, good to see you as always. Matt Becky, uh, oh, I, I— come on, man, come on, let's, let's you know, question. David continued to delete and shadow block comments that demonstrate his 100% anti-West bias. That's ridiculous. Now really, just refrain from this kind of stuff. So I'm gonna let it go this time, but if you don't belong here, just please get off. Straightforward. So, uh, Francis Tango, good to see you. Uh, Joseph Roy, good to see you as always. I want to say thank you to, uh, B, thank you so much for your Super Sticker. Truly appreciate her. Appreciate you for that. Uh, Coach Hoy Hoy, Juan Casey, good to see you. Lucio Delgado, as always, good to see you guys. Uh, all right, let's get in into our— first of all, just to give you an idea of what I'm going to be talking about here, as I said, Kazakhstan and Qatar, uh, sort of, uh, decided to implement certain, uh, projects, investments, that is, that is worth about $17 $1.6 billion. I will provide you the link to all this like I always do. Uh, so, and among the investments is the interesting aspect of it, that is, a bulk of it has to do with gas. Well, as you may know, Qatar is one of the top gas producers in the world. As a matter of fact, I will highlight to you the deal that Qatar and China signed for over— for over 27 years. The longest, the longest deal ever, which tells me a lot personally, and I will get into that. So, all right, before that, let's see the questions that we're going to need to ask about something like this. And let me show them and share them with you. How does this energy deal signal a shift in the geopolitical landscape? Because it is. If you think about it, think about the location, think about the geography. Geography, or of course But think about the political climate. Second thing is, oil-producing countries— because Qatar is one of those— pivoting east? And if so, why? And the third question, who's the real winner? Or should we say, who's the real winners? So, and that question is for you guys for later on after I provide some insights and all that. You guys can answer that one. I will ask you again, but before I'll do this— and by the way, the survey I did about the history and geography, 87% of you said you want me to keep this, and the decision is final. I'm gonna keep this from now on, as I always do. So, all right, let's do quickly headlines here because there are a few things you need to know what's going on around the world briefly. And the first one I'm gonna start with is the Vietnam president I'm— I hope I pronounce it correctly here— uh, Vovan Tuong resigned in the latest twist of an anti-graft or anti-corruption. That is, by the way, this is the second one in less than 2 years. So that shows you, is this internal rift or just, uh, corruptions coming up to the surface? And then, and again, like I always say, guys, If anybody sort of public figure gets involved in corruption, you know what the punishment is. It will end it, because this is an example here. So of course, with Vietnam's economy moving forward, but also you have to think about the, the President Biden's visit after the G20 to Vietnam, but also the deal between Cambodia and China regarding the canal. Does it have to do anything with it? I don't know. All I'm saying now is just you need to think outside the box. So that's one thing you need to, uh, be aware of. Second one I want to share with you is this one here. The three— the three, what you call them, uh, this is Wray on the left, the head of the FBI. This is William Burns, CIA director. And this is Avril Haines, or Haines, she is the director of the National Intelligence a director of the National Intelligence. So now this, uh, and this by the way was published by the Turkish newspaper, believe it or not. So, uh, she is the head of the, uh, director of the National Intelligence, uh, it's called the DNI. So the head of everything. So anyway, that's beside the point. What is important about this, this is an annual meeting that they hold at the Intelligence Committee in Congress. Usually they provide the reports about what's going on and so forth. Well, here is where the— of course, the shocking to me personally, as one who used to work in Washington, I'm very familiar with those Intelligence Committee, uh, hearings and so forth. This annual report issued by the US intelligence services on the challenges facing the United States at home and abroad. Well, of course, in particularly when it comes down to abroad The two main, or three, or four main countries came up. Which ones are they? Can you guys guess? Can you guess which four countries came up on the top of these assessments? Let me see what you guys type in, in the chat box. I, I, I know you will know, you won't be surprised with this, but, uh, I just want to see your, your input onto this. Yeah, you're right, uh, uh, Truth Seeker, the Three Stooges indeed. So which four countries do you think we're focused on? I know it takes a while for this to show up. Uh, uh, US, UK, uh, France, Germany. No, no, it was China Russia, Iran, and North Korea, you know. But to me, it's not about that one. To me, where the issue was, it has to do with the domestic aspects. They never addressed, for example, what's going on inside the US, our national debt that is hitting the roof, which will backfire on us, you know. Of course, the report addressed the threats, uh, posed by those countries, okay, as well as diverse, uh, challenges, uh, uh, in the Middle East or West Asia that is regarding the war in Gaza. And that's it. That's where it start. Which to me gives me an idea right there. It was very selected as far as what they highlight. It's protocol, but it's useless anyway. Uh, last one I'll share with you guys is this one here quickly. Uh, this is the head of the military in— or the spokesperson in Israel Army. And what it says now, here it is, it came forward now, meaning the Israeli military or Israeli government, that is. It said it had mistakenly published photos of people who had been arrested in the Shifa Hospital in Gaza and they were not detained. So basically what it says here is that the IDF's announcements that Qassam Brigade Commander Raed Saad has been arrested at the Shifa Hospital turn out to be a lie, a false. So, and I let you fill in the blank for that. You all know what it means, right? All right, let's get into our topic here. Uh, we're gonna be, as I said, talking about Qatar and Kazakhstan, the importance aspects of it. Again, it's not about the amount of the volume of the $17.6 billion, which is substantial, it's the idea what it means. And again, I will provide you the link, you guys can read this later. For me, I'll provide you the analysis as to where I see this going and why and how will this benefits whomever is going to be the winner for it. So, so the two countries plan to develop now those kind of projects for the construction of the Ak-Tobe-Kostanay gas pipeline. That will be a long pipeline, which is— this will be also a second part of the BNU-Buzoi pipeline with a total value of about $7 billion. It's very important to understand why these pipelines are very important, especially now. Take into consideration what's going on in Europe. Take into consideration the, uh, uh, the, uh, the shortage we have in the US as far as energy, because our strategic petroleum reserves is kind of dwindling down. And think about the Middle Eastern countries or West Asian countries, especially the ones in the Gulf moving all the way to Asia. That's what I need you to keep in mind as I delve deeper into all this. So now let's talk about geography of Kazakhstan, because you need— I already did Qatar at some point, so you, you guys can look at one of my old videos there and you can see, uh, uh, some things that I talked about Qatar into that. Now for this one here, I'm gonna focus about Kazakhstan. Let me share the screen with you briefly here, then we'll move on into the history and I'll get into the analysis of it. So sorry for these ads here, it's part of it. And here is, okay, Kazakhstan. So, uh, of course Kazakhstan stretches from Central Asia, okay, all the way to Eastern Europe. That's how, that's how, you know, it's very, very, very strategic. And I'll tell you why as I move forward. You know, as you see on the physical map there, the, the country extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east. So, so this way, most geographers Consider Kazakhstan a transcontinental country, which means it sits on both sides of the continent, so with major parts in Central Asia, which is very crucial as you may know, and small parts in Eastern Europe. It is located in the northern and eastern hemispheres of the Earth at the junction of Europe and Asia. It is bordered by 5 nations. You have the Russian Federation in the north and the west, you have China in the east, Greekistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in the south. The, the, the, the Urals— the Aral Sea is located along the southern border. The Caspian Sea is situated along the western borders. Very, very interesting to see all of this as to where the country is. And if there is one thing you need to understand about Kazakhstan, along other Central Asian countries, that they are playing a major role into where the, uh, where, uh, the whole geopolitical, uh, when it comes down to the global order, uh, sort of, uh, is played out. Central Asia has always been throughout history. So let me go into history briefly here, because the reason I said briefly, because— and I'll put the link for you from— I got it from Al-Quds University, which is part of the detailed history of Kazakhstan. It's long, of course. I won't do you justice if I just say, well, this is the history, because it's not right. However, you need to know a few things about its history. So the first thing I'll start with is the prehistory of Kazakhstan. Humans, believe it or not, have inhabited Kazakhstan since the Lower Paleolithic era, generally pursuing the nomadic pastoralism for which the region climate and terrains were suitable. Now, the prehistoric Bronze Age cultures that extends into the region includes the Srobná, the Afanasievo, and the Adronovo. And this is between 500 BC and 500 AD. Kazakhstan was a home to the Saka and the Huns. Yes, early nomadic warrior cultures. If you know anything about the Huns, that will have to bring your memory to which country? Which country? The moment you hear the Huns, what comes to mind? Let me see what you guys can type in there. Okay, um, Mongolia, that's one also. That's correct, Phil. There is another one also. Hamad Sidi, you got it. China also, because you can't ignore that one, because you will see why in, in, in their history. So So the idea of— and again, I'm not going to go through so much here because there's a lot to cover. Suffice it to say, I'll mention, for example, the Kuman Kipaks period, the Mongol period, the Kazakh Khinates, which is between 1465 and 1847. Then you have the Russian Empire, which is between 1731 and 1917. Then you have the Soviet Union from 1920 to 1991. Then you move into the Republic of Kazakhstan from 1991 to present day. So, and this is where, uh, oh, let me, let me make this bigger for you guys, for you to see as far as the map here, uh, for Kazakhstan. So, and as I said, there is a lot to cover in, in, into this, uh, because For example, in the Coman-Kipchak period, okay, which was in the 8th and the 9th centuries, you know, portions of the southern part of Kazakhstan were conquered by Arabs who introduced Islam. That's why there are certain Islamic architecture in Kazakhstan. I had a chance to go to Astana back then. They don't call it Astana anymore because because they changed the name. So then you have the Oghuz Turks who controlled western Kazakhstan from the 9th through the 11th century. And among the Turkic people were the Kipak and the Kimaks. Those the two. Fast forward to the Mongol Empire. Now, during the Mongol advancements into the— this Kipak lands Some Kuman Kipak leaders fought the advancing Mongols, but most joined them and came to constitute most of the military force of the Mongol Empire. Now, when you think of the Mongol, you have to think about which era are we talking about here— the 13th century. And this is where the Western Mongol state called Golden Horde broke away from the unified empire. And Kazakhstan at that time was controlled by Golden Horde for more than 200 years. And during this time, during the, the Uzbek Khan rule, uh, from 1312 to 1341, Islam was adopted as a state religion. So fast forward to the Kazakh Khanate which is from 1465 to 1847, uh, after the sort of the disillusion— the dissolution rather— of the Golden Horde on most of the territory of modern-day Kazakhstan, the Uzbek Khanate was formed, which is country under Abdul Qair Khan, was weak and the government was corrupt. Once again, corruption goes way back. So fast forward to between, uh, and during his reign, by the way, during the reign of the Qasim Khan, which is 1511 to 1523, the Khanate expanded considerably, and numerous victories in war against neighboring countries made the Khanate reputation and country were known even in Western Europe. The first Khazar code of law, Kasim Khanayan, was sort of the bridge road— a bright road, rather— to— was to establish— was established rather in 1520. And between 1522 and 1538 the Khanate experienced its first civil war. Then you fast forward to the Russian Empire, 1731 to 1917. In this era, or during this time, Russian traders and soldiers began to appear on the northwestern edge of Kazakh territory, and they began in the 17th century when Cossacks And if you know where the Cossacks are right now, established forts which later became the cities of Yatsk, which is modern-day Ural, and Kovyeck, modern-day Atrio. The Russians were able to seize Kazakh territories because the Khanates were preoccupied by the Zonar Oraz who began to move into the region. Fast forward after all this to, uh, 19th century. Colonization of Kazakhs by Russia was slowed by rebellions and wars, and such uprising led to Istey Tamaeluna and Makambet, uh, which was formed in 1836 to 1833. And again, it's a long history. I'm just providing you some snippets here. I I'll provide you the link for the full of it for you. You can read more. So, uh, then of course the era of Soviet Union from 1920 to 1991. And of course you all know what happened during this time, uh, because of the what took place with the Bolsheviks and the two famines and so forth. Then you move to World War II and through the lenses of the front lines and the, the home front at that time used to be Roberto Karamakh, argued that World War II spurred Kazakhstan's largest integration into the Soviet Union. However, the war was experienced— the war experience, rather, simultaneously worsened and reinforced ethnic tensions and social disparities. Even in the Soviet Union's darkest hours, ethnic chauvinism could overrule matters of national security. Fast forward after to Nazarbayev era, which is when Kazakhstan was established, especially during early '90s, uh, because remember Kazakhstan was a Soviet satellite, or state for that matter. Uh, at that time, during the Soviet Republics, uh, the parliament in Kazakhstan named Nazarbayev as chair and converted his chairmanship to the presidency of the republic. Nazarbayev served for about 29 years, uh, till he resigned, uh, in March 2019. President Nazarbayev resigned after 29 years after taking office. But he continued to lead the influential, uh, Security Council and held the formal title leader of the nation. Of course, after, uh, uh, the 1991, this is where the relationship changed between the US and Kazakhstan, and the same between Kazakhstan and, uh, uh, the Russian Federation. So, and by the way, uh, uh, that's, uh, the new, uh, uh, new leader, Kasym Tokayev. He's the current president. I think I have a picture of him somewhere. If I do, I hope I do. Uh, no, I didn't put it up. Sorry, guys. Yeah, uh, Astana, because when Kasym took— took over, he changed the, uh, the city from, uh, Astana and renamed it, uh, uh, uh, Nur-Sultan. That's what it was named. The city, uh, changed its title. Yeah, the capital from Astana to Nur-Sultan. That's when it was, named after that. So, but again, guys, I will provide you the full link for the whole, uh, history if you are interested in reading up on it. So, all right, let me get into the analysis of this, uh, deal between Qatar and Kazakhstan and what it means. So what it means basically is you have to think about it in terms of two things: energy and geopolitics. Well, if you know anything about geopolitics, which by now you guys— I feel comfortable saying that you should have an understanding and a good read about the geopolitical events and what it means. But you also know what are the elements that can influence the trajectory of geopolitics. Usually you look at that, the financial aspects, but also energy, of course, conflicts and, and, and all that stuff. That's part of it. I'm talking about the major stuff. And the idea for you to understand this is, is, is when you think in terms of, let's say hypothetically, let's say just the Malacca Strait is choked. Let's say the Strait of Hormuz is choked. Let's say the Red Sea, which is now— we're already seeing what's going on just with a group like Ansarullah, what they doing now. And look what it did to major shipping corporations around the world. And this is what I'm getting at. You have to think in terms— this deal between, between Qatar and Kazakhstan, you have to think about it from that perspective of what it means. And again, the idea of where they are going with this is because, first of all, Qatar is seeing where the trends are going. As a matter of fact, it's not new. Qatar's been aware of this few years ago. This is the reason why they went ahead and signed the deal with China for 27 years, and I will provide you the link for that later on. The idea for Qatar, understanding, because Qatar is a major gas producer— as a matter of fact, when the EU approached Qatar after Russia halved its, uh, shipment to Europe, You all know, because of the sanctions, whatever. And the Russians saying, oh, forget about it, we're gonna turn the spigot off. Of course we had to go and target the Nord Stream 2, which we did. Now there is no— by the way, Ivan Hashash, they swept it under the rug, uh, for now. And to me it's like, no, that's not right. The country that got involved should be held accountable. So what are we doing this for? Is because we know, and the whole idea why we pushed for the— for Europe to go along, because we wanted to de-industrialize Europe for two— one reason, the main one, that is energy and Germany. We were concerned that if Russia keeps producing, keeps sending more energy cheaper to Germany. Well, with, with, with access to energy and German technology, you can see why we had to do what we had to do. We created the Ukraine problem, we pushed Europe to buy in into this, we deindustrialized them slowly. Shame on those leaders because they are so weak— the European, that is. Qatar saw all this and said to itself, Well, hold on a second. When the European Union reached out to Qatar for a deal, Qatar said sorry because we got a deal with China for 27 years. We are not going to break that because you need to honor your contract. That's how it works. But also, Qatar knows it will be a better bet cutting a deal with China than cutting it with the European Union. That's why they went along. I'm aware of even France won unilaterally, not behind the European Union back, but they just didn't care about the European Union. They went ahead and wanted to cut a deal, cut a deal with Qatar again because Qatar produces a lot. This is what you're seeing right now with this Kazakhstan deal, but Kazakhstan deal goes just beyond all this. And this is why I ask the question: who, in your opinion, do you think the winner is, or winners? Can you guys type in, in the chat box who the winner or the winners is or are? I just want to see. Let me see. Okay, Taiwan still, you say in China. Uh, Jesus Volato, you say Jews. Uh, I'll disagree with you. No, no, because yeah, I don't see them how they will do that towards that one. Uh, winner of what? Winner of this deal between Qatar and Kazakhstan regarding the expansion of the gas pipeline. The $17 billion investments between Qatar and Kazakhstan, of course Qatar is going to benefit, Kazakhstan is going to benefit, but there is a, a winner behind the scenes that might not enter the picture right now. So, and, uh, one of you said yes indeed, China, and it is. Why is this? Is because China one ahead. And, and as a matter of fact, if you think back to about 2018, uh, it was, uh, a gas pipeline— or oil, that is— that is going to start, uh, to be sold to China via Russia. It's called the Azeri pipeline. Let me, let me see if I can show you the picture for that. Yes, is this one right here. And by the way, I, I give credit to, uh, this picture to Maria Cordillaga and Reuters because that's the picture. So you give credit where credit is due. So this is part of the pipeline, the consortium between Kazakhstan and China, which is going to be delivering oil through Russia. So you can see why those pipelines, guys, there is another winner behind this. Yes, Kazakhstan is going to benefit from it. Yes, in this case Qatar is going to benefit. But is China also going to be getting gas from Kazakhstan through Russia in addition to the pipeline that is coming from the Arctic? Because China has put in money on the table for the investments in the infrastructure in the Arctic which basically brings the pipeline all the way from the Arctic through Russia into China. This is what I'm saying. You think about the geopolitical aspects of it, of course the energy is a conduit to that. If there is disruption to the energy, it's going to impact the geopolitical outcome. China does not want to take this chance. China is thinking far ahead. This is why I'm saying China to me personally is the winner. Russia is also the winner. Of course, Qatar and Kazakhstan are also winners into this because China— mainly China— its economy, it has to ensure access to energy from different sources. You all saw what's going on with the Red Sea. And speaking of the Red Sea, uh, I just find out that Russia and China cut a deal with Ansarullah group that their ships, meaning Russia and China, will cross through the Red Sea and they will not be attacked. Those the only two countries that will be allowed to have their ships transition through the Red Sea. But even though it's something like this, I see— I don't see China wanted to count on this forever. Why? Because the West can undermine this one. That is my point in this. So, and this is, I mean, think about it, guys. If, if the Strait of Hormuz gets shut down, what do you think is going to happen to the global oil supply? Yeah, that's my point in this. And this is why those pipelines, it's gonna now serve sort of, uh, or meet the needs for China. Of course, Russia will benefit from it as well because it's is, uh, the transition. That means the fees will have to be paid to Russians to allow the gas to go through and so forth. A win-win situation, if I may use the term. And I did have an article, I think. Yeah, I did have an article, uh, by which the, uh— yeah, I did. And I'm gonna— pardon me. I am gonna share it with you in the description. I'll put it for you guys there. Basically what it was is that, uh, Qatar Energy signed the two liquefied gas agreements with China, Sinopec. Yeah, which was last year, by the way. This is in addition to what they have, so, and that's what I'm saying, uh, and, and this was about the 27-year contract. So both of them, Qatar and China, signed this long, long-term sale and purchase agreements to supply 3 million tons per year of liquefied natural gas to China. That's, to me, major. It says a lot about where this is going. And this is why, sort of, to me, in my opinion, China is the winner of of, of, of this one here. Now there is another thing we need to consider, and this one has to do with the location of Kazakhstan. Central Asia. What is the main thing that is going to be, or it is already going through Central Asia? Can anybody type in, in the chat box? It's a very global project. Let me see if you guys Uh, and again, just think about, uh, let me see, put it back for you, uh, Kazakhstan map so you see. Yeah, just think of the map or the whole region for that, not just the whole map, the whole region for that matter. Let me see. Oh, oh, bro, it's war! You got it, Matty B. Becky, you got it, Muslim Revert. Yeah, uh, 1090 Wall Street, you guys got it, the BRI. The BRI, it's because if you think about it, China ensures that most of these countries will benefit from it. And now you add another investments of $17 billion to the mix, it's gonna only enhance this one. As a matter of fact, my big concern now is the idea of that Some of those projects will be undermined. The West will undermine the same way we did to Europe. I will not be surprised at all. I just saw the, uh, I had to read up, uh, one particular, uh, uh, info about what just took place near Gwadar Port in Pakistan. Why is that? Is because we wanted to undermine any developments in that part of the world. So, so you're right, Wong KC, BRI, you're absolutely correct. So that is the whole idea of it. So you think about Central Asia plays a major role, but if you look at the history in Southeast— uh, in Central Asia, I'm sorry, uh, historically speaking, whoever had the massive control of that controlled the rest of the world. I'm not saying control in a negative way, In this case, it will be from an economic perspective. And let alone that the wealth has already shifted from the West to the East. This is why you see Qatar cutting long-term deals with Eastern Asian countries, mainly China, versus cutting a deal with the EU. And as a matter of fact, they told the EU, I'm not gonna do it, because of course they saw what took place, or what's been taking place with Ukraine and all that stuff, and how Europe now is going down. Qatar said, no, we are not going to do this. And of course, in the case of China and Russia, Russia is also a winner because now Russia— and I argued this way back, guys, I argued that, well, wait a minute, Russia doesn't have to worry about its, uh, energy supply to Europe. They can just shut this down and revert it to Asia. Because just between two countries, India and China, big markets. Of course Russia will benefit more so with China than it will do with India, because India has nothing to give in return to Russia. Because rupees payments, what Russia is going to do with the rupees? You know, what does India will have to do, or will have to give the Russians something of that is useful? They don't have much. As my guest yesterday, Jayant Bahandari, disclosed, yeah, they— India has nothing to offer the Russians. So, and this is why— but I— to me, the argument was about, uh, there is an alternative to Russia if the European Union wants to follow that policy, which, by the way, it wasn't the European Union, it was the US pressuring the European Union to do so. That's to me a weak leadership of the Europeans. They are weak, weak beyond the belief. So, so to Russia, it's a benefit. Now, hey, let's use a pipeline through Kazakhstan in a deal that everybody's going to benefit from it. And this is why you're seeing that shift into that direction. Of course, the BRI, as you guys mentioned, it will only support that argument for China being a winner into this. This is how I read it personally. It's because, uh, you are seeing already, uh, uh, the shift that is taking place not only on the global landscape but also on the economics— economic blocks. And my reference here is to BRICS. Now here is a question for you. You know, if we are seeing Qatar moving into the direction, will it make more sense for Qatar to become part of BRICS? What do you guys think? Or even replace a country in BRICS like India? I don't shy away from speaking truth, and, and, you know, Qatar replacing India. So what do you guys think? It's common sense, it makes perfect sense. But also because Qatar is seeing where the direction is headed, is headed. And that— I won't be surprised. So far there is no conversation yet as to extending an invitation to Qatar. And I think it behooves the BRICS— like I always mentioned, it behooves the BRICS to really, really slow down, to really, uh, assess who they are bringing in. That's one. In the case of Nigeria, if, if, if again, if I am asked my advice, I will say no at this time. Nigeria needs to— to get rid of or to get rid of its own massive internal corruption at the highest level in the government. And Nigeria needs to stop serving, for example, European oil companies like, uh, I think, uh, GIPET, which is a French company, or Total or something like that. Uh, there's the BP, British Petroleum, or whatever. So Nigeria needs to do this first. And the individuals in charge are serving the interest of those companies. This is where that corruption— so to me, no, you don't need to have Nigeria yet into BRICS, even though it will make perfect sense because Nigeria is an oil producer. Total, that is correct. Yeah, and that is the arguments I'm making in the case of Qatar. If you are to bring Qatar, you're gonna have to decide among the 5 of them as to who needs, you know, do they need to replace India for the— in this case, because to me India is the weak link. I've said this many times, I still stand by my statements here because of what I see. I've been reading from different entities as far as what really India is contributing to BRICS. And for to me, a country like Qatar will certainly have— because when you have a, a, a, a top gas producers in the world like Qatar, it's going to add more the investments of Qatar. Qatar is a rich country. So, and this is what I'm seeing, this is what— that's what I'm saying, rather. Uh, it will make more sense to have Qatar in BRICS than to have India at this time, or Nigeria, or India is a member, of course, but, uh, founding members. Let's just make, make this clear. So now we have to think, uh, we have to think in terms of, uh, where this is going to go, or as far as the impact on the global energy market. It will be substantial because you have to consider that Qatar's influence on a project like this is going to force OPEC countries to kind of renegotiate the pricing. They're gonna have to decide— well, who's gonna have to decide? The key players. The key players like Saudi Arabia, because Saudi Arabia is considered the linchpin of OPEC. That— this is nothing new. Of course, there are Angola, Nigeria, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Iran, and so forth. But when you consider the two main oil producers, Iran and Saudi Arabia, are now part of BRICS, just imagine adding Iraq and Qatar. This is what I'm saying, for BRICS, it has to really think through before that decision is made. And I will be looking forward to the upcoming summit in— in— and I'll do a video, of course for you about it, live stream or analysis in, in Russia. It's gonna be in, in Kazakh. Yeah, Kazakh, that's where it's gonna be. Uh, I will be interested, I will be very interesting or interested into seeing the list of the countries that's been approved. Like I mentioned last time, there are about 30 countries. But again, mark my word on this, BRICS cannot afford to expand this big, this fast. It has enough now internally that they need to figure out a way how to resolve its own domestic issues, if I'mma use the term. Because if you think about it, just between BRICS and ASEAN, you got half of the world consumers right there. EU will be useless into that. The G20, well, we all know it's nothing but a, a facade. Uh, the G7, it's, it's, it's a joke. So, you know, of course the US economy is still holding the fort for now, but that ain't gonna last forever. This is why I made the— when I shared the headlines with you about the, the intelligence community coming for annual They never talked about really how degrading our system is going down before our own eyes. That is the truth of it, and they need to understand. Of course, you got, uh, uh, the same thing that applies in BRICS applies to ASEAN. You got some weak links there as well. The ASEAN needs to figure that out, uh, but at the same time for BRICS, they know where the issue is. And as a matter of fact, one of the avid supporters of the channel, uh, Doggy5, sent a comment last time and I read it. I remember he mentioned that, uh, would like me to do a video about the corruption in Singapore of the former transport minister. Yeah, I'm gonna look into this. Believe it or not, for me personally, I'm putting both Singapore and Philippines when it comes down to the weak links. Philippines in more so than, than Singapore, of course, that's just common sense. But I, I'm not gonna overrule that idea or, or rule out that possibility. Okay, Singapore, okay, you need to take stand. Where do you stand? And taking stand matters. You can't be wishy-washy, you can't be playing both sides. Philippines the same. In ASEAN. Then you have now the BRICS, India in BRICS is the same argument. And this is why I'm saying again, because I can see it, I can see it coming. BRICS will have to be very careful how it proceeds because it's going to take time. This is a long-term process and strategy, and they better resolve issues now before it gets so complicated The, the bigger you grow, the more complicated the problems will be. I mean, I look at it in the case of India, and again, I'm just— because I did read the data about where India's economy, and I try to compare that to what it has to offer BRICS. Nothing. Nothing. You know, to me, Modi, Prime Minister Modi, ain't qualified for that position. He doesn't have the background for running a large country like India, uh, economically speaking, because the disparities are very, very vivid. Uh, I spoke to people who are in India as of now, and they are telling me where the current state of the economy is. Despite what does, uh, I know what's her name, uh, what is her name, that lady that does the show advocating for— does anybody know her name? She just had an interview with Professor Mearsheimer. I forgot her name. Anyway, she asked about where is the global powers. Well, the Professor Mearsheimer said, like I've always said, there are only 3 countries that matter, that matter. Russia, China, and the US. That's about it. And she, uh, oh yeah, Bobby Low, you got it, Palki. Yeah, that's the one. And she said, well, what about India? And his face dropped. It's because it doesn't make sense. Sort of, it's embarrassing. That's why when somebody, uh, uh, uh, speak of something that they don't have an in-depth understanding of and call themselves an experts or analyst or whatever, that, that, that's not good. That is not good. So, you know, I've, I've always feel comfortable saying, hey, I am not an economist. I make it clear from the get-go. So this is just my understanding of it. Uh, geopolitics is a different realm. It's my wheelhouse. I've spent years and decades into this field, so I kind of understand what I am talking about. So that, that was just my, my point into all this.. And BRICS will have to think about this, uh, uh, in conjunction with now this expansion of Qatar into Kazakhstan. Because here is what is going to be— it's going to be happening rather moving forward. Europe is done for, there is no returning back. US is done for, there is no returning back. Of course, this is going to take few years now, you know. The US is not going to be In 10-year time, I might not recognize my country. And as a matter of fact, there are people right now in the United States who can afford it, they are leaving the country. Things has gotten very, very, very, very bad. It's just not being reported. I might do a video on it, but not here. It's gonna be on Rumble, and, and, and we'll talk more openly about that. But I am seeing next 5, 10 years America is going to be different. Europe is gone for— and this is what I'm saying, you have to think about this from a strategic perspective as far as a deal like this. Why Qatar will go ahead and put in a $17 billion investments, uh, with, uh, in joint ventures with Kazakhstan? Why Kazakhstan will open up its country to something like this? Because it will benefit the country. Infrastructure-wise, and of course energy. But also it can be also moving in parallel with the changes within the geopolitical landscape. That is the way I see it. All right guys, I am going to take some questions from you. I usually say what I have to say and I stop here. Uh, by the way, I still can't thank you enough for your continued support for the channel. This is the PayPal for those who wants to support the channel. Thanks to all members. Sometimes, guys, I might forget a name or here I can't remember. So because if I am to go back and think about, for example, on top of my head, Juniper Lee, you know, avid supporter's been forever. Uh, Jules, avid supporter forever. Uh, Boone, you know, a lot of that. I mean, I'm not singling out just It's just sometimes I can't remember all the names, and I— please, uh, don't take it personally if I don't mention it, whatever. But I am very grateful for all your continued support for the channel, for the work that I do, for the content. Like I mentioned to you before, guys, I decided not to teach at the university to do this. Why? Because I believe in it. Sometimes if you don't believe in something You don't have a passion for it, don't do it. And if I didn't have the passion for this or I didn't like it, I won't be sitting here because I gotta— I have other things to do. But I came to believe in what I'm doing here. As long as I can do it, as long as my mental capabilities are where they are, even though I do take good care of myself health-wise, uh, and I have access to best sources regarding and nutrition and so forth. So that's what keeps me going. And I, and I enjoyed having conversations with you guys, all of you, no exceptions. I know some gets frustrated. Why, Dr. O, they take too much time before getting the topic. It's okay, it's okay. So, so thank you all for your support. So, and here is the one for the link and for the Asia trip. Asia trip still on the plan, of course. I'm dealing with the administrative stuff We'll see how it's gonna work. Usually, uh, uh, it's, it's— I have time, I have time, and you will know about it, uh, when I am there, till you see me on the screen somewhere. So, all right, let's take some questions or two before we start. Oh, I have a first one in front of me right here. Jan Haukkoor. Jan Haukkoor has been with— it's been with me since I started the big channel. Since we started back there. So I have a supporter, and I am very grateful to all of you. Truth Seeker, another one. Fight Back, another one. David King, another one. All of you guys, you know, I, I can't thank you enough. So, question: we will be getting another one of those monthly non-geopolitical live streams soon, Doc? Yes, yes, I do it at the end of every month. Every month at the end of the month. So we are on 23rd It's gonna be, uh, most likely— let me see the calendar here. Yeah, the last day is the 31st, which is a Sunday. So I don't mind doing it Sunday. Usually I like my weekend to rest, but to me it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a responsibility. So, so yeah, I'm gonna do it. I didn't forget about it, the non-geopolitical where we can talk openly and I'll answer some of your questions, uh, that's not pertaining to geopolitics. About it. Uh, next question from Imran Makani. Good to see you, Imran. Question: What are your thoughts on Ben-Gurion Canal project? Yeah, I did read up a little bit on it. That guy is, uh, uh, what, what can I say? Uh, it's, it's the, the things I like to say are the things I can say here, so Yeah, and they're not gonna be able to defeat that group. Yeah, they won't be. They are too— this is why I posted in the community the picture between, uh, Ismail Haniya and, uh, Mahmoud Abbas. So, and I knew that that will be— Mahmoud Abbas is like a fiddle. They, they playing both, uh, Tel Aviv and Washington playing him any way they want. Because he's so weak. Haniya is different, and this is why the people in Gaza voted for, for the Hamas then. So yeah, he's saying, he's talking about it, but I don't know how far it's gonna go. Uh, let me say thank you to John Smith from New Zealand, another avid supporter. Uh, not because he put super sticker, but he's been here for the contributions intellectually also. And remember, guys, your support It doesn't have only to translate to monetary aspects of it. I mean, I know for those who can afford it, I'm very grateful. To those who can't, I understand. It's reality of it. So, so thank you so much, John. Truly appreciate you. You wrote, thanks, Dr. O. You should think about moving out of the US maybe. Well, I wouldn't want to tell you my plan. You can read between the lines. On a serious note, I am, I'm, I'm already, uh, zoomed in at certain locations. Uh, it's because it pains me, saddens me. But again, I mean, if you only guys know what's going on right now with the immigration— immigrants are getting into people's homes that they are traveling, the people who went on vacation, whatever. Their legals are getting to. Now, if somebody is in my house, I ain't gonna be talking. And now they're saying, well, you can't do anything, you have to sue them. That, that's to me is a bad sign for what lies ahead. So, so the short answer, John, I'm already have— I have some plans in place. So, all right, let me see. Uh, Hongwan, another avid supporter, thank you for being here. Actually, two questions. Okay, first one, uh, Russia signed the deal with Spain to develop Russia HR, uh, not China. Okay, will Finland ask China to develop its underwater rail, which was in planning 10 years ago? Wow, very, very interesting, uh, question. So to, to, to Spain, the reason they're doing this, because they saw the deal Pardon me, this is the deal that Algeria did with, with Russia, major project, okay? And for Spain, Spain start to sort of, uh, uh, part of the cracks that exist in the EU. As you know, Spain is part of the European Union, but they are not along on everything, even though the Spaniard— Spain— Spanish government has been cracking down on the farmers which is not right because the farmers were fighting for their livelihood. So to me, the Spaniards, the Spaniards, Spanish government, by the way, uh, they, they go— which, by the way, that's where my ancestors are from, in, in Sevilla, way back, 14th century. Uh, they playing both sides. You can't be playing both sides. So this is why the reason they want to cut a deal with Russia is also because to me, I don't see it how they're gonna benefit much from that, because Russia pipeline, for example, cannot go through Europe because of the sanctions. Those sanctions not going to be lifted anytime soon. So because the disintegration of Europe is a fait accompli, so why will Russia want even get involved into this? So as to why they did it with Russia and China, I I do not know. The only thing I can think of is the projects that Russia has in Algeria, because if you look at the proximity, uh, between, uh, uh, the, the southern tip of Spain and, uh, the northern part of Mediterranean is so close. So, uh, second thing, will Finland ask China to develop? Uh, I don't know, I'm not aware of this. I need to check it out. Uh, but China also has to be very careful as to— now anything China does, they have to think twice about it. Because you look what happened with Nord Stream 2. We threatened Germany with sanctions. Yeah, we threatened an ally with sanctions if they agreed to the Nord Stream 2. So, so China will have to think, because China does not want to waste its money. On, on a project that's not going to end up benefiting. Second thing, uh, China might have a conversation with Russia before such things happen. It's because he won't be safe because Russia is moving its troops with some heavy weapons. When they say heavy weapons, I am referring to the tactical nukes that's going to be on the border between Finland and Russia. And why is this? Because the US is planning on opening some military bases in Finland. Finland now is— Finland dug its own grave. That's the way I see it. So, so I, uh, I'm, I'm gonna take a look into this, and if I find something, I'll share it with you guys. All right, let me see. Uh, Francis Tango, another avid supporter, thank you for being here. What will Russia do now after the attack in Moscow? Continue further inland. Uh, yeah, I'm sure you guys aware of what took place in Moscow with the attack, and, uh, Ukraine provided the exit route, which means if Ukraine provided exit, that means the government is aware of, uh, these— the group that it says, uh, I can't say that word here, you all know what it is, let me type it. I don't know what it is. It's— but that group is not a group that is away from the, uh, uh, support of both the US and Israel. As a matter of fact, it was a— I, I didn't keep it— it was a tweet of one of the detainees who was from that group confirmed that he was an agent of the Mossads. So, so Russia find that out, and Russia, it's not going to say much after the speech of Putin because he had to reassure the population because that's devastating. That's a big blow when you have an attack inside your country, uh, at that level. Doesn't matter, you know, I know 4 people, uh, arrested, but again, somehow died. Some Russians died. Uh, what Russia is going to do now is quite late. They have to pinpoint exactly the source where that is, and they're gonna, they're gonna retaliate one way or another. That's the way I see it. All right, I'll take one more question, guys, and I'm gonna sign off here. Uh, let me— David King, uh, did the US plan to destroy EU and weaken Russia? Not the latter part, but the further— the, the first one. The, the intention was to weaken Europe. Why? Because as I said last time, Europe was getting cheap energy. Any— if any economy— ask China— any economy that moves up needs to have access to energy. You know, energy is the key. Uh, for the US after World War II, if it wasn't for energy, we wouldn't move that direction. So, so it wasn't about more about Russia, it's about more about Europe, because we never wanted Russia and Germany to get close, because if they get too close economically, the US companies will be useless. Because Germany is good in economics, the technol— certain, uh, certain, uh, technologies and so forth. And the problem with— not the problem, but when you think of Germany, or when you think of the EU, who do you think of? You think of Germany and France to a degree, but mainly Germany. Germany is the heart of the European economy, and now we decided to shut it down slowly. They are deindustrializing. Ask people who live in Germany. I have family in Germany. I have some members here like Boone. Boone is in Germany, and, and Boone will tell me the truth how it is. And it's going down, it's going down. Why? Because also Russia cut off the energy supply. Now Germany will have to buy it at 8 or 10 times the price, especially buying it from the US. So the companies in Germany are saying, we can't afford this anymore. That is the problem. So it is more so to destroy Europe than it is to weaken Russia. All right, guys, I hope you find this, uh, Oh, okay. There was YouTube that says it rejected my comments when I put the name for that group. This usually means they think it's spam. Try changing it a bit. Okay, no, no, I'm not gonna bother with it. You all know what it is, right? You all know what I mean. So that's the group. So anyway, guys, hope you find this very informative. And I look forward to seeing you next week. I'll be preparing some topics. By the way, I am in the process of coordinating some other interviews, including Professor Hudson. I will reach out to him. I got his direct contact and some other guests I will have. I don't want to disclose names, leave it as surprise for you. So, so I wish you guys a good Saturday. Enjoy your weekend, rest a little bit, and I shall see you next week. As always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.