How Vladimir Putin’s birthday was celebrated in Novo-Ogarevo

On the morning of October 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his birthday and the presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and in the evening he “washed” his new Aurus Komendant with them at the Novo-Ogarevo residence, which was also examined by a special correspondent of Kommersant. Andrey Kolesnikov.

On Vladimir Putin’s birthday it was windy, cold and rainy near Moscow. Well, it’s still a little dark, even during the day.

The meeting ceremony of the three presidents turned out to be difficult and even more difficult. It was assumed that the birthday boy would meet his colleagues in the foyer of the Novo-Ogaryovo guest residence and lead them into the hall where a video conference was being prepared with gas pumping points in all three countries (VKS participants had been waiting standing for the presidents for a long time, and the head of Gazprom was the most steadfast standing “Alexey Miller, who simply stood motionless, not for one minute, not two, not ten, and even, it seems, not one hour. At some point, I began to look at his authentic television image against the backdrop of the panoramic window in Lakhta -center” was simply fascinated and even thought that maybe it was the frozen frame they were holding for so long. No, it’s alive, as it soon became clear! It’s just training and endurance. And take my word for it – the picture is simply amazing, if you don’t look away eye for at least a quarter of an hour.He stood without literally blinking an eye.

It was easier for journalists. In Novo-Ogarevo, where we now visit extremely rarely and even, one might say, never again, such tables were set for journalists that one might think it was one of us having a birthday.

But nothing like that: one of the waiters explained to me that the negotiations are international, and even trilateral, hence the increased budget (“Multiply by three!..”). Yes, but so many fruits… Moreover, colleagues from Kazakhstan and especially from Uzbekistan, for obvious reasons, are not surprising with fruits, so huge purple and simply unearthly plums, grapes and pears inspired primarily Russian journalists. We whiled away the time with them while some kept their watch on one of the top floors of the St. Petersburg skyscraper.

Finally, at four o’clock in the afternoon (we arrived at eleven) a high level of readiness was declared.

“I passed “Moscow Nights”!..” I heard something that was moderately alarming, but rather encouraging.

I could understand that. They were talking about the President of Uzbekistan and the restaurant “Moscow Nights”, which is located on Rublevo-Uspenskoye Highway. It was a couple of minutes from him to the residence, if you didn’t stand at the traffic light that controlled the turn onto Ilyinskoe Highway. No, he didn’t stand. It was just luck.

The motorcade of the President of Uzbekistan stopped at the entrance to the residence.

It was time for the Russian President to appear in the foyer, who was supposed to go out and meet his colleague. No, nothing like that. The cortege stood rooted to the spot at the entrance, Shavkat Mirziyoyev was sitting in the car.

This went on for about seven minutes. At some point, it became clear that the presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan apparently wanted to go there together.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s motorcade had almost entered the gates of the residence when I heard desperate:

– Tell them it’s busy!

In my opinion, one row was still free, but we will assume that I did not see it.

And Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s motorcade still did not move. In the meantime, they apparently decided to park the motorcade of the President of Kazakhstan nearby.

Moreover, after a couple of minutes it turned out that the Russian President had changed his mind about meeting his colleagues in the foyer.

– Oh, ours has arrived! – I heard unexpectedly.

Ours drove up in a new Aurus SUV, and it seemed clear why a free row was needed at the entrance to the residence. Mr. Putin decided to give his colleagues a ride in a new SUV.

The birthday boy got behind the wheel. He looked frankly pleased. It seems that Deputy Prime Minister Manturov just gave him this SUV for his birthday (no, I don’t know how it really is).

And the President of Russia – well, he simply didn’t have the strength – was in a hurry to show off the gift.

The President of Uzbekistan got into the Aurus in the front passenger seat, and the birthday boy stepped on the gas. However, there was nowhere in particular to go. But it only seemed so. The route was tried. Vladimir Putin rolled a large number of people around the territory of his residence (Fyodor Bondarchuk alone at one time after watching the film “The Ninth Company”, which was worth it). Both on the old Mercedes ML-350 model and on the E-mobile (Mikhail, as you know, Prokhorov)… So Mr. Putin obviously knows where to add and why.

At some point, they picked up Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev who had arrived. Moreover, both Vladimir Putin and Shavkat Mirziyoyev got out of the car.

“I’m showing our new car…” explained the Russian president, hugging his colleague from Kazakhstan.

– Automatic, right? – Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev clarified to keep the conversation going. – Naturally!

“Of course,” the Russian president nodded gravely.

“I’m an old philologist…” the President of Kazakhstan began to say, but, it seems, he decided not to continue.

Or maybe this is exactly what he wanted to tell the Russian President now.

– Salam alaikum! — Shavkat Mirziyoyev greeted Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev responded in kind.

“…I can’t do this like this…” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, hugging his colleague from Uzbekistan, showed that he does not greet with fists, as is customary among cowards who are afraid of Covid.

They approached the car, and the President of Kazakhstan, without hesitation, sat down in the seat in front, next to the President of Russia.

The delicate Shavkat Mirziyoyev, of course, did not make it clear that he had just been sitting there, and sat back. And they drove around some more before they again arrived at the entrance to the residence.

The main thing, I thought, is that Alexey Miller doesn’t have long to stand.

A minute later, the participants in the events entered the hall, where, so to speak, two large monitors were installed with their backs to each other. So not only the presidents could see what was happening on the screens, but also journalists and members of both delegations.

And I must admit that this was a sign of rare care.

“I would like to once again cordially welcome all participants in today’s ceremony on the occasion of the start of Russian gas supplies to Uzbekistan through the territory of Kazakhstan and to Kazakhstan,” the Russian president outlined the external contours of the event. “We are talking about the largest trilateral energy project, for the implementation of which the Central Asia gas pipeline is used —The center was built back in the 1960s.

That is, everything, thank God, was once not in vain.

“Then,” continued Vladimir Putin, “it was, in fact, the first transcontinental Eurasian gas route, along which Uzbekistan supplied gas… about 80 billion cubic meters per year… to eight union republics at once.

This story was important for all participants in the concession. In the end, it is now possible, for example, to say for sure that if in one place the valve closes for Russia, then in another it opens.

But it wasn’t Russia that begged it to buy at least some gas:

“Let me remind you that our Uzbek friends approached us with a request to establish gas supplies at the end of last year,” said Mr. Putin. “We promptly responded to it, gave appropriate instructions to Gazprom, which, together with partners from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, worked out the necessary technical details . And already in June, within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a contract for the export of Russian gas to Uzbekistan and an agreement for its transportation through Kazakhstani territory were signed, according to which Russia will supply 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas to Uzbek consumers in the next two years.

The beauty of the plan was not immediately revealed:

“I would like to note that specialists from three countries were faced with a large-scale and difficult task – to diagnose, repair and technically re-equip the gas transportation system facilities of Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan involved in the project, including those that have not been in operation for a long time. Moreover, all this had to be done in a very short time, quickly. After all, taking into account the difficulties of last winter, which in Uzbekistan turned out to be very harsh and temperatures reached minus 20 degrees… And Shavkat Miromonovich said, minus 25 and even lower!.. We had to make it before the onset of winter cold this year!

Against the backdrop of such a large-scale project, even Vladimir Putin’s birthday no longer seemed to overshadow all this gloomy sky near Moscow. So, I was covering a couple of clouds.

“The volume of work completed in a short time is truly impressive,” added the Russian president. “The Aleksandrov Gai gas measuring station in the Saratov region has been modernized in Russia.” In Kazakhstan, pipes have been repaired and pumping capacity has been released. A gas measuring station and a new section of the Bukhara-Ural pipeline have been built in Uzbekistan!..

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, it seems, just told his Western colleagues in Astana (who reluctantly refused Russian gas in order to deprive Russia of gas surpluses and thereby maximally, or better yet, completely bleed it out) how Kazakhstan intends to strictly comply with the sanctions regime in relations with Russia . And now he was opening a new gas pipeline from Russia and demonstrating special closeness in relations with Vladimir Putin.

And, most importantly, no one could blame the President of Kazakhstan for at least a bit of insincerity. Isn’t this the wisdom of a leader?

Not Erdogan, of course… But why? Because our planes are not shot down. And Azov militants are not returning to their homeland… No, not Erdogan. More than Erdogan.

“I would like to note the role of the project in strengthening regional stability and energy security in Central Asia,” said the President of Kazakhstan. “More than 20 thousand kilometers of gas pipelines with an annual capacity of up to 255 billion cubic meters pass through the territory of Kazakhstan (yes, this is not 2.8 Uzbek billion.— A.K.), and Kazakhstan is interested in the full use of its transit potential…

“The implementation of the project demonstrates our cohesion and ability to effectively respond to the challenges of the global economy,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev found the strength to identify an obvious political component in what is happening, “especially in ensuring energy security, and we are ready to develop a long-term partnership in this area.

— Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your birthday! — Alexey Miller, meanwhile, brought those present back to earth.

But he also talked about the sky-colored fuel:

— Contracts for gas supply and transit were signed in mid-June of this year, and we immediately began intensive work. On a 1,760-kilometer section in Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, repair and restoration work, technical re-equipment, reconstruction, and new construction work were carried out. This set of works was completed in the shortest possible time – three and a half months. Gas from the unified gas supply system of Russia comes to the border with Kazakhstan, then along a specially designated gas transport corridor it follows to the border of Uzbekistan – and then to consumers!

The gas was put through the pipeline (I suppose, as usual, symbolically, but so what), Mr. Putin remained in the hall with the presidents and Alexei Miller and Nikolai Tokarev (Transneft) via VCS to discuss, as I understand it, new plans for this time related to oil supplies (Russia, as we know, would have to put the oil somewhere).

Well, after that we could finally relax and start celebrating the 71st anniversary of the Great October.