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Article: Great games: Iran and the ex-Soviet Union.
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- January 30, 1993
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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DROP into the lobby of an hotel in north Tehran and be wafted back to the days of the Soviet Union. One day it is packed with Georgians, the next with Ukrainians. These are the visiting delegations. Always around the place are visitors from Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, a couple of Uzbeks plus a Russian or two.
Iran is out to win friends in Central Asia--and to win trade contracts and weapons from Russia and Ukraine. The West may be trying to block such links, but it is increasingly clear that the ex-Soviet states welcome the prospect of a flow of petro-dollars from the Islamic republic.
Russia's president, Boris Yeltsin, is expected in Tehran next week bearing ...