The final agreement on minerals reminds me of an old joke.
Two new Russians meet.
- Will you buy a train car full of jelly for a million dollars?
- Sure, let’s do it!
They shook hands, and the first went off to find a train car of jelly, while the second went to find a million dollars.
Just a little differently:
- I’m trading minerals for security guarantees.
- I don’t have any security guarantees for you.
- (whispering) But I have profitable deposits.
- What?
- What?
- Give me half of the developing deposits.
- Better yet, let’s put half of the income from hypothetical new ones into a common fund.
- And how will you pay off the 500 billion debt?
- I agree to pay 0 dollars, and I owe you nothing.
- It’s a deal.