Egypt Talking Tough
27/03/13 -- In what looks like a ludicrous and transparently desperate rant Egypt's Minister of Supply has told (probably shouted actually, with a lot of finger jabbing by the looks of it) the FT that the cash-strapped country will buy wheat from "whoever gives us payment facilities" in what looks like an attempt to cadge a bit, or should that be a lot, of credit.
Puffing out his chest the guy goes on to basically say "if you won't help us out with some slack payment terms now then you can stick your wheat up your arse and don't darken our door again." Presumably this now means that the list of Egypt's approved suppliers is now a list of all the countries in the world? Iran, North Korea, Somali pirates, anyone prepared to wait a bit for their cash can now join this not as exclusive as it was club?
That's not all though, the loon goes on to say essentially that Egypt doesn't need wheat, it has plenty of the stuff, so don't bother trying to pull a fast one, we're in control, we've got a record harvest coming anyway so we're not really bothered whether we buy your stinking wheat or we don't. I'm Roman Abramovich's body guard me, feel them muscles. You're not the Daddy. I'm the Daddy. Kiss my feet or I rip your stinking head off, innit.
There was no mention of insisting on only 60,000 MT cargoes with one loading port any more though, I think he might be negotiable on that point now.
You can read the full rant in the FT Come on then...
