Running discussion on SP, page-74381

When youve got ministers of state trumpeting that AVZ hasnt done anything in 6 years we should sit up and take notice, corrupt toad or not. Whilst we know that to be misleading - not least because weve been waiting for 18 months to break ground - we shouldn't underestimate the risk of that narrative gaining traction. Especially given its likely to have more life breathed into it through the coordinated Chinese campaign, and our management's IMO misguided decision to maintain a strategy of media/social media silence regarding our position. Having senior government official publicly bemoan an apparent lack of progress on a stragic national asset, and demand that the government get its due, harkens back some reminders of situations in other countries that have at least a surface level similarity. And needless to say didnt end well for the foreign operators in question.

not saying that the same course is probable in our case, but the longer this drags on without visible movement or action to develop the project (even though we can't really do much) adds on to the argument of those who would love to strip AVZ of its holdings. I highly doubt that this would occur under FTs watch given his desire to broaden invest horizons to the West - however you don't know who may potentially replace him in 2023. A Chinese lacky? An economic brown paper opportunist? Is that part of the current delay delay delay tactics? Who knows. But we need to have an ML signed sealed and delivered before the elections approach or our already substantial sovereign risk increases significantly.