Suspects in 2010 south Russia power plant blasts to go trial

PRESS DIGEST - Russia - July 20

MOSCOW, July 20 (Reuters) - The following are some of the leading stories in Russia's newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

KOMMERSANT

www.kommersant.ru

- Russian election monitors which work with the Central Election Commission said on Tuesday they did not need international observers at the upcoming December parliamentary election.

- Russia's tycoon Oleg Deripaska has sold a 4.5 percent stake in his En+ to investment bank VTB Capital (VTBR.MM: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) to pay back his debts to the state.

VEDOMOSTI

www.vedomosti.ru

- Russia could make off-shore companies operating on its territory declare their beneficiaries.

- Novatek independent gas producer is interested in acquiring a 51 percent stake in Nortgas, Novatel's head of the board of directors Leonid Mikhelson says in an interview.

RBK DAILY

www.rbcdaily.ru

- The government is said to be considering the possibility of privatisation of Rostelecom long-distance telecoms.

- Russia's alcohol producer "Russian Standard" is close to signing a deal with India's United Spirits.

- Shareholders of the international Domodedovo airport prefer staying in the shadow to avoid raiders' attacks, according to the head of the board of directors of the company Dmitry Kamenshchik.

IZVESTIA

- Russia's Defence Ministry could buy 40 Sukhoi-30MK fighters, according to Irkut aircraft manufacturer.

NOVYE IZVESTIA

www.newizv.ru

- The total area hit by forest fires in Russia has reached 1.2 million hectares which is twice as much as last year, according to officials.

Russian Press at a Glance, Wednesday, July 20, 2011

POLITICS

Libya’s ambassador to Russia Amir al-Garib dismissed information that today’s talks in Moscow between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Libyan counterpart will focus on Muammar Gaddafi’s resignation and possible political asylum for the embattled leader

A survey by independent pollster Levada Center showed that 58% of Russians are indifferent to those who enter the pro-Kremlin United Russia party. Only 15% of respondents said they “understand” such people, while 8% said they treat party members “with irony.” Only 5% of Russians said theyrespected” party members “

ECONOMY

OIL & GAS

Russian economic and energy ministries are in dispute over possible privatization of Russian oil pipeline operator Transneft

TNK-BP agreed to buy Petra Energia's 45 percent stake in a project in Brazil's Solimoes Basin in a drive to expand abroad

TELECOMS & IT

Russian cell phone operator MegaFon closed its online service to text messaging Tuesday following the leak of some 8,000 messages, just as bloggers reported a similar leak for the Russian Post's package tracker.

BANKING & FINANCE

Midsized lender Credit Bank of Moscow is considering selling a minority stake to an investor outside Russia

(The Moscow Times)

DEFENCE

SPORT

Ilya Zakharov and Evgeny Kuznetsov  took silver at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, rallying from fourth on their last dive.

11:58 20/07/2011ALL NEWS

(Itar-Tass World Service)

20/7 Tass 62

RUSSIAN-GERMAN INTERSTATE CONSULTATIONS WERE HELD IN HANNOVER

On Tuesday, Russian-German interstate consultations were held at the top level in Hannover. Dmitry Medvedev and Angela Merkel discussed Russian gas supplies to Germany. Meanwhile, the leaders of the countries agreed on bilateral economic relations in the context of already being implemented and promising projects, the euro zone situation and the general economic situation in the European Union, as well as on international problems with the focus on a tense situation in Libya.

At the St. Petersburg Dialogue public forum, President Dmitry Medvedev has made several important political statements, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta noted. The experts believe that the statements are directly linked with the presidential elections in 2012. The president was speaking about the relations between the authorities and the society, regretted about excessive state-run media outlets, particularly in the regions, and stated about the need for a public television. However, the experts believe that the reforms, which Medvedev offered, mainly lose their value due to vague prospects of their implementation.

Dmitry Medvedev did not clarify again his position on his probable running for president. However, he has made a statement, which could have been interpreted particularly in this way. “We were speaking some time ago with Angela that we will have to chair this forum. We agreed that it will not be soon,” he said. Meanwhile, it is common knowledge that high-ranking retirees chair the St. Petersburg Dialogue forum, the newspaper recalled.

Germany will need some more gas supplies, but not in the amount that was initially planned, the Novye Izvestia noted. The country will find the energy supplies, which will be needed due to a gradually curtailed nuclear power industry, thanks to energy-saving technologies and renewable power sources, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the St. Petersburg Dialogue public forum, cooling down somehow Russia’s plans for higher gas supplies.

Germany rather than Russia raised the visa problem between the countries this time, the newspaper writes. German officials stated that an easier visa regime was voiced already at several sections of the forum. They gave as examples the cases, when German businessmen want to go to Sochi to build Olympic sites, but get a visa with major difficulties. “I am ready to assume responsibility for this. We should provide for some progress in this decision,” Merkel said unexpectedly sincerely. She gave a quite vague explanation that Germany is ready to fulfil a multistage plan for easier visa rules that will concern businessmen, students and tourists. “I believe that Europe will not oppose it. This was Germany that came out against it,” Merkel assumed. Medvedev has taken a more radical position in this issue. “Russia is ready to find this way as quickly as our partners are ready for this. We will not hamper it. If we need several years, we will agree on several years. If six months, it will be six months,” he pledged.

The main unexpected issue at the negotiations between Dmitry Medvedev and Angela Merkel was an outlook for a more rapid progress to a visa-free regime between Russia and the EU, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta believes. The German chancellor acknowledged that Germany bears responsibility for procrastination in this issue and pledged to improve Germany’s position. Public acknowledgements of so high-ranking politicians are very rare, and, therefore, this step of the German chancellor deserves respect, the newspaper noted.

In the talks with the leaders of the countries, representatives of non-governmental organizations regretted about a tough Russian legislation, the Komsomolskaya Pravda noted. “At some time we have screwed the bolts too tightly,” Medvedev acknowledged. He believes that bureaucratic barriers should be removed, particularly electronic reports should be made possible.

At a final press conference Dmitry Medvedev answered a question from a German female journalist about his job upon the end of his current term in office, the Moskovsky Komsomolets writes. The president offered to the German journalist to keep patient “just for a while,” and then he will state “whether he will run for president or will find another job.” “I hope that you will not be disappointed with my decision,” Medvedev added with a smile. He did so as Vladimir Putin at another foreign press conference, when the latter said about the same issue, “You will like it, you will be satisfied.”

RUSSIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS ASK PUTIN ABOUT THE TELEVISION WITHOUT VIOLENCE AND ABOUT TAX BENEFITS

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met on Tuesday with representatives of religious and public organizations, which sympathize with the All-Russia Popular Front. The premier noted that the government staff will have an agency in charge of interethnic relations. He was asked to show fewer terrorist acts on the television and to ease up a tax burden for domestic organizations.

The leaders of all main confessions in Russia, as well as Cossack generals, representatives of numerous federal national cultural autonomies from the Belarusians of Russia to the Gypsies of Russia and the Kurds of Russia, the Kommersant reported. Vladimir Putin told the meeting, “In the modern world many things give a crack and fall apart, but we should avert it. The All-Russia Popular Front is a platform, where representatives of various ethnos and cultures can meet, this is why we named it the All-Russia Popular Front.”

Putin offered to the interfaith council to meet constantly on the grounds of the All-Russia Popular Front, the Komsomolskaya Pravda writes. The premier pledged to form a contact group in the government for aid and cooperation.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia acknowledged that he is concerned over collapsing moral values and the onslaught of a moral crisis, “The man, who does not recognize moral values, will stick at nothing.” The tendencies seeking for the destruction of common moral values are dangerous. Therefore, various groups are fighting between each other protecting the business of their members and ousting our businessmen. Russia should revive the basics of the moral life, then the new comers will respect Russians, who have a strong hold in the faith and moral basics and principles.

The chairman of the presidium of the Central Spiritual Board of Muslims in Russia and European CIS States, Talgat Tadzhuddin, regretted that the television is peddling the terrorism problem, the newspaper noted.

The clergymen have made preaches, requests and proposals, the Rossiiskaya Gazeta noted. Chairman of the Council of Muftis in Russia Ravil Gainutdin noted that Russian Muslims are not aliens, but full-fledged citizens of the country. “Probably, the front is not an organization for religious associations,” Russian Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar said. “We would like to make our contribution,” Lazar. In Russia the chiefs of religious communities not only maintain friendly relations, but also consult with each other and they can help even more to each other on the floors of the All-Russia Popular Front, he hopes.

THE COMPULSORY INSURANCE OF CAR OWNERS WILL BE MORE COSTLY

On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin signed a resolution, which changes the way to calculate a motor third party liability insurance policy. From now on a motor third party liability insurance policy for car owners will be more expensive and will almost double in some cases over higher tariff coefficients.

The price growth will affect the residents of big cities and the drivers under 22 years most of all, the Kommersant noted. Higher tariffs will also embrace the drivers with the cars having the engines from 70 to 100 horse powers that are mostly spread in Russia. The Finance Ministry pledged to raise minimal insurance premiums, but the specific bill is still at the level of drafting in the agencies.

The published document does not change substantially several coefficients, but in aggregate they will provide for a high price growth. Young residents of big cities, who are driving a low-powerful car for several months a year, will be affected by higher prices most of all, the newspaper affirmed.

“Several higher coefficients for insurance policies is an important and necessary measure seeking for a lower loss-making and the creation of an efficient insurance market in Russia,” President of the Russian Union of Car Insurance Companies Pavel Bunin told the newspaper. Since the motor third party liability insurance law entered into force in 2003, the coefficients were adjusted only in March 2009, the basic motor third party liability insurance rate has never been changed (it makes 1,980 roubles for cars).

“The inflation has made more than 200% for this period of time. In this respect, several regional insurance companies turned out to be loss-making to pay the insurance premiums,” Bunin stated.

The Vedomosti also cites its estimates. The insurance policy of a beginner driver from Siberia may be more expensive than that of a Moscow driver, the newspaper writes. The insurance fees may reach 22%, a source close to the Russian union of car insurance companies said. In 2010 members of the Russian union of car insurance companies have bought the third party liability insurance policies at 92.5 billion roubles.

The government also introduced amendments in the motor third party liability insurance law on a simultaneous growth of minimum insurance premiums and tariffs. The amendments envisage higher minimal insurance premiums for the damage to life and health of the injured parties in the road accidents. The newspaper reported that right two bills, which envisage a higher burden on car owners, will not be approved any way in the year before the general elections. Unnamed officials of economic ministries also confirmed this prospect.

The Novye Izvestia also linked the situation with the general elections. Ahead of the elections the insurance companies milk again the car owners, the newspaper reported, recalling that the decision for a more expensive insurance policy was actively lobbied by the car insurance companies for the past year. They cannot complain about anything, because the share of insurance premiums did not exceed 65% in the first six months of the year, though it is to make 80% under the law.

Major companies still have super profits and keep to invest it in the industries, which are profitable for them. The experts noted that the criteria for higher coefficients for various groups of drivers are beyond comprehension. “Why a law-abiding driver is to be responsible for systematic road accidents of the violators of the traffic rules in their city?” the newspaper quoted president of the collegium of legal defence of car owners Viktor Travin as saying.

Back in spring the Russian Federation of Car Owners has estimated according to the statistical reports of the insurance companies that they have received about 98.4 billion roubles of super profits from 2005 to September 2010. The federation has made its own investments.

The materials from the websites Zagolovki.ru and Yandex.ru were cited.