Russia 100322 Basic Political Developments

Russia 100322

Basic Political Developments

• 
  Georgian Times: Ukrainian Media Says Guatemala May Recognize Independence of So-Called South Ossetia
  
• 
  The Voice of Russia: Medvedev to meet President of Guatemala
  
• 
  Guatemala Times: President of Guatemala on official visit to Russia
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: Trans-Atlantic freight shipment line to be opened in St Petersburg - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, his Danish counterpart Lars Rasmussen and Ecuadorian Minister of Industries Xavier Abad Vicuna will take part in the opening ceremony of the trans-Atlantic ocean freight route Guayaquil (Ecuador)-Panama Canal-Rotterdam-Bremerhaven-St. Petersburg, the Russian government’s press service told Itar-Tass.
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: Putin, Halonen to meet with Finnish businessmen in St Petersburg
  
• 
  Barentsnova: Putin and Halonen to meet Finnish businessmen - Finland ranks position 12 in Russia’s external trade. In 2009, Russia maintained its first position in Finnish external trade with 13 billion USD (9,1 billion USD of export and 3,9 billion USD of import). There are about 20 huge Russo-Finnish investment projects implemented in Russia: energy concern (Fortum), technoparks and business centers (Technopolis, Eke Group, Lemcon), etc.
  
• 
  YLE: Halonen Meeting with Russian Premier Putin
  
• 
  RIA: Putin to open sea cargo transportation route, hold talks with Danish PM
  
• 
  Moscow Times: Putin’s Container Line Visit - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen will attend the opening of the trans-Atlantic line on Monday, the government said. Maersk accounts for 20 percent of Russia’s container shipments, it added.
  
• 
  Communist party of China: CPC delegation leaves for party meeting in Russia - A delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) left on Monday for Moscow to attend the second meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia.The delegation, led by He Yiting, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, is invited by the United Russia (UR).
  
• 
  Xinhua: Chinese VP's Russia tour eyes youth friendship, cultural exchanges, cooperation
  
• 
  China Daily: China, Russia sign major agreements worth $1.6bn
  
• 
  Xinhua: Interregional co-op cements Sino-Russian ties, says vice chairman of China's NDRC
  
• 
  China Daily: Improving China-Russian ties - : Strategic partnership between China and Russia goes well despite global recession, except for some minor controversial issues about frontier trade.
  
• 
  Xinhua: Russia, China need to get better acquainted, says Russian language chief
  
• 
  Steel Guru: Russian and Japanese atomic submarines project is completed - It is reported that a Russian and Japanese project for utilization of atomic submarines Zvezda Nadezhdy at Russian Far Eastern plant Zvezda is completed now. The project was aimed to prevent ecological problems and provide nuclear security in Pacific region.
  
• 
  BarentsObserver: Another modernized nuclear submarine to be launched in 2010 - The Russian Northern Fleet’s strategic nuclear Delta-IV class submarine K-407 “Novomoskovsk” will be launched after in November after modernization at the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk.
  
• 
  Sify: Russia says ship resumes sailing off Japan - The Russian Navy says one of its surveillance ships has resumed sailing through the Sea of Japan after reports that it was drifting and taking on water.
  
• 
  Somaliland Press: Russian delegation arrives in Somaliland - Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed a high-powered Russian business delegation that is in Somaliland to explore investment opportunities and strengthen relations.
  
• 
  Bloomberg; Rusal Says Guinea’s Court of Appeal Sends Case to Arbitration
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: Russian, Syrian ministers sign cultural cooperation program
  
• 
  Express.gr: Greek Tourism Minister in Russia
  
• 
  RIA: PACE rapporteurs to visit Russia on a monitoring mission - The new PACE monitoring co-rapporteurs for Russia, Andreas Gross and Gyorgy Frunda, will pay a visit to Moscow on Monday to assess how the country honors its commitments to the Council of Europe.
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: Naftogaz Ukrainy to pay for Russian gas with own funds – PM
  
• 
  Moscow Times: Kiev Softening Stance on Pipelines
  
• 
  Civil.ge: Saakashvili Awards Rugby Team for Beating Russia
  
• 
  Moscow Times: Georgians Recall Russian Ties After Rugby Victory
  
• 
  Moscow Times: Russia Clears Oracle’s $7Bln Sun Takeover
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: Russian Proton rocket carries American satellite to orbit - The Russian space vehicle Proton-M launched from Baikonur on Saturday has successfully put the EchoStar-14 American communication satellite into the planned orbit.
  
• 
  Reuters: Putin spokesman: no talks with Clinton on tanker deal
  
• 
  Reuters: RPT-UPDATE 1-Russia firm "will not bid" on U.S. air tanker deal
  
• 
  RIA: Russia’s United Aircraft Chief Fyodorov Denies U.S. Tanker Bid
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: India successfully test fires BrahMos missile - India has successfully test fired a BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile from a warship in the Bay of Bengal, off the Orissa coastline. BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture of India and Russia, produces the missile.
  
• 
  RTT News: Afcons Infra Bags Metro Project Contract From KMRC - Afcons, in a joint venture with a Russia's Transtonnelstroy Ltd., will build three underground stations and twin bored tunnels. The length of the tunnel will be around 2,954 meters; of this, around 520 meters will be under the Hooghly river.
  
• 
  Newstraitstimes: India finds in Russia a good friend to count on - India and Russia want to send identical messages to their intended targets. Both want to tell the US and Nato that unlike them, they are part of a region where the Af-Pak situation affects them directly. For anyone who cares to take note, the Putin visit marked a new phase of evolution and confirmed the emergence of a multi-polar world.
  
• 
  Interfax: St. Petersburg Muslim Spiritual Board says prayer houses searched not any of theirs
  
• 
  RIA: Militant killed in Russia's Dagestan - A militant was killed on Monday morning in the capital of Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, a Federal Security Service (FSB) source told RIA Novosti.
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: One militant killed in special operation in Dagestan-adds
  
• 
  RIA: Counter-terrorism operation regime imposed in Dagestan's capital - A counter-terrorism operation regime was imposed early on Monday in a street of Makhachkala, the capital of Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan, a spokesman for the republic's security service said on Monday.
  
• 
  Expert Club: Dagestan on a powder keg - On March 21st policemen and soldiers in masks blocked all exits and entrances of the village Mutsulaula of the Khasavyurt district with vehicles "KAMAZ". Electric trains were banned from stopping near the settlement. The reason for these measures was discovery of a powerful explosive device near only shop in the village that sells alcoholic beverages.
  
• 
  NY Times: With Breakdown of Order in Russia’s Dagestan Region, Fear Stalks Police
  
• 
  Prague Watchdog: A naive killer - The numerous statements, the open letters to the presidents of Russia and Ingushetia, the whole of the seething pseudo-political operation that has been launched by Ibrahim Yevloyev, mainly on the Internet, will not allow him to wipe away the stigma of being the murderer of Magomed Yevloyev and attain at least a minimum of political status. Ibrahim Yevloyev killed a man who had only just begun to establish the basic rules of the game that he is trying to play. 
  
• 
  Georgian Daily: Kadyrov Refuses Police Units From Regions Beyond Chechnya
  
• 
  Interfax: Airliner falls apart approaching runway of Moscow’s Domodedovo airport – official
  
• 
  Pravda: Tu-204 Passenger Jet Lands in Forest: One Wing Lost, Fuselage Cracked
  
• 
  RIA: Tu-204 crash-landing due to safety rules infringement – investigator
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: Tu-204 partially damaged in emergency landing near Moscow
  
• 
  RIA: Two accidents on ill-fated Tu-204 plane not linked - air official
  
• 
  RIA: Seven injured as plane crash-lands near Moscow
  
• 
  Russia Today: Passenger jet crash lands near Moscow airport
  
• 
  Voice of Russia: International polar station gets supplies - A first batch of cargo was delivered to the international polar station Borneo on Monday in the midst of poor weather conditions, news agencies have reported. The mission was implemented by Russian Air Force pilots, who coped with the difficult task of dropping cargo containers on the ice as night was closing in. The next three months will see personnel of the Borneo ice station grapple with an array of scientific experiments in the Arctic, which will add significantly to tackling climate change.
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: 130 people saved from cars stuck in snowdrifts on Sakhalin
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: Yurevich vested with powers of governor in Chelyabinsk region
  
• 
  RIA: Head of United Russia regional branch resigns - The head of the Yekaterinburg branch of the ruling United Russia party has resigned following the party's unsatisfactory performance in recent local elections, a party spokesman said on Monday.
  
• 
  RIA: United Russia party proposes largest amnesty since 2000 - The pro-Kremlin United Russia party has proposed granting amnesty to over 300,000 convicts to mark the 65th anniversary of Russia's World War II victory, a Russian business daily said on Monday.
  
• 
  Interfax: Senior police official arrested on suspicion of involvement in contraband
  
• 
  RFE/RL: Moscow's Fire Chief Dies In Blaze - Local reports say the chief of Moscow's fire department was killed while evacuating people from a burning building in the Russian capital.
  
• 
  Moscow Times: Rallies Calling for Putin's Ouster Fizzle
  
• 
  Financial Times: Anger at Moscow spills on to streets
  
• 
  Independent: Miles from the Kremlin, protesters aim fruit and fury at Putin
  
• 
  Moscow Times: A Medvedev Tea Party Could Be the Answer - The Kremlin is mulling the idea of a new liberal party that would promote President Dmitry Medvedev’s modernization agenda and mobilize public support for his policies in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in 2011 and presidential election in 2012.
  
• 
  Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Medvedev’s Own Political Party?
  
• 
  Deutsche Welle: Medvedev, Putin grapple for power in Moscow - Russian President Medvedev made it clear from the beginning that he does not stand in Vladimir Putin's shadow. Two years into his presidency, Medvedev is making a play for more power as he seeks to assert himself.
  
• 
  Moscow Times: Gryzlov Says Putin-Medvedev Tandem to Rule After 2012
  
• 
  Financial Times: Moscow gets tough on cybercrime as ID theft escalates - The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB)has detained suspects including Viktor Pleshchuk, an alleged mastermind behind a £6m (€6.6m, $9m) attack on the payment processing unit of Royal Bank of Scotland, said people familiar with the inquiry.
  
• 
  PC Advisor: Russia cracks down on .ru malware 'safe haven' - Registrants will need passport to acquire domains
  
• 
  Reuters: Russian Olympics clouded by 19th century deaths - A Muslim diaspora is demanding the Sochi 2014 Olympics be cancelled or moved unless Russia apologises for the 19th century deaths of many of their ancestors in the location where the Winter Games will be held.
  
• 
  Russia Today: 22 March, 2010 in Russian Newspapers
  
  • 
    Izvestiya: Yukos is dead, but its debt lives on
    
  • 
    Trud: Debts kill a family
    
  • 
    Vedomosti: Many to be granted freedom on account of the 65th Victory Day anniversary
    
• 
  Reuters: PRESS DIGEST - Russia - March 22
  
  • 
    KOMMERSANT
    
  • 
    Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov has asked President Dmitry Medvedev to add 100 billion roubles ($3.42 billion) per year to the budget so the programme of arms reform can be implemented, the daily reports.
    
  • 
    Russia will invest 2 billion roubles ($68.35 million) to develop the cinema industry in 2010, the paper writes.
    
  • 
    Russia's car maker Avtovaz needs 10 billion roubles ($341.8 million) to restructure its debts, the daily says.
    
  • 
    VEDOMOSTI
    
  • 
    Russia's GDP dropped by 0.9 percent in February compared to January, the daily writes, citing the economic ministry.
    
  • 
    Russia's ministry of regional development plans to start checking the efficiency of officials, starting with those in the North Caucasus, the paper says.
    
  • 
    NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA
    
  • 
    The day of protest, which was held last Saturday across Russia involved one tenth of the participants that were expected, the paper writes.
    
  • 
    TRUD
    
  • 
    A businessman in Moscow killed his wife and two daughters because of financial problems last Saturday, the paper writes.
    
• 
  Moscow Times: Today in Vedomosti
  
  • 
    Iran Sanctions Will Not be Brought Up Until June
    
  • 
    Greenspan: Euphoria Was Cause of Crisis
    
  • 
    Banks Could Be Excluded From Deposit Insurance System
    
• 
  Financial Times: Lenders agree debt deal for troubled Oerlikon - Banks and company representatives have reached an outline restructuring settlement for Oerlikon, after weeks of talks failed to produce progress for the troubled Swiss engineering group controlled by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.
  
• 
  Moscow Times: Spanish Arrests Expose a New Kind of Mafia - The leader of the organized crime group's Spanish operations was identified as Khaber, or Kakhaber, Shushanashvili, and the gang was said to be in contact with convicted Georgian crime boss Zakhar Kalashov, who has been imprisoned in Spain since 2006.
  
• 
  Bne: Russia to spend more on education than defence - "In 2010, 4.4% of the GDP will be allocated from the consolidated budget to ensure the education system's compliance with the demands of the innovative economy and to maintain all systemic changes," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on March 19.
  
• 
  Georgian Daily: Moscow’s Arms Purchases Abroad Costing Russians Wages and Jobs at Home
  
• 
  Moscow Times” Putin Seeks Price Probe For Farmers
  
• 
  Premier.gov.ru: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holds meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin - Mr Sechin informed the prime minister of the results of consultations with the leading energy and oil companies regarding the price of lubricants during the spring sowing campaign. Mr Putin had previously issued a related directive for the spring sowing campaign.
  
• 
  Russia Today: “We should learn to earn money with our brains” – Vladislav Surkov: In an interview with the Vesti television channel, Surkov elaborated on Russia’s modernization plans and its intellectual potential, as well as shared details of the construction of the innovation center near Moscow.