Russia 110217 Basic Political Developments

Russia 110217

Basic Political Developments

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  Russian envoy questions the worthiness of prosecuting Sudanese president - The Russian special envoy to Sudan Mikhail Margelov said on Wednesday that his government does not see any use of insisting on prosecuting president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and genocide he allegedly orchestrated in Darfur.
  
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  King of Spain to visit Russia Feb 24-25
  
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  Vladimir Putin and Eduard Kokoity, discussed the restoration of South Ossetia - Kokoity also said the work of Russian "Green Berets", which helps to protect the Ossetian-Georgian border. Recently, they are equipped with three gates, fully equip them with modern technology.
  
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  SECOND REGIMENT OF S-400 TRIUMPH AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS TO BE DEPLOYED TO SHIELD MOSCOW IN MARCH - DEFENSE MINISTRY 
  
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  AEROSPACE DEFENSE SYSTEM TO BE CREATED IN RUSSIA BY END OF YEAR - DEFENSE MINISTRY
  
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    Four S-400 air defense systems to be deployed to shield Moscow in 2016-2020
    
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    Russia to start building new air defenses by 2014 - The S-500 air defense system will be able to track and destroy ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 3,500 kilometers.
    
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    Russia to Deploy Second S-400 Missile around Moscow Region - "The hand-over ceremony for the second S-400 will take place at the state firing range in Kapustin Yar from February 16 to 19," said Col. Vladimir Drik, spokesman for Russian Defense Ministry.
    
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  Medvedev, Pope to discuss religious ties in Vatican - A Russian diplomatic source told RIA Novosti that a meeting between the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and the Pope now appears "more realistic" than it did several years ago.
  
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    Medvedev to visit Vatican to discuss interconfessional dialogue
    
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    Russia, Italy sign agt on air freight transit to Afghanistan via Russia - The Rome agreement allows Russia’s airspace to be used as the so-called “northern corridor” that passes through Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and is the most effective and economical route for material and logistical support to the Italian contingent in Afghanistan and serves as an alternative to the air route through the United Arab Emirates,” the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a communique.
    
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    Russia, Italy ink several accords during Medvedev's visit
    
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    Over 30 Italian cos in talks to participate in Russia’s Skolkovo
    
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    Svetlana Medvedev speaks about Venice
    
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    Kremlin: Russian-Italian talks - Talks between Dmitry Medvedev and President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano were held in Rome.
    
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  Biden to visit Russia - The upcoming dates of this spring's visit by U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden have finally been set. They will visit Finland, Russia and Moldova during the week beginning March 7, 2011, says an official announcement by the White House.
  
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  U.S., Russia to begin data exchange under New START in March - official
  
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  Russian specialists to inspect U.S. nuclear missiles
  
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  U.S. to expand civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia - official
  
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  U.S. ready to discuss further arms reduction with Russia - official
  
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  Russia’s Regional Development Minister Viktor Basargin to visit Estonia, until February 18
  
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  BELARUS AUTHORITIES SEEK TO TRIGGER ANTI-RUSSIAN SENTIMENTS USING SITUATION SURROUNDING TWO DETAINED RUSSIANS - RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
  
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  Armenia-Russia Relations: Deputy MFA listens to opposition party concerns - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Grigoriy Karasin was in Armenia this week to discuss a broad agenda of Russian-Armenian relations. Besides meeting with representatives of the executive authorities, he also met with representatives of the legislature, including the opposition Heritage Party.
  
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  RF border guards did not use weapons to stop transgressor ship - “The transgressor ship did not respond to inquiries, did not react to the legitimate demands of the border guard authorities to stop, the vessel was heading to the exit from the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation,” the Sakhalin coast guard department of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Thursday.
  
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  Russia to develop disputed Kuril Islands
  
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  Russia, China firms to jointly farm scallops off Japan-claimed isle
  
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  China's Trade Center Begins Operation in Russia - Speaking at a press conference, chamber chairperson Cai Guiru said about 70 percent of the construction of the center has been completed and 28 Russian enterprises have signed contracts with the center and stationed in the quarter.
  
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  Slovenia and Russia commit to over 30 joint projects in many sectors
  
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  First An-148 deliveries to commence from 2012 summer - The first shipments of the Ukrainian-Russian Antonov-148 regional passenger jets to India may start in the summer of 2012. This information was made available at the just concluded AeroIndia 2011 air show at Bangalore.
  
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  Belarus asks Russia for $9bn loan to build 2400 MW nuclear plant
  
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  Russian hydro power to Finland, Norway - Northwest Russian electricity generator TGC-1 in 2010 exported a total of 1,3 TWh to Finland and Norway.
  
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  Why Russia’s Agreement With Germany’s Rheinmetall Matters - From theTrumpet.com
  
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  2 Russians aboard sunk boat in Vietnam – Embassy
  
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  Putin to visit Krasnodar Territory
  
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  Russian govt to discuss demographic policy concept up to 2025
  
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  Bright minds talk modernization in Siberia
  
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  Putin killed democracy, opposition leader says - “Putin looks like a young Mubarak. He believes that his future will be better than Mubarak‘s future. I don’t think so,” said Mr. Nemtsov, who was speaking at a press conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
  
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  Domodedovo blast suspects convoyed to Moscow -"The suspected accomplices of Magomed Yevloyev, who committed the terrorist attack at Domodedovo, were convoyed to Moscow, where investigators have already started to work with them," the source said.
  
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  Two blasts rock Dagestan’s Kizlyar
  
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  The 8th inter-regional exhibition “Business in Dagestan-2011” to take place in Makhachkala
  
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  Conflict in Dagestan Approaches the Level of Civil War – by Valery Dzutsev
  
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  Muslim Headdresses Test Faith, Tolerance - After twin attacks by female suicide bombers killed 40 people in the Moscow metro last March, media reports warned that women sporting a Muslim headdress in public may face verbal or even physical attacks.
  
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  Marked as a terrorist - Those labeled "black widows" after last spring's metro bombing find it difficult to go on with their lives, especially as terrorist attacks continue.
  
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  Europe's ATV-2 space freighter heads to ISS
  
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  17   Search at Inteko related to embezzlement of 13 bln rubles from Bank of Moscow - Interior Ministry
  
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  Russian police raid real estate tycoon's office
  
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  Search of Inteko office is act of pressure - Baturina (Part 2)
  
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  Auditing Chamber exposes major financial violations in Moscow
  
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  Moscow Prosecutor suspends extremist Movement Against Illegal Immigration
  
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  Sobyanin says he needs time to win 'relaxed' Moscow's trust
  
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  Sobyanin admits Moscow has few mosques
  
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  Moscow does not need gay pride parades – Sobyanin
  
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  Russian Press at a Glance, Thursday, February 17, 2011
  
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  Jailed Oil Tycoon Khodorkovsky Is ‘Perfect Martyr’: Interview
  
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  Roman Abramovich declares assets
  
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  Kandinsky, forgery and Israeli connection - Did a talented Israeli gang manage to create a pseudo-new work of art by world renowned Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, present it at a museum in Moscow without the con being exposed and then nearly sell it at an astounding price to an Italian collector?