Russia 090407
Basic Political Developments
· Palestinian leader Abbas set for Moscow talks with Putin
· Russia to buy spy drones from Israel - Russia's Defense Ministry has decided to buy three types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from Israel for $50 million, a respected Russian business paper said on Tuesday.
· Russian FM: Moscow determined to continue cooperation with Tehran
· Erdogan going to Moscow on Armenia’s request?
· Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov To Visit US In May – Report
· Russia's Lavrov warns against haste over North Korea
· Russian Railways Says Korean Rocket Launch Won’t Slow Rail Link
· Pravda: Russia must take decisive action in the Koreas
· Russia Makes China Reactor - The CEFR reactor will be started in the second half of 2009 with fuel loading planned for July and August, Atomenergoprom said Monday
· Ukraine's Naftogaz says pays Russian March gas bill
· Brazil could make Russian new-generation fighters under license
· Georgia detains cargo ship with Russian crew - A Georgian coast guard vessel has detained a cargo ship with a crew of 14 Russians on board, the Sovfracht maritime bulletin said on Tuesday.
· State Duma to examine '09 budget plan in 2nd reading Apr 15
· Government Posts Revised Anti-Crisis Plan on Web Site
· Putin gives first ever PM report to Duma - Vladimir Putin gave his first report as a prime minister to the Duma on Monday, April 6 and Russia scored – well, not an 'F' for fail, but certainly didn't get a pass grade either. Clearly, the country will have to stay in at the weekends and work a bit harder if it's to qualify as a success again.
· OPINION: We will survive: But will we thrive? - by Chris Weafer, chief strategist at UralSib
· RP: A Sermon for the Converted - Vladimir Putin’s Duma Report Reminiscent of a Queen’s Speech Rather Than a Prime Minister’s Account
· Russia: Dmitry Medvedev signed three laws on ratifying agreements concluded within the Collective Security Treaty Organisation
· Law on Governors Signed - President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a law allowing a political party with a majority in a regional legislature to nominate gubernatorial candidates, the Kremlin said Monday.
· Newsweek: Russia's Olympic Election
· Prosecutors, rights activists differ on xenophobia increase in Russia
· Moscow Oblast Officials Concerned By Attacks On Journalists
· Tajik citizen detained in Dubai within Sulim Yamadayev murder case
· President of Chechnya: Putin is "the most holy man for me"
· Adam Delimkhanov accused of killing Chechen leader Sulim Yamadayev
· MT: Kadyrov Tells of Plot to Poison Lake
· Pravda: Russia can never surrender its nukes
· MT: Real Enemy Is to the East - By Alexander Golts
· RUSSIA: KREMLIN UNDER PRESSURE ON SEVERAL SIDES FROM EMBOLDENED CRITICS
· Swiss launch criminal probe of Russian billionaire - Swiss authorities on Monday opened criminal proceedings against Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and two other businessmen on suspicion of breaking share trading rules.
· MT: Russia in Poor Position To Be an IMF Donor
· Powerful 7.0 quake shakes Russian island: USGS
· Reuters PRESS DIGEST - Russia - April 7
National Economic Trends
· Russia’s gold and foreign exchange reserves reduced by 10% in the firs quarter of 2009
· Russia daily c.bank swap limit at zero
· At least 25 banks said interested in VEB bonds
· Economy Fell 5.4% In March, VTB Says
· Ruble Strengthens Past Basket's Defense Level
Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions
· Investors Ignoring Russia - Private equity investors expect to invest more in emerging markets in the next five years, but Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union placed last on the list at No. 9, according to an industry survey released Monday
· Russian Stocks Upgraded at Credit Suisse; Shares Rise (Update2)
· MMK Gets Czech Loan
· MMK Output Down 43%
· Support for Avtovaz Is Questioned - Russian State Loan Relieves Car Maker of Need to Cut Costs
· Moscow Developers Get Defense Contracts
Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)
· Ukraine, Russia gas companies sign technical agreement on gas transit
· Ukraine, Russia to agree gas volumes:Naftogaz
· Italy Plans to Extend Russian Gas Pipeline to Turkey, RT Says
· Russian Oil Pipeline to Reach Chinese Border within Weeks
· Russian Lukoil, Transneft eye Mazeikiu – report
· Lukoil May Post Quarterly Loss on Impairment, Currency: Outlook
· Lukoil Starts Exploration At Pyakyakhinsky Field In Siberia
· Russia’s Siberian Services Defaults on $100 Million of Bonds
· Sibir launches court action against ex-boss
· Sibir Starts Proceedings to Recover $400 Million (Update1)
· Sibir Energy boosts oil output 42% in 2008
· Surgut's Move Against MOL: A New Stage in Russian Acquisition Strategy in Europe
Gazprom
· Naftogaz settles with Gazprom for March gas supply
· Gazpromneft placing 5 bln rouble bond – source
· Enel CEO:To Sign Gazprom Deal On Russia Gas Assets By End-Apr
· Eni, Gazprom Poised to Sign Deal as Option Expiry Approaches
· Gazprom to bring South stream to Italy
· Alexey Miller meets with heads of E.ON Ruhrgas, ENI and GDF SUEZ
· Russian gas monopoly finds allies in Europe - As a counter to the Brussels declaration of Ukraine and the European Union, Gazprom is forming its own European alliance: on April 3, it reported that it had enlisted support of Germany's E.On and Italy's Eni, its main European partners and consumers.
· Gazprom May Cut Gas - Mosregiongaz, Gazprom's sales company in the Moscow region, has drawn up a list of 90 enterprises whose gas supplies will be cut off if they do not pay their debts soon, the regional head of the company said, Interfax reported Monday
· Gazprom keeps pace in Yamal - The difficult financial situation will not result in delays in Gazprom’s Bovanenkovo field in Yamal, a company representative underlines. The huge 4,9 trillion cubic meter gas field will be in production in the first half of 2011, he says.
· Gazprom sets up office in Latvia
· FT: Gasping at Gazprom
· Gazprom: The Fall of a State Owned Company
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Basic Political Developments
Palestinian leader Abbas set for Moscow talks with Putin
http://en.rian.ru/world/20090407/120951326.html
MOSCOW, April 7 (RIA Novosti) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday for talks on Middle East issues.
Abbas arrived in Moscow on April 5 on a four-day visit, his second trip to the Russian capital in less than four months. On Monday, he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and efforts to create a united Palestinian government.
The Palestinian leader also expressed his gratitude to Russia for its assistance following Israel's three-week offensive on the Gaza Strip earlier this year. "The people feel and are aware of the assistance," he told Medvedev.
He also said that he hoped a planned conference on the Middle East would be held in the Russian capital in the near future.
"I believe that we need to hold a Middle East conference in Moscow as soon as possible," he told the Vremya Novostei newspaper. "It has already been delayed too long."
"We hope that international efforts will be channeled into one stream, the aim of which is to establish peace in the Middle East," business daily Kommersant reported Abbas as saying on Tuesday.
Kommersant also said that Russia was looking at the possibility of combining the Middle East conference with U.S. President Barack Obama's visit in July.
Russia has been attempting to send the Palestinian administration 50 military transport vehicles. However, Israel has refused to allow them into the Palestinian territories. According to Abbas, Israel is now ready to allow the vehicles in if they are stripped of weaponry. Russia has also promised to deliver two helicopters.
"These helicopters are needed in order to move around in the Palestinian territories," Abbas told Kommersant. "For example, I need to get from Ramallah to other cities in the West Bank."
According to the daily, the Palestinian leader has also been promised firearms, including 5,000 assault rifles, 1,000 pistols and 300 machineguns.
Russia to buy spy drones from Israel
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090407/120952618.html
MOSCOW, April 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Defense Ministry has decided to buy three types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from Israel for $50 million, a respected Russian business paper said on Tuesday.
A contract signed with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) envisions the purchase of the Bird-Eye 400 mini-UAV (weight - 5kg, range - 10 km), I-view MK150 tactical UAV (160 kg, 100 km), and Searcher Mk II medium-range UAV (426 kg, 250 km).
Citing Russian military sources, the Kommersant daily said Moscow had already paid half of the contract sum to cover technical assistance and the training of personnel for the operation of UAVs.
The Russian military stressed the need to provide its Armed Forces with advanced means of battlefield reconnaissance in the wake of a brief military conflict with Georgia last August, when the effectiveness of Russian military operations was severely hampered by the lack of reliable intelligence.
The Russian Air Force has launched a number of UAV development programs for various purposes. Air Force Commander, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said last year that Russia would deploy advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with a flight range of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) and a flight duration capability of up to 12 hours by 2011.
However, Russian defense companies, including the MiG corporation, the Russian Helicopters and the Vega Radio Engineering Corp., have failed so far to provide the military with effective spy drones.
A source in the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said in January that the Defense Ministry was considering buying UAVs abroad, but the decision had been delayed by lobbyists from the Russian defense industry.
According to various estimates, the Russian military needs up to 100 UAVs and at least 10 guidance systems to ensure effective battlefield reconnaissance in case of any military conflict.
Russian FM: Moscow determined to continue cooperation with Tehran
http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=191636
MOSCOW (IRNA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow is determined to continue cooperation with Tehran.
In an interview with the daily ‘Rossiiskaya Gazeta’, he referred to the recent meeting held between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the U.S. President Barack Obama.
During the meeting, President Medvedev said that any deal concerning Iran would not be possible, he said.
The two presidents met in London on April 1, 2009, reviewing the latest global developments including Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, Lavrov added.
He said leaders of the two countries, in their joint statement, announced their readiness to help settle Iran’s nuclear issue through peaceful and diplomatic means within the framework of the decisions made by the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The two sides reiterated that Tehran had the right to pursue peaceful nuclear program, Lavrov said, adding that the two leaders urged Iran to fulfill its commitments regarding the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Both Moscow and Washington consider Iran-IAEA cooperation crucial in removing the existing ambiguities in Iran’s nuclear activities, the Russian foreign minister said, underlining the need for resumption of negotiations to resolve the issue.
The Islamic Republic will then enjoy all rights of the non-atomic members of the NPT, he said, expressing the hope that Washington would be ready to attend talks with the Group 5+1 on Iran.
Referring to the U.S. president’s message to the Iranian nation, Lavrov welcomed Obama’s stand to normalize relations with Iran in all areas.
Erdogan going to Moscow on Armenia’s request?
http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=30155
06.04.2009 15:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 1news.az Azeri news agency circulated a report that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Moscow to discuss opening of border with Armenia.
“The fact is that the Turkish-Armenian agreement includes a provision on liberation 5 Azerbaijani regions. Lachin and Kelbajar issues will be discuss during talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will go parallel to withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied territories,” the agency quoted a Turkish diplomat as saying.
At that he noted that if talks between Moscow and Yerevan are successful, the border will be opened in May.
“Washington has already approved the scenario, which will be discussed by Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Turkey in Istanbul tomorrow,” the source said.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov To Visit US In May – Report
http://www.easybourse.com/bourse-actualite/marches/russian-foreign-minister-lavrov-to-visit-us-in-may-report-646911
Monday April 6th, 2009 / 16h36
MOSCOW (AFP)--Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to travel to Washington next month to meet his U.S. counterpart Hillary Clinton, he said in an interview published Monday.
"We have agreed that in May I will travel to Washington where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and I will see how the preparations for the Moscow meeting are proceeding," Lavrov told government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
In their first face-to-face meeting last week in London, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to begin talks to slash their countries' nuclear arsenals.
Obama agreed to visit Moscow for a high-stakes summit in July where a key issue will be finding a successor to START, a Cold War-era disarmament treaty that expires at the end of this year.
Lavrov told Rossiiskaya Gazeta he expected a series of meetings between Russian and U.S. officials in the coming months in the run-up to the July summit.
U.S.-Russian relations have warmed since Obama's inauguration. Relations between the two former Cold War foes went into a deep freeze under the presidency of George W. Bush, amid disputes over U.S. missile defense and the Russia-Georgia war in August.
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Russia's Lavrov warns against haste over North Korea
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5361MX20090407
Tue Apr 7, 2009 4:56am EDT
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged countries not to jump to conclusions about North Korea's weekend rocket launch, according to Russia's Interfax news agency on Tuesday.
"We must avoid any hasty conclusions. Clearly this situation does not cause joy, it causes our concern. We would like to have a clear understanding of all details," Lavrov was quoted as saying at a Moscow press conference.