Basic Political Developments s14

Russia 101129

Basic Political Developments

·  No comment on alleged references to Putin by US diplomats - The Russian Prime Minister’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov has chosen not to comment on the way the US diplomats have allegedly referred to Vladimir Putin.

o  Putin's press secretary: premature to comment on Wikileaks

o  U.S. embassy dubbed Putin, Medvedev ‘Batman and Robin’ - Wikileaks

o  WikiLeaks: Russia demanded technology for annulment of S-300 deal

o  Ilham Aliyev about Medvedev: Many don't recognize Medvedev as a leader

o  Medvedev, Putin differ on Karabakh issue, Aliyev says

o  WikiLeaks 'to highlight Putin and Berlusconi's special relationship'

o  US concerned over French ship for Russia:WikiLeaks

o  Wikileaks scandal could hit Russia-US reset - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he was surprised at the interest over a “petty thief running around on the internet”… Wikileaks owner Julian Assange has previously threatened to publish similar compromising material about Russia, and reportedly met a journalist from Novaya Gazeta in Stockholm earlier this month.

·  Brussels to host European Russian forum - Freedom of movement in Europe and proposed visa-free travel between Russia and the EU will dominate the agenda of the European Russian Forum to open in Brussels on Monday under the Partnership for Modernization slogan.

·  Putin urges creation of Russia-EU currency zone - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said late this week that he did not rule out that Russia and the European Union might be part of a common currency zone. “We need a multi-polar currency world, and we must not rely solely upon the US dollar,” he told a Sueddeutsche Zeitung economic forum in Berlin on Friday.

·  Germany will try to prevent the increase in gas prices - Germany will make an effort to avoid rising gas prices, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

o  Putin Harangues Europe on Businesses - But the main thorn in the prime minister’s side was the Third Energy Package legislation, which goes into effect in March and is intended to ensure that small gas suppliers can get unhindered access to European infrastructure and compete on an equal footing with the dominant players.

·  Russian, Uzbek presidents reaffirm close coordination - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Uzbek counterpart Islom Karimov held a conference call on Saturday… Both Medvedev and Karimov stressed the need to sustain stability in Kyrgyzstan and prevent any crises similar to those that took place earlier this year - in order to promote peace and security in the Central Asian region.

·  Russian, Kazakh FMs discuss preparations for OSCE summit - Foreign ministers of Kazakhstan and Russia discussed the agenda for the upcoming OSCE Summit, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.

·  Russia, Abkhazia to start border demarcation consultations

·  Russian FM Lavrov heads to India - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is heading to India on Monday ahead of President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to the country in December.

o  Russian foreign minister left for India - The two countries are implementing major bilateral projects and cooperate in international arena through organizations like RIC (Russia, India and China), BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China). India has an observer status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

o  Gujarat Foil, Russian co in pact for aluminium project - Gujarat Foils Ltd said on Monday it has tied up with Russia-based United Co UC RUSAL to issue an expression of interest for setting up an alumina refinery and aluminium smelter in Kutch district of the western state of Gujarat.

o  MFA Spokesman Interview to RIA Novosti on the Upcoming Visit to India by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

·  Medvedev to discuss creation of innovation climate - Presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich said the meeting will touch upon intellectual property rights, customs regulation, export and currency control, immigration laws, as well as standardization of technical regulations.

·  Birth rate high on Medvedev's agenda - Birth rate will be high on the agenda of President Dmitry Medvedev’s upcoming State of the Nation address to parliament on Tuesday. The annual address to a joint session of the Federal Assembly outlines the government’s domestic and foreign agenda for the short- and mid-term.

·  U.S. gives OK for Russian agency to take control of uranium mines in Wyoming

·  Criminal case opened against Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky mayor

·  Soyuz carrying Americans, Russian lands

·  Russia's Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft to blast off to ISS on Dec 15

·  Russia to launch unmanned spacecraft to Moon in 2013

·  Arms and 20 kg of TNT seized in Ulyanovsk

·  Sobyanin Removes Transport Chief, Prefect

·  A former imam, ideologist of terrorists killed in Dagestan

o  Militant 'Ideologue' Killed In Daghestan

·  Russian justice official killed - Albert Altuyev, 39, died on the scene of the attack in Nalchik, capital of the Kabardino-Balkaria republic in the unstable North Caucasus, prosecutors said in Russian media reports.

o  Justice official gunned down in Russia

·  Islamists Mull 'State' Language - The insurgency leader, Chechen rebel Doku Umarov, suggested earlier this month that a "state" language be formed for the self-styled Caucasus Emirate, a rebel name for Muslim republics including Chechnya and Dagestan.

·  Vedomosti estimated the cost of movement "Nashi" - In the period from 2007 to 2010 for state contracts and grants, "Nashi" received 26 million rubles, and the organization, created with the participation of former and present leaders - 441 million rubles.
Russian Press at a Glance, Monday, November 29, 2010

o  Hundreds of thousands of U.S. State Department documents leaked Sunday revealed a hidden world of backstage international diplomacy, divulging candid comments from world leaders and detailing occasional U.S. pressure tactics aimed at hot spots such as Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea.(Moscow Times, Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

o  The State Duma on Friday issued a declaration condemning the Katyn massacre and for the first time directly blamed Soviet leader Joseph Stalin for the 1940 execution of more than 20,000 Polish officers. Poland demanded more action from Moscow.(Moscow Times, Vremya Novostei)

o  Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Berlin provoked an ambiguous reaction in German political circles.(Vremya Novostei, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

o  Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin gave instructions to revise all investment contracts in the Russian capital.(Vedomosti)

o  In his third state of the nation address on November 30, President Dmitry Medvedev will speak on the need to raise the quality of services provided in the education, healthcare and pension systems, as well as on other social needs.(Vedomosti, Kommersant)

o  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Russia gave Venezuela a $4 billion loan to buy weapons when Chavez visited Moscow last month. But Russian government sources said the sum also embraces other agreements struck in October.(Kommersant, Moscow Times)

o  Sunday's parliamentary elections in Moldova saw no party gain 61 seats in the 101-seat assembly to elect a president, so the parties that made it to parliament will have to seek allies again to establish a coalition.(Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

o  British Business Secretary Vince Cable concluded a trade mission to Russia on Friday by co-chairing a meeting with Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, talks that the minister hailed as a "real breakthrough in our relations."(Moscow Times, Vedomosti)

o  Russian Railways and Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica announced on Friday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding on the creation of a joint venture to develop signaling, telecommunications, automation and safety technology for the Russian rail system.(Moscow Times)

o  Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin proposed on Friday attracting big international firms to participate in construction of new metro lines in the capital, which may be worth up to 1.5 trillion rubles ($48 billion).(Moscow Times)

o  One of Russia's most acclaimed journalists, Leonid Parfyonov, publicly blasted federal television stations for their servile attitude and penchant for propaganda. The speech set the media abuzz and even prompted talk of a new perestroika.(Moscow Times, Vedomosti, Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

o  A bill toughening punishment for attacks on journalists was submitted Friday to the State Duma, just as police said they had a "real chance" of solving this month's brutal beating of Kommersant reporter Oleg Kashin.(Moscow Times, Vedomosti)

o  A case against Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak, implicated in what investigators call a scheme to swindle 43.4 million rubles ($1.4 million), may be closed after a court essentially acknowledged the legality of the payment ordered by the official.(Moscow Times, Vedomosti)

o  Former Soviet international goalkeeper Vladimir Maslachenko, who later became a television commentator legend, died Sunday at 74 after suffering a stroke last week.(Moscow Times, Vremya Novostei, Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

o  Registration procedures for Russian residents are being simplified.(Vremya Novostei)

o  A top Russian regional official and 10 other people suspected of involvement in serious crimes have been detained in the Saratov Region.(Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Vremya Novostei)

o  Russian school teacher Olga Kharitonova, beaten by a former police officer in St. Petersburg allegedly for her inability to prevent his 7-year-old stepdaughter from hurting herself at school, is leaving the city.(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

o  An "apology center" has appeared on the Russian services market. The company undertakes to apologize for people who are unable or unwilling to do so in person.(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

o  German power company E.On, majority owner of Russian energy company OGK-4, launched a 400-megawatt, advanced-efficiency, gas-fired electricity plant on Friday at Shatura, 150 kilometers east of Moscow.(Moscow Times)

o  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Ukrainian Viktor Yanukovych agreed on oil transit.(Vremya Novostei)

o  Russian banks are expanding their services to allow clients to check whether they have unpaid fines for traffic violations and pay them instantly.(Kommersant)

o  Twitter and Facebook are the fastest growing social networking services in Russia.(Vedomosti)

·  Olympic body worried about 2014 Russian GP plans - It will be "impossible" for Russia to host Formula One and the Winter Olympics in 2014.

·  Soccer-Russia banks on Putin's powers of persuasion in 2018 bid

·  Duma Gets Bill on Penalties for Attacking Journalists

o  Critical Speech Raises Media Hopes

o  Russian TV Host Slams Media in Award Speech

o  Time for Journalists to Close Ranks - The goal is to make the authorities enforce Article 144 of the Criminal Code, which makes it a crime to obstruct a journalist’s professional work. The authors of the appeal point out that the murders of Vladislav Listyev, the former head of ORT television, precursor to Channel One, and Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, as well as the savage attack on Khimki journalist Mikhail Beketov, have not been solved. In fact, eight journalists have been killed and 40 attacked this year alone.

·  Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Redrawing the Map of Russia - Kremlin is planning a major shake-up of Russia’s population structure by concentrating the bulk of its people in 20 multi-million urban agglomerations centered on top or in place of the existing 83 federal subjects, while abandoning the majority of small mono-industry towns scattered across the country. What does the new plan mean for Russia? Is it a new territorial rearrangement with a complete overhaul of Russia’s federal structure, or is it simply a blueprint for improving regional development? Is this just a PR stunt to keep Medvedev’s “modernization narrative” going?

·  Only Real Federalism Can Save Russia But Even That Won’t Hold North Caucasus - The Russian Civic Union, an umbrella organization uniting groups like the Movement Against Illegal Immigration, the National Democratic Alliance, and the Russian Popular Democratic Union, has declared that only a return to genuine federalism can keep Russia intact but that even that step won’t prevent the independence of the North Caucasus.

National Economic Trends

·  Russia Scraps Rate Pledge, Raise Is ‘Inevitable,’ Analysts Say

·  Russian Feed Barley Prices Rose 4% Last Week, SovEcon Says

·  Russia to order 3m tonnes of Argentine corn

·  Money supply increases 1.1% MoM in October

·  Yields Converge in Moscow With VTB Seeking Stake: Russia Credit

·  MOSCOW BLOG: Privatisation drive brings rivalries back to the fore

Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions

·  Raspadskaya, Uralkali, Razgulay, Gazprom: Russian Stocks Preview

·  Russia Stocks Rally Third Day in Four on Oil, Ireland Bailout

·  Russian stock market daily morning report (November 29, 2010, Monday) By Veles Capital

·  Project of technological policy and development of Gazprom energy holding.

·  Steel smelting companies of RF upped the output of rolled metal by 11.3%.

·  Plans on the volume of assets between Inter RAO and Gazprom energy holding.

·  Russia’s Yandex ponders hefty IPO

·  Yandex could raise over $1.5 bln with IPO in H1 2011 -newspaper

·  Yandex set for UK float

·  Russia's Metalloinvest board chairman gets 5 pct of company - Kommersant

·  Domodedovo to land $1Bln in 2011 listing?

·  RusHydro may obtain government-owned dams operated by Irkutskenergo

·  Bank of Moscow to re-elect board in Feb, VTB closing in on deal – sources

·  Rosatom Signs With Finland

·  Prokhorov to cooperate with Bollore on car –paper

·  GlaxoSmithKline Signs Deal With Binnopharm

·  Russia petchem giant Sibur inks rubber, steel JVs with Italy's Pirelli

·  Russian Railways Signs $2Bln Italian Venture

·  INTERVIEW: An Ozon layer in Russian cities - The secret of Ozon's success offers valuable lessons to entrepreneurs in bricks and mortar companies who are hoping to tap the country's growing consumer market. "Because Russia is so big, the delivery challenges are extremely complex," says Ozon CEO Bernard Lukey.
Moscow Luxury-Home Rents to Rise as Wealth Spreads to Russians

·  Ukrainian group Milkiland has priced its initial public offering at 33.78 zlotys per share, or about 8.50 euros ($11.25), and intends to sell 7 million new and existing shares on the Warsaw bourse, worth a total of 236 million zlotys. (Reuters)

·  The State Duma may approve legislation this year to withdraw as many as 40 million hectares (98.8 million acres) of arable land from owners who aren’t using it for agriculture — authorizing officials to sell the land at auction — and compensate the former owners, Vedomosti reported Friday. (Bloomberg)