Medvedev Tells Obama: Prevent Libyan Civilian Deaths

Russia 110325

Basic Political Developments

·  Medvedev tells Obama: prevent Libyan civilian deaths

o  Obama affirms U.S. support of Russia's WTO bid

·  Condoleezza Rice to visit Russian hi-tech hub

·  Chechnya Mufti suggests hanging Bush Jr - "Hussein was hung up for killing five thousands Kurds, but George Bush killed over two million and this is according to official data. If there is justice in the world, Bush should be hung up at the same place where Saddam Hussein was," Mirzayev said speaking at the Muslim conference Russia - our shared home in Moscow.

·  Radiation levels in Far East normal - By Friday morning, measurements across the Far East showed between 12 and 15 microroentgen per hour, which is far lower than the allowed limit.

·  Russians still intend to go through with Syria missile sale - The Russian sale of Yakhnot anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria is a "done deal," and Moscow has no intention of scuttling it, the Kremlin told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday in Moscow Thursday, according to a senior Israeli diplomatic source.

·  Israeli and Saudi leaders in Moscow as Palestinians ramp up missile strikes

·  Russia, Norway to hold joint naval drills in May - The Russian Northern Fleet and the Norwegian Navy will conduct the Pomor-2011 joint drills in the Arctic in May, a spokesman for the Northern Fleet said.

·  Russia, Norway set for further cooperation - The treaty signed by Russia and Norway on the division of sea territories and cooperation in the Barents Sea marks a new high in bilateral relations and Russian-Norwegian cooperation as a whole.

o  Russian lower house to vote on Norway border deal - United Russia faced down stiff opposition from the Communists in the lower house of parliament on Friday to go ahead with a vote on a maritime border delimitation agreement with Norway.

o  Duma wants Russian-Norwegian treaty to be supplemented with special statement

·  Mar 29–30: Austria’s Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger to visit Russia

·  French naval vessel to visit Severomorsk - The two countries’ Defence ministers will meet in Moscow in mid-April to discuss the details, reportsItar-Tass. The date for when the French warship will make port-call to Severomorsk is not yet set.

·  Russian, Ukrainian defense ministers to meet in Moscow - A Ukrainian military delegation, led by Yezhel, arrives in Moscow to participate in a meeting of a subcommittee on security under the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission.

·  Ukraine efforts on Russian language insufficient - Russian MPs believe that it is a serious mistake, that in the "language politics" of Ukraine, the Russian language is regarded as the language of a minority.

·  Russia Increases Tariffs On Gas Exports To Tajikistan

·  Russia: Ship’s Hijackers Are Convicted of Piracy

·  Azerbaijani Consul General to Saint Petersburg is a pedophile? (video) - A scandal broke out at the concert organized by the Azerbaijani community of St. Petersburg on the occasion of Nowruz holiday on March 19.

·  Military prosecutors alarmed by rising army crime rate

·  Russian army sees rise in inter-ethnic conflicts - military prosecutor

·  Alligator, son of Black Shark - Each of the Russian choppers bidding for Indians contract is unique. Will India pick up the best bet?

·  Medvedev picks his first policemen - and activists cry foul: Dmitry Medvedev confirmed the reappointments of four regional chiefs, but confounded expectations that Nurgaliyev’s post would be among the first to be rubber-stamped. Moscow police chief Vladimir Kolokoltsev was on the list, along with Chechnya’s Ruslan Alkhanov, Yekaterinburg Region’s Mikhail Borodin and Kamchatka’s Alexander Sidorenko.

·  A grocery store blown up in Dagestan

·  Gunmen Kill One, Injure Two In Russian Caucasus – Police

·  Petersburg police investigating cafe blast that hurt waitress

·  A shield from star wars - The Defense Ministry has devised an aerospace defense concept Yury Gavrilov

·  Consultations over Right Cause leader still under way - co-chairman

·  Right Cause: Shuvalov not elected party leader

·  New charges likely to be brought against Moscow subway ex-chief Gayev - source

·  Saratov region official suspected of taking RUB 92 mln bribe

·  Reuters PRESS DIGEST - Russia - Mar 25

·  RIA Russian Press at a Glance, Friday, March 25, 2011

·  Putin’s and Medvedev’s ratings fall to an all-time low

·  Russians express solidarity with the prime minister - Majority of Russians condemn bombing of Libya by international coalition forces Aleksandra Samarina, Yan Gordeyev

·  Russian satire pushes the limits with sketches that mock corruption - Comedy comments on contemporary social ills and criticizes the authorities

National Economic Trends

·  Russian Central Bank Leaves Refinancing Rate Unchanged at 8% on Inflation

·  Economic Updates: Unemployment and GDP

·  Government estimates 2M11 GDP growth at 4.4% y/y

Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions

·  Russia's RTS Index at highest level since August 2008

·  Gazprom Neft, Razgulay, Rosneft, Sberbank: Russia Equity Preview

·  Mechel could borrow $1 billion in 2011

·  Renova launches South African manganese mine

·  Russian Retailer Magnit 2010 Profit Rose 16%, Slower Than Sales

·  Magnit RAS net profits drop 58% in 2010

·  Russia's X5, LUKoil may set up JV - paper

·  Kernel May Buy WJ’s Russian Agriculture Assets, Vedomosti Says

·  SAAB APPOINTS DISTRIBUTION PARTNER FOR RUSSIA

·  AFI Development agrees project deals with Moscow City

·  COMMENT: Russia's fast-strengthening M&A - Liam Halligan of Prosperity Capital Management
Last In, Last Out - Despite Robust Growth in Auto Sales, the Government Is Finding It Hard to Wean Domestic Automakers off Its Cash-for-Clunkers Program

·  Moscow will host theworld figure skating championships fromApril 24 through May 1 that had initially been scheduled forMarch 21-27 atthe Yoyogi National Gymnasium inTokyo, theInternational Skating Union said.(Bloomberg)

·  Siberian Coal Energy shareholders agreed Wednesday toa plan tobuy back as much as $823 million ofits own stock, or about 10 percent ofcharter capital, at906.33 rubles ($32.01) ashare fromApril 25 toMay 29, thecompany said.(Bloomberg)

·  Sberbank increased its stake inthe MICEX exchange to10.2 percent from7.3 percent, according toa regulatory filing Thursday.(Bloomberg)

·  Central Asia Green Power, owned byRelight andVisor Group, could invest about $1 billion tobuild two wind power plants with acombined capacity of600 megawatts inKazakhstan's Zhambyl region.(Bloomberg)

Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)

·  Russian natural gas exports up 18.1% in Jan-Feb - econ ministry

·  Ukraine cbank sees Russian gas price jumping in Q4

·  Rosneft shares fall 1.5 pct after BP deal failure

·  Russian government to study details of Stockholm Court decision against BP-Rosneft deal – Peskov

·  BP chief Bob Dudley has only himself to blame for flop of Russian deal

·  Arbitration panel thwarts BP-Rosneft deal

·  Novatek Options LNG Stake

·  Shell Negotiating Arctic Deals With Novatek, Rosneft

·  A New Opening in Russia's Oil Fields - A spate of deals with the majors may signal the start of a new era. By Stanley Reed and Stephen Bierman

Gazprom

·  TNK-BP Sees Extended Pipeline Deal With Gazprom

·  Gazprom Neft’s Serbian Unit to Triple Oil Production By 2020

·  Srbijagas and Gazprom sign contract for SOGAZ-Serbia

·  Gazprom supplies over 5.7 bln cbm gas to Belarus in 2011

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Basic Political Developments

Medvedev tells Obama: prevent Libyan civilian deaths

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/03/25/idINIndia-55865620110325

9:40am IST

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on Thursday the deaths of Libyan civilians during western military intervention must be prevented, the Kremlin said in a statement.

"The president especially noted the necessity of preventing victims among the civilian population," the statement said, relaying the details from a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

Russia backed United Nations sanctions against Gaddafi and his government earlier this month but abstained in the Security Council vote last week that authorized a no-fly zone, allowing armed intervention by a Western coalition.

In Washington, the Obama administration said Obama had expressed his appreciation for Russia's support for the U.N. sanctions and positive statements Medvedev has made about the resolution's mandate.

Medvedev told U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates this week Russia was concerned over possible civilian casualties in what he called the "indiscriminate" use of force in Libya, the Kremlin said.

The two leaders also discussed Russia's troubled bid to join the World Trade Organization as well as the problems of missile defence in Europe during the phone call, the statement said.

The White House said Obama and Medvedev discussed new momentum in Russia's progress toward joining the WTO and said Obama had affirmed his support for Russia's accession this year, and his commitment to working with Congress to establish Permanent Normalized Trade Relations with Russia.

Gaddafi has accused Western forces of killing dozens of civilians, but his officials have not shown reporters in Tripoli any evidence of such killings. U.S. officials say they have no evidence Western bombs have killed any civilians.

Both leaders have worked to "reset" ties between the once-Cold War foes, an effort crowned by the New START nuclear arms pact's entry into force last month.

Russia's chief negotiator on the nuclear arms treaty with the United States has outlined tough conditions for further reductions, stressing Moscow's demand for an equal say in creating a European missile shield, which Moscow worries could weaken its offensive arsenal and upset the balance of power.

The White House said the presidents had discussed recent progress on deeper cooperation on missile defense and that Obama had affirmed that Washington believes cooperating with Russia on missile defense can enhance the security of the United States, Russia and their allies.

The two presidents agreed to meet on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in France in May.

(Reporting by Thomas Grove in Moscow, additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Janet Lawrence in London and Todd Eastham in Washington)

Obama affirms U.S. support of Russia's WTO bid

http://en.rian.ru/world/20110325/163194508.html

05:06 25/03/2011

U.S. President Barack Obama told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he was committed to support Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Obama and Medvedev spoke by phone on Thursday to discuss a wide range of issues in U.S.-Russia relations.

"President Obama affirmed his support for Russia's accession into the WTO this year and also affirmed his commitment to work with the U.S. Congress to terminate the application of Jackson-Vanik to Russia and establish Permanent Normalized Trade Relations with Russia," the White House said in a statement.

Russia has been in membership talks with the 153-nation WTO for 17 years and remains the only major economy still outside the organization. It is expecting to join the "global trade club" by the end of this year.

Another important issue on the bilateral economic agenda is the long-standing Jackson-Vanik Amendment on restricting trade with the Soviet Union, which the U.S. Congress had adopted in 1974 to pressure the USSR into allowing emigration.

The controversial amendment is still applied to Russia, and has proved a key barrier for the country's entry to the World Trade Organization.

The U.S. Congress may terminate the application of Jackson-Vanik to Russia as early as this spring.

WASHINGTON, March 25 (RIA Novosti)

Condoleezza Rice to visit Russian hi-tech hub

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110325/163197190.html

09:47 25/03/2011

Former U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice will visit Russia's Silicon Valley-style hi-tech hub in the Moscow suburb of Skolkovo later on Friday.

Rice, a professor of political economy at Stanford University, will take part in a roundtable conference on innovation. She is leading a group of 40 U.S. students visiting Moscow.

Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, who is in charge of the project, is also expected to participate.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited the hi-tech hub earlier in March.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is leading efforts to modernize Russia, and is seeking foreign partners for Skolkovo, which is being built from scratch just 20 km outside of Moscow.

Last year, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger brought a delegation of Silicon Valley business leaders and investors to Skolkovo to help establish connections.

MOSCOW, March 25 (RIA Novosti)

25 March 2011, 10:07

Chechnya Mufti suggests hanging Bush Jr

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=8313

Moscow, March 25, Interfax - Chechen mufti Sultan Mirzayev believes that US ex-president George Bush deserves death penalty.
"Hussein was hung up for killing five thousands Kurds, but George Bush killed over two million and this is according to official data. If there is justice in the world, Bush should be hung up at the same place where Saddam Hussein was," Mirzayev said speaking at the Muslim conference Russia - our shared home in Moscow.
He noted that "American democracy is alien to the whole world except Americans."
"American state was set up by bandits, murderers, bloodsuckers who shed blood of natives that inhabited these lands. This state will bring no good to Muslims, to Christians, to Catholics, to Jews, to anyone," Mirzayev said.

Radiation levels in Far East normal

http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/03/25/47952366.html

Mar 25, 2011 09:56 Moscow Time

Radiation levels in Russia’s Far East remain within normal, with measurements being made at 630 stationary and mobile check points and also from the air and at sea.

By Friday morning, measurements across the Far East showed between 12 and 15 microroentgen per hour, which is far lower than the allowed limit.

Vessels that pass by Japan and call at Pacific ports bear no traces of radiation from Japan’s quake-hit nuclear plants.

Russians still intend to go through with Syria missile sale

http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=213710

By HERB KEINON
03/24/2011 19:42

The Russian sale of Yakhnot anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria is a "done deal," and Moscow has no intention of scuttling it, the Kremlin told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday in Moscow Thursday, according to a senior Israeli diplomatic source.
According to the source, the Russians said that from their point of view Israel enjoyed a clear qualitative military superiority in the region, and the sale of 20 of the missiles would not tip the strategic balance.
The missile deal was signed some two years ago, and ever since then Israel – to no avail – has turned to numerous officials in Russia in an effort to scuttle the deal. Israel is concerned that the missile could end up in Hezbollah's hands, and that in the Mediterranean Sea the Yakhnot is an offensive weapon.