Russia 111208
Basic Political Developments
· Israel slams Russia for 'pro-Palestinian stance' and selling arms to Assad - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has criticized what he called Moscow’s “unilateral” pro-Palestinian stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The FM, who is visiting Russia, was referring to the admission of the Palestinian Authority to UNESCO as a sovereign state. He also warned that Russia’s role as a supplier of modern weapons to crisis-hit Syria “can lead to very negative consequences.” Israel and Russia are divided on many aspects of Middle East policy, Interfax quoted Lieberman as saying. He added, however, that the overall balance of Russian-Israeli relations is “undoubtedly positive.”
o Israel FM touts Russia elections as ‘free and fair’
· Russian, Czech presidents to hold negotiations in Prague
o Medvedev visits Prague
o Czech press survey - December 8: Will Russian President Dmitry Medvedev feel in the Czech Republic like in the West or on a bridge between the East and the West during his ongoing two-day visit? Zbynek Petracek asks in the daily Lidove noviny (LN) today.
· Medvedev to hold talks with Indian PM on Dec 16
o Kudankulum N-plant: Moscow sees rivals' hand in stir - Russia's ambassador to India Alexander M Kadakin said Russian authorities had "great suspicion" about the events at Kudankulum, where the final stage before commissioning of two power plants built with Russian cooperation has been on hold due to post-Fukushima protests. The two units are 98% complete.
· The Russian Embassy in Britain criticized the Foreign Office
· U.S. says will continue support for peaceful protests, including in Russia
· Russia-NATO missile talks to continue within months – Rasmussen
o General Makarov: solutions have to be made now - "The mere idea of building a missile defense shield could worsen bilateral relations. President Medvedev, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and me, have discussed this issue with nearly all our European counterparts. Most of them referred us to the United States. But we’re talking about Europe. But they either don’t hear or just won’t hear what we have to say."
o Russia-NATO Council ministers meet in Brussels
o Agt with RF on joint missile defence in Europe possible - German FM: “In any case, I see not only the opportunity to reach an agreement, but also the need to reach an agreement,” Westerwelle said. “We can guarantee our security in Europe not against Russia, but only together with Russia,” he added.
o NATO confirms commitment to dialogue with Russia
o Medvedev's missile shield remarks may be election rhetoric - NATO chief
o NATO chief rebuffs Russian threats to counter missile shield
o On the same path with NATO? - The NATO-Russia Council has become a cover for NATO’s plans Evgeny Shestakov (Brussels)
· Azerbaijan, Russia hold consultations to extend Gabala radar station’s lease - "The Azerbaijan and Russia defence ministries are to hold meetings to either extend the existing lease of the Gabala radar station, or sign a new contract," Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov told media today.
· Putin says US encouraged election protests - In his first public remarks about daily demonstrations by protesters alleging Sunday's vote was fraudulent and unfair, Putin said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "gave a signal" to Kremlin opponents.
"She set the tone for some opposition activists, gave them a signal, they heard this signal and started active work," Putin said.
o Most Russians do not want color revolutions – Putin: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said that if during street rallies people act within the framework of the law, they must be allowed to express their views, if not, law enforcement bodies must use all legal means todemand compliance with the law.
o Putin says protest rallies are a constitutional right, calls for dialogue
o Putin favors authorities' dialogue with opposition
o Putin has no imminent comment on situation around State Duma election (Part 2)
· Putin names his presidential campaign chief - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has picked filmmaker Stanislav Govorukhin to run his campaign in next year’s presidential elections.
o Putin’s election headquarters to base on All-Russian Popular Front
· Moscow Closes Protest Square for Maintenance, Vedomosti Says
· The Opposition is planning a large rally - The Opposition plans rallies in Moscow and other cities on Saturday, December 10, in protest against the parliamentary election fraud. In the Russian capital, a rally will be held in Revolyutsiya /"Revolution"/ Square by the "Solidarity" opposition movement. Other organizations intend to participate in the action. The federal and municipal authorities are worried about the protests.
o Moscow city hall says will allow only 300 people at Saturday's rally
· Russian Journalist Calls On Colleagues 'To Be Professionals' - In a statement, Stanislav Kucher of Kommersant FM radio slammed those journalists for their "keeping mum" about the events on Moscow's Triumph Square on December 6 in which thousands of people protested alleged fraud in the December 4 parliamentary elections and shouted anti-Putin slogans.
· Safin elected to Russian parliament - Two-time grand slam winner Marat Safin is swapping tennis whites for business suits after being elected to the Russian federal parliament, the Duma.
· GLONASS providing global coverage - "Today, the first of the three spacecraft launched on November 4, 2011, went on line; the GLONASS cluster therefore has 24 units in dedicated use, which ensures a continuous navigation signal globally," Zubakhin said.
· ISS crew set for final pre-flight training at Baikonur
· Attempt made in Dagestan to demolish Baku-Grozny oil pipeline - An officer at the republican Interior Ministry told Itar-Tass on Thursday, "The blast made a dent with a diameter of 10-12 centimeters in the pipeline. There was no oilspill".
· Fire at Domodedovo warehouse put down
· Russia deny 'dirty tricks' as FBI investigates World Cup 2018 race - The Russia 2018 World Cup organising committee says it has no knowledge of the ongoing FBI investigation into alleged computer hacking and other “dirty tricks” arising from the Fifa bidding process.
· Kremlin Plans to Sell Own Brands of Vodka, Beer, RBC Daily Says
· Russian Press at a Glance, Thursday, November 8, 2011
· Hoeve Halbach: “Meeting points of conflict environments in the North and South Caucasus are clearer” - German expert on the Caucasus from the Berlin ‘Science and Politics” Foundation, Professor Hoeve Halbach, shared his view of the ongoing processes in the South and North Caucasus with a VK correspondent. The last part of the interview is devoted to problems of the North Caucasus and connection of processes in the North and South Caucasus.
· Russian protests offer unusual challenge to political order - By Will Englund and Kathy Lally
· Duma vote falls into disrepute; "Russian Winter" might still snowball - Contrary to international reports, protests have not rocked Moscow. But an ongoing post-mortem into December 4's parliamentary elections sees them fall deeper into disrepute, and there is now the potential for a mini "Russian Winter" in the capital.
· Russia United, For The Time Being – OpEd - By Eric Walberg
· Repentant militants speak with Adaptation Commission - Yulia Rybina (Makhachkala)
National Economic Trends
· Putin does not rule out possibility to lower taxes - "We, of course, must and will mull over how to reduce the tax base," he said. In so doing, Putin added that his personal opinion is that social guarantees for the people of Russia can be ensured only on the basis of economic growth.
· RUSSIAN INTERNATIONAL RESERVES AT $514.1 BLN IN WEEK TO DECEMBER 2, UP FROM $510.2 BLN ON NOVEMBER 25
· Unemployment shows uptick
· Russia May Privatize 20 Banks, Companies by 2017, Vedomosti Says
Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions
· Russian stocks open higher ahead of EU summit
· RTS Futures Rise With Gazprom at 37% Discount: Russia Overnight
· Russian markets -- Factors to Watch on Dec 8
· UPDATE 1-Russian protests block VEB's Eurobond deal-sources
· United Aviation, Finmeccanica May Start Venture, Kommersant Says
· GM plans to up sales 65%-70% in Russia in 2011
· Exec: PSA Peugeot Citroen may launch another car plant in Russia
· Russian Billionaire Mamut Seeks Euroset Buyer, Kommersant Says
· Euroset revenues grow 12% to 19 bln rubles in Q3
· Rostelecom's Q3 net profit rises 1.3 pct to $330 mln
· Wife of ex-Moscow mayor sells major real estate developer
· No Sberbank Haggling On Volksbanken Price
· VTB Quarterly Net Jumps 39% on Bank of Moscow, Investment Arm
· Russian bank pulls bond offer 'due to protests'
· VEB May Return to Eurobond Sale Next Year, Kommersant Says
· Deutsche Bank May Hire Troika Founder Derby, Vedomosti Reports
· Russians Suffer From Baltic Bank Closures
· BRICKS & MORTAR: Russian warehouse party - Russia's property market has been recovering slowly from the 2008 crisis, but as Russians return to the shops and retail turnover levels pass their pre-crisis highs, a boom has taken off in the country's warehouse business.
Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)
· WPC handover ceremony from Doha to Moscow to be held Thursday
· Transneft expresses dismay on Bulgaria's decision to pull out from Burgas-Alexandroupolis
· BASHNEFT BOOSTS 9M IFRS NET PROFIT 52.7% TO $1.039 BLN, BELOW FORECAST; Q3 NET UP 46% TO $407 MLN, ALSO BELOW FORECAST
· Bashneft's net heads north in 9M
· BP in talks to settle with Russian partners – FT
o BP talks peace deal with Russian partners
· Vanco, Lukoil make Ivorian strike
· Novatek warns of fraud attempt
· Exxon Russia Chief:May Build LNG Plant In Kara Sea If Gas Found Paper
Gazprom
· Gazprom: Unacceptable to split gas pricing formula from oil prices
· India govt says Petronet to finalise Gazprom LNG deal soon
· Gazprom Said to Stall on RWE Talks as German Power Falters
· Naftogaz pays for gas supplies in roubles for the first time
· Gazprom eyes Israeli gas projects - Russia's gas giant Gazprom is interested in partnering with Israel to develop the country's natural gas infrastructure and distribute its gas to third countries, Gazprom's Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Victor Zubkov said today.
· Arctic oil rig ready for last finish - Gazprom’s new “Arkticheskaya” jack-up offshore drilling rig is moored at Shipyard No. 35 in Murmansk for completion.
------Full Text Articles
Basic Political Developments
RT News line, December 8
Israel slams Russia for 'pro-Palestinian stance' and selling arms to Assad
http://rt.com/news/line/2011-12-08/#id23209
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has criticized what he called Moscow’s “unilateral” pro-Palestinian stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The FM, who is visiting Russia, was referring to the admission of the Palestinian Authority to UNESCO as a sovereign state. He also warned that Russia’s role as a supplier of modern weapons to crisis-hit Syria “can lead to very negative consequences.” Israel and Russia are divided on many aspects of Middle East policy, Interfax quoted Lieberman as saying. He added, however, that the overall balance of Russian-Israeli relations is “undoubtedly positive.”
Israel FM touts Russia elections as ‘free and fair’
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/12/07/61779358.html
Dec 7, 2011 21:28 Moscow Time
Israel’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Wednesday that he fully shares Israeli observers’ touting Russia’s State Duma elections as free and fair.
The topic was high on the agenda of Lieberman’s talks with Russian Prime Ministr Vladimir Puitn in Moscow on Wednesday.
“Israel was keeping an eagle eye on the latest events in Russia”, Lieberman said, referring to the presence in Russia of Israeli observers who “know perfectly well how ballots are being counted.”
He quoted Israeli observers as saying that the December 4 elections in Russia were “free, fair and democratic.”
(TASS)
December 08, 2011 10:15
Russian, Czech presidents to hold negotiations in Prague
http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=293471
MOSCOW. Dec 8 (Interfax) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has arrived in the Czech Repubnlic and will hold negotiations with Czech President Vaclav Klaus in Prague on Thursday.
The Kremlin said earlier that Medvedev and Klaus would exchange opinions on the current state and prospects of the entire range of Russian-Czech relations.
"Medvedev and Klaus plan to exchange opinions on the most important issues on the international agenda, primarily problems of the world financial crisis, a dialogue between Russia and the EU, the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, and the plans to set up a NATO missile defense system in Europe," it said.
The two presidents plan to sign a "solid package of bilateral documents significantly expanding the contractual basis of mutually beneficial Russian-Czech partnership," it said.
Medvedev and Klaus intend to attach particular significance to ways to strengthen trade and economic interaction and investment cooperation, including in the hi-tech sectors.
They also plan to discuss promotion of mutually beneficial projects in the fuel and energy, transport, and research and technology fields, it said.
Russia and the Czech Republic also plan to sign a joint statement on partnership for modernization.
va
(Our editorial staff can be reached at )
Medvedev visits Prague
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/12/08/61803983.html
Dec 8, 2011 09:37 Moscow Time
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is arriving in Prague on Thursday to hold talks with his Czech counterpart Václav Klaus and Prime Minister Petr Nečas.
Moscow and Prague are expected to sign a package of agreements, including one on the creation of a peaceful atom technology center.
On the sidelines of the talks, Russia`s TVEL and the Czech ALTA Invest companies are scheduled to sign a deal to set up a joint venture of peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The agenda of the talks between Mr. Medvedev and Mr. Klaus also features the eurozone debt crisis, cooperation between Russia and the EU, the situation in the Middle East and in North Africa, and the creation of a missile-defense system in Europe.
RIAN
Czech press survey - December 8
http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/czech-press-survey-december-8/725696
published: 08.12.2011, 00:24 | updated: 08.12.2011 06:11:53
Prague - Will Russian President Dmitry Medvedev feel in the Czech Republic like in the West or on a bridge between the East and the West during his ongoing two-day visit? Zbynek Petracek asks in the daily Lidove noviny (LN) today.