Russia 100412
Basic Political Developments
· RIA: Iran boosts air defenses with new missile system - Russian defense industry officials have repeatedly said that Russia is interested in fulfilling the contract, which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but the future of the contract would largely depend on the current situation in international affairs and the Kremlin's position.
· RIA: Russian firm joins world's Top 20 arms producers - Almaz-Antei is one of Russia's largest air defense manufacturers, specializing in production of small, medium and long-range air defense systems, including the S-300 Favorit and S-400 Triumf systems.
· RIA: Japan seeks larger role in economy of Russia's Far East - Japan's government and Japanese businesses are interested in cooperation and investment in Russia's Far East, Tokyo's ambassador to Russia Masaharu Kono said on Monday.
· RIA: Russian president departs on American tour (WRAPUP) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will depart on Monday on a five-day visit to North and South America to attend two international summits and discuss bilateral ties with Argentina.
· Itar-Tass: Medvedev to start five-day American tour on Monday - Medvedev will attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC on April 12-13, pay an official visit and hold negotiations with the Argentinean president in Buenos Aires on April 14, and discuss cooperation with colleagues from the BRIC Group (Brazil, Russia, India and China) on April 15-16.
· Moscow Times: BRIC Leaders to Discuss Expansion of Trade Currencies - "Trade in national currencies will be on the agenda of BRIC leaders," Arkady Dvorkovich, President Dmitry Medvedev's top economic adviser, told reporters Friday.
· RIA: Global nuclear security demands effective national systems - Kremlin aide - Global nuclear security can only be ensured if "all states have effective national [nuclear security] systems", a Russian presidential aide said Sunday. Sergei Prikhodko, who spoke shortly before the April 12-13 nuclear security summit in Washington, D.C., said Russia maintains its nuclear security at a proper level.
· Washington Post: Russia cast as nuclear security leader despite flaws
· New Europe: US, Russia’s new world order
· RIA: Russian judge shot dead in Moscow - Chuvashov heard the trial of the "White Wolves" skinhead group in Moscow City Court, sentencing nine gang members to up to 23 years in prison in February. He also worked on the case of the Federal Drug Control Service officer Alexander Bulbov, who was accused of embezzling $3.2 million and released on bail in November 2009 after 25 months in pre-trial detention.
· Interfax: Investigators believe Moscow court judge could have been murdered by nationalists – source (Part 2)
· Interfax: Murdered Moscow judge handled felony cases, including case of Ryno gang
· RIA: New law allows fugitive businessman Gutseriyev to return to Russia - A new business law will allow fugitive Russian businessman Mikhail Gutseriyev, the former head of oil firm RussNeft, to return to Russia, a business daily reported on Monday.
· African Press Agency: Russia-Uganda- Arms deal controversy
· Barentsnova: Kirkenes: meeting of Russian and Norwegian state comptrollers
· Arab Times: Dubai court jails two over Chechen warlord murder
· RIA: Dubai court jails Tajik, Iranian over Chechen army officer murder
· In the Stavropol region are looking for intruders that robbed the Assistant to the President of Chechnya on 7 million rubles - source
· Russia Today: Police hunt Moscow Metro bomber's husband in southern Russia
· RIA: Three police officers killed in clash in Russia's North Caucasus
· Novinite: 3 Russian Officers Killed by Extremists in Dagestan
· ABNA.ir: The Wave of Islamophobia Spared The Perm Region – Russia
· ABNA.ir: Islamophobia Countinues: The Moscow Police Are Afraid of Girls Wearing Head Scarves
· Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: the Right Response to Terrorism - The suicide bombings of Moscow’s metro last week sparked an impassioned public debate about how best to deal with domestic terrorism. While some politicians and commentators called for draconian counter measures, including mass-finger printing and the return of the death penalty, other sections of the press fretted that the government might use the attacks to justify a crack-down on civil liberties. President Dmitry Medvedev himself mixed talk of “destroying” terrorists with an emphasis on the need for economic and social modernization of the North Caucasus. What is the right response to terrorism? Are fears of a political crackdown in Russia misplaced? Will Medvedev continue on the path of modernization, including modernizing the security services? Or will he succumb to the temptation of a political crackdown to bolster his electoral position with a “tough guy” image?
· Moscow Times: Moscow Officials Walk Out Over Luzhkov Gibe - Two top Moscow government officials stormed out of a hearing Friday at the Public Chamber during a heated debate over the future of City Hall’s long-term development plan.
· KYRGYZSTAN
o RIA: Kyrgyzstan hopes to get more than $150 million aid from Russia
o Reuters: Kyrgyz interim govt says Russia to give aid
o 24.kg: Russia to provide real support of investment projects in Kyrgyzstan
o Zeenews: Special operation against ousted Kyrgyz President?
o Apa.az: STRATFOR: The new government in Kyrgyzstan is loyal to Moscow, which means that the negotiations over the use of Manas military base have nothing to do with Bishkek - “The challenges that the new government of Kyrgyzstan will face are really difficult to fix easily”, - STRATFOR’s expert Marco Papic said in an interview with APA’s Washington correspondent on April 11th.
Washington Post: Russia blamed for fueling unrest in Kyrgyzstan
· POLISH PLANE CRASH
o RIA: Russia builds road to remove wreckage of Polish president's plane
o Russia Today: Russia mourns for Poles killed in plane crash near Smolensk
o RIA: Forensic tests on Polish plane crash victims "complete"
o RIA: Search for body parts continues at Kaczynski's plane crash site
o Interfax: Patriarch Kirill and Patriarch Theodore mourn over people killed in Smolensk air crash
o Focus: Russian press on Smolensk plane crash (ROUNDUP)
o The News: Ombudsman’s body identified - The body of the Ombudsman Janusz Kochanowski, one of many of Poland’s prominent politicians who died in the plane crash in Smolensk on Saturday, has been formally identified.
o Bloomberg: Solidarity ‘Godmother’ Walentynowicz Dies in Katyn Plane Crash
o Wall Street Journal: Clues Sought in Crash of Polish Plane - Many Russian Jets Lack Safety Equipment Common on Western Commercial Aircraft; No Engine Problems Reported
· Moscow Times: Guilt by Association - The month of March ended very badly for Russia, and the worst is yet to come.
· Moscow Times: Medvedev Delivers Putin’s Brainchild - Some guests at the Friday ceremony, which brought together bankers, executives from partner companies and officials from the European countries involved, exchanged baffled comments about why Putin might have shied away.
· Apa.az: Ukraine, Russia to start actual work on border demarcation in 2010
· Moscow Times: Putin Discusses $6Bln Loan to Ukraine for Reactors
· Russia Today: 12 April, 2010 in Russian Newspapers
o Izvestiya: A nuclear-free spring, American-style
o Trud: All pilots served in the military - Trud learned who the pilots of Polish aircraft №1 were, as well as what security measures were present on board Kaczynski’s presidential plane.
· Moscow Times: Today in Vedomosti
o Transneft Could Issue IPO
o President, Ministers to Publish Income Statements
o Paying for Credit - The Central Bank believes that companies distort their financial statements and is encouraging them to post their statements on the FTS’s web site. Businesses do not like the idea.
o Editorial: Russia and Poland at turning point
· Reuters: PRESS DIGEST - Russia - April 12
o KOMMERSANT
o People in Moscow mourn the Polish president's delegation who died in an airplane crash near Smolensk on Saturday, the paper writes.
o The paper runs an interview with the deputy head of the Kyrgyz interim government, who says Kyrgyzstan has $50 million in the treasury.
o Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov asks Russia for a $4 billion discount on gas prices in 2010, the daily says.
o VEDOMOSTI
o Russia's air carrier Aeroflot may earn an extra 10-15 percent on summer tourist flights, the daily writes.
o Wal-Mart is still interested in acquiring a stake in Russian hypermarket chain Lenta from the investment fund TPG, the paper says.
o Insurance companies in Russia raised prices for medical insurance by up to 50 percent in 2010, the paper reports.
o VREMYA NOVOSTEI
o Gazprom's CEO Alexei Miller will hold talks with the CEO of Italy's oil and gas group Eni Paolo Scaroni on Monday, the paper writes.
o ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA
o Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has proposed suspending the adoption of Russian children by Americans until an agreement on adoption is signed, the daily says.
· BBC: Ice skating funding melts away in Russia - It is just four years until Russia hosts the Winter Olympics in Sochi, but already questions are being asked about funding issues.
National Economic Trends
· Interfax: Russian govt to consider main 2011-2013 tax avenues
· RBC: Gov't to consider changes to tax policy
· Reuters: Russian rouble hit new highs as c.bank shifts boundary
· Cbonds: Russian Finance Ministry: budget deficit totals Rub 307.6 bln in Q1
· Bloomberg: Russian Second-Quarter Growth Outlook Raised to 8.3% by RenCap
· Cbonds: Eurobonds offered by Russian issuers reach nearly $8 bln
· Moscow Times: Federal Spending Increases While Strong Ruble Causes Concern
· Moscow Times: Central Bank Head Positive on 2010 Outlook
Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions
· Russian markets -- Factors to Watch on April 12
· Bloomberg: Russia Stocks Gain Second Day as Greece Bailout Boosts Oil
· Bloomberg: Gazprom, TMK, Razgulay Group: Russian Equity Market Preview
· UPDATE 1-Globaltrans sees recovery after 2009 profit fall
· Diamond Intelligence: ALROSA MAY SUPPLY AT LEAST $1.4 BILLION WORTH OF ROUGH TO RUSSIAN DIAMOND MANUFACTURERS THROUGH 2012
· Bloomberg: Rusal Returns to Profit on Norilsk Stake, Price Gain (Update2)
· Reuters: UPDATE 1-UC RUSAL 2009 swings to profit, sees strong 2010
· Steel Orbis: NLMK incorporates Berezovsky Electrometallurgical Plant within NSMMZ
· Financial Times: TeliaSonera's plans for Russian telecoms group at risk
· Reuters: UPDATE 1-Russia's Magnit sales soar in March on new shops
· Moscow Times: For the Record
o Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah met with Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin to “coordinate” before the Gas Exporting Countries Forum later this month, the state-owned Qatar News Agency reported Friday. (Bloomberg)
o Russian seaports handled 123 million tons of cargo in the first quarter, an increase of 11 percent from the year-earlier period, with exports rising 13 percent to 96.6 million tons, the Association of Commercial Seaports said Friday. (Bloomberg)
o Russian banks will have 180 billion rubles ($6 billion) set aside for bad loans by the middle of the year, compared with 220 billion rubles at the start of 2010, Central Bank First Deputy Chairman Gennady Melikyan told reporters Friday. (Bloomberg)
o Russneft founder Mikhail Gutseriyev will likely return to Russia in the coming weeks, Vedomosti reported Friday. (Bloomberg)
o The Association of South East Asian Nations may invite the United States and Russia to a summit of Asia’s largest economies in October as members struggle to forge an effective economic partnership, Indonesia’s foreign minister said Friday. (Bloomberg)
o Pharmacy chain 36.6 swung to a net loss of 229 million rubles ($7.8 million) in the third quarter, compared with profit of 77.5 million rubles a year earlier, after sales slumped, the company said Friday. (Bloomberg)
o Baby food maker Nutritek said late Thursday that it was urgently seeking ways to escape bankruptcy and has postponed its secondary share placement while it works on a plan. (Reuters)
o TNK-BP said Friday that its exploration budget would reach $400 million this year. (Bloomberg)
o Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called U.S. officials “stupid” on Thursday for criticizing his arms purchases from Russia and said he would keep buying weapons until the country is ready to defend itself. (Reuters)
o Norilsk Nickel is exploring the sale of Stillwater Mining, a Montana platinum and palladium miner, after prices for the precious metals rebounded sharply in recent months. (AP)
· Businessneweurope: Russia is a private equity desert - The Kremlin has started a big push to modernise the Russian economy, but while in the West anyone with a really good idea and a bit of development under the belt can usually find cash to continue, in Russia the nascent private equity business has been given a bloody nose and will take years to recover.
Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)
· RBC: Russia likely to hike up oil export duty - Russia's oil export duty is likely to climb $15 or 5.6 percent to $281-284 per tonne starting May 1, 2010, head of the Finance Ministry's analytical department Alexander Sakovich told journalists today.
· Oil and Gas Eurasia: Sakhalin Exports Over 3.5 Million Tons of Crude in 1Q
· Bloomberg: Transneft Investors Urge Share Sale to Fund Pipe, Vedomosti Says
· RBC: Transneft minority shareholders call for IPO
· Oil and Gas Eurasia: NOVATEK Courts Qatar For Yamal-LPG Project
· Oil and Gas Eurasia: TNK-BP To Increase Exploration Drilling 37 Percent
· Ukrainian News: Russian-British TNK-BP Interested In Development Of Ukrainian Black Sea Shelf
· Your Oil and Gas News: The Yamal Asset of TNK-BP Is Developing Unique Fields of Yamal and the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Gazprom
· Bloomberg: Gazprom Raises Gas Output Target on European Demand (Update1)
· Power-Gen Worldwide: Belarus ready to consider selling control of gas pipelines to Gazprom
· AFP: Italy's Eni blocking South Stream progress: Gazprom
· Today’s Zaman: Gazprom-SOCAR gas deal: Should Azerbaijan commit to a long-term contract?
· GL Group: Will Nord Stream debut in 2011 cause major EU foreign policy shift?
· New Europe: Door ajar for Gazprom to have power over Ukrainian pipelines
· BarentsObserver: Shtokman symphony - The ”Shtokman symphony” is written in honor of the world’s largest offshore natural gas field located some 600 kilometers north of the Kola Peninsula in the Russian part of the Barents Sea.