Russia 100427
Basic Political Developments
· RIA: Iran behaves 'irresponsibly' regarding nuclear program – Medvedev - "Iran so far does not show proper understanding and behaves irresponsibly enough. This is all sad of course. Therefore, if this situation continues we exclude nothing and sanctions as well," Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) before his official visit to Denmark on Tuesday.
· Press TV: Iran, Russia develop telecom ties - The contract and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed on Monday in Moscow between Iran's Telecommunication Infrastructure Company (TIC) and Russian firm Telecom, in the presence of Iran's Telecommunications Minister Reza Taqipour and his Russian counterpart Igor Shchegolev.
NY Times: Russia: American Seeks Denial of Visas to 60 Russian Officials
· RIA: U.S. senator urges Clinton to ban travel for Russian officials to USA over lawyer's death
· Bne: Chairman of U.S. Helsinki Commission Calls for Visa Sanctions Against 60 Russian Officials for Corruption and the Persecution of Sergei Magnitsky
· RUVR: Russia gives Japan a list of new joint investment programmes
· Moscow Times: Russia-Japan Grain Deal - Japanese trading company Marubeni said Monday that it had made an agreement with grain companies in Russia to increase shipments.
· Itar-Tass: Medvedev to go to Denmark to resuscitate political dialogue - Presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko told Itar-Tass that the Russian-Danish relations have been marked by intensive development in recent years and a political dialogue is being given a new breath. “A state visit – the highest grade of diplomatic protocol – is evident of the level of inter-state relations,” Prikhodko said.
· Moscow Times: Medvedev Discusses Arctic Drilling, Telecoms With Norway - On Tuesday, the countries are expected to sign a number of bilateral agreements, including a document to provide easy border crossing for 40,000 Russians and 9,000 Norwegians living within 30 kilometers from the 200-kilometer border. Other deals to be signed include agreements on energy efficiency, environment protection, education and cooperation between law enforcement agencies, Prikhodko said.
· BarentsObserver: Medvedev met by Kola nuclear protest
· RIA: Medvedev says Russia interested in NATO proposals on anti-missile defense
· Kremlin.ru: Interview with Steffen Kretz, Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Senior International Editor and Anchor of TV News and Current Affairs Programme
· Reuters: UPDATE 2-To speed WTO bid, Russia ditches customs union idea - Top official says Russia now needs to join first; Russian WTO entry could be model for Kazakhstan, Belarus; Moscow floats idea of Obama-Medvedev summit on WTO bid
· RUSSIA-UKRAINE
o RIA: Russian paratroopers head for Kiev to mark WWII Victory Day - As the Ukrainian opposition fought against a deal extending Russia's use of a naval base in Crimea, 75 Russian paratroopers headed for Kiev on Tuesday to take part in Ukraine's Victory Day celebrations.
o RIA: Russian State Duma ratifies agreement extending Russia's lease on naval base in Ukraine - A total of 410 deputies voted for the ratification.
o Russia Today: Putin in Ukraine to seal the deal on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea - Meanwhile, Prime Minister Putin told the media on Tuesday that he was surprised to see this form of response from Ukraine’s former leaders. “It is a little bit unexpected to me because we discussed the matter with the previous government in previous years, and then no one was opposed to the extension of the Russian Black Sea fleet's presence," Putin stated.
o Earthtimes: Protests in Kiev as Ukraine parliament approves Russia fleet treaty
o RBC: Mass rally against the agreement on the Black Sea Fleet is held in Kyiv
o Russia Today: Brawl, smoke bombs fail to stop Ukrainian MPs
o Ukraine parliament fight, smoke bomb thrown: AFP
o BBC: Smoke fills Ukrainian parliament
o AP: Ukraine ratitifes Russian naval lease
o RBC: Rada ratified the agreement on the Black Sea Fleet
o Prime-Tass: Yulia Tymoshenko promises to denounce the agreement with Russia to extend Black Sea Fleet of Russia in the Crimea
o Itar-Tass: 15,000 people expected to gather for rally in front of Ukraine Rada
o Russia Today: Russia’s Black Sea Fleet to remain in Sevastopol
o Bloomberg: Ukraine’s Opposition Seeks to Block Russian Lease Ratification
o RIA: Ukrainian opposition prepares to block naval base deal ratification
o Financial Times: Russia offers Kiev nuclear power deal
o Bloomberg: Russia Proposes Merging Nuclear Energy With Ukraine (Update1)
o RIA: Russia still to consider modernization of Ukraine gas transportation system - Putin
o RIA: Russia proposes Ukraine forming united nuclear energy holding - PM Putin
o RIA: Russia wants to offer Ukraine cooperation in leading economic sector - Putin
o Official Wire: Kiev Lobbies For Gas Pipeline Upgrades
· RIA: Russia's Cosmos-3M space carrier orbits military satellite
· Itar-Tass: ”Cosmos-3M” rocket carrier to put military satellite in orbit
· RUVR: Progress freighterto be dumped into the Pacific
· News.az: Turkey to raise Karabakh issue with Russian president
· News.am: PACE President to visit Armenia, Russia and Georgia
· Turkmenistan.ru: Turkmenistan and St. Petersburg prepare agreement on economic, scientific and cultural cooperation
· KYRGYZSTAN
o Itar-Tass: Kyrgyz ex-president charged with organizing mass killings
o Itar-Tass: Rare animals found at Bakiyev family residence
o Interfax: Kyrgyz rights activists accuse Bakiyev of polygamy
o RIA: Ex Kyrgyz interior minister arrested on charges of power abuse
o RUVR: Kyrgyz interim government dismisses Bakiyev as president
o 24.kg: Kyrgyzstan affect upon international security index
o 24.kg: Interim government borrows diesel fuel from Gazprom Neft Asia
· Moscow Times: First-Ever Jury Trial for Chechnya
· Expert Club: Another armed clash occurred in Dagestan - On April 26th police officers attempted to stop car "VAZ-2108" for inspection, but the driver disobeyed the policemen. This happened near the village of Mutsalaul of Khasavyurt district in Dagestan.
· Interfax: Ingushetia and North Ossetia will look for missing people during the Ossetian-Ingush conflict
· Defpro: Russian Reforms Mean Major Defense Modernization
· Reuters: Deadly New Russian Weapon Hides In Shipping Container
· Bne: Driving new roads - Russias first major PPP deal - Russias first major PPP project was officially signed yesterday, as the North-West Concession Company agreed with the Federal Road Agency on construction of a 43 km section of the Moscow - St Petersburg Expressway.
· Russia Today: 27 April, 2010 in Russian Newspapers
o Gazeta: Jurors tried their way to Chechnya
o Rossiyskaya Gazeta: The priorities of modernization
o Nezavisimaya: Lukashenko uses CSTO membership to blackmail Russia
· Moscow Times: Today in Vedomosti
o 2011 Budget in Trouble
o Editorial: Luzhkov Still Popular Despite Genplan Controversy
o RTS Index Tapped for Growth
· Voice of Russia: Press review
· Russia Profile: Counting Connections - Social Networking in Russia Is Growing Rapidly, but Which Sites Will Eventually Dominate the Market Is Still Unclear
National Economic Trends
· Bloomberg: Ruble Gains May Force Russia to Protect Industry (Update1)
· RUVR: Russia will pay off deficit in the budget at the expense of reserves, said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
· Alfa: Russias 2011 budget deficit may exceed RUB1.9 trln target by RUB0.5 trln
· Itar-Tass: Russia’s official unemployment rate decreases over week – ministry
· Russia Today: S&P warns on government spending
· Alfa: Russian banks continue to waive fees for issuing retail loans
· AgriMarket: Russia provided spring sowing campaign throughout 5.1 mln ha
Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions
· Reuters: Russian markets -- Factors to Watch on April 27
· Bloomberg: Norilsk Nickel, Razgulay and TNK-BP: Russian Equity Preview
· RenCap: Sberbank to redeem CBR subordinated debt early
· Reuters: Russia's Inter RAO places shares at 0.04 roubles/shr
· St. Petersburg Times: O’Key Owner in IPO
· Reuters: BRIEF-Russia's Protek raies around $400 million in IPO
· Reuters: Avtovaz eyes recovery after $1.3 bln 2009 loss
· Wall Street Journal: Dunkin' Donuts Heads Back to Russia
· Troika: Acron to pay $0.86 in dividends per share
· VTB Capital: Uralkali loses appeal over USD 27mn tax bill
· Moscow Times: For the Record
o Supermarket chain Okay is planning to raise $400 million to $500 million from an initial public offering in London in fall 2010 or spring 2011, a source close to the company said Monday. (Reuters)
o The government is prepared to discuss compensation for airlines’ losses caused by flight disruptions after ash from a volcano in Iceland closed large swathes of European air space, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said, Interfax reported. (Bloomberg)
Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)
· Oil and Gas Eurasia: Russia Waiting For Statoil to Come to Pechora Sea
· Official Wire: Syria Lauds Tatneft Oil Operations
· Dow Jones: TNK-BP International 1Q GAAP Net Profit $1.27 Billion
· EasyBourse: TNK-BP International 1Q GAAP Net Profit $1.27 Billion
· Telegraph: Russian attitude thaws to TNK-BP's license for the Kovykta gas field
· OilVoice: TNK-BP Subsidiary Varyoganneftegaz Will Drill 100 New Wells in 2010
· Moscow Times: Sistema’s Price for Russneft
· Moscow Times: Hungary Ends Surgut Probe
· Portfolio.hu: Surgut saga sewn up, no voting right at Hungarian MOL's AGM
Gazprom
· RIA: Gazprom, Eni to give each 10% of South Stream shares to French EDF - Putin
· Upstreamonline: EDF to get South Stream stake - Russian and Italy will each give a 10% stake in the South Stream pipeline to France's EDF , Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said today.
· Interfax: Gazprom, Eni to give 10% stake in South Stream to EDF each
· Official Wire: Exxon Staggers At Russia's Sakhalin
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Basic Political Developments
RIA: Iran behaves 'irresponsibly' regarding nuclear program – Medvedev
http://en.rian.ru/world/20100427/158761330.html
06:1127/04/2010
Iran behaves irresponsibly regarding concerns of the international society over Tehran's controversial nuclear program, the Russian president said.
The United States and other Western countries suspect Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy program and are seeking new sanctions following Iran's move to enrich uranium to 20%.
"Iran so far does not show proper understanding and behaves irresponsibly enough. This is all sad of course. Therefore, if this situation continues we exclude nothing and sanctions as well," Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) before his official visit to Denmark on Tuesday.
"Sanctions of course are bad in their nature as they seldom yield results. But why not as all other means of influence are exhausted," he said.
The Iran Six (France, Britain, Germany, the United States, Russia and China) began on April 19 discussing the text of a draft resolution imposing sanctions on Iran over its controversial nuclear program.
Russia and China insist on resolving Iran's nuclear issue peacefully, but the United States, Britain, France and Germany are pushing for harsher sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
MOSCOW, April 27 (RIA Novosti)
Press TV: Iran, Russia develop telecom ties
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124565§ionid=351020102
Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:02:03 GMT
Iran and Russia have signed a contract as well as an MoU to develop mutual telecommunication and communication relations between the two neighbors.
The contract and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed on Monday in Moscow between Iran's Telecommunication Infrastructure Company (TIC) and Russian firm Telecom, in the presence of Iran's Telecommunications Minister Reza Taqipour and his Russian counterpart Igor Shchegolev.
Iran and Russia can play an effective role in creating telecom networks and communication routes," Shchegolev said.
Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media, Igor Shchegolev, in a meeting with Taqipour called for Iran-Russia cooperation in the field of telecommunications in Moscow on Monday.
Meanwhile, Iran's IT minister said the two countries have considerable potential for strengthening cooperation in telecommunications.
According to Taqipour, Iran has a special geopolitical place through which Russia can have communications with the European states.
MVZ/TG/HRF
NY Times: Russia: American Seeks Denial of Visas to 60 Russian Officials
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/europe/27briefs-Russia.html
By ELLEN BARRY
Published: April 26, 2010
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Democrat of Maryland, asked the State Department on Monday to deny visas to 60 Russian officials who he said were involved in prosecuting and detaining Sergei L. Magnitsky, a 37-year-old lawyer who died in a Moscow jail after having requested medical care. Mr. Magnitsky was held in a tax evasion case against the Hermitage Fund, whose American-born owner had clashed bitterly with Russian officials. The sanctions would apply to senior officials in Russian law-enforcement agencies and their family members. The proposal is based on a 2004 presidential proclamation denying visas to people engaged in corruption.
RIA: U.S. senator urges Clinton to ban travel for Russian officials to USA over lawyer's death
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100427/158763340.html
10:4527/04/2010
A U.S. senator has urged U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to impose a ban on visas for 60 Russian officials and other individuals in a $230 million corruption case that lead to the death of a Moscow anti-corruption lawyer, the U.S. Helsinki Commission website said.
Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, 37, who was awaiting trial on tax evasion charges for 358 days, died in a Moscow pretrial detention center in November 2009. The Russian Prosecutor General's office said Magnitsky died of a heart attack.
"I am writing to request the immediate cancellation of U.S. visas held by a number of Russian officials and others who are involved in significant corruption in that country and who are responsible for last year's torture and death in prison of the Russian anti-corruption lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, who testified against them," Senator Benjamin Cardin, the Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) wrote in his letter to Clinton.
"I urge you to immediately cancel and permanently withdraw the U.S visa privileges of all those involved in this crime, along with their dependents and family members," he continued.
"The visa sanctions will send an important message to corrupt officials in Russia and elsewhere that the U.S. is serious about combating foreign corruption and the harm it does. It will also help to protect U.S. companies operating in Russia who risk falling prey to similar schemes in the future," Cardin said.