Russia 100723 Basic Political Developments

Russia 100723

Basic Political Developments

• 
  Russian-NATO military delegations begin talks in Moscow - "We will sum up first results of the work done since the Russia-NATO Council convened in Brussels at the level of General Staff chiefs, and we will discuss European security and issues of mutual interest," Makarov said.
  
• 
  NATO military chief to promote “reset” with Russia - The Russian defense ministry said “the parties plan to sum up intermediary results of Russia-NATO interaction in 2010 and consider future prospects. Priority attention will be paid to the fight against sea piracy, rear logistics, and interaction in the settlement in Afghanistan.”
  
• 
  Medvedev to discuss trade, economic cooperation with Berlusconi - "These issues will be discussed in the light of the agreements reached at the sixth round of interstate consultations in December 2009, during the working visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to Italy on April 25-26, and at the 11th session of the Russian-Italian Council for Economic, Industrial, Currency and Financial Cooperation held in Moscow on July 6," he said.
  
• 
  Medvedev to visit Italy to discuss economic cooperation with Berlusconi - As for international affairs, “Italy is a successive supporter of the development of NATO-Russia dialogue. The Italian leadership initiated in European circles the discussion about an early introduction of visa-free travel between the EU and Russia,” the press service said adding Italy is interested in the proposal of the Russian president regarding new European security architecture.
  
• 
  Medvedev, Berlusconi to meet in Milan - Cultural cooperation will also be on the agenda, including cross-year culture festivals this year and next.
  
• 
  Itar-Tass: Lavrov to attend ASEAN regional security forum
  
• 
  ASEAN ministers okay draft document for Vietnam summit
  
• 
  State President welcomes Russian Foreign Minister - State President Nguyen Minh Triet on July 22 received Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov while he is in Vietnam to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. 
  
• 
  Patriarch Kirill to meet for talks with Ukrainian president - "The Patriarch and the Ukrainian president have long-standing personal and working relations. I believe they will easily find topics for a mutually beneficial conversation," Legoida said.
  
• 
  Ukrainian president, Russian patriarch to meet in Crimea
  
• 
  Ukrainian nationalists to meet Patriarch Kirill with protests - The All-Ukrainian Union Freedom announced that it will hold pickets to protest the Ukrainian visit of Patriarch Kirill. One picket will be held outside the Kiev Laura of the Caves on Sunday, July 25; another picket will be held in front of St. Sophia Cathedral on Monday, July 26; and a third one in Vladimirskaya Gorka on Tuesday, July 27.
  
• 
  Heavy metal extravaganza lures Russian elite to Sevastopol - Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill and Moscow Mayor will reportedly meet with motorcyclists, individually or in unison, during their visits to Crimea July 23-25.
  
• 
  Putin to discuss ferrous metallurgy recovery - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will chair a meeting in Chelyabinsk on Friday to discuss the recovery of the ferrous industry and will visit several steel mills in the metallurgical region.
  
• 
  Russia's restrictions on Finnish meat, dairy import come in force
  
• 
  Japan Said to Mull Uranium Imports Via East Russia (Update1) - Japan, the third-largest nuclear power producer, plans to ask Russia to allow it to ship uranium from landlocked Kazakhstan through ports along the country’s Pacific coast to cut the cost of importing the atomic fuel.
  
• 
  Serdyukov signed an order assigning responsibilities of acting commanders of the new Military Districs
  
• 
  Changes in Northern Fleet command - As Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet becomes Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, several internal changes are taking place in the Northern Fleet’s commanding structures.
  
• 
  U.S., Japanese ships in Vladivostok for Navy Day ceremonies
  
• 
  Russia Will Spend 20 Trillion Rubles on New Weapons – by Pavel Felgenhauer
  
• 
  Medvedev urges more fines, less jail for employers withholding salary - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has introduced a bill concerning arrears in salary, retirement benefits, scholarships and other payments to the lower house of Russia's parliament, the Kremlin's press service said on Friday.
  
• 
  Medvedev signs total drink driving ban - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a bill enforcing a zero alcohol limit for drivers, the Kremlin said on Friday.
  
• 
  Russian pilot trial to begin in US on Aug 12 - The trial of Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko detained in Africa on suspicion of drug smuggling and conveyed to the United States will begin on August 12, Russian Consul General in New York Andrei Yushmanov told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
  
• 
  U.S. Blames Fax Error For Russia Mistake
  
• 
  U.S. apologizes to Russia for late notification on Yaroshenko's arrest
  
• 
  Washington blames fax for diplomatic row with Russia
  
• 
  Government Computers to Get Linux-Based Operating System - The government is hoping to launch the first version of a "national operating system" for its computers as early as next year, a senior Communications and Press Ministry official said Thursday. The operating system, for use on the computer systems of government agencies and state-run companies, will be 90 percent based on the open-source Linux operating system, Deputy Communications and Press Minister Ilya Massukh said.
  
• 
  Russian protesters target police over Magnitsky death - Anti-Kremlin activists have targeted the home of one of the police officers accused of complicity over the agonising prison death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
  
• 
  Dagestan authorities give militants 'final warning' - The authorities of Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan issued a "final warning" to the militants, urging them to stop further terrorist attacks, the first deputy head of the Dagestan government said.
  
• 
  Railway services restored on railway damaged by blast in Dagestan
  
• 
  Bomb blasted on railway in Dagestan, train traffic suspended
  
• 
  Trains moving from Azerbaijan stopped due to explosion in Dagestan
  
• 
  In Dagestan, land mine exploded on the railway - At the railway-the line Inchkhe Kayakent in Dagestan, an explosion occurred, which resulted in one person injured. This informs "Interfax" referring to Makhachkala branch railway.
  
• 
  Veteran of Anti-Russian Wars named as Head of Dagestan's Sharia Jamaat - Seifullah of Gubden (aka Magomed Vagapov), the emir of the Gubden Jamaat, has been chosen for this position on the orders of Doku Umarov, the leader of the Caucasus Emirate
  
• 
  Kremlin says to fire security aides if Caucasus attacks recur
  
• 
  Dam Busters - The Attack on the Hydroelectric Plant Is Anything but a Change of Strategy – So Why Did It Catch the Authorities by Surprise?
  
• 
  OMON disbanded the defenders of Khimki forest
  
• 
  Russian Mill Pollutes World's Deepest Lake - The facility is not yet running at full capacity and has only launched one of its pulp production lines.
  
• 
  Russian adoptions closer to reality - Russian officials have now given a permit to Inter Country Adoption New Zealand, to operate an adoption programme.
  
• 
  Adoption changes risk ignoring plight of orphans in Russia - But while Russia and the US debate the future of international adoption, the murky fate of orphaned or unwanted children who remain in Russia still prompts questions.
  
• 
  Moscow press review for July 23, 2010
  
  • 
    Government bureaucrats' fear of energy shortages has played into the hands of companies building electric power plants. Mikhail Abyzov's Group E4, the leader on the market, increased its order portfolio to a record 105 billion rubles in 2009.
    
  • 
    Britain's Petropavlovsk, working in Russia, has enlarged its resources in the first half of the year.
    
  • 
    From now on companies will have the right to adjust licenses to develop fields of mineral resources, which will allow those of them that have faced a lack of demand for raw materials to reduce production, not fearing to lose the license.
    
  • 
    Renova is likely to build a plant to manufacture training planes for the Air Force, a source close to the group said.
    
  • 
    The structure of Surgutneftegaz (RTS: SNGS) ownership may become even more complicated.
    
  • 
    Sberbank (RTS: SBER) is beginning independent work on the market of collective investment and plans to launch its own mutual investment funds at the end of the year.
    
• 
  Forest fires spread on 7.3 thousand hectares more in Far East