Russia 101202 Basic Political Developments

Moscow media questions Putin's Zurich no-show

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Moscow-media-questions-Putins-Zurich-no-show/articleshow/7027946.cms
AFP, Dec 2, 2010, 12.53pm IST

MOSCOW: Russian media on Thursday questioned Vladimir Putin's decision to skip the World Cup announcement in Zurich, with one paper saying it had cost the country the favourite's mantle for the 2018 tournament.

Russia's prime minister, seen here as the country's main selling card on the global arena, said on Wednesday he would stay away from Zurich, where FIFA executive committee members vote Thursday to determine the host city for the 2018 event and also for the 2022 edition.

Putin said he did not want to put undue pressure on FIFA members whom he said had already come under a coordinated smear campaign by rivals England, keen to snatch victory from favorites Russia.

"Putin's appearance in Zurich was awaited like manna from heaven," the popular Moskovsky Komsomolets broadsheet wrote on its front page.

"Now we know for sure that Putin is not going ... and Russia is no longer the favourite."

Putin has spearheaded Russia's campaign to host the World Cup just as he had in case of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which were awarded against long odds in Guatemala to the Russian summer resort town of Sochi.

Russia was the bookies clear favourite to win the vote ahead of England before Putin's announcement

"Those who calculate the rivals' chances could not but have recalled that it was Mr. Putin's brief voyage to Guatemala that, in the opinion of many analysts, changed the situation with the Olympic selection in Russia's favor," the Kommersant business daily wrote.

The Vermya Novostei daily contrasted Putin's decision with the fact that a high-powered England delegation led by Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince William were in Zurich for the vote.

They met on their arrival in Zurich on Wednesday with FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

The daily pointed out that the world football chief holds the deciding vote in case of a tie decision, and that the English were keen to iron out any obstacles posed by the raging football corruption scandal.

"The president of FIFA values that sort of respect," the newspaper wrote.

Chances are high for Russia to host 2018 World Cup – Lavrov

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/12/02/36110798.html
Dec 2, 2010 11:50 Moscow Time

Russia’s chances to host the 2018 World Cup are quite high, thinks the nation’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In an interview released on his ministry’s website Mr. Lavrov admits that in case of success Russia will have quite a lot of tasks to cope with- first of all, to build roads, hotels and other facilities.

 “But the way we have been preparing for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi shows that we are able to fulfill all our obligations on time”, Mr. Lavrov said.

FIFA`s executive committee is meeting in Zurich today to decide on the countries that might host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals. Russia has submitted a bid to host the 2018 event and is rivaled by England and by joint candidacies of Portugal/Spain and Belgium/the Netherlands.

Putin to address Kaliningrad Region's healthcare system problems

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20101202/161584383.html
03:14 02/12/2010

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will on Thursday pay a visit to the country's exclave on the Baltic Sea, the Kaliningrad Region, the government reported.

Putin will chair a meeting on modernization of the region's healthcare system in 2011-2012.

Up to 85% of healthcare-related buildings in the region need a major overhaul, and over 80% of medical equipment is worn-out and outdated.

Besides, the number of doctors in the area is 40% below the average Russian level.

MOSCOW, December 2 (RIA Novosti)

Putin to hold meeting on Kaliningrad reg healthcare modernization

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15737560

02.12.2010, 02.18

MOSCOW, December 2 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday will visit the Kaliningrad region, where he will hold a meeting on the region’s health modernisation programme for 2011-2012, the press service of the RF government reported.

The meeting will also be attended by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, Minister of Health and Social Development Tatyana Golikova, the leaders of RF subjects within the Northwestern Federal District, doctors and paramedical workers of the regional healthcare establishments.

During his working trip Putin will visit the Central Clinical Hospital of Kaliningrad, as well as will get familiarised with the work of the public reception office of the chairman of the United Russia party.

According to the Kaliningrad region administration, up to 85 percent regional health facilities’ buildings are in need of major repairs, more than 80 percent of medical equipment is worn out and obsolete. There is also difficult situation with the medical staff: as of 2009 there were 29 doctors per 10,000 of the population, which is 1.7 times below the national average level. The indicator of availability of nurse was 67 per 10,000 of the population – 1.6 times below the national average.

Since early 2010, more than 87 million roubles were allocated for additional payments to doctors and nurses of the region’s primary healthcare and 25.9 million roubles - for employees of medical and obstetrical stations and ambulance institutions. The service of district doctors is 100 percent staffed. A total of four health centres has been created and 15 doctors trained for disease prevention.

According to the regional healthcare modernisation programme, it is planned during 2011 - 2012s to complete the construction of a hospital in the town of Yantarny (readiness - 81 percent), to repair and overhaul 42 healthcare facilities, furnish with modern medical equipment 46 institutions, as well as 195 medical and obstetrical stations and 52 offices of general practitioners.

The Central City Hospital of Kaliningrad has in its structure an in-patient clinic with 600 beds and an outpatient department for 1,371 visitors per shift, serving 94,0000 people. More than 7,000 surgeries are annually made at the Central City Hospital’s in-patient clinics, including 70 percent of emergency surgeries.

A traumatology centre was created in the hospital within the framework of the national project Health, an anti-shock operating room organised, intensive care department repaired. In addition, a neurosurgical unit has been opened in the Central City Hospital to provide specialised and rehabilitative care to patients with acute cerebrovascular accident, neurotrauma, spinal column and cord disorders.

The hospital introduced a modern information system that allows accounting of patients and administered drugs. In 2010, the hospital has received the status of the clinical base of the medical department the E. Kant Russian State University.

However, 14 out of 20 inpatient units of the Central City Hospital require major repairs, as the deterioration of medical equipment is 85 percent.

The regional public reception office of Chairman of United Russia Vladimir Putin in the Kaliningrad region was opened on September 5, 2008. Over two years of its work, over 4,000 people - an average of 151 a month – applied to the office. Positive decisions were taken on 19.4 percent of appeals.

The Kaliningrad region is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) situated on the Baltic coast.

The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the Russian Federation. The fall of the Soviet Union left it isolated from the 'mainland'. It is surrounded by Lithuania, Poland, and the Baltic Sea. Borderless travel to the main part of Russia is only possible by sea and/or air. This political isolation became more pronounced when Lithuania and Poland both became members of the European Union and NATO, and entered the Schengen Zone, which means that the oblast is surrounded by the territories of these organisations as well. The oblast’s largest city and the administrative centre is Kaliningrad (formerly known as K·nigsberg), which has historical significance as both a major city of the historical state of Prussia and the capital of the former German province of East Prussia, partitioned after World War II between the USSR and Poland, and renamed after the Soviet Head of State Mikhail Kalinin.

The territory of the Kaliningrad region coincides with that of the northern part of historical East Prussia, (German: Nord-Ostpreussen), which was a part of Germany until 1945. In that year, it was occupied by the Soviet Union, cleared of its original population, and officially annexed to Russia under the interpretation of the protocols of the Potsdam Conference. Currently it is one of Russia’s best performing regional economies, bolstered by a low manufacturing tax rate, as set by its ‘Special economic Zone’ (SEZ) status, given by Moscow. As of 2006, one in three televisions in Russia was made in Kaliningrad, and its population is one of few in Russia which is expected to show strong growth.