Russia 110513 Basic Political Developments

Russia 110513

Basic Political Developments

• 
  Dmitry Medvedev will meet with President of Austria Heinz Fischer on May 19, 2011 - Federal President of the Republic of Austria Dr Heinz Fischer will pay an official visit to Russia on May 18–21, 2011 at President of Russia's invitation.
  
• 
  Putin to talk joint projects in Slovakia -    Russian and Slovakian leaders will focus on economic, energy, transport and scientific cooperation and will consider launching a number of joint projects.
  
• 
  Kazakh, Russian PMs talked over phone - As the press service of the Russian Government's Chairman informs, they discussed the issues of bilateral economic cooperation, the course of integration processes, including in the context of the upcoming session of the CIS Council of heads of government in Minsk.
  
• 
  Russian FM warns against foreign intervention in Syria
  
  • 
    Russia warns against foreign intervention in Syria - Speaking on a visit to the central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, he warned against a repeat of the "Libya scenario", where a Western coalition is carrying out air strikes against regime targets in a campaign that is increasingly troubling Moscow.
    
• 
  International Libya Contact group illegitimate, Russia will not join – FM
  
  • 
    Lavrov said the contact group on Libya illegitimate
    
  • 
    INTERNATIONAL COALITION IN LIBYA COMMITTING TOO MANY VIOLATIONS OF UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE - RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV
    
  • 
    Libya marks beginning of a dangerous new trend – Russian foreign minister
    
• 
  LAVROV HOPES PROGRESS WILL BE MADE IN DIFFICULT TALKS ON MISSILE DEFENSE WITH U.S. BEFORE MEDVEDEV-OBAMA MEETING IN DEAUVILLE
  
  • 
    RUSSIA AND U.S. AGREE TO GIVE POLITICAL IMPETUS TO EXPERTS' WORK ON MISSILE DEFENSE ISSUES, CLINTON PROMISES TO TAKE MEASURES – LAVROV
    
  • 
    Russian-US negotiations on anti-missile systems going “tight”
    
• 
  RUSSIA URGES TEHRAN NOT TO DODGE SERIOUS DISCUSSION OF IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROBLEM – LAVROV
  
  • 
    In Russia's view, Iran should report to the IAEA - "We stand for that in a dialogue with Iran and consider the perspective of full participation of Iran in resolving various regional problems, but not at the expense of serious discussion on the Iranian nuclear program" - Lavrov said.
    
• 
  Session of Arctic Council wraps up work
  
  • 
    Arctic countries sign “ground-breaking” SAR agreement
    
  • 
    Russia’s Lavrov calls Arctic instance of good will, cooperation - “The signing of an agreement on cooperation in the air and maritime search and rescue in the Arctic – the first legally binding pan-Arctic document – will become a milestone in the Arctic Council’s work,” Lavrov said.
    
• 
  Interview of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Published in the Newspaper Moskovskiye Novosti on May 12, 2011
  
• 
  Russia does not recognize Kosovo independence - Churkin
  
  • 
    Russia backs UN probe into Kosovo crimes
    
• 
  Vice-Prime Minister Ivanov will visit the Kuril Islands on Sunday
  
• 
  Vice Prime Minister of the Dominican Republic met with the leadership of Abkhazia
  
• 
  Islamabad seeks investment, Moscow wants to tackle terror - Russia and Pakistan on Thursday pledged to boost economic ties and coordinate efforts to fight terror as the Kremlin welcomed President Asif Ali Zardari for a key visit after the killing of Osama bin Laden.
  
  • 
    Pak, Russia for intensifying ties in diverse fields
    
  • 
    Massive Russian investment in Pakistan –
    
    • 
      Russia’s energy giant Gazprom will be developing gas deposits in Pakistan.
      
    • 
      Russian state-owned mining and metallurgical facility construction company Tyazhpromexport will be modernizing the Pakistan Steel Mills near Karachi.
      
    • 
      Russia’s largest power trader Inter RAO UES will be building power plants in Pakistan.
      
    • 
      Russia will be joining the CASA-1000 project, which will bring electricity from Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan
      
    • 
      Moscow also supports the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project to transport natural gas from Central Asian states to Pakistan and India.
      
• 
  Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Russian Federation Nikolay Makarov pays visit to Minsk. - Yesterday First Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia delivered a lecture at a military academy and told about results of the reforms of the Russian Army.
  
• 
  Peru to receive 1st batch of Russian Mi-171copters after May 20
  
• 
  Russia sends destroyer to protect shipping off Somali coast - A Russian task force led by Northern Fleet's destroyer Severomorsk will start patrolling pirate-infested waters in the Gulf of Aden in June, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
  
• 
  Russia has good chance in Turkish tender for anti-aircraft missile system – Rosoboronexport
  
• 
  Russia to deploy 2nd S-400 air defense regiment near Moscow
  
• 
  Popular Front doesn't come under law on equal access to media – CEC
  
• 
  Russia reforms fail to halt rights abuses – Amnesty
  
• 
  FSB officer killed in armed clash in Dagestan
  
• 
  Terrorist attack prevented in Kizlyar district of Dagestan
  
• 
  Small blast hits Moscow cafe, no casualties
  
• 
  Forest fire area increases by one third in Siberia in 24 hours
  
  • 
    Twelve more forest fire outbreaks reported in Siberia past day
    
• 
  Launch of Russian observatory to study universe could be postponed
  
• 
  Reuters PRESS DIGEST - Russia - May 13
  
• 
  RIA Russian Press at a Glance, Friday, May 13, 2011
  
• 
  A Victory Day for mothers - The Russian government will soon begin to pay out maternity benefits directly from Russia’s Social Insurance Fund (SIF), ending the cumbersome present system by which employers are responsible for these and other types of welfare payments.
  
• 
  The Central Asian peacekeeping issue - The regional states actively cooperate with NATO’s programs, similar to those which Russia is initiating within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). By Vladimir Mukhin
  
• 
  The 1,000-day countdown - Facilities for the upcoming Games are appearing like mushrooms in the resort town: a new airport has been built, tunnels and highways are being constructed at an accelerated pace.
  
• 
  Is Russia Interested in Regime Change in Belarus? – by Balázs Jarábik
  
• 
  An umbrella to shield from space threats - Defence Russia's anti-ballistic missile defence system can cover Eastern Europe and the Black, Baltic and North Seas,
  
• 
  Russia: Shades of difference - Not much love, according to most Kremlin watchers, is lost between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Igor Sechin, deputy prime minister. By Charles Clover and Neil Buckley