Russia 110602 Basic Political Developments

Russian State Duma speaker against foreign interference in Libya situation

http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=248644

MOSCOW. June 2 (Interfax) - Moscow is opposed to foreign, especially military interference, in Arab countries' affairs and will push for ending the bloodshed in Libya as soon as possible, Russian State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said.

"It was Russia to which the sides in the Libyan conflict appealed," Gryzlov said at a session of the Russian-French inter-parliamentary commission in Moscow on Thursday.

It was Russia that received an offer of an "important civilian mission" linked to mediation in the settlement of the Libyan conflict at the G8 summit in Deauville, France, in May, he said.

Gryzlov said that Moscow had launched such efforts before the G8 summit, and it would "push for ending the bloodshed in Libya as soon as possible."

However, the Libyans themselves should bear the main responsibility for settling the conflict without any foreign interference or pressure, he said.

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Russia views EU measures against Belarus as counterproductive – envoy

http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/105829/
Today at 09:37 | Interfax-Ukraine

The situation in Belarus will most likely be mentioned at a Russia-European Union summit due to be held in Nizhny Novgorod on June 9-10, Moscow's EU Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov told Interfax.

"We regard restrictive measures in relation to Minsk as counterproductive. The EU is aware of our position on this issue," he said.

"We think that methods of involvement, not methods of isolation need to be applied to this situation. The EU is well aware of our attitude to the latest measures and statements of the Belarusian leadership as well," Chizhov said.

The EU and Russia will not discuss any joint measures against Belarus, he said.

Read more: http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/105829/#ixzz1O6AzpvDQ

June 02, 2011 10:36

"Third energy package" has potential for compromise – Chizhov

http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=248623
BRUSSELS. June 2 (Interfax) - Russia's role as Europe's hydrocarbon supplier will not diminish in the foreseeable future, Russia's Ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told Interfax.

"Energy is one of the most important topics of our cooperation. Russia is the largest gas supplier and second largest oil supplier for the EU market," the ambassador said.

Russia's role in this sector will grow, "not least because of the well-known changes in approaches toward nuclear energy in certain EU countries," he said.

"As for the 'third energy package,' today it has taken the effect of law in the EU, so obviously one might expect certain outcomes within the existing opportunities at the expense of the flexibility of its application. I can cite, for instance, the fact that Nord Stream as a project for building a gas pipeline that runs directly from Russia to the EU through neutral waters, is not covered by the 'third energy package' requirements. As for South Stream, it is more difficult because several countries are involved in it," Chizhov said.

The EU understands the importance of this topic, he said. "It is difficult to maintain that the 'third energy package' is aimed against Russia because it puts all companies into an equal position, but of course, in practical terms, it creates problems for Russian energy operators, not only Gazprom (RTS: GAZP) but others as well. In this context, I do not want to generate defeatist sentiments as I believe there is a potential for working out compromise options," said the head of the Russian mission to the EU.

Nuclear energy is one of the areas of the active EU-Russia dialog, he said. "A Rosatom delegation was in Brussels on June 1 to discuss with EU representatives the modalities of massive stress tests on nuclear power plants. We believe that the idea of stress tests is right. The question is what it is about," Chizhov said.

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June 02, 2011 09:10

Russia-EU foreign policy and security committee to start to work soon - envoy to EU

http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=248595

BRUSSELS. June 2 (Interfax) - One can count on the full-scale launch of a joint Russia-EU committee on foreign policy and security, Russia's envoy to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told Interfax.

"The joint committee on foreign policy and security is the famous Meseberg initiative. One has continued to discuss it in various formats: in the bilateral one with the initiative's authors, Germans, and recently in the trilateral one in Kaliningrad with the involvement of Russian, German and Polish foreign ministers, as well as in the context of the G8 and the Russia-EU political dialog. Certainly this topic will be [discussed at the Russia-EU summit] in Nizhny Novgorod," Chizhov said.

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Russia ban on EU vegetables 'disproportionate' – EU

http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/Russia-ban-on-vegetables-disproportionate-2011-06-02T074805Z-EU-EU
Thursday June 02, 2011 05:48:07 AM GMT

HEALTH-ECOLI/EU (URGENT)

BRUSSELS, June 2 (Reuters) - A Russian ban on imports of raw vegetables from the European Union after a deadly E-coli outbreak in Germany is disproportionate, a spokesman for the European Commission said on Thursday.

"There will be a letter from (EU Health) Commissioner (John) Dalli to the Russian authorities within hours, saying this is disproportionate," Commission spokesman Frederic Vincent said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Russia's sanitary watchdog bans EU vegetable imports

http://en.rian.ru/world/20110602/164381048.html

09:39 02/06/2011

Russia's sanitary watchdog Rospotrebnadzor banned the import of fresh vegetables from all European Union countries because of an outbreak of a highly virulent strain of the E. coli bacteria, sanitary chief Gennady Onishchenko said on Thursday.

"We are imposing a ban due to the fact that during a month's time the situation has not been brought under control," Onishchenko said. "The sources of the infection and transfer factors have not been established."

At least 1,200 people in northern Germany have been affected by an Escherichia coli outbreak suspected to be caused by cucumbers imported from Spain. The European Commission has reported 10 deaths in nine countries, whereas European news agencies place the death toll at 17.

"The situation has worsened dramatically recently so we had to assume these very unpopular measures," Onishchenko added.

E. coli bacteria are common and live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, but a few strains can cause severe illness. An E. coli complication, hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), can lead to a stroke, seizures and fatal kidney disorders.

MOSCOW, June 2 (RIA Novosti)

Russia bans EU vegetable imports

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iTURPmWiMrwLPMJCf6-Tv0jSnVhw?docId=CNG.e4e15b276e518a692ea1ab63da31e514.5f1

(AFP) – 2 hours ago

MOSCOW — Russia on Thursday banned the import of fresh vegetables from all European Union countries because of the deadly E. coli bacteria scare, the head of the consumer protection agency said.

"The fresh vegetable import ban affecting all EU countries went into effect this morning," agency chief Gennady Onishchenko was quoted as saying by Interfax.

Vegetables already shipped in from the European Union "will be seized across Russia", he added.

Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) can result in full-blown haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a disease that causes bloody diarrhoea, serious liver damage and which can result in death.

The toll from the outbreak rose to 17 on Wednesday, with all but one of the fatalities occurring in Germany. Hundreds more have fallen sick.

German officials have been unable to find the cause of the outbreak after initially blaming it on organic cucumbers imported from Spain.

Russia on Monday banned fresh vegetable shipments from Spain and Germany, warning the sanction could soon be applied to all EU countries if it failed to receive a proper explanation as to how the fatal disease was being spread.

Russia has been quick in the past to ban the import of products that are also produced locally.

While this has ostensibly been on health grounds, some critics have accused the authorities using this as a pretext to unfairly back Russian producers.

Onishchenko said orders to stop all incoming European vegetable shipments had already been issued to Russian customs authorities.

08:14 02/06/2011ALL NEWS

APEC Fin ministers, bank execs to meet in Buryatia in Aug 2012

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/155961.html

ULAN UDE, June 2 (Itar-Tass) — A meeting of the Finance ministers and the executives of major banks of the member-countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum will be held in the capital of the Republic of Buryatia in August 2012 in the run-up to an APEC summit in Vladivostok, an official in the press service of the republican government told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

The republican government has set up a coordinating group to prepare the APEC ministerial meeting. The 24th summit of APEC countries is to be held in Vladivostok early in September 2012.