Windows to Russia

RBC, 06.03.2009, Moscow 13:35:53. Economic growth has slowed in the Russian capital, the Moscow government told RBC today. GDP grew only 6 percent in 2008 against 7.7 percent a year earlier, while industrial production growth amounted to a mere 0.5 percent in 2008 compared to 11.5 percent in 2007. Similarly, fixed investment edged up 0.6 percent in 2008 against 6 percent in the previous year, while the average wages grew 28.6 percent in 2007 and 25.6 percent in 2008. The average monthly accrued wages stood at RUB 30,109 (approx. USD 839) in January-December 2008, while the price rise on the consumer market reached 11.9 percent. The purchasing power of working Muscovites grew 1.12 times, and retail trade increased 5.3 percent in 2008 against 5.1 percent in 2007.

RBC, 06.03.2009, Moscow 11:14:40.Russia’s trade balance surplus has allowed the Central Bank to sustain the ruble exchange rate against the basket of two currencies, the euro and the dollar, within the specified band and even purchase the U.S. currency on the market. The regulator’s net purchases of dollars exceeded $860m in February. According to expert estimates, if the global oil prices remain at their current levels, Russia’s trade balance surplus is likely to go up $50bn. If these forecasts are true, the RBC Daily newspaper reports, the ruble is not projected to see any further devaluation.

RBC, 05.03.2009, Moscow 19:07:40.The net foreign currency amount purchased by the Bank of Russia as currency interventions stood at USD 861.8m and EUR 98.97m in February 2009, with all he purchases made on a regular basis, the bank indicated in its documents.

RBC, 05.03.2009, Moscow 18:48:52.Gazprom has confirmed that Naftogaz of Ukraine has paid off the entire amount it owed Gazprom for gas supplies in February 2009, the Russian gas giant said in a statement. Earlier, Naftogaz of Ukraine reported that it had transferred the $50m for the gas shipments still due after it remitted the first payment of $360m yesterday. In February 2009, Naftogaz of Ukraine used around 1bn cubic meters of gas.

RBC, 05.03.2009, Moscow 17:46:22.Russia has not yet received official explanations for security agencies’ actions at Naftogaz of Ukraine on Wednesday, and the government is currently receiving all the information from the mass media, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin told a government meeting today. “We are receiving information mostly from the mass media, while Gazprom’s attempts to obtain an official explanation about the operations by security agencies at Naftogaz of Ukraine have failed,” the deputy PM was quoted as saying.

RBC, 05.03.2009, Moscow 15:49:45.Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced at a government presidium meeting today that he had signed a governmental decree extending a $500m loan to Belarus. He commissioned the Finance Ministry to carry out the decree with no delays.

RBC, 05.03.2009, Moscow 14:39:15.Inflation ran up to 1.7 percent in Russia in February 2009, and 4.1 percent for the year to date. A year ago, similar figures were at 1.2 and 3.5 percent, respectively, the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported.

Hello,

I keep track of every new country that goes visa free with Russia. This is a requirement that Svetlana and I use on where we travel when we take a vacation.

Now Venezuela has become the fifth state in Latin America to scrap visa requirements for Russian citizens, following Cuba, Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Agreements are also expected to be signed very soon with Brazil, Colombia and Argentina.

This is a good thing and it shows that Medvedev has been busy down in those countries when he visited not long ago.

Windows To Russia!
Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

Yes they golf in Russia and Moscow just opened a new driving range and par three course in Kapotnya, located in south-eastern Moscow.

Since there is a lack of golf courses in Russia the men were lined up to play and the weather did not cooperate. But it is Russia and what do you expect?

In Russia as I have said before you just accept the weather, be it what may and do what you want.

Let it snow – Let it snow!

Tee Time…

Kyle & Svet

Hello,

I am drinking my morning cup of coffee and thinking about the play that Svetlana and I saw last night in downtown Moscow, Russia. It was a play for the employees of the Gazprom Bank. Ever year Gazprom Bank has a special event for International Womens Day that falls on the 8th of March. One year we went and saw “Mama Mia” and this year we saw “Beauty and the Beast”!

It was a fantastic musical of a play that enlightened the heart and soul! “Beauty and the Beast.” Took place in the Moscow Palace of Youth. In Russia, the musical is presented by Stage Entertainment and Disney. This is the first stage production by Disney in Russia and they have done a fantastic job. The place was packed with no more than a couple of empty seats.

We had appetizers before the show with desserts at intermission. The champagne was flowing non stop and for non drinkers like Svet and I they had lots of fruit juice.

It was a true to character play that as Svet said: “It was a fairy tale of huge proportions!”

That it was: For a few hours the world cease to exist, as a land of strange characters filled the stage to whisk you away to forget about the world and her problems.

Thanks Gazprom!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

I was drinking my cup of coffee and doing some thinking, Lets continue today on this missile issue.

Medvedev came out yesterday and said what I expected him to say. Russia will not sell out Iran over the missile defense issue. The Western press stirred up a hornets nest and relations in Russian eyes went down a couple of notches. Even the fact that Obama tried to do repair news articles did not erase the bad taste left by the original articles about “Put up or Shut up!” This quote was all over the news agency and even made it into many news based talk shows. (Link) (Link)

Now at this moment the missile issue is forefront again and follows Medvedev everywhere he goes all over the world. Medvedev made it clear that Russia will not sell out Iran! Russia has a very good relationship with Iran that the West does not understand. The West cries – Evil Iran, Evil Russia, Evil China, Evil, Evil and more Evil. While the East just shakes their heads and looks at the USA as a falling monolith…

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Breaking News:

The Western Press has changed their story and some have even pulled the original article about Obama’s hand delivered letter to Medvedev in Russia. (Link to Article!)

Obama raised the possibility in a letter to Russia seeking help in trying to end Iran’s nuclear program, a senior administration official said. Contrary to news reports, it was not a secret letter, the official said. “The notion of a secret letter,” he said, “is irritating. … It suggests a secret deal between Russia and the U.S.” which, he said, is not the case. Also no threats of any form were involved!

Lying western Press caused me to be upset and get my blood pressure all elevated. 🙂

I was correct though in my reaction and seems allot of others were also upset with the reporting by the mainstream media.

Something has got to change with the media problems in America.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

RBC, 03.03.2009, Madrid 15:16:35.Gazprom and Gaz Natural (Spain) have signed a swap agreement concerning liquefied and pipeline gas, Gazprom’s CEO Alexei Miller told journalists in Madrid today. He went on to say that Spain was one of the largest gas markets in Europe, but Gazprom had so far not shipped any gas to the country because of the distance separating Russia and Spain. However, the gas giant is now hopeful to make amends through swap operations, Miller noted.

RBC, 03.03.2009, Madrid 14:59:53.Gazprom is not going penalize Ukraine for taking less gas from the pipes than projected in February 2009, the Russian energy giant’s CEO Alexei Miller said in Madrid today.

RBC, 03.03.2009, Moscow 13:36:56.Slavneft increased its C1 category oil reserves by 111.8m tonnes, with the replacement ratio reaching 570 percent. As reported by the Russian oil producer’s press office, Slavneft plans to increase its recoverable C1 category oil reserves by another 22.7m tonnes in 2009, allowing the company to replenish its resource base by over 110 percent. As a result of prospecting operations, Slavneft’s recoverable C1 and C2 category oil reserves rose by 54m tonnes and 37.2m tonnes, respectively. The company’s total investment in exploration stood at RUB 5.6bn (approx. USD 155m) in 2008.

RBC, 03.03.2009, Moscow 12:58:20.Fuel purchasing for agricultural producers should be carried out through special fuel exchanges, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov told a spring sowing campaign meeting in Moscow today. “A pilot project has been planned this year to provide the agribusiness sector with fuel through a commodity exchange,” he said.

RBC, 03.03.2009, Moscow 11:11:55.Oil and gas condensate production shrank 2.1 percent to 78.46m tonnes, or 9.78m barrels per day, in January-February 2009 from the same period of the previous year, according to a statement from the Central Dispatching Department of the Fuel Energy Complex. In February alone, oil production declined 9.4 percent to 37.14m tonnes compared to January. Most oil giants showed weak operating results in February 2009 against the previous month and February 2008, experts say. Nearly all vertically integrated companies reduced output by 10 to 12 percent in February against January, except for Lukoil and Tatneft, who both announced a 9-percent rise in monthly production. Analysts trace the fall to a lack of incentive for oil companies to increase production, since the Urals price has remained below $50 per barrel. New mining tax cuts that came into effect on January 1 have also failed to contribute to a rise in oil output, experts point out. They believe that Russian energy producers have been following the example set by OPEC, which has been cutting production since January 1. On the whole, analysts view the current trend of lower oil output as a long-term economic benefit rather than a burden for Russia, saying that the joint decrease in oil production by OPEC and independent exporters, such as Russia, has actually prevented oil prices from plummeting even further.

RBC, 03.03.2009, Moscow 10:11:32.Gazprom’s net profit under IFRS grew 1.65 times to RUB 751.676bn (approx. USD 20.79bn) in the first nine months of 2008, the Russian gas monopoly said in a press release today. According to the company’s unaudited financial statement, sales revenue climbed 1.55 times to RUB 2.573 trillion (approx. USD 71.16bn), sales profit doubled to nearly RUB 1.023 trillion (approx. USD 28.29bn), and pretax profit jumped 1.66 times to some RUB 1.016 trillion (approx. USD 28.1bn). Similarly, net revenue from natural gas sales grew 49 percent to roughly RUB 1.582 trillion (approx. USD 43.75bn), while operating expenses went up 33 percent to RUB 1.55 trillion (approx. USD 42.9bn).

RBC, 02.03.2009, Tehran 19:20:22.Russia’s Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko and Iran’s Petroleum Minister Qolam Hosein Nozari, as well as President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Gholam Reza Aghazadeh discussed a number of Russia-Iran oil and gas projects in Tehran today. According to the press office of the Russian Energy Ministry, Russia suggested that Iran sell part of its oil output through the St. Petersburg commodity exchange. Shmatko stressed that seeking to diversify their trade infrastructure was a cutting-edge solution for oil exporting countries.

RBC, 02.03.2009, Moscow 18:42:03.Russia’s National Wealth Fund amounted to RUB 2.996 trillion (approx. USD 83.86bn) as of March 1, 2009, the Finance Ministry reported today. The balances of currency accounts in the broke down as follows: RUB 19.39bn, USD 34.33bn, EUR 24.42bn, GBP 4.44bn, and RUB 417.1bn on deposits in Vnesheconombank.

RBC, 02.03.2009, Moscow 16:44:08.Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin believes that it is necessary to define the targets for decreasing the budget deficit in 2010 and the years to follow. He made this statement during an economic meeting with cabinet members today. Putin pointed out that the Budget Code must see amendments in light of the need to cover the budget deficit with Reserve Fund’s money.

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and looking at about a hundred articles from the Western press that makes it look that Obama is calling Russia on the carpet over the missile issue in Europe.

Western press and Obama sidekicks are bragging that Obama sent a hand delivered letter to Moscow with an ultimatum to Medvedev:

The New York Times newspaper quoted a senior Obama administration as saying: “It’s almost saying to them, Put up or Shut up.

“The Russians do not get to say, ‘We’ll try and therefore you have to suspend.’ It says the threat (Iran) has to go away.” (Link)

If I was Medvedev or if Medvedev would like a little American response advice, I would send a hand delivered letter back and say stick it up your…

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

PS:

Russia does not have to do anything at all because the USA is so broke that Missiles are the last thing that will be put in Europe. Sometimes my country acts like a spoiled rotten child.

Actually Obama and Medvedev are to meet around April 2nd in London. Medvedev could hand deliver the letter back. 🙂