Russian News: November 21st, 2008!


Hot News!
RBC, 21.11.2008, Moscow 12:19:49.Credit organizations’ debt arising from unsecured loans granted by the Central Bank stood at roughly RUB 1.115 trillion (approx. USD 40.4bn) as of November 21, the Bank of Russia reported today.

RBC, 21.11.2008, Moscow 12:12:41.During today’s plenary session, the Russian State Duma adopted a presidential amendment to the Constitution regarding the Duma’s control over the Russian government. The bill was passed unilaterally.

RBC, 21.11.2008, Moscow 11:49:23.The Russian State Duma has approved constitutional amendments in the third and final reading. The document extends the terms of the president and State Duma deputies from four to six and five years, respectively. The amendments were approved by 392 deputies, while 57 voted against the bill. None of the deputies abstained from voting.

RBC, 21.11.2008, Moscow 11:15:11.A Russian-Montenegrin intergovernmental agreement on visa-free travel, signed in New York City on September 24, comes into force today. The document allows each country’s citizens holding valid international passports to travel to the other country without a visa and stay there for up to 30 days. Citizens having a permit for temporary or permanent residence will be allowed an unlimited visa-free stay, while holders of diplomatic or special passports on short business trips will be entitled to a visa-free stay for up to 90 days.

RBC, 21.11.2008, Moscow 09:58:47.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev begins a series of visits to Portugal and Latin American countries Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, and Cuba today. During his short stay in Lisbon, Medvedev will discuss with the Portuguese leadership such matters as Russia’s cooperation with the European Union and expanding bilateral relations.

RBC, 21.11.2008, Lima 09:25:07.Russia has allotted $0.5m to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum’s support fund. The contribution will be used to support APEC’s operations in 2009-2010 aimed at strengthening human security and developing science and technology, according to an official statement issued by the forum. This relates specifically to the development of natural disaster prevention systems and modernization of disaster relief infrastructure.

RBC, 20.11.2008, Moscow 15:23:48.The Russian government is doing everything possible to prevent a repeat of the 1991 and 1998 economic shocks, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during the 10th United Russia congress in Moscow today. Granted, like many other global economies at the moment, Russia is in a difficult situation where it is affected by many economic factors it cannot influence, Putin said, but the government is doing everything to avoid another collapse.

RBC, 20.11.2008, Moscow 12:39:06.The 10th congress of the United Russia political party has opened in Moscow. It is chaired by Russian Prime Minister and the party leader Vladimir Putin. President Dmitry Medvedev is also projected to participate in the event.

Russia: Ukrainian Gas Debt Amounts to $2.4 Billion Dollars – Again!


Hello,

As I was drinking a wonderful cup of coffee, I came across the facts that Ukraine once again is refusing to pay its debts. Gazprom has to fight with Ukraine every time to get any money for past due bills.

Russian Prime Minister Putin and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko just had in the beginning of October a discussion and settling of issues over past due bills. This seems to not have helped the situation.

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev has given an order to Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller to collect gas debt from Ukraine, Interfax reported.

Medvedev also said: “I’ve paid attention that our Ukrainian partners owe us more than $2.4 billion. It is big money for any state and for any company, including Gazprom,” Medvedev specified, adding that they had agreed with Ukraine that the money would be paid back as established by law. The respective agreement had been reached during the Moscow visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. (Link)


This is not a new situation and I have written several times about Ukraine and the Gas issues. Ukraine always plays games and makes Russia look bad to Europe. You see all Gas for Europe goes through Ukraine so if Gazprom cuts the supply just for Ukraine’s usage: Ukraine will compensate by illegally cutting Europe’s supply by taking Europe’s Gas for their own use.
(Link) (Link)

I understand that Ukraine is having money issues just like the rest of the world but this is not a new issue and looks like as we approach winters full force, Ukraine is going to play games to make Europe worry again. That is why the Nord Stream Gas line is important. (Link) To by pass a Ukraine that causes problems….

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Russia: Putin Speaks About The Financial Crises!


Russia’s financial reserves will prevent a spike in inflation and sharp fluctuations in the ruble, chairman of the United Russia Party and Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin stated today at the party’s tenth congress. The financial crisis is turning into an economic crisis, he said. “It will test every country’s preparedness and their ability to protect their citizens, economies and currencies,” he predicted. “Russia is facing that challenge as well.”
Putin compared the crisis to a natural disaster. “It was impossible to stop, but we should foresee such a development of events and take measures in advance so that it passes painlessly,” he said, adding that it is still possible for Russia to avoid negative consequences from the crisis. He noted that Russia’s financial reserves allow it to ensure the stability of the budget syste, which mean stable payment of government workers, pensions and social benefits.

According to Rosstat, the state statistics service, the total debt for wages on November 1 had grown 33.4 percent since October 1 to 4.024 billion rubles. Wages are falling at the same time. Moscow city authorities say that wages have fallen 10 percent in the capital, and layoffs are beginning as well. Putin stated that unemployment benefits will be raised by 1500 rubles per month on January 1, 2009. That will be in addition to the raise in benefits calculated in the federal budget. Thus, the benefit payment will be 4900 rubles per month.
www.kommersant.com

Russia: Always Attacked by the World Organizations!


Hello,

Once again Russia is on the bad list of another organization that tells the world who is good and who is bad. (Freedom of Association Under Threat report)

Right defenders from Freedom House have released a special report – Freedom of Association Under Threat – that is dedicated to the right and freedom condition in 12 states of the world. Together with Iran, Zimbabwe, Algeria, China, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Pakistan, Egypt, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Columbia, Russia is in the list of nations where the associational rights are particularly threatened. (Link)

But we see no reason to believe what the Freedom House says until they start telling the truth about all countries! Seems that the Freedom House group is controlled by the Western world and until it gets the Western politics out of its pockets then its reports hold no water. (Freedom House, being 80% funded from the USA budget)

We see that the USA should be in those same countries as Russia…..

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Russia: Happy Birthday – International Space Station (ISS) !



Hello,

Ten years ago on November 20, 1998 a Russian Proton rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Its mission was to put the first piece of the International Space Station (ISS) into orbit – a 12.5 metre, 19.3 tonne Zarya module. It was the first step for mankind’s most daring space project. (Link)

The International Space Station(ISS) which is a research facility currently being assembled in space. The on-orbit assembly of ISS began in 1998. The space station is in a low Earth orbit and can be seen from Earth with the naked eye: it has an altitude of 350-460 km (189-248 statute miles) above the surface of the Earth, and travels at an average speed of 27,700 km (17,210 statute miles) per hour, completing 15.77 orbits per day. The ISS is a joint project among the space agencies of the United States (NASA), Russia (RKA), Japan (JAXA), Canada (CSA) and several European countries (ESA).

The ISS is a continuation of what began as the U.S. Space Station Freedom, the funding for which was cut back severely. It represents a merger of Freedom with several other previously planned space stations: Russia’s Mir 2, the planned European Columbus and Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module. The projected completion date is 2010, with the station remaining in operation until around 2016. As of 2008, the ISS is already larger than any previous space station.

The International Space Station has a role to play as NASA moves forward with a new focus for the manned space program, which is to go out beyond Earth orbit for purposes of human exploration and scientific discovery. “The International Space Station is now a stepping stone on the way,” says Griffin, “rather than being the end of the line”. He says ISS crews not only will continue to learn how to live and work in space but also will learn how to build hardware that can survive and function for the years required to make the round-trip voyage from Earth to Mars.

I find it wonderful that the world can work together and build this Space Station! It is really something to be proud of, but it makes me wonder why: Even in Soviet Union times, that world scientific groups could work together to achieve great goals, but Governments of Countries have to play games?

Think about it: If governments would get along like the Scientific Community does in the World, We would probably have a lot less problems! Scientist from all over the world work together many times, they respect intellect! Knowledge is Power! (Link)

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome

Russia: The Slow Move to Rubles!


Hello,

I posted the other day about Belarus was going to buy all oil and gas from Russia in Rubles, no Dollars. Today The CIS countries (Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Tajikistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan) are getting the formalities out of the way to start making the Russian Ruble a International currency.

Heads of national banks and finance ministers from the CIS countries will discuss the use of the ruble to settle accounts with Russia for energy deliveries. Currently, payments are made in dollars, which are then converted into rubles in Russia. The extra expense of converting currency is reflected in the oil and gas prices, so the change would be beneficial to the importers. The change would also give the ruble a big boost as a regional currency, since the majority of the countries of the former USSR are consumers of Russian energy sources. (Link)

The Dollar has become such a burden to the stability of the Global financial system, that countries such as Russia, China, Japan and of the European Union are looking at alternatives.

Interesting….

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Russia: Medvedev On Russian Peoples Rights and Freedoms!


“Commenting on amendments to the Constitution under which the government will have to report to parliament, the president said: “This will not turn us into a parliamentary republic, and honestly speaking, I think Russia must never become a parliamentary republic, which would be the death of us.”

Medvedev said, however, that the constitutional amendments would strengthen the powers of the lower house of parliament, giving the State Duma additional levers to oversee ministerial decision-making.

Medvedev said the inviolability of people’s rights and freedoms was more important than the potential reform of the country’s political system.

“The Constitution must guard the stability of people’s rights, the protection of their rights and freedoms, the fundamentals of the system, property rights and justice – these things must not be altered,” Medvedev said.” (Link)

Rusian News: November 18th, 2008!


Hot News!RBC, 18.11.2008, Moscow 14:30:22.Head of the State Duma’s defense committee Viktor Zavarzin has warned the NATO Parliamentary Assembly against relying solely on Georgia’s viewpoint when forming an opinion on the Russian-Georgian conflict. He told journalists that the organization was expected to make a statement on the conflict during a session today. It is important that NATO PA’s opinions and estimates are based on the whole picture, Zavarzin maintained, rather than only on information provided by Georgia. The republic’s propaganda machine is striving to make an impression that during the operation Georgian troops adhered to the highest standards of observing human rights and ensuring security for civilians. In its attempts to prove it, Georgia quotes falsified or genuine estimates of non-governmental organizations, Zavarzin stressed, though it is still another blatant and cynical lie.

RBC, 18.11.2008, Moscow 14:08:18.Gazprom’s Deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev does not see any need to sell the gas giant’s stake in Gazprombank under current circumstances, he told journalists today during the Russian Gas 2008 forum. Earlier, Andrei Kruglov, also the gas giant’s deputy CEO, said Gazprom had already decided to sell its 14.5 percent in Gazprombank, but was waiting for a fair price for the asset. The decision was made public in June. Initially, it was presumed that part of the stake would be sold to a strategic investor, and the remainder during the bank’s IPO, if it was eventually approved. However, if no IPO was to be ventured, Gazprom intended to sell the whole of the stake directly. At that time, Gazprombank put its value at $25bn. However, Gazprom will still retain a controlling stake in the bank, as most of its cash flows pass through it. The current stake is to be reduced to a controlling one as part of Gazprom’s strategy to withdraw from non-core assets.

RBC, 18.11.2008, Moscow 13:43:03.Russia’s Economy Ministry has expressed hope that Russia will become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from January 1, 2010, deputy director of the ministry’s trade relations department Andrei Kushnirenko said during the 7th annual Adam Smith Institute Russian Food and Beverage Forum. However, he pointed out that import duties would only be decreased after one year from the country’s accession date. The market will start to really open up in 2011, and the transition period for changing tariffs is expected to last for three to four years, Kushnirenko indicated.

RBC, 17.11.2008, Moscow 18:17:18.Russia expects its trade with Latin American countries to reach $15bn by the end of 2008, the Foreign Ministry’s information and press department said, quoting head of the ministry Sergei Lavrov today. He noted that the figure was rising rapidly, growing 25 to 30 percent per year. The minister also added that Russia intended to develop trade and economic ties with Latin America, including investment relations. Among the key areas of cooperation, Lavrov cited Russia’s high-tech exports, the energy sector, oil and gas production and transportation, mechanical engineering, metals and transportation industries, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and space exploration. At the same time, he stressed that the expansion of ties between Russia and Latin America was not an instrument of diplomatic rivalry with the United States.

RBC, 17.11.2008, Moscow 15:29:53.Russia’s bailout plan is in line with the decisions made at the G20 summit, Deputy Finance Minister Dmitry Pankin told a press conference in Moscow today. He stressed that the wording of the summit communique was rather noncommittal and there were no statements obliging all countries to adopt tax incentives or take other steps suggested in the document. Pankin also pointed out that each country would have to take its own national peculiarities into account when implementing the measures proposed at the summit. Particularly, tax incentives introduced by a nation must not undermine its financial stability, the official stated.

RBC, 17.11.2008, Moscow 14:08:30.Russia is considering granting Iceland a loan of no more than $4bn. Even if Russia does resolve positively on providing Iceland with the loan, the amount will be less than the $4bn requested by Iceland. As Russia’s Deputy Finance Minister Dmitry Pankin told journalists today, $4bn is “a lot for both Russia and Iceland.”

Russia: Don’t Say You Were Not Warned!


ANKARA, November 18 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian defense minister warned on Tuesday that Georgia’s military buildup and drive to join NATO could cause a conflict worse than the five-day war over South Ossetia in August. (Rest of Article: Link)