Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#174 :: Tuesday 24 September 2013

Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#174 :: 24 September 2013
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POLITICS

1. Moscow Times: Alexei Pankin, Yeltsin’s Attack on White House, 20 Years On.
2. RIA Novosti: Konstantin von Eggert, A Dividing Issue, 20 Years On: Russia’s 1993 Constitutional Crisis.
3. RIA Novosti: Russian Film Voted ‘Audience Favorite’ at US Festival.
4. Kremlin.ru: Meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (partial transcript continued)
5. Moscow Times: Surkov Return May Signal Softer Kremlin Line.
6. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say Sept. 24, 2013.
7. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Stanislav Minin, Russia Without Identity — President Putin Urged People to Urgently Engage in Search for National Idea.
8. Politkom.ru: Russian Commentator Sees Putin’s Speech at Valday as Monolog Directed at Non-Systemic Opposition. (Tatyana Stanovaya)
9. Financial Times: Neil Buckley, The Kremlin’s new approach to the opposition.
10. Moscow Times: Vladimir Ryzhkov, Putin Finally Talks With the Opposition.
11. Moscow Times: Roizman Inaugurated as Yekaterinburg Mayor.
12. ITAR-TASS: Roizman convinced Yekaterinburg city legislature takes legitimate decision to approve him as mayor.
13. Scientific American/Nature: Russian Academy of Science Leader Speaks Out on Reforms. Vladimir Fortov highlights the need for a clear separation between science and a federal agency.
14. Paul Globle: Window on Eurasia: Moscow’s Plan to Restructure Academy of Sciences Will Spark Separatism, Scholars Say.
15. RIA Novosti: Natalia Antonova, Pussy Riot and Prison Reform.
16. www.gaystarnews.com: Meet the gay Russian who ‘loves Putin’ as ‘he’s not a homophobe’
17. World Policy Journal: Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, Russia’s Surveillance State.

ECONOMY

18. ITAR-TASS: Government ministers, experts ring alarm bells over condition of Russian economy.
19. Interfax: Russia to have austere 2014 budget – Medvedev.
20. Interfax: Over 50 measures to boost business activity in Russia unfulfilled, PM says.
21. Interfax: Medvedev approves road map for public oversight of monopolies.
22. Interfax: Russian premier admits spending on army comes before welfare.
23. Vedomosti editorial: Three-Year Federal Budget Outline Still Showing Excessive Militarization of Spending.
24. Reuters: IMF cuts Russian GDP growth forecast, calls for tighter budget.
25. Moscow Times: EBRD Chief Sees Opportunity in ‘Sluggish’ Russia.
26. Reuters: Monetary policy can’t fix Russia’s structural problems: central banker.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

27. Moscow Times: Merkel’s Re-Election Called Good for Russia.
28. RIA Novosti: Putin Outlines Priorities of Russia’s Presidency in CSTO.
29. RIA Novosti: UN May Permit Force in Syria Only If Obligations Unfulfilled — Moscow.
30. Reuters: Russia says hopes for UN resolution on Syria this week.
31. Interfax: West lacks irrefutable evidence of Syrian govt’s role in Aug 21 chemical attack – top Russian diplomat.
32. Interfax: Arab peoples may not be able to adapt European democracy model – Kremlin. (Sergei Ivanov)
33. ITAR-TASS: Threat of aggression against Syria just postponed, but not lifted completely
34. Interfax: Kremlin aide: there may be ‘some pretext’ for war on Assad if chemical arms scrapped. (Sergei Ivanov)
35. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Yevgeny Shestakov, Drawing the Syrian poison. Reporting from last week’s Valdai Club meeting as part of Foreign Minister Lavrov’s press retinue, Yevgeny Shestakov canvasses expert Russian opinion ­- both on and off the record ­- on the nation’s hopes and fears for a Syrian settlement.
36. Moscow Times: Iran Takes Control Of Russian Built Nuclear Plant.
37. Politkom.ru: Russian Observer Lauds Moscow’s ‘Speed of Reaction’ in Seeking Solution in Syria. (Nikolay Pakhomov)
38. Interfax: Russia, U.S. have a lot in common in children’s rights protection issues – Astakhov.
39. Moscow Times: Gregory Feifer, Beware of Russia Baiting and Switching on Syria.
40. Wall Street Journal: David Satter, Russia’s Anti-American Foreign Policy. Putin needs high oil prices and a distraction from his domestic troubles.
41. Valdai Discussion Club: Lassi Heininen, Alexander Sergunin, and Gleb Yarovoi, Climate Change in the Arctic: Geopolitical and Security Implications.
42. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Ukrainian Integration With The European Union: Economic Convergence Or Economic Collapse?
43. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Ukraine does not give up the hopes that European integration will not hamper the country to cooperate with the Customs Union.
44. Business New Europe: Ben Aris, Red lights flashing for Ukraine as it sprints toward arms of EU.
45. Interfax: Tbilisi interested in dialogue with Moscow – premier’s envoy.
46. EurasiaNet.org: Joshua Kucera, Georgian NATO Ambitions Annoy Russia, Even Under Ivanishvili.

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