Author: JRL Russia List

Interfax: Consumers must pay for Russian gas, no more ‘gas communism’ – prime minister

Oil, Gas, Energy
Russian Gas Facility file photo

(Interfax – Gorki, October 29, 2013) Russian Prime Minister Dmitriy Medvedev has said that the authorities should ensure 100-per-cent collection of payments for gas, stressing that the time of “gas communism” was over. “We must ensure conditions for 100-per-cent collection of gas payments. I think everyone should realize that there will be no such all-encompassing forgiveness of debt, no ‘gas […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

A tug-of-war over Ukraine

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Mike Collier in Riga, Ben Aris in Moscow – October 30, 2013) The EU’s summit in Vilnius on November 28-29 has been billed as a “game changer” for relations between the EU and the countries to its east, including Russia. The surprising thing is that for once it is not the Lithuanians themselves who […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Interfax: Medvedev welcomes Russia’s 92nd place in Ease of Doing Business ranking

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Empty Boardroom

GORKI, Moscow region. Oct 29 (Interfax) – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has spoken positively of Russia’s progress in the 2013 Ease of Doing Business survey compiled by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. “Absolutely, this movement upwards in the Doing Business rating is a pleasing result for our economy. I hope that this result has been achieved […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Navalny’s Bid to Reform Utilities Sector Headed for Rejection

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Electrical Yard file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Oleg Sukhov – October 30, 2013) Two commissions of the Moscow City Duma on Tuesday recommended against registering opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s bid to submit a bill on utilities prices, which he has sought to make the first-ever grassroots initiative considered by legislative authorities in Russia. Navalny wrote on Twitter that the City Duma would […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Putin Fires Slew of Top Interior Ministry Officials

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Biryulyovo Riots file photo

MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed a number of senior Interior Ministry officials on Wednesday, including the police head of the Moscow district that was the scene of violent nationalist riots earlier this month. Putin dismissed Alexander Podolny, the police chief of Moscow’s southern administrative district, from his post effective immediately, according to a Kremlin […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

Interfax: Russian society should not tolerate corruption – Putin

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime
Cropped File Photo of Two Men in Business Suits Shaking Hands and Passing Cash

MOSCOW. Oct 30 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said an atmosphere of intolerance of corruption should be created in Russia. “The laws alone, the demands [against corruption] alone are not enough. We need to form an atmosphere of zero tolerance of corruption in society,” Putin told the Council on Corruption Prevention on Wednesday. The president believes there is a […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Putin Named Most Powerful Person in World by Forbes

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Valdai Club 2013 Meeting, Adapted from Screenshot of Valdai Club Video at youtube.com

MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin was named the most powerful person on the planet by Forbes magazine Wednesday, knocking US President Barack Obama off the number one spot. Forbes said that Putin, who ranked third last year, showed his dominance in diplomatic maneuvring during the international crisis over Syria, and the fate of fugitive US […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian opposition abandons street protests

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Moscow Protest file photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Marina Obrazkova, RBTH – October 30, 2013) The protest movement in Russia is dwindling and growing old. The march in support of political convicts, which took place in Moscow on Oct. 27, gathered 5,000­7,000 people ­ a remarkable setback compared to what happened a year ago. Experts note that the protest movement in […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Russian Women In Search of a Cause

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Two Babushkas file photo

DEAUVILLE/MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) The first shoots of gender equality came to Russia with the Soviet Union, when women were given an active role in building up the Communist system. In modern Russia, women have increasingly adopted a new role militating for human rights, outside the protection of the state. This evolving role of women in Russian public life […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

How to dress like Russian on Halloween

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Russian Folk Singers file photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Vsevolod Pulya, RBTH – October 29, 2013) So you are tired of dressing up like the Joker, Batman or the Flying Spaghetti Monster and want something new for your Halloween costume. My advice is as simple and straightforward as a shot of vodka: dress like a Russian. This isn’t going to be a […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Interfax: Russia has political prisoners, head of rights council says

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Interfax – Moscow, October 29, 2013) Head of the Human Rights Council (HRC) under the Russian president Mikhail Fedotov has expressed the view that there are political prisoners in present-day Russia and they should be amnestied. “There are political prisoners in present-day Russia. The human rights community, include one abroad, has a view on this, and it clearly says that […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Putin’s $48 Billion Olympic Legacy Faces 100-Day Sprint to Open

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – October 29, 2013 – Jake Rudnitsky) One hundred days before the start of the most expensive Winter Olympics, President Vladimir Putin’s $48 billion vision of a newly empowered Russia rests in the hands and shovels of laborers working around the clock. Construction continues on the main stadium, hotels and athlete housing for the Feb. 7-23 Winter […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

Shoigu Opts for Mystical Defense Plans (Part One); Russian defense expenditures prove too low to maintain sufficient military training levels

Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Russian Tanks in Military Parade

(Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 10, Issue 193 – Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – Roger McDermott – October 29, 2013) As the anniversary approaches in November 2013, marking one year since President Vladimir Putin sacked Anatoly Serdyukov and appointed Sergei Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister, evidence is mounting to indicate that the change may not herald better times for the military. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Putin Checks Readiness of Russia’s Nuclear Deterrent

Nuclear, Missile Defense
Russia ICBM on Mobile Launcher

MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen a snap check of Russia’s nuclear deterrent, aerospace defenses and strategic aviation, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday. “The exercise involved launches of ballistic missiles, drills by air defense and missile defense units,” Peskov said, adding that all practice targets had been destroyed. The Russian Defense Ministry […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Interfax: Tbilisi’s stance on diplomatic relations with Moscow unchanged – Georgian foreign minister

Georgia
Georgia Map

TBILISI. Oct 29 (Interfax) – Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze has reiterated that her country may agree to restore diplomatic relations with Russia only if Russia renounces its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states and if it lifts its “occupation” of these territories. “If de-occupation occurs”, and if Russia renounces its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

Business New Europe: No more “Mr Nice Guy”: Gazprom hits Ukraine with huge $1 billion gas bill

Oil, Gas, Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – October 30, 2013) In an intensifying fight between Russia and Ukraine, the gloves came off on October 29 when Gazprom hit Ukraine with just short of a $1bn gas bill in retribution for Kyiv’s decision to turn its back on the Russian-led Customs Union and throw in its lot with the EU with the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Interfax: Saakashvili says his imprisonment in Georgia is among preconditions for normal relations with Moscow

Georgia
Mikheil Saakashvili file photo

BRUSSELS. Oct 29 (Interfax) – Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili told journalists in Brussels on Tuesday that he believes his arrest is among the preconditions for normalization of relations between Moscow and Tbilisi. “As for my personal future, certainly, I have two or three weeks more to finish my presidential term. We have changed everything in this country in ten years. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Despite Putin’s ‘Illusions,’ the CIS No Longer Exists, New Times Says

CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union
Map of Central Asia, Including Commonwealth of Independent States Members

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, October 28, 2013) President Vladimir Putin opposes the introduction of a visa regime with the Central Asian countries because he is still “living with the illusions” that the Commonwealth of Independent States of which they are members continues to exist and can serve as the basis for some broader and deeper Russian-led […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Interfax: Syria situation shows that Russia is “on the right side of history” – Russian ambassador

Syria
Syria Map

MOSCOW. Oct 29 (Interfax) – The situation in Syria provides proof that Russia’s efforts to settle the conflict politically are correct, contrary to their American partners’ claims, said Russia’s ambassador to Syria, Azamat Kulmukhametov. “Our American partners kept saying that we are on the wrong side of history. However, our entire policy and the latest developments in Syria, as well […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

Moscow Times: Russians See Greenpeace Protest as a Foreign Plot

Arctic, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Environment, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Human Rights, International Law, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Race, Ethnic, Extremism, Xenophobia
Polar Map of Major Rail Lines in Russia, Canada and United States, With Hypothetical Additional Route Drawn In Connecting Them Across Bering Strait

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – October 29, 2013) State pollster VTsIOM released survey results Monday regarding last month’s Greenpeace protest in the Arctic that indicate more than a third of Russians believe the protest was a foreign plot and more than two-thirds disagree with the group’s message of needing to protect the environment from oil drilling. Armed […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Interfax: Kremlin chief of staff discusses Russian-U.S. relations with Kissinger

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags with Number 200, 1807-2007

MOSCOW. Oct 28 (Interfax) – Russian presidential chief of staff Sergei Ivanov discussed Russian-U.S. relations with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at a meeting in Russia. “I can’t say that Russian-U.S. relations are developing very smoothly and consistently, but anyway, the last meeting between our presidents in St. Petersburg showed that, if a constructive approach is taken to […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

New defense minister continues dialogue with NATO

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Military, NATO
NATO Meeting file photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Viktor Litovkin, special to RBTH – October 29, 2013) At a NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels, the Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu offered the international community assistance in destroying Syrian chemical weapons and expressed his hope to resume Russia-NATO dialogue on ABMs in Europe. Last week, Brussels hosted a meeting of the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Interfax: Head of AmCham in Russia praises Moscow investment climate

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Outdoor Electronic Sign with Russian Exchange Data

NEW YORK. Oct 28 (Interfax) – The head of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Russia, Andrew Somers, has praised the investment climate in Moscow and claimed that the environment for doing business in the city has improved significantly over the last few years. Somers, who was speaking on Monday at a forum in New York entitled “Invest in […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Russia shoots up World Bank’s Doing Business ranking

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – October 29, 2013) Russia has shot up the rankings of the World Bank’s annual Doing Business index this year. According to the survey, its now easier to do business in Russia than in China, the previous stand-out leader in the ranking amongst the five Brics nations. “Improving the investment climate is a top policy […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Russians Must Accept Court Decisions as Law – Medvedev

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Dmitry Medvedev file photo

MOSCOW, October 26 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russians must learn to perceive the decisions of courts and investigators as legitimate for the country to develop forward, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in a televised interview Saturday. Answering a question about a high-profile corruption case that has ensnared several top Defense Ministry officials since late last year, Medvedev said that evaluating the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#194 :: Wednesday, 30 October 2013

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#193 :: 29 October 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITY: Eurasia Director postion

Jobs, Opportunities, Calls for Papers
Eurasia Map

From: Jeff Yarborough <jeff.yarborough@opensocietyfoundations.org> Subject: Eurasia Director postion Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 The Open Society Foundations are currently searching for a Director to lead our Eurasia Programs. The link to position is here: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/about/jobs/director-eurasia-programs   Jeff Yarborough | Russia Project | Open Society Foundations | T: 212-548-0128 |F: 646-557-2473 | jeff.yarborough@opensocietyfoundations.org

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

RIA Novosti: US Ambassador Is Alumnus of Defunded Russia Studies Program

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. Capitol Dome

WASHINGTON, October 25 (By Carl Schreck for RIA Novosti) ­ A US government program for the study of Russia and the former Soviet bloc whose recent defunding has sparked outrage in academic circles counts among its alumni the current US ambassador to Russia as well two former secretaries of state. Michael McFaul, the current US envoy to Russia, conducted post-doctoral […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

RIA Novosti: Medvedev Says ‘Fast-Growing’ China Poses No Danger to Russia

China
China Map

MOSCOW, October 26 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russia has nothing to fear from the fast-growing China, but could benefit from this cooperation, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in a televised interview Saturday. In an interview with Vesti on Saturday on Russia 1 TV channel, Medvedev said Russia should cooperate with Beijing in high-technology areas, adding that China, the world’s second largest […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

BRICS should consolidate efforts to defend themselves within WTO – Russian Chamber of Commerce head

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Flags of BRICS Nations and BRICS Logo from Past Summit

NOVO-OGARYOVO. Oct 28 (Interfax) – Sergei Katyrin, the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has suggested to President Vladimir Putin that the BRICS countries should consolidate their efforts in defending their positions in the World Trade Organization (WTO). “We consider the possibility of working together with BRICS. Separately, we probably do not exceed the leading countries or […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

Interfax: Medvedev urges maximum use of WTO protection mechanisms

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
Dmitry Medvedev file photo

(Interfax – October 29, 2013) Russia should fully use the dispute settlement opportunities provided by the World Trade Organization (WTO), Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said. “It is important to correctly use the opportunities provided by WTO membership, to use the allowed mechanisms and procedures to furthest possible extent, including the WTO dispute settlement body,” he said at a conference devoted […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Interfax: More than half of Russia can’t name any Russians awarded Noble [sic] Prize – poll

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

MOSCOW. Oct 25 (Interfax) – Russians are quite well-aware of the Noble Prize but only one in five follows news about it, sociologists said. According to the poll held by the Public Opinion Foundation in 43 Russian regions, 44% of 1,500 respondents are aware that the Noble [sic] Prize exists, other 42% heard about it, while 10% learnt about the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

RIA Novosti: ‘Foreign Agent’ NGO Forced to Stop Work in Russia

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
Kremlin and St. Basil's

KOSTROMA, October 29 (RIA Novosti) ­ A Russian rights organization that promoted public initiatives said Tuesday that it was suspending operations because it is unable to pay a $9,000 fine imposed for failing to register as a “foreign agent.” The NGO, based in the central Kostroma Region, said it was able to raise 100,000 rubles ($3,000) to pay a fine […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Russia to Consider Letting Ex-Convicts Run for Office

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Russian Duma Building

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian lawmakers will consider letting people who have been convicted for serious crimes run in elections, on the condition that voters are told about their criminal records. “As it turns out, people’s rights are affected, even though they’ve already been punished,” state lawmaker Sergei Ivanov of the nationalist LDPR party and author of the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

Average funeral cost in Russia is $830

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Kremlin and St. Basil's

MOSCOW. Oct 28 (Interfax) – The average cost of a package of ritual services in Russia is now $830, Alexei Suloyev, chairman off the Guild of Ritual Service Organizations of the Moscow Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said. “Russia is at the bottom of the list for this indicator,” Suloyev said at an international conference of funeral business experts held […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Russians unhappy with permanent daylight savings time – poll

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Analog Clock Artist's Rendition

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – October 29, 2013) An increasing number of Russians are tired of year-round daylight savings time, a recent survey shows. According to a poll released on Tuesday by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research, just 32 percent of Russians approve of not having to set clocks back an hour each fall, down from 73 percent […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Have we passed the point of no return on climate change?

Environment
File Photo of Polar Bear on Ice and Snow with Water Nearby

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Andrei Kislyakov, special to RBTH – October 28, 2013) The debate about the permanence of climate change goes on, but the effects of warmer temperatures can already be felt. In an article published in the journal “Nature” in mid-October, British scientists said they had defined a certain “point of non-return” for climate change […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Under Putin, Russia Becoming a Third World Country, Nationalists Say

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Valdai Club 2013 Meeting, Adapted from Screenshot of Valdai Club Video at youtube.com

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, October 28, 2013)  Russian nationalists and others have regularly criticized Vladimir Putin for building an economy and hence a state that relies on the export of raw materials rather than the development of industry and investment in human capital. But now two of them have stepped up this attack and argued that […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

Interfax: Russia is ready for compromise, dialogue on missile defense – Lavrov

NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Mssile Defense Control Room

ROSTOV-ON-DON. Oct 28 (Interfax) – Russia is ready for constructive dialogue and compromise on missile defense with the United States and NATO. “We are ready for constructive dialogue with the United States and NATO. We are open to compromise. However, we will not pretend that talk of the (missile defense) system the Americans are creating does not need any changes […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

With Saakashvili Out, Russia-Georgia Ties Set to Improve, but Slowly

Georgia
Mikheil Saakashvili file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – October 29, 2013) Despite a complete change of leadership in Georgia sealed in Sunday’s presidential election, Russia and its southern neighbor remain on track only to crawl toward a strained reconciliation, due largely to the legacy of the bitter five-day war that the countries fought in 2008. Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s relentless modernizer […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Job Announcement: Center on Global Interests Program Director

Jobs, Opportunities, Calls for Papers
Map of Former Soviet Union

From: Kerry Eickholt <keickholt@globalinterests.org> Subject: Job Announcement: Center on Global Interests Program Director Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 Center on Global Interests Program Director The Center on Global Interests (CGI) is seeking a Program Director to lead the development and implementation of its research programs. Our active programs focus on global governance in the 21st century, U.S.-Russia bilateral relations, and […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Eurasia Director postion

Jobs, Opportunities, Calls for Papers, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Eurasia Map

From: Jeff Yarborough <jeff.yarborough@opensocietyfoundations.org> Subject: Eurasia Director postion Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 The Open Society Foundations are currently searching for a Director to lead our Eurasia Programs. The link to position is here: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/about/jobs/director-eurasia-programs   Jeff Yarborough | Russia Project | Open Society Foundations | T: 212-548-0128 |F: 646-557-2473 | jeff.yarborough@opensocietyfoundations.org

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

New Issue of “Russian Life”

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

From: Paul Richardson <paulr@russianlife.com> Subject: The New Issue of Russian Life Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 RUSSIAN LIFE MAGAZINE NOV/DEC 2013 ISSUE 557, Vol 56, No. 6 http://www.russianlife.com/russianlife/magazine/ Science Wars MARIA ANTONOVA The government wants to reform the Russian Academy of Sciences. Scientists are having none of it. All a-Twitter MARIA ANTONOVA In our Trends section, editor Maria Antonova looks […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#193 :: Tuesday, 29 October 2013

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#193 :: 29 October 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

Putin Has Last Crack at Yanukovych’s EU Dream

CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – October 25, 2013) Turkey is interested in joining the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and India also wants closer ties with the organization, President Vladimir Putin said at the EurAsian Economic Community summit in Minsk on Thursday. But some political analysts saw the summit in Minsk, which for the first […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

Amnesty will promote civil accord, dialogue between society, authorities – Russian rights activists

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Russian Jail File Photo Showing Outer Wall, Windows, Barbed Wire

MOSCOW. Oct 24 (Interfax) – The leaders of Russian human rights organizations believe a broad amnesty timed with the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution will help establish effective dialogue between the authorities and civil society. “Will the authorities find the energy to build relations with civil society again” The best way out of this deadlock would be broad amnesty, […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

Kremlin advises municipal authorities to cooperate with NGOs

Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Sergei Ivanov file photo

MOSCOW. Oct 24 (Interfax) – Russian presidential chief-of-staff Sergei Ivanov has called on the municipal authorities to cooperate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) instead of shunning them. “You should not be afraid of NGOs. Rather, you ought to work together with them,” Ivanov said at a meeting of city mayors and city managers on Thursday. Practice shows that the municipal authorities […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Interfax: Democracy is bigger lie than Communism – prominent Orthodox priest

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's

MOSCOW. Oct 24 (Interfax) – Protopope Dimitry Smirnov, the head of the patriarch’s commission on family and protection of mothers and children, believes that democracy is based on lies. “It’s just a lie. Communist is also a lie, but Communism has religious features. Communism seems to take a lot from true religions. The Communists have their own teaching, their own […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

Kremlin official says part of Russian opposition ‘against the country’

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Interfax – Snegiri, Moscow Region – October 24, 2013) The Kremlin receives in a positive key the signal from the parliamentary opposition, which is calling for giving priority to ensuring the security of the state and does not support “orange forces” (reference to Ukrainian orange revolution which is seen as backed by the West), according to the head of the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Interfax: Most of opposition members want the best for Russia – Kremlin official

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Moscow Environs Aerial View

SNEGIRI, Moscow region. Oct 24 (Interfax) – The Kremlin has welcomed the parliamentary opposition’s signal indicating its support for national security as a priority and its refusal to back so-called “orange forces”, director of the president’s homeland security directorate Oleg Morozov said. “We have heard the signal sent by the parliamentary systemic opposition, as it is called today, which really […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,
1 … 201 202 203 204 205 … 285