Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#121 :: 3 July 2013

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#121 :: 3 July 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: www.russialist.org
JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist
JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi
Support JRL: http://russialist.org/funding.php

POLITICS

1. BBC Monitoring: Western public opinion of Putin is improving – Russian commentators.
2. Vedomosti: Moscow Daily Eyes Reasons Behind Russian Regime’s Recent ‘Epidemic of Prohibition.’ (Aleksandr Rubtsov)
3. PONARS Eurasia: Vladimir Gelman, Mediocrity Syndrome in Russia: Domestic and International Perspectives.
4. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say, July 3, 2013.
5. Bloomberg: Russian Mayor Allied With Prokhorov Is Held on Suspected Bribery.
6. ITAR-TASS: Police catch Yaroslavl mayor’s advisor in attempted bribery case.
7. RIA Novosti: Russian Duma Gives Green Light to Science Academy Reform.
8. Interfax: Putin: academic institute directors should not be appointed by bureaucrats.
9. Moscow Times: Scientists Slam Academy Reform.
10. ITAR-TASS: Russian government’s science academy reform runs into academicians’ resistance.
11. RAPSI: Russian Prosecutor Seeks Closure of Magnitsky Tax Fraud Case.
12. Interfax: Lawyer of Magnitsky’s relatives says trial of deceased auditor illegal.
13. RFE/RL: Poll Shows Half Of Russians Don’t Oppose Chechen Split.
14. Reuters: Militant Islamist in Russia urges followers to prevent 2014 Olympics.
15. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Beijing’s ‘Carrots and Sticks’ Keep Xinjiang from Being a ‘Chinese Chechnya,’ Russian Analyst Says.
16. Christian Science Monitor: Rocket crash strains Russia’s troubled space program.
17. Ray Finch: Comment re October 1993. (DJ: Further comments on the September-October 1993 events in Moscow are welcome)

ECONOMY

18. RIA Novosti: Putin Calls on Moscow Airports to Reveal Owners’ Identities.
19. Moscow Times: Business Amnesty Bill Approved.
20. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. The State Duma declared amnesty for 3,000 convicted businesspeople.
21. Interfax: Ombudsman Lukin welcomes economic amnesty, says too early to evaluate it.
22. Interfax: Human rights activist Alexeyeva skeptical of declared economical amnesty.
23. Moscow Times: Chris Weafer, Less Privatization Means More Economic Woes.
24. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Six Things You Should Know About Russia’s Labor Market.
25. Russia Direct: Moscow bets on BRICS as incubator for new ideas. American analyst Paul Goble investigates Russia’s interests in testing the economic and political boundaries of BRICS cooperation.
26. Valdai Discussion Club: Maxim Bratersky, Trying out the Instruments of Global Governance.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

27. Khaleej Times (Dubai): Jonathan Power, Russia’s soft power.
28. Russia Direct: 7 overlooked influences on Russia’s foreign policy. Russia Direct lists seven players who have a hand in shaping how Russia behaves with regard to the outside world.
29. Russia Direct: Can Russia bridge the BRICS-G8 gap? Russian expert Vyacheslav Nikonov discards the rhetoric juxtaposing BRICS and the West in favour of a more conciliatory approach.
30. Moscow Times: Steven Pifer and Michael O’Hanlon, Moscow Should Stop Stonewalling on Arms Cuts.
31. Golos Rossii: The Treaty on the Elimination of Medium- and Short-Range Missiles: Possible Consequences of Withdrawal.
32. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Difficulties emerge on the way towards conference on Syria.
33. Nezavisimaya Gazeta editorial: Russia Is Risking ‘Talking Past’ the Main Priority: the CIS Countries’ Unwillingness To Integrate With One Another Is Turning the Eurasian Idea Into a Mirage.
34. Asia Times: Dmitry Shlapentokh, CULTURE. A projection of Moscow’s mindset.
35. ITAR-TASS: Bidzina Ivanishvili: Georgia intends to restore relations with Russia, but it will take time.
36. ITAR-TASS: Georgia’s Oct 31 presidential election to lower curtain on Saakashvili era.
37. Interfax: Snowden stays put in Sheremetyevo transit zone – source.
38. Interfax: US Surveillance of Millions of Foreigners Challenges Democracy — Russian State Duma Speaker.
39. Svobodnaya Pressa: Russian Analysts Mull Foreign, Domestic Policy Implications of Snowden Case for US Relations.
40. The Daily Beast: Anna Nemtsova, To Russia With Love. Snowden’s request for political asylum was greeted warmly by everyone–­except by Putin.
41. US-Russia.org: Expert Discussion Panel. Is Russia acting wisely in its handling of the Snowden affair?