Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#136 :: 29 July 2013

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#136 :: 29 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: russialist.org
JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi
Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php

POLITICS

1. ITAR-TASS: Russians most proud of their history, sports and culture.
2. BBC Monitoring: Lawyers, legal scholars warn of erosion of rule of law in Russia.
3. Financial Times: Anatol Lieven, West needs to criticise Putin ­- but not support his rivals.
4. AFP: Putin hosts world’s Orthodox leaders at unique gathering.
5. Interfax: Patriarch Kirill thanks Putin for constructive dialogue with Orthodox Church.
6. Moscow Exile: re July 25 Orthodox celebation in Moscow.
7. Forbes.com: Mark Adonomis, Vladimir Putin’s Poll Numbers Still Aren’t Declining.
8. Interfax: Surkov: God summons Putin to save Russia from ‘hostile takeover’
9. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say, July 29, 2013.
10. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Federal strategy on ethnic conflict resolution emerges. The document emphasizes various preventive measures, as well as cultural and educational events.
11. Moscow Times: Experts Say Upcoming Elections More Competitive.
12. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Communists continue to gather signatures for Russian government dismissal.
13. Russia!: Sean Guillory, The Summer of Mayors.
14. Moscow Times: Putin’s Latest PR Stunt Comes Under Fire.
15. Interfax: Putin’s pike photo new – Kremlin spokesman.
16. RIA Novosti: Former Kremlin Insider Surkov Says No Regrets About Quitting Politics.
17. Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russian Analyst Takes Issue with Navalnyy Election Campaign Tactics, Attitude to Criticism. (Nikolay Zlobin)
18. RFE/RL: Robert Coalson, Russia’s Aleksei Navalny: Hope Of The Nation — Or The Nationalists?
19. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: US Bank Accounts Claim Seen As ‘Softer Option’ For Removing Navalnyy From Moscow Election.
20. Moscow Times: Michael Bohm, Putin Uses His Favorite Ax to Grind Navalny.
21. CNN.com: William Pomeranz, Will Russians heed Navalny’s call for action?
22. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. ECHR does not see politics in YUKOS case.
23. Risk Watchdog: Russia: Who Will Eventually Succeed Putin?
24. Los Angeles TIme: Patricia Herlihy, Russia’s ‘family values’ experiment. Laws restricting abortion, divorce and gay rights mask Russia’s real problems.
25. Russia!: Mark Adomanis, Should We Boycott Russian Vodka?

ECONOMY

26. Nezavisimaya Gazeta editorial: State Support Produces Dependents. Aid by Authorities to Individual Sectors Takes Away Any Desire For Competition.
27. Moscow Times: Chris Weafer, Investor Concerns for August 2013.
28. Interfax: Corruption, concerns about judicial system may impact Russian investment climate – EESC head.
29. Valdai Discussion Club: Boris Titov, Economic amnesty amounts to an avowal of mistakes committed against business.
30. Business New Europe: Saskia Seeger, THE INSIDERS: Russia’s first year in the WTO – what business needs to know.
31. Russia!: Confounding the ‘Wild East’ ­- A Nice Guy Whose Business Finished First in Russia. (re Yandex co-founder Ilya Segalovich)
32. Financial Times: THE MONDAY INTERVIEW. Vladimir Evtushenkov, Sistema chairman.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

33. Interfax: Russia hopes to sign visa relaxation accord with EU before year-end.
34. Voice of America: Russian Migration Official Says Snowden May be in Danger.
35. ITAR-TASS: Rogozin: Russian authorities learn nothing new from Snowden’s revelations.
36. RFE/RL: Tom Blamforth, Explainer: How Do You Get Asylum In Russia?
37. New York TImes: Snowden’s Lawyer Comes With High Profile and Kremlin Ties. (re Anatoly Kucherena)
38. Moscow Times: Edward Lozansky, Anti-Russia Policy Won’t Fly.
39. RIA Novosti: Fyodor Lukyanov, Central Asia: An Indicator of Russia’s Imperial Aspirations.
40. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Presidents of Russia and Ukraine celebrate together 1,025th Baptism of Rus anniversary.
41. Interfax: Putin calls for integration between Russian, Ukrainian economies.
42. Reuters: Russia’s Putin courts Ukraine ahead of planned EU deals.
43. Moscow Times: Paul Rimple, Saakashvili’s About-Face In Lobbying Washington.