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

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

1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Have we passed the point of no return on climate change? The debate about the permanence of climate change goes on, but the effects of warmer temperatures can already be felt.
2. Moscow News: Russians unhappy with permanent daylight savings time – poll.
3. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Russian public health system experiencing serious issues.
4. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Russia’s Recent Demographic Improvements Were Not Foreseen By The Experts.
5. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Want To See A ‘Demographic Death Spiral?’ Look At Japan, Not Russia.
6. Interfax: Average funeral cost in Russia is $830
7. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say, Oct. 29, 2013.
8. RIA Novosti: Russians Must Accept Court Decisions as Law -­ Medvedev.
9. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Lawmakers threaten corrupt officials with tougher sanctions.
10. ITAR-TASS: Interior Ministry to discuss with society progress in police reform.
11. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Moscow Daily Questions Claim That ‘Nonsystem Opposition’ Poses ‘Chief Threat’ to Russian State.
12. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Russian Commentary: ‘Ambiguous’ Constitutional Court Ruling Allows Election ‘Filter’ To Continue.
13. RIA Novosti: Russia to Consider Letting Ex-Convicts Run for Office.
14. www.russiatoday.com: 5,000 march in support of ‘political prisoners’ in Moscow.
15. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Russia needs immigrants, but can it accept them? Russia’s population is shrinking, making immigrants critical to the country’s well-being. But xenophobia ­ highlighted by a Moscow race riot two weeks ago ­ is on the rise.
16. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir. Whither Russia’s immigration debate? Despite being near a crisis point, there is almost no discussion of immigration reform in Russia. The reason, according to experts: corruption.
17. Carnegie Moscow Center: Lilia Shevtsova, Russia-2013: How To Blow Off Steam?
18. Moscow TImes: Vladimir Frolov, A Global Power Can’t Have Porous Borders
19. New York Times: Accusations of Racism Haunting Russia.
20. RIA Novosti: ‘Foreign Agent’ NGO Forced to Stop Work in Russia.
21. Moscow TImes: Victor Davidoff, How Khodorkovsky’s Arrest Ruined Russia.
22. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Under Putin, Russia Becoming a Third World Country, Nationalists Say.
23. Interfax: More than half of Russia can’t name any Russians awarded Noble Prize – poll.

ECONOMY

24. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Russia’s 2014-2016 budget full of contradictions.
25. The Voice of Russia: Gloomy forecasts on Russia’s future in WTO turn out to be wrong – Medvedev.
26. Interfax: Medvedev urges maximum use of WTO protection mechanisms.
27. Interfax: BRICS should consolidate efforts to defend themselves within WTO – Russian Chamber of Commerce head.
28. Business New Europe: Russia shoots up World Bank’s Doing Business ranking.
29. Interfax: Head of AmCham in Russia praises Moscow investment climate.
30. RIA Novosti: Simon Saradzhyan, Russia Needs Silver Lining as Energy Market Prospects Look Grim.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

31. RIA Novosti: Medvedev Says ‘Fast-Growing’ China Poses No Danger to Russia.
32. Russia Beyond the Headlines: New defense minister continues dialogue with NATO. 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.
33. Interfax: Russia is ready for compromise, dialogue on missile defense – Lavrov.
34. Interfax; Kremlin chief of staff discusses Russian-U.S. relations with Kissinger.
35. Russia Direct: Moscow is not content with the status quo with Washington. An all-star panel of high-ranking diplomats, including Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, debate the future of U.S.-Russian bilateral relations at an event in Washington, D.C.
36. RIA Novosti: US Ambassador Is Alumnus of Defunded Russia Studies Program.
37. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia accuses ‘Friends of Syria’ of obstructing Geneva 2.
38. Interfax: Syria situation shows that Russia is “on the right side of history” – Russian ambassador.
39. Valdai Discussion Club: Claire Spencer, The USA and Russia in the Syrian Crisis: Prospects for Reconciliation.
40. The Voice of Russia: Western experts continue to view Russia negatively instead of being worried about Muslim extremism – expert. (Mark Adomanis)
41. Reuters: Gay people welcome at Sochi Olympics, says Russia’s Putin.
42. Moscow Times: Russians See Greenpeace Protest as a Foreign Plot.
43. Gazeta.ru: Russian Pundit Examines Russia’s ‘Dilemma’ With Regard to Eurasian Integration Project. (Fedor Lukyanov)
44. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Despite Putin’s ‘Illusions,’ the CIS No Longer Exists, New Times Says.
45. Reuters: Russia demands Ukraine payment, raising fears of new gas war.
46. BBC Monitoring: Russian state TV launches series of reports against Ukraine’s EU integration.
47. Moscow Times: With Saakashvili Out, Russia-Georgia Ties Set to Improve, but Slowly.
48. Reuters: Risking Russia’s ire, Georgia seeks closer ties with Europe.
49. ITAR-TASS: Russia and Georgia can bring their relations back to normal but only to a point.
50. Financial Times: Saakashvili removal would thrust Georgia into Russia’s orbit. Rose revolution leader’s arrest would halt plans to sign vital EU deal.

OTHER RESOURCES

51. Job Announcement: Center on Global Interests Program Director.
52. Job Announcement: Open Society Foundations Director of Eurasia Programs.
53. New Issue of Russian Life: http://www.russianlife.com/russianlife/magazine/a