JRL Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#176 – 8 October 2012

Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List
2012-#176
8 October 2012
davidjohnson@starpower.net
A World Security Institute Project
www.worldsecurityinstitute.org
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Your source for news and analysis since 1996 In this issue

POLITICS

1. Bloomberg: Putin at 60 Has Rule Rated Positive by Majority, Poll Shows.
2. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Vladimir Putin has marked his 60th Birth Anniversary.
3. Interfax: Pundits argue that Putin became a symbol of stability, but his policy should be adjusted to future challenges.
4. Reuters: Plaudits vie with “pensioner” jibes as Russia’s Putin turns 60.
5. Moscow Times: Putin’s Birthday Marked With Praise and Protests.
6. Los Angeles TImes: Vladimir Putin turning 60: Russia’s hero and most interesting man.
7. New York Times: Happy Birthday, Mr. President: Putin Turns 60, and Russians Pay Notice.
8. www.russiatoday.com: Birthday-boy Putin ‘trusts his instincts’, public concurs.
9. Interfax: Putin says “talented, smart people” will emerge in opposition.
10. ITAR-TASS: Putin believes sentence imposed on Pussy Riot is fair.
11. www.russiatoday.com: Putin the Unknown: TV host walks & talks with Russian president.
12. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Russians Divided on How and How Much Putin has Mattered.
13. Russia: Other Points of View: Gordon Hahn, TANDEMOLOGY 2.0: PUTIN’S RETURN, MEDVEDEV’S DECLINE, AND TANDEM SPATS.
14. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say, Oct. 8, 2012.
15. Kommersant: REGIONS SET RECORDS. Regional elections will be elected in six Federation subjects in a week.
16. RIA Novosti: Kremlin’s Candidate Removed from Polls in Bryansk.
17. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Moskovskiye Novosti: Russian internet users to monitor promises of politicians. Russian citizens can find out which officials and politicians keep their promises and which do not. A number of specialized websites are monitoring how promises are kept amongst Russia’s statesmen.
18. Moscow Times: Opposition Expose Incites Investigation.
19. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Documentary about protest movement leaders met with big public response.
20. Moscow Times: Vladimir Frolov, Russia Has Its Own Tea Party With Rodina.
21. RIA Novosti: Russian Military Pay Rises, But Draft to Remain – Chief.
22. Sean’s Russia Blog: Sean Guillory, Six and Sixty. (re Politkovskaya and Putin)
23. New York Times: Masha Gessen, Remembering Politkovskaya.

ECONOMY

24. RIA Novosti: Kudrin Offered Mega-Regulator Job.
25. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia’s President promises a new model for economic growth. Vladimir Putin approves of the country’s economic growth indicators so far, but wants to take solutions for development in a new direction. He proposes shifting emphasis away from the energy sector and toward new investments and infrastructure.
26. Interfax: World Bank lowers Russia GDP growth forecast to 3.5% in 2012, 3.6% in 2013.
27. www.russiatoday.com: World Bank: The oily black hole could swallow Russian economy.
28. Moscow Times: Kremlin Struggling With Pension Time Bomb.
29. The Economist: Russian pensions. An unaffordable system. Russia’s prime minister signs a disastrous pension reform.
30. RIA Novosti: Nord Stream Set to Grow After Second Leg Goes on Stream.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

31. Interfax: Putin hopes U.S. does not view Russia as adversary.
32. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Ogoniok: Putin struggles to resolve current international problems. Fedor Lukyanov reveals the Russian President’s international image.
33. www.russiaotoday.com: ‘Russia capable of neutralizing US missile defense threat’
34. AP: WHY IT MATTERS: US missile defense could spike tensions with Russia and China.
35. Moscow Times: Andrei Soldatov, Treating Smugglers as Spies.
36. The Journal of Turkish Weekly: Habibe Ozdal, Russian-American Relations During Obama’s Term: Cyclical Convergence ­ Analysis.
37. RIA Novosti: Putin: Saakashvili to ‘Cling to Power’
38. AFP: Georgia’s Ivanishvili looks West with first cabinet.
39. RIA Novosti: Georgia to Improve Relations with Russia – Minister.
40. Moscow Times: New Georgian Cabinet Sees No Quick Fix for Russian Ties.
41. US-Russia.org: Does the Georgian Election Signal a New paradigm? Experts panel with Vlad Sobell, Edward Lozansky, Patick Armstrong, Sergei Roy, Anatoly Karlin, and Slava Kolodyazhniy.

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