JRL Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#218 – 11 December 2012

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Johnson’s Russia List
2012-#218
11 December 2012
davidjohnson@starpower.net
A World Security Institute Project
www.worldsecurityinstitute.org
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In this issue

POLITICS

1. Moscow Times: Putin Says Anti-Corruption Efforts Must Be Consistent.
2. Vedomosti: COLLECTORS OF TRUST. THE PRESIDENT IS SIGNALLING READINESS FOR CHANGES.
3. RIA Novosti: Russian President Denies Trying To Resurrect USSR.
4. ITAR-TASS: Putin calls for restoring Hero of Labour title in Russia.
5. Valdai Discussion Club: Valdai Club experts weigh in on Dmitry Medvedev’s interview with five TV channels.
6. Izvestia: Clash with Investigators Attributed to Medvedev Ire at Oboronservis Probe.
7. ITAR-TASS: Meeting of G20 sherpas opening in RF capital.
8. Moscow News: Russians outweigh most Europeans in obesity rankings.
9. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Kremlin Experts and The ‘Fur Coats Revolution’; Presentation of Report on Protests Causes Uproar in Experts’ Community.
10. Gazeta.ru: Commentary Contrasts New Generation of Protesters With 1990s Generation. (Yuliy Nisnevich)
11. RIA Novosti: Russia’s Protests: Government Tactics Got Tougher with Time.
11a. Moscow Times: Idealists Eye Blossoming Art Hub in Moscow.
12. New York Times: A Hunger for Tales of Life in the American Cul-de-Sac. (re Nikolai Zlobin)
13. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say, Dec. 11, 2012.
14. Vedomosti: INEFFICIENT BUT UNAVOIDABLE. THE RUSSIANS PERCEIVE DMITRY MEDVEDEV’S GOVERNMENT AS INEFFICIENT.
15. ITAR-TASS: Debates underway in Russia whether Constitution needs amending.
16. Moscow Times: Vladimir Ryzhkov, Why Russia’s Golden Bridges Collapse.
17. Moscow News: Anna Arutunyan, From banality to action. Forget ‘the revolution’ ­ real goals are what truly matter.
18. RBK Daily: Opposition Leader Calls for More Constructive Efforts. (Yevgeniya Chirikova)
19. Moskovskiy Komsomolets: Commentator Belkovskiy Views Ongoing Russian Protest Movement.
20. AFP: Russia raids activists in ‘revolution’ probe.
21. Interfax: Filmmaker quizzed in riot probe may abandon work on Russian opposition chronicle.
22. www.russiatoday.com: Russian investigators produce evidence of foreign financing of riots.
23. RIA Novosti: Russia Falls in Top 10 of Nations Affected by Terrorism ­ Report.
24. Moscow News: Fear and loathing in Dagestan.
25. www.opendemocracy.net: Mikhail Loginov, The economy-class governor. (re Georgy Poltavchenko, Governor of St Petersburg)
26. Reuters: Olympics-Figure skaters feel love at first sight for Sochi.

ECONOMY

27. www.russiatoday.com: Record low unemployment in Russia at 5.2%.
28. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Ben Aris, Authorities come up with roadmaps for business. A push to simplify bureaucratic procedures will improve the investment climate.
29. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Vedomosti: Almost 40 percent of Russians work past retirement age.
30. Moscow Times: Ian Ivory, Can’t Build an Economy on Champions Only.
31. Reuters: Andy Home, Will the real Norilsk owner please stand up?

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

32. RIA Novosti: Russia’s Putin Expects Major Shift In Global Politics Within Next Decade.
33. Interfax: Russians blame USA for stirring up Middle East conflict – poll.
34. Interfax: Russia may retaliate against Magnitsky Act with Dima Yakovlev Law.
35. Moscow Times: Duma Deputies Strike Back Over Magnitsky Act.
36. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. State Duma gives tit-for-tat response to Magnitsky act.
37. BBC Monitoring: Russian analyst fears Magnitskiy Law row with USA could lead to trade war.
38. Interfax: Magnitsky Act ridiculous – Pozner.
39. Kommersant: ASKING SERGEI LAVROV TO ENGINEER BASHAR AL-ASSAD’S RESIGNATION. THE UNITED STATES FORMULATED A PLAN OF SYRIAN CRISIS RESOLUTION AND OFFERED IT TO RUSSIA.
40. Reuters: Russia backs down on proposals to regulate the Internet.
41. Russia Beyond the Headlines/VPK Daily: Anatoly Kulikov, Dialogue with the Taliban unavoidable. New approaches are needed to regulate Afghanistan post-2014.
42. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Kazakhstan seeking to withdraw the Baikonur cosmodrome from Russian jurisdiction.
43. Civil Georgia: PM’s Envoy to Meet Russian Diplomat ‘Informally’