Yegor Gaidar, architect of Russia’s free market transition, dies

11:43 16/12/2009

Yegor Gaidar, one of the leading architects of free market reforms in post-Soviet Russia, has died at the age of 53, his aide said on Wednesday. Gaidar reportedly died of natural causes when a blood clot became dislodged. He was one of the young reformers, including Anatoly Chubais and Boris Nemtsov, that President Boris Yeltsin surrounded himself with in the early 1990s and was acting prime minister during the second half of 1992. The parliament refused to confirm Yeltsin’s choice, and Gaidar stepped aside for Viktor Chernomyrdin to become the president’s economic adviser. He was vilified by the public for the hardships caused by his "shock therapy" policy to move Russia from the Soviet planned economy to free-market capitalism and left government in 1994, although he was elected to serve two terms in the State Duma, in 1993-1995 and 1999-2003. Chubais, the minister responsible for privatization in the early 1990s, praised Gaidar as Russia’s savior. "It was Russia’s huge good fortune that in one of the worst moments in its history it had Yegor Gaidar. In the early 1990s he saved the country from famine, civil war and disintegration," Chubais wrote in his blog. Chubais, who was also demonized over the economic reforms of the 1990s but unlike Gaidar has remained near the center of Russian power, said the former top official had remained an "intellectual and moral leader for all of us." "Few people in the history of Russia and in world history can be compared with him for force of intellect, clarity of understanding of the past, present and future, and a willingness to take the most difficult but necessary decisions," wrote Chubais, who oversaw the breakup of electricity monopoly UES and now heads the Russian Nanotechnology Corporation. Ian Bremmer, the president of Eurasia Group, one of the leading experts on Russia, told RIA Novosti, "I’m very sad to wake and learn of this news. It makes you realize how far we are from the days of ’transition’. egor was a towering intellect, a global thinker whose conception of Russia was grounded in history but not incapacitated by it. His untimely passing comes as a shock. This time, there’s even less therapy. I’ll miss him." Gaidar was born March 19, 1956 in Moscow, the son of former Navy admiral and journalist Timur Gaidar and grandson of famous writer Arkady Gaidar. He is survived by his wife, three sons and daughter.

MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091216/157253141.html

Less than 20% Russians approve of late Gaidar’s 1990s policies

21:01 16/12/2009

Only one-fifth of Russians have positively assessed economic reforms conducted by late Yegor Gaidar in Russia in the 1990s, a poll from the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) said. "Several years later, only 17% of Russians have positively assessed the work of the ’reformation government,’ whose economic bloc was headed by Gaidar at that time, while 58% of Russians expressed a negative assessment," a statement from VTsIOM said. The all-Russian poll was conducted in December of 2007. While the reforms were hugely unpopular among ordinary Russians - causing inflation to skyrocket, wiping out the savings of millions of people, and allowing vast wealth to fall into the hands of a well-connected elite - some argue that the rapid reforms were the only way of averting greater disasters.

MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091216/157261718.html

Medvedev, Putin congratulate Abkhazia’s Bagapsh on reelection

15:48 14/12/2009

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin congratulated Abkhazia’s president, Sergei Bagapsh, on his reelection, the Kremlin said on Monday. The former Georgian republic on Saturday held its first elections since Moscow recognized its independence in August 2008 after a brief war with Georgia. According to preliminary official results announced by the Abkhazian Central Election Commission, Sergei Bagapsh won 59.4% of the vote, with his former vice president, Raul Khadzimba, trailing with 15.4%. "The confidence placed in you by the Abkhaz people shows their support of the course towards the creation of an independent, democratic, law-based state, towards the strengthening of its security and the revival of its economic potential," Medvedev said in a statement. The president said Russia and Abkhazia have reached a new level in their relations and expressed hope that they would develop further. Putin congratulated Bagapsh during a telephone conversation. Bagapsh, 60, has been president of the former Georgian republic since January 2005. In his election campaign he pledged to focus on the development of the Abkhaz economy, improve living standards and raise wages. He also said that in its foreign policy Abkhazia would continue strengthening political and economic ties with Russia. The Abkhaz president said on Sunday his inauguration would take place on February 12 next year.

MOSCOW, December 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091214/157230570.html

Chechnya establishes Kadyrov peace award

22:56 15/12/2009

ROSTOV ON DON, December 15 (RIA Novosti) - Chechnya’s parliament has voted to establish an Akhmad Kadyrov International Peace Award to commemorate the first Chechen president’s peace efforts, the parliamentary press service said on Tuesday. "Akhmad-Haji Kadyrov is a person whose name can justly be given to such an award, as it was he who led the Chechen people to the way of peace, at the cost of his life," Dukuvakhi Abdurakhmanov, speaker of the south Russian republic’s parliament, said in a statement. The lawmaker said Kadyrov led the republic through the hardest period of its history. "Supported by the federal authorities, Akhmad-Haji Kadyrov managed to find the means of uniting the Chechen people; he not only consolidated the nation, he gave his life for peace on Russian soil," he said. Akhmad Kadyrov was killed by a bomb explosion in a stadium in Chechnya’s capital, Grozny, during a WWII victory parade on May 9, 2004. In the 1990s, during and after the First Chechen War, Kadyrov was the Chief Mufti of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. At the outbreak of the Second Chechen War, he switched sides, offering his service to the Russian government. Before he was elected president in October 2003, Kadyrov had been serving as head of administration since July 2000. His son, Ramzan Kadyrov, is currently the Chechen president.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091215/157250277.html

Next trial of Russian troubled Bulava missile could be in Jan.

09:46 15/12/2009

The next test launch of Russia’s troubled Bulava intercontinental missile could take place in January, an unidentified Defense Ministry official said on Friday. The latest launch of the missile, which Russia hopes will be a key element of its nuclear forces, from a submarine in the White Sea ended in failure on Wednesday. Only five of 12 Bulava launches have been officially reported as being successful. "The exact date of the next trial has not been fixed yet, but trials will continue next year. We could still make a launch in January or in the summer, after the White Sea is already free from ice," the official said. The official said a state commission is to analyze the whole process of developing the missile, which includes some 650 defense sector enterprises. The further development of the Bulava has been questioned by some lawmakers and defense industry experts, who have suggested that all efforts should be focused on the existing Sineva SLBM. But the military has insisted there is no alternative to the Bulava and pledged to continue testing the missile until it is ready to be put in service with the Navy.

MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091215/157240502.html

Russian lower house to consider union state air defense accord

02:53 16/12/2009

MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti) - The State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, will consider an agreement with Belarus on the establishment of a common air defense. The agreement on a united regional air defense for the Union State of Russia and Belarus as part of a larger united air defense for the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States was concluded in Moscow in February for five years. It will automatically be extended for further 5-year periods should neither side notify the other of its desire to terminate it at least six months prior to the expiration date. Ten years ago, Russia and Belarus signed an agreement to establish a union state, but the plan to create greater political, economic and social integration between the two former Soviet republics has remained largely on paper. On December 10, at a meeting of the Union State’s Supreme State Council, the two countries agreed to speed up the ratification of documents signed at the previous meeting of the council, including those on air defense.

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091216/157251170.html

At least 18 wounded in suicide blast attack in Ingushetia

15:24 17/12/2009

At least 18 people were wounded in a suicide car bomb blast at a traffic police station in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia, local investigators said on Thursday. A spokesman for the investigation committee said that among the wounded are traffic police officers, civilians and interior ministry troops, who were passing by in a motorcade at the moment of the blast. The suicide bomber died in the incident. He added that ten people have been hospitalized. Russia’s mainly Muslim and ethnically diverse North Caucasus republics have been swept by an upsurge of violence recently, which has also swept neighboring regions, where hundreds of people have been killed in militant attacks and skirmishes between security forces and gunmen.

ROSTOV-ON-DON, December 17 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091217/157272705.html

Russia clinches contract to sell submarines, warplanes to Vietnam

20:54 15/12/2009

Vietnam has signed a deal with Russia to buy submarines, aircraft and other military hardware, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said on Tuesday. "Vietnam has signed a contract to buy submarines, aircraft and other military equipment with the Russian side," he told reporters after negotiations with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. No details on the contract terms, sum involved, or types of military systems have been made available, but according to earlier media reports, Russia plans to sell Vietnam six Kilo-class Project 636 diesel-electric submarines, worth $1.8 billion. Vietnam has also reportedly ordered Svetlyak-class patrol boats and frigates. The Project 636 Kilo-class submarine is thought to be one of the world’s most silent subs. It has been specifically designed for anti-shipping and anti-submarine operations in relatively shallow waters. The Project-677, or Lada-class, diesel submarine, whose export version is known as the Amur 1650, features a new anti-sonar coating for its hull, an extended cruising range, and advanced anti-ship and anti-submarine weaponry. Both submarines are equipped with advanced Club-S integrated missile systems. State-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport previously said Russia could sell up to 40 fourth-generation diesel-electric submarines to foreign customers by 2015.

MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091215/157249436.html

Russia delays construction of 4th Borey-class nuclear sub

19:06 15/12/2009

The start of construction of Russia’s fourth Borey-class nuclear-powered submarine has been postponed from December to the first quarter of next year, a Defense Ministry official said on Tuesday. Construction of the Project 955 Svyatitel Nikolai (St. Nicholas) ballistic-missile submarine was to begin on December 22 at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk. The keel-laying ceremony was timed to coincide with the shipyard’s 70th anniversary. The official, who requested anonymity, stressed that the project was not being "frozen" but simply delayed for "organizational and technical reasons." He did not specify the reasons. Russia’s newest Borey-class strategic nuclear submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, which is expected to be armed with the new Bulava sea-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), is currently undergoing sea trials. The vessel is 170 meters (580 feet) long, has a hull diameter of 13 meters (42 feet), a crew of 107, including 55 officers, a maximum depth of 450 meters (about 1,500 feet) and a submerged speed of about 29 knots. It can carry up to 16 ballistic missiles and torpedoes. Construction costs totaled some $713 mln, including $280 mln for research and development. Two other Borey-class nuclear submarines, the Alexander Nevsky and the Vladimir Monomakh, are in different stages of completion. Russia is planning to build eight of these subs by 2015. Fourth-generation Borey-class nuclear-powered submarines are expected to constitute the core of Russia’s modern strategic submarine fleet. However, the submarine’s putting into service could be delayed by a series of setbacks in the development of the troubled Bulava missile, which has officially suffered seven failures in 12 tests. However, some analysts suggest that in reality the number of failures was considerably larger. For example, according to Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer, of the Bulava’s 12 test launches, only one was quite successful. The future development of the Bulava has been questioned by some lawmakers and defense industry officials, who have suggested that all efforts should be focused on the existing Sineva SLBM. But the Russian military has insisted that there is no alternative to the Bulava and pledged to continue testing the missile until it is ready to be put in service with the Navy. Borey-class submarines have been exclusively designed for the Bulava, and redesigning them for the Sineva would be a major setback for the Navy’s plans.

MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091215/157247763.html

Rasmussen’s visit to benefit NATO, CSTO cooperation

16:54 15/12/2009

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s visit to Moscow may improve ties between the alliance and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the post-Soviet security group’s head believes. "I hope that the NATO Secretary General’s visit to Moscow will allow him to once again pay attention to the issue [of cooperation between NATO and the CSTO]," Nikolai Bordyuzha said. He said that no steps to improve cooperation between the two organizations had been taken so far. "NATO is still failing to establish contact with the CSTO, including on issues like Afghanistan," Bordyuzha said. He added that he had no plans to meet with Rasmussen during his visit to Moscow. Bordyuzha said the security group plans to complete the creation of CSTO peacekeeping force and to start training peacekeepers next year. He also said that the joint rapid-reaction force established earlier this year would hold an exercise in mid-2010 at a training ground in the city of Chebarkul in the Urals. He did not give the exact date.

MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091215/157246016.html

Pacific island recognizes Abkhazia’s independence

13:09 15/12/2009

Nauru, the world’s smallest island state, has recognized the independence of the former Georgian republic of Abkhazia, with both countries signing an agreement on Tuesday on establishing diplomatic relations. Nauru is the fourth country to recognize Abkhazia’s independence, joining Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The signing ceremony was held in the building of the Abkhaz presidential administration. The document was signed by Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba and his Nauru counterpart Kieren Keke. "We hope that the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries will help establish stability and peace. I hope that other countries will follow our example and will also recognize the independence of Abkhazia," Keke told reporters after the signing ceremony. The Abkhaz leader hailed the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. "The size of a state and the size of its population have no significance. Nauru is a UN member state. We in Abkhazia are signing for the first time an agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations on factual recognition," Bagapsh said, adding that the process of the recognition of the former Georgian republic would continue. Nauru, an island in the South Pacific Ocean surrounded by a coral reef, is the world’s only country with no capital. It has a population of about 15,000 people and became a member of the United Nations in 1999.

SUKHUMI, December 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091215/157242695.html

Georgia mocks Nauru’s recognition of Abkhazia

19:59 15/12/2009

The recognition of Abkhazia’s independence by Nauru, the world’s smallest island state, is utterly irrelevant, the Georgian minister for reintegration said on Tuesday. "The recognition of Abkhazia’s independence by Nauru is more like a comedy... it changes nothing in the international arena," Temur Yakobashvili said.

TBILISI, December 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091215/157248567.html

Georgia opposition threatens new protests

18:23 14/12/2009

Georgia’s opposition is planning new protests, an opposition leader said on Monday. "The opposition has exhausted all peaceful formats to promote human rights, curb unemployment, improve living standards and democracy," Levan Gachechiladze, head of the Protect Georgia opposition group, said. "I am sure the third and final wave of protests against repression and corruption will begin at the end of winter or in early spring," he said. Opposition supporters held protests for three months in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, dropping them when Vice President Joe Biden visited the ex-Soviet Caucasus state in July. Two years ago, Georgia was rocked by six-day rallies as protestors occupied central Tbilisi demanding President Mikheil Saakashvili’s resignation over allegations of corruption and increasing authoritarianism. On November 7, Saakashvili sent in riot police to clamp down on protesters. Saakashvili’s popularity has plummeted since the August 2008 military incursion into breakaway South Ossetia, which led to a conflict with Russia, a situation worsened by the mass unemployment brought about by the global financial crisis. The president has also been widely accused of failing to make good on promises to carry out democratic reforms after the 2003 "Rose Revolution" that brought him to power.

TBILISI, December 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091214/157233222.html

Georgian authorities demolish WWII memorial

18:16 16/12/2009

Authorities in Georgia’s second largest city, Kutaisi, have started demolishing a memorial to WWII heroes in order to construct a parliament building. Russia’s Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily said on Wednesday that Kutaisi authorities aim to complete the demolition by December 21, President Mikheil Saakashvili’s birthday. The government has said that the relocation of the Georgian parliament from Tbilisi to Kutaisi will boost the development of western Georgia. The move has sparked protests among Kutaisi residents and the Georgian opposition. Sculptor Merab Berdzenishvili, the creator of the war memorial, said the demolition is an insult to the memory of thousands of Georgian soldiers who gave their lives in World War II. The authorities have promised to erect a new memorial, saying that the old one was already partially destroyed and cannot be restored. Russian Federation Council speaker Sergei Mironov called the destruction of the memorial "blasphemy". "Georgia’s decision to build a parliamentary building on the site of a memorial to those who gave independent Georgia a chance to construct such buildings is regrettable and confusing," he said.

MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091216/157259370.html

Georgian opposition set to prevent demolition of WWII memorial

19:49 18/12/2009

Opposition leaders are set to protest against plans to demolish next week a WWII memorial in Georgia’s second largest city, Kutaisi, the bloc of a former Georgian premier said on Friday. The Kutaisi administration plans to time the demolition to coincide with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s birthday next Monday. A parliament building is reportedly planned to be built at the site. "To thwart the barbarous act to [make] the authorities stop destroying traditions, history and culture, a protest involving local activists and leaders from Tbilisi is planned to take place at the site of the memorial on December 21," Zurab Nogaideli’s Movement For Fair Georgia said in a statement. The opposition movement also said neither plans nor funds were available for the parliament building project. Local opposition members staged a rally in front of the Kutaisi City Hall earlier on Friday. Some opposition activists also fear the memorial could be demolished this weekend. Samson Gugava, a Labor party member, told RIA Novosti explosives had already been planted in the left sector of the memorial and that a pit was currently being dug. Teimuraz Shashiashvili, the leader of the White Movement political organization, said on Thursday the memorial had almost been completely destroyed already. Gugava suspected the decision to demolish the memorial had been made by the central, not local government. Authorities have neither confirmed, nor denied the reports. The statue by Merab Berzenishvili is a venue where WWII veterans meet every May 9.

TBILISI, December 18 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091218/157290855.html

Criticism grows over Georgian plans to tear down WWII monument

23:07 18/12/2009

Criticism is growing over plans to tear down a Soviet-era monument WWII monument in Georgia’s second largest city of Kutaisi. The Kutaisi administration plans to demolish the monument to make way for a city parliament building. "This is not simply an act of vandalism, but part of a deliberate policy by the country’s leaders to completely tear Georgia away from Russia, from its historical roots and a tradition of brotherly relations between our peoples," a joint statement by the Assembly of Russian Peoples and the Assembly of Georgian Peoples said. The two assemblies are non-elected public organizations and have no powers, legislative or otherwise. The Georgian opposition held a rally in front of the Kutaisi City Hall on Friday protesting against the plans. The monument, by sculptor Merab Berzenishvili, is a gathering place for WWII veterans on WWII Victory Day.

MOSCOW, December 18 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091218/157292346.html

Russia denounces Georgia WWII memorial demolition

Russia has strongly denounced the demolition of a Soviet-era war memorial in Kutaisi in western Georgia. In a statement from its Foreign Ministry Saturday, it describes the destruction as an act of state vandalism which defies civilized norms. It also calls attention to the fact that the Georgian authorities ignored protests by Georgian politicians and veterans and flouted a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly on Friday against extremist attacks on World War Two graves and memorials. The statement accuses the Georgian government of trying to erase the historical memory of the Georgians. Inexpert use of explosives in the demolition process resulted in two deaths.

Dec 19, 2009

http://english.ruvr.ru/2009/12/19/3101521.html

Woman, her daughter killed during war memorial demolition in Kutaisi

19.12.2009, 17.41

TBILISI, December 19 (Itar-Tass) — A woman and her eight-year-old daughter died during the demolition of a war memorial in the Georgian city of Kutaisi on Saturday. Another two local residents received injuries and were hospitalised, local mass media and law enforcement reported. The investigation of the incident is underway. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has cut short his visit to Copenhagen, where he attended the U.N. Climate Change Summit, and will fly back home before the end of the day. Russia has condemned Georgia’s decision to dismantle the war memorial in Kutaisi as blasphemous and regrettable. ""This is sad and regrettable news," Federation Council chairman Sergei Mironov said earlier this week, commenting on the Georgian authorities decision to construct a new parliament building in the place where the war memorial stands. He believes it is "blasphemous" to do so by demolishing a monument to whose who made the very existence of the country possible. The State Duma condemned Georgia’s decision and described it as "criminal". The head of the Duma Committee for CIS Affairs and Ties with Compatriots, Alexei Ostrovsky, said on Wednesday that the decision had been made by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili ahead of the 65th anniversary of the end of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War. Ostrovsky believes this is "consistent with the incumbent Georgian authorities’ understanding of morals and ethics". "The removal of the war memorial has already begun" to make room for "the construction of a new building for the Georgian parliament", the lawmaker said. He urged his colleagues in the Duma to "raise the question of criminal nature of such actions at all international forums". Ostrovsky also urged "all public organisations in Russia to give special attention to the burial of ethnic Georgian soldiers and officers in Russia and make sure that their tombs are always well attended to and decorated with flowers and that we remember the Georgians who fought against the ’brown plague’ together with Russians".

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14658616&PageNum=0

Georgia opposition denounces govt for blasting Kutaisi memorial

20.12.2009, 17.11

TBILISI, December 20 (Itar-Tass) - Georgian opposition parties denounced actions by authorities on dismantling the memorial Martial Glory in Kutaisi and blasting its main part, which resulted in the death of two people. Leaders and activists of Kutaisi city branches of opposition parties gathered in front of the townhall and called actions by authorities as inadmissible. They called on the country’s president “not to limit himself to dismissing Governor of the Imereti Territory (Kutaisi is the territorial administration centre) Mikhail Chogovadze, but to call to responsibility executives of territorial agencies of law enforcement bodies who were duty-bound to ensure security of people”. Representatives of the opposition said that “a mass peaceful protest demonstration will be held in Kutaisi on December 21 against inadmissible actions by authorities on dismantling and blasting the memorial”. It will be attended by leaders of the main opposition parties who will come from Tbilisi to Kutaisi (distance 230 kilometres). Georgian chief prosecutor Murtaz Zodelava said on Saturday that “as a result of dismantling one of parts of the memorial, made by a private company on an order of the Kutaisi municipality, two people were killed. The tragedy took place over the fact that the company did not fully observe security norms while dismantling the memorial”. According to data from various sources, reinforced concrete fragments of the memorial dropped on a woman and her eight-year-old daughter who stood 300 metres away from the memorial. The leaders of two Georgian major opposition parties called on authorities “not to erect a parliament building in Kutaisi at the place of the dismantled memorial Martial Glory”, where two people were killed in the blast as a result of violation of safety norms. The leaders of the party Christian Democratic Movement visited Kutaisi on Sunday at the place of the dismantled memorial and expressed condolences to the kith and kin of the deceased. They said at meetings with representatives of the city public that they “call on authorities to review the earlier decision on erecting a parliament building at the place of the memorial, but to take a decision on erecting there an orthodox church in memory of victims of the Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945, as well as of the two killed by concrete fragments of the exploded memorial”. David Gamkrelidze, the leader of the New Rightists Party and former presidential candidate at the elections on January 5, 2008, made a call to build a church at the place of the exploded memorial. He called “a sacrilege” an idea of erecting a parliament building at the place of the tragedy. Leader of the For Just Georgia Party Zurab Nogaideli expressed an opinion on Saturday that “there was enough space to erect a parliament building and that there was no need for dismantling the memorial”.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14659943&PageNum=0

Regional governor sacked in Georgia over Kutaisi deaths

03:40 20/12/2009

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has sacked the governor of Georgia’s western Imereti Region after two people were killed in the Saturday’s explosion in Georgia’s second largest city, Kutaisi, a presidential spokeswoman said. The explosion occurred when a memorial to WWII heroes was demolished in Kutaisi, the region’s main city. The deaths had evidently resulted from violation of safety regulations. Manana Manjgaladze said the decision to dismiss Mikheil Chogovadze was taken at an emergency meeting, held by the Georgian president, who broke his visit to Copenhagen and returned to Georgia. "The president took a relevant decision. Imereti Governor Mikheil Chogovadze was dismissed," the spokeswoman said, adding an investigation intended to discover and punish those guilty was underway. She said relatives of the dead will receive material aid from the Georgian authorities. Kutaisi authorities started demolishing the memorial several days ago to construct a parliament building. Russia’s Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily suggested on Wednesday they sought to complete the demolition by December 21, President Mikheil Saakashvili’s birthday. The government has said that the relocation of the Georgian parliament from Tbilisi to Kutaisi will boost the development of western Georgia, but the move has sparked protests among Kutaisi residents and the Georgian opposition. Sculptor Merab Berdzenishvili, the creator of the war memorial, said the demolition is an insult to the memory of thousands of Georgian soldiers who gave their lives in World War II

TBILISI, December 20 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091220/157302014.html

Nashi to insist on return of Military Glory Monument to its place

20.12.2009, 21.14

MOSCOW, December 20 (Itar-Tass) — The Nashi youth movement will demand from Georgian authorities compensations to the family of the woman and her daughter who died in the demolition of the Military Glory Monument in Kutaisi, apologies and the return of the monument to its former place, movement leader Nikita Borovikov told Itar-Tass on Sunday. “The Military Glory Monument dedicated to soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was blasted in Kutaisi on December 19. The explosion killed a woman and her eight-year-old daughter. We regard the demolition of this monument as an attack on the memory of those who died in the war years and an attempt to forget the feat of thousands of heroes – fellow countrymen,” he said. This is another attempt to rewrite history in former Soviet republics, Borovikov said. A young citizen of Russia died in Estonia two years ago, as the police were scattering defenders of the Soldier Liberator Monument. The movement has held a picket near the Georgian embassy in Moscow to present the demands. The demolition of the Military Glory Monument in Kutaisi is an act of vandalism, President of the Georgian Union in Russia Mikhail Khutubia said. “The demolition of the WW2 monument in Kutaisi is an act of vandalism. The Georgian Union in Russia has appealed to many public and non-governmental organizations. I think that the Georgian public must react to this step of the authorities. It is a pity that my fellow citizens underestimate possible consequences of the revision of history. My father cried when he learned about that demolition, because his father and brothers died in that holy war,” he said. “They [Georgian authorities] may go further and destroy Georgian language and culture. They may even translate “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” [a poem by Shota Rustaveli] into English and destroy the Georgian original,” he said. A mother and her eight-year-old daughter died on December 19. They were walking 300 meters away from the monument at the demolition moment and were killed with pieces of concrete. A suspect in those deaths was taken into custody, Georgian First Deputy Prosecutor General David Sakvarelidze told the media in Tbilisi on Sunday. “We have seized the technical director of the Sakpetkmretsvi private company, which demolished the memorial. He was responsible for safety measures,” Sakvarelidze said. If found guilty, the suspect may spend from two to five years in custody. A number of renowned Georgian politicians and artists criticized Georgian authorities for dismantling the Military Glory Monument. “It is impermissible and criminal to dismantle the monument, without due account of the opinion of the public and sculptor Merab Berdzenishvili,” former presidential candidate and leader of the Tetrebi (White) Party Temuri Shashiashvili said. “This dismantlement is insulting for residents of Kutaisi and the whole country,” Labor Party co-leader and People’s Artist Prof. Georgy Kavtaradze said. He urged the authorities to bear in mind the opinion of the Georgian public and to show respect for monuments. “This is not the first time the authorities have been dislocating monuments. A monument to Tsar David IV was moved from the center of Tbilisi to the city outskirts several years ago,” he said. Former Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze has called ‘inexpedient and wrong’ the dismantlement of the Military Glory Monument in Kutaisi uncoordinated with sculptor Merab Berdzenishvili. “It was necessary to ask for the opinion of the public, experts and sculptors before dismantling or relocating the monument,” he said. “Hopefully, Georgian authorities would do that in the future.” The monument was installed over 25 years ago to commemorate Georgians who died fighting the Nazi. A number of war veterans’ organizations and Berdzenishvili protested against the dismantlement of the monument. “It was unnecessary to dismantle the monument. It should have been repaired instead,” they said. There are similar memorials in all Georgian cities, including Tbilisi. Meanwhile, Kutaisi authorities said that bronze elements of the Military Glory monument were looted in the 1990s and restorations were now impossible. “A new war memorial may soon be installed in another place of Kutaisi,” the officials said.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14659980&

PageNum=0

Kazakhstan turns into world’s leading uranium producer

14:4515/12/2009

Kazakhstan’s uranium production will hit 13,500 metric tons in 2009, or up 58% from last year, making the ex-Soviet state the world’s leading uranium producer, Kazatomprom said on Tuesday. "Consolidated revenue from the sale of Kazatomprom’s output in 2009 will exceed last year’s level by 53%," the country’s nuclear holding company said in a statement. Kazatomprom earlier said it expected to receive a net income of 49 billion tenge ($326.6 million) in 2009. The company is currently developing areas like natural uranium conversion and enrichment, fuel production for reactors, and the creation and operation of small and medium-sized reactors. Kazatomprom is the national operator for the import and export of uranium, rare metals, nuclear fuel for power plants, special equipment and duel-purpose materials. The company is wholly owned by the government of Kazakhstan.

ASTANA, December 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091215/157244265.html

Tymoshenko ready to back Yushchenko in event of poll flop

16:50 15/12/2009

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will back current President Viktor Yushchenko in upcoming presidential polls if she fails to get past the first round, the Unian news agency said on Tuesday. "In the second round of voting, we should think about Ukraine. If I am not in the run-off, I will certainly support a democratic candidate, despite the history of our relations," the prime minister was quoted as telling Lviv TV when asked about Yushchenko. Tymoshenko, who is currently Yushchenko’s political rival, also reiterated her readiness to "wash clothes in Yushchenko’s staff." She first used the expression during the 2004 Orange Revolution", which brought Yushchenko to power. Tymoshenko was then an ally of the incumbent president. Now, alongside Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the opposition Party of Regions and the president’s opponent in the controversial 2004 race, the braid-wearing prime minister is considered a leading candidate ahead of the January 17 elections. Yushchenko is struggling to reach double figures in opinion polls. Last week, Tymoshenko said she was ready to join hands with the president "for the sake of Ukraine."

KIEV, December 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091215/157245937.html

Yanukovych leads in polls ahead of Ukrainian presidential election

17:19

Recent poll results suggest that Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych will win the presidential election in January in Ukraine with a sizeable margin against main rival Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The poll, which was conducted by Research & Branding Group between December 5-13, puts Sergiy Tigipko in third. A total of 33.3% of Ukrainians said they would vote for Yanukovych in the first round of the presidential election; 16.6% gave their support to Tymoshenko, and 7.4% said they would vote for Tigipko. The rating is 6.7% for Arseniy Yatseniuk, 4.1% for Volodymyr Lytvyn, 3.8% for Viktor Yuschenko and 3.4% for Petro Symonenko. If a second round is held in the presidential election between Yanukovych and Tymoshenko, the poll suggests Yanukovych would surpass Tymoshenko by more than 16% of votes. A total of 46.7% of respondents said they would vote for Yanukovych, and 30% for Tymoshenko. Another 13.2% of the respondents said they would have voted against all candidates in the second round. Some 3.6% of the respondents said they would not take part in the election, and 6.5% found it difficult to answer the questions. The Research & Branding Group polled voters in 24 regions across Ukraine and the Crimea. The margin of error is 1.8%.

17.12.2009

http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/28048/

Tymoshenko says she will prevent Yanukovych from rigging presidential election

13:09

Candidate for Ukrainian president and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said that the current popularity ratings of her opponent, Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych, have been groundlessly overrated, and added that she would not allow the election results to be rigged. "We won’t allow him to rig the election once again, covering himself with false ratings that are completely unconfirmed," she said in the village of Bobrovytsia in Chernihiv region on Thursday. Tymoshenko said that her political bloc would prevent those not included in the electoral roll and without any confirmed addresses from voting at the election. She said that each voter would be able to vote at only one polling station.

17.12.2009

http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/28004/

Forum of Ukrainian Nationalists calling on presidential candidates Tiahnybok, Kostenko and Yatseniuk to withdraw their candidates in Yuschenko’s favor

14:18

The Forum of Ukrainian Nationalists has addressed to presidential candidates Oleh Tiahnybok, Yuriy Kostenko and Arseniy Yatseniuk to withdraw their candidates in favor Viktor Yuschenko. The address was approved at a meeting of the forum on Saturday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported. "We ask presidential candidates Tiahnybok, Kostenko and Yatseniuk to withdraw their candidates and support presidential candidate Viktor Yuschenko. The Forum of Ukrainian Nationalists is calling on Ukrainian people to support Yuschenko, as only he will guarantee integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and its democratic development," reads the address.

19.12.2009

http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/28192/

India successfully test fires nuclear-capable missile

17:17 13/12/2009

India successfully test fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile from a naval ship off the coast of the Orissa state on Sunday, Indian media reported citing the firing range director. The Dhanush missile with a range of 350 km and payload capacity of 500 kg is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. The launch was made 35 km off the Chandipur firing range in Orissa. The missile, which has liquid propellant, is the naval version of India’s indigenously developed surface-to-surface Prithvi missile system. Its first test launch ended in failure in April 2000 over technical problems related to the take-off stage, but subsequent trials were reported as successful. The latest Dhanush trial was successfully conducted off Orissa coast in March 2007.

NEW DELHI, December 13 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20091213/157220770.html

Re-election of leader of Moldova ruling party marred by scandal

December 15, 2009

First deputy speaker Serafim Urechean has been re-elected leader of the Our Moldova Alliance, one of the four member parties of the ruling Alliance for European Integration, the Moldovan news agency Infotag reported on 14 December.

Urechean was supported by 328 out of the 439 delegates who participated in the party’s eighth congress. The former first deputy leader of the party, Veaceslav Untila, who also ran for the post of party chairman, quit the congress together with about 100 supporters, protesting against the refusal to make the vote secret.

Untila said later that he would appeal against the congress decision. According to him, the scandal which erupted during the congress was planned beforehand in order to commit violations during the vote count. Untila and his supporters said they would remain members of the Our Moldova Alliance and "would try to reform it".

The congress also elected the first deputy prime minister in charge of reint! egration issues, Victor Osipov, as first deputy leader of the Our Moldova Alliance, Infotag added.

Infotag, Moldovan news agency

http://politicom.moldova.org/news/reelection-of-leader-of-moldova-ruling-party-marred-by-scandal-204945-eng.html

Anatoly Kaminsky, “Comrades in our hearts"

Parliamentary News

14.12.2009

Last Sunday Dubossary saw a rally in memory of those killed during the second attack of Moldova’s special police forces on Pridnestrovian territory. Parliamentary Speaker Anatoly Kaminsky attended the event.

December 13, 1991. The entrance to Dubossary. It was there on that fateful day, when Dubossary and Rybnitsa militiamen and guards came to defend very young Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. For the second time Moldovan special police forces attacked the Pridnestrovian territory. Three of our guys were killed in the unequal battle. They are Rybnitsa Guardsmen Alexander Patergin and Vladimir Shcherbaty and a member of the Dubossary interior department Yuri Tsurkan.

"Serving as chairman of the city executive committee of Rybnitsa, I then had to form a detachment of guardsmen and send them to the post. That day when we saw them off in the hall of the Palace of Culture will be engraved on my memory forever. And for me it was a tragedy to hear such events had happened here and our guys had been killed ", Parliamentary Speaker Anatoly Kaminsky said.

Three killed, some wounded and taken prisoner, but the Pridnestrovian guards and militia defended the strategic position. Now this place is a monument to which their wives, children, friends and fellow soldiers lay fresh flowers every year. Those present observed a minute of silence in memory of those fallen.

"I want to thank all those present today, those who remember our husbands. We are grateful to everyone for their memory. It is very hard to recall this day. Our children have already grown; we have grandchildren who will never see their grandfather. And we thank all those who remember them. Thank you ", Izetta Shcherbataya, Vladimir Shcherbaty’s widow said.

"I went to places of detention in Chisinau, to prisons and hospitals. The only desire was to return the prisoners and wounded. Thank God, we succeeded. But, unfortunately, no one can not return to life those who were, fatally wounded that day, that night ", Anatoly Kaminsky said.

On December 13, 1991 a boy was born in Rybnitsa hospital. But, unfortunately, his father, Alexander Patergin, who died at the hands of the Moldovan special police forces that day, never saw his son. The baby was named after his father Alexander. This Sunday he turned 18.

Congratulating him, Anatoly Kaminsky said: "I know Alexander - your father, I remember him as a true officer and a very responsible person. He always impressed me. I want you to be like him. I hope you will keep the memory of him throughout your life."

http://www.vspmr.org/News/?ID=3642

Distinguished Belarusians honored with state awards

17.12.2009 09:06

MINSK, 17 December (BelTA) – President of Belarus conferred state awards on a number of distinguished people of the country for an exemplary fulfillment of military duty, high professional skills, big achievements in the industry and petrochemistry, health protection and culture on 16 December, BelTA learnt from the presidential press service.

The Order, For Service to the Motherland Third Class, was presented to Colonels Igor Bykov, Igor Nasibyants and Valery Svirid.

Among the awardees of the medal, For Labor Achievements, were manufacturing engineer of the Tsvetlit Company of the Belarusian Society of Auditory Handicapped Stanislav Abukhovich, Director General of the Mozyr Oil Refinery Anatoly Kupriyanov, Belgorkhimprom Director General Anatoly Smychnik, Belshina workers.

The order of Frantsysk Skorina was bestowed upon artist of the Grodno Oblast Puppet Show Tamara Korneva, conductor and artists of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater Vyacheslav Chernukho, Elena Shvedova, Oleg Yeromkin and Irina Yeromkina.

The honorary title, People’s Artist of Belarus, was given to artist of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater Sergei Frankovsky, the title, Honorary Industrial Worker of the Republic of Belarus, - to Director of the Tsvetlit Company of the Belarusian Society of Auditory Handicapped Sergei Yefremenko.

The workers of the interior bodies and servicemen were awarded the medal, For Distinction in Military Service First, Second and Third Classes.

http://www.belta.by/en/news/president?id=464368

Belarusian KGB officers to participate in CSTO CRRF

18.12.2009 19:59

MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – Officers of the Belarus State Security Committee (KGB) will participate in the CSTO Collective Rapid Response Force (CRRF), KGB Chairman Vadim Zaitsev told reporters in Minsk on December 18.

“Belarusian KGB officers will participate in the CSTO Collective Rapid Response Force in line with Belarus’ international obligations,” Vadim Zaitsev said.

According to him, a special subunit has been identified for this purpose. “At present, specialists are coordinating the tasks, functions, equipment and the legal base to use the Collective Rapid Response Force in various regions,” Vadim Zaitsev added.

http://www.belta.by/en/news/politics?id=465674

Belarus-Russia Union no federation

18.12.2009 16:57

MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – The Union State of Belarus and Russia does not provide for setting up a federative state, State Secretary of the Union State Pavel Borodin told a press conference in Minsk on 18 December.

Making Belarus part of the federation is out of the question, stressed Pavel Borodin. “We are talking about a confederative state structure. Everything will stay: the national symbols, anthems and other things,” added the State Secretary. He explained that a solid legal base is more important than offices of Union presidents and premiers for effective Union State development.

“There are strategic matters that cannot be handled alone. Those are defense, security, customs regulations, monetary management, pricing. A space with preferably 300 million residents is needed,” said Pavel Borodin.

http://www.belta.by/en/news/politics?id=465532

Chinese leader visits Turkmenistan to unveil gas pipeline

22:11 13/12/2009

Chinese leader Hu Jintao visited Turkmenistan on Sunday ahead of a ceremony to unveil an ambitious pipeline to bring Central Asian natural gas to China. A ceremony to inaugurate a 7,000-kilometer (4,300-mile) pipeline carrying gas from Turkmenistan to China through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and bypassing Russia will take place on Monday. The leaders of the other two ex-Soviet states will also attend. Meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the Chinese leader said the pipeline means that relations between the two countries "have risen to a completely new level." Hu said China also looks to the joint maintenance of the pipeline, gas prospecting, transportation and sales. The Turkmen leader said "this strategic project corresponds to Turkmenistan and China’s long-term interests and to the logic of regional and global economic development." Turkmenistan has until recently sold most of its gas to Russia. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are to supply 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually to the giant Asian nation, with the capacity - which could eventually be increased to 40 billion - expected to reach the target by 2013. Hu also urged Turkmenistan to use China’s $4 billion loan on the development of its South Yolotan field in the southeast with estimated reserves of up to 14 trillion cubic meters, which makes it the world’s fourth or fifth largest deposit.

ASHGABAT, December 13 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091213/157222555.html

Uzbek president to visit Turkmenistan

20:44 12/12/2009

Uzbek President Islam Karimov will start a two-day visit to Turkmenistan Sunday, the presidential press service reported Saturday. The visit will be made on an invitation from Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. "During the visit, the heads of state will discuss expanding Uzbek-Turkmen cooperation and urgent problems of regional and international nature representing mutual interest," a spokesman for Karimov said. "After the talks a number of bilateral documents aimed at deepening the two states’ interaction in various fields will be signed," he said. This is Karimov’s second visit to Turkmenistan in the past two years. In October 2007 Karimov made a state visit to the Turkmen capital Ashgabat, and the Turkmen leader made visits to the Uzbek capital Tashkent in March 2008 and February 2009. The two ex-Soviet states established diplomatic relations in 1993. Trade in the first nine months of 2009 exceeded $129.4 million.

TASHKENT, December 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20091212/157213950.html