* [Military News – Russian Navy]

 Russia delays launch of new nuclear submarine

15:38 13/04/2010

Russia will not float out a new nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine as planned on May 7 due to technical reasons, a source in the shipbuilding industry said on Tuesday. Construction of the Severodvinsk, the first Project 885 Yasen (Graney) class submarine, began in 1993 at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk but has since been dogged by financial setbacks. Russia planned to float out the submarine on May 7 to mark the 65th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in May 1945. "The launch of the new Severodvinsk submarine has been delayed for technical reasons," the source said, adding that the sub would be floated out and pass sea trials later this year. Graney class nuclear submarines are designed to launch a variety of long-range cruise missiles (up to 3,100 miles or 5,000 km) with nuclear warheads, and effectively engage submarines, surface warships and land-based targets. The submarine’s armament includes 24 cruise missiles, including the 3M51 Alfa SLCM, the SS-NX-26 Oniks SLCM or the SS-N-21 Granat/Sampson SLCM. It is also equipped with eight torpedo launchers, as well as mines and anti-ship missiles such as SS-N-16 Stallion. The Severodvinsk is expected to enter service with the Russian Navy by late 2010 - early 2011. Last year, work started on the second sub in the series, the Kazan, which will feature more advanced equipment and weaponry. Russia’s Navy commander, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, has called the construction of new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines a top priority for the Russian Navy. MOSCOW, April 13 (RIA Novosti) http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100413/158558296.html
 Russia plans to upgrade Black Sea Fleet with new warships 20:32 13/04/2010 Russia’s Black Sea Fleet will receive up to four frigates and four diesel-electric submarines in the next five years, a Navy source told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. The Russian official said that the new warships were needed to replace vessels which have been in service for over 30 years and may soon not be fit for sea missions. "The need to revamp the operational strength of the Black Sea Fleet is dictated by the decommissioning of various outdated vessels," the source said. Earlier reports indicated that the Black Sea Fleet is set to decommission its Ochakov destroyer and a diesel submarine built in 1982. Next on the "scrap" list are the Kerch destroyer and several large support ships. The first new vessels that are likely to join the fleet in the near future are the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the Lada class Sevastopol diesel submarine, which are still under construction. Russia needs to maintain a strong combat-capable fleet in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean not only to protect its interests in the region but also to contribute to international efforts in fighting sea piracy and drug-trafficking. Warships from the Black Sea Fleet regularly participate in the Blackseafor naval drills, the Black Sea Harmony and the Operation Active Endeavor counterterrorist operations. "The new ships will ensure the fleet’s active participation in these operations and in other missions planned by the Russian Navy,’ the source said. He added that the planned overhaul did not violate the 1997 agreements with Ukraine on the presence of the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea. "Our plans are absolutely transparent and they will be discussed at meetings of a Russian-Ukrainian subcommittee on the Black Sea Fleet."

SEVASTOPOL, April 13 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100413/158563791.html

 Russia to build submarine-detecting satellite

19:59 15/04/2010

Russia could build a satellite for the detection and tracking of submarines from space, a defense industry spokesman said on Thursday. Vladimir Boldyrev, of the Kosmonit science and technology center, said the group had developed a space satellite module that could carry out remote sensing of the sea and "detect submerged submarines." "Hopefully, it will be tested in space as early as 2011," he said, adding that work on the module started over a decade ago. He offered no indication as to when the new satellite would enter service with the Russian Armed Forces. Boldyrev added that the dual-use module would be used for both defense and civilian purposes, in particular, providing meteorological data.

MOSCOW, April 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100415/158597419.html

 Russian nuclear cruiser makes port call in Syria

20:04 14/04/2010

Russia’s nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky has arrived in Syria’s Mediterranean port of Tartus ahead of Russian Navy drills in the Indian Ocean. A large Syrian naval delegation accompanied by Russia’s ambassador to Syria, Sergei Kirpichenko, visited the Russian warship on Wednesday. "The Pyotr Veliky’s visit to the Syrian port of Tartus is a symbolic event. It is a continuation of our historic ties with Syria that serves as a guarantee of our future cooperation not only in the naval sphere but also in other areas," Kirpichenko said. "I am certain that we will witness new and significant progress in our bilateral cooperation in the near future," he added. Pyotr Veliky, the flagship of Russia’s Northern Fleet, left the fleet’s headquarters in Severomorsk on March 31 to join the warships of other Russian fleets, including the Moskva missile cruiser, in the Indian Ocean for large-scale naval exercises. A naval maintenance site near the port of Tartus is the only Russian foothold in the Mediterranean. About 50 naval personnel and three berthing floats are currently deployed at the Tartus site, which can accommodate up to a dozen warships. According to the Russian Navy, the naval base in Syria significantly boosts Russia’s operational capability in the region because the warships based there are capable of reaching the Red Sea through the Suez Canal and the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar in a matter of days. In September 2008, Russia was reported to be in talks with Syria about turning Tartus into a permanent base for Russian warships in the Middle East.

TARTUS (Syria), April 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100414/158581904.html

 Russian cruiser passes Suez Canal on mission in Indian Ocean

02:32 16/04/2010

The Moskva missile cruiser has passed through the Suez Canal and entered the Indian Ocean to join other Russian warships for large-scale naval exercises, a Defense Ministry spokesman said. The flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, which has a compliment of naval infantry on board, left the Black Sea port of Sevastopol on April 9. "The weapons and technical equipment on the ship are functioning properly and the crew is healthy," the spokesman said. The Moskva is a Slava-class missile cruiser designed as a surface strike ship with some anti-aircraft and ASW capability. Meanwhile, the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser from Russia’s Northern Fleet has recently arrived in Syria’s Mediterranean port of Tartus ahead of Russian Navy drills in the Indian Ocean. Russia announced in 2007 that it was building up its naval presence in the world’s oceans. Once one the world’s most powerful navies, Russia now has few ships regularly deployed. A Russian Pacific Fleet task force, comprising an Udaloy class missile destroyer, Marshal Shaposhnikov, a salvage tug and a tanker, is currently on an anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast.

MOSCOW, April 16 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100416/158600988.html

 Blackseafor completes first stage of naval drills

15:33 16/04/2010

An international task force of the Black Sea naval group completed on Friday the first stage of Blackseafor naval drills. Blackseafor was formally established in 2001 on Turkey’s initiative and comprises Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, Georgia and Russia. It conducts search and rescue operations and environmental monitoring, and organizes goodwill visits to Black Sea countries. This year’s drills are being conducted under the command of a Bulgarian admiral. The first stage of the drills, conducted in the southwestern area of the Black Sea, involved the monitoring of civilian aircraft, search and rescue operations, and replenishment and refueling at sea. After completing the three-day exercises, the Blackseafor warships called at the Bulgarian port of Varna, where they will stay until Monday. In the next stages, the Blackseafor warships will practice tactical maneuvers, the conduct of combat operations against surface ships, air defense and communications, assistance to ships in distress, and ship inspection. Russia is represented by the Caesar Kunikov Ropucha-I class large landing ship from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The vessel was involved in the five-day war between Russia and Georgia over the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia in August 2008, which ended diplomatic relations between the two countries. Georgian warships have not participated in the Blackseafor exercises for a number of years. Russia has said it will not take part in any naval exercises involving Georgian warships.

MOSCOW, April 16 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100416/158609849.html

* [Nuclear affairs]

 Russia, United States sign new arms reduction treaty

14:40 08/04/2010

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama signed on Thursday a new treaty on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons to replace the START 1 treaty, which expired in December 2009. The document is expected to bring Moscow and Washington to a new level of cooperation in the areas of nuclear disarmament and arms control. The new strategic arms pact stipulates that the number of nuclear warheads is to be reduced to 1,550 on each side, while the number of operational and stockpiled delivery vehicles must not exceed 800 on each side. Under the deal, which will have a validity term of ten years unless it is superseded by another strategic arms reduction agreement, strategic offensive weapons are to be based solely on the national territories of Russia and the United States. The document stipulates that each side has the right to unilaterally withdraw from the treaty if it decides that any of the provisions of the treaty could lead to an imminent threat to its national security. Russia has emphasized its right to withdraw from the treaty if a quantitative and qualitative increase in U.S. strategic missile defense significantly harmed the effectiveness of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. The treaty must be ratified by the Russian parliament and the U.S. Congress and will come into force after the sides exchange instruments of ratification. Russia does not insist on simultaneous ratification of the treaty. Russian and U.S. senators will hold meetings on April 20-21 to discuss the ratification of a new arms reduction treaty.

PRAGUE, April 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100408/158481764.html

 New Russia-U.S. arms reduction treaty

14:59 05/04/2010

The new pact stipulates significant cuts iu strategic nuclear weapons

http://en.rian.ru/infographics/20100405/158439571.html

 U.S., Israeli attack on Iran would be ’unacceptable’ - Russia military

15:14 12/04/2010

Any airstrike against Iran by the United States or Israel would be "unacceptable," the chief of the Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov said on Monday. "This is a last resort that exists in the plans of both the United States and Israel," Nikolai Makarov said. Western powers suspect that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at making weapons, while Tehran claims it is pursuing nuclear technology for its civilian energy needs. Makarov said that the Iranian leadership should also take into account that "the whole world is concerned about the [nuclear] problem." "We should hear Iran and Iran should hear us and the global community, and undertake measures," Makarov added. He also said that other states are likely to follow suit if Iran develops nuclear weapons. "If Iran gets nuclear weapons, it might become an impetus for other states, and lead to further expansion of the nuclear club," he said, adding the Russian military department was against such a scenario. He added that Russia’s decision on whether to deliver S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran should be made by the country’s leaders. "This decision should be made at state level. We, the military, will follow the leadership’s commands," Makarov said. Russia signed a contract with Iran on the supply of at least five S-300 air defense systems to Tehran in December 2005. However, Moscow has not so far honored the contract, which many experts say is due to pressure from Washington and Tel Aviv. Both the United States and Israel have not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and have expressed concern over S-300 deliveries, which would significantly strengthen Iran’s air defenses.

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100412/158538895.html

 Israeli attack on Iran might lead to nuclear conflict - Medvedev

16:19 12/04/2010

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Israel against a military attack on Iran, saying it might lead to nuclear war and global disaster. The United States and Israel have refused to rule out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program. In an interview with the ABC News, the Russian leader said an attack on Iran would be "the worst possible scenario" in the Middle East, because "everyone is so close over there that nobody would be unaffected." "And if conflict of that kind happens, and a strike is performed, then you can expect anything, including use of nuclear weapons. And nuclear strikes in the Middle East, this means a global catastrophe. Many deaths," Medvedev said. He added that he was uncertain on whether Israel would decide to carry out an airstrike against Iran. "The Israelis are directing their own policy. I do have a good relationship with the president and prime minister of Israel. But those are independent people. And I would say that on many questions they are defending stubborn positions. Very tough," he said. "The US has seen the proof of that lately," he added, in a reference to the issue of the Israeli settlement construction in East Jerusalem, Hopes for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict were dealt a serious blow by Israel’s recent decision to build 1,600 houses for Jewish families in East Jerusalem, considered occupied territory under international law. East Jerusalem is also claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of their future state.

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100412/158540307.html

 Iran starts ’final test’ for Bushehr nuclear plant

18:13 12/04/2010

Iran has started the final test of equipment at the country’s first nuclear power plant, the Bushehr project manager has said. Mahmoud Jafari was quoted by the Irna national news agency as saying that in the "warm-water test," the plant’s equipment will be run at high temperatures. The deputy chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Behzad Soltani said on Sunday the nuclear plant, located in the country’s south, will go on stream in the summer. He said the warm-water test would be completed within the month. "After the test, nuclear fuel will be inserted into the reactor, and this will put Iran among the members of the world’s nuclear club," he said. Russia’s nuclear fuel producer TVEL said on Wednesday it would deliver its next fuel shipment to Bushehr a year after the plant is launched, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last month that Iran’s first nuclear power plant will be launched later this year. The launch date has been postponed many times over financial and technical reasons. Iran has claimed that Russia was reluctant to finish the facility due to UN sanctions, and concerns voiced by world powers that the plant is part of a covert nuclear weapons program. The construction of Iran’s first nuclear power plant began in 1975 by German companies. However, the firms stopped work after a U.S. embargo was imposed on high-technology supplies to Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent U.S. Embassy siege in Tehran. Russia signed a contract with Iran in February 1998 to complete the plant.

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100412/158543135.html

 Russian firm joins world’s Top 20 arms producers

03:40 12/04/2010

Russia’s Almaz-Antei company has moved to 18th place on the global list of Top 100 defense firms compiled by a respected Swedish think tank. According to the SIPRI Yearbook 2010, released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Almaz-Antei sold $4.3 billion-worth of weaponry in 2008. Almaz-Antei is one of Russia’s largest air defense manufacturers, specializing in production of small, medium and long-range air defense systems, including the S-300 Favorit and S-400 Triumf systems. The S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) is designed to intercept and effectively engage airborne targets including stealth aircraft, and cruise and ballistic missiles at ranges of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and speeds of up to 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) a second. Almaz Antei has recently announced that it is currently developing six new types of air defense/missile defense systems, including the fifth-generation S-500 air defense complex, which is expected to enter production in 2012. The SIPRI Yearbook includes reports detailing research into international security, armaments and disarmament, major armed conflicts and multilateral peacekeeping operations, and is highly valued and respected by military experts worldwide.

STOKHOLM, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100412/158530708.html

* [Russia]

 Moscow judge murdered in suspected professional killing

13:30 12/04/2010

A Russian federal judge shot dead in Moscow on Monday morning was probably killed over his professional activities, investigators said. Eduard Chuvashov, 47, died in the stairwell of an apartment block from bullet wounds to the chest and head. The killer fled the scene immediately after the attack at 08:50 Moscow time (04:50 GMT). A criminal case into murder and illegal possession of firearms has been opened. The Russian Investigative Committee said the incident was thought to be linked to the judge’s professional activities, although a motive for the crime had not been established. Experts were working at the scene and the gunman was being sought based on an eyewitness description. "We are looking for a man of Slavic appearance, 175-180 cm tall, 25-30 years old, average build, wearing a black cap, a black jacket and blue jeans," a law-enforcement source told RIA Novosti. The Moscow City Court’s website states that Chuvashov was on Monday meant to be looking into the case of Vladimir Belashev, a former member of the Interior Ministry department in charge of fighting organized crime, who was accused of taking part in the bombings of two statues near Moscow. Belashev was arrested in April 1998 and was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for terrorism offenses. In 2008, an EU court in Strasbourg ordered Russia pay 10,000 euros ($13,612) in compensation to Belashev after he complained that he had spent five years awaiting sentencing. Chuvashov was previously involved in a number of controversial cases. In February, he heard the trial of the "White Wolves" skinhead group, sentencing nine gang members to up to 23 years in prison. The group was responsible for 11 brutal murders. They filmed their attacks on cell phones and uploaded the footage onto ultranationalist websites. He also worked on the case of Federal Drug Control Service officer Alexander Bulbov, who was accused of embezzling $3.2 million, illegal phone tapping, money laundering and offering bribes. He was released on bail in November 2009 after 25 months in pre-trial detention. At the time of his arrest, Bulbov and his colleagues had been investigating a high-profile furniture smuggling case, which resulted in the arrests of five senior FSB officers. The arrest prompted speculation over a possible conflict between the two state agencies. Chuvashov’s killing has sparked comparisons with the shooting in broad daylight of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova in Moscow last year. The human rights lawyer and Novaya Gazeta reporter were shot on January 19, 2009, in downtown Moscow, just a short distance from the Christ the Savior Cathedral. Markelov died at the scene and Baburova lost her struggle for life shortly afterwards in hospital. Last November, two members of a radical neo-Nazi nationalist group, Nikolai Tikhonov and Yevgenia Khasis, were charged with the murders.

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100412/158537107.html

 Medvedev pledges to find and punish killers of Russian judge

21:48 12/04/2010

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pledged on Monday to take all efforts to find and punish those involved in the killing of a Moscow judge earlier in the day. Eduard Chuvashov, 47, died in the stairwell of an apartment block from bullet wounds to the chest and head. The killer fled the scene immediately after the attack at 8:50 a.m. Moscow time (04:50 GMT). "Everything that is necessary will be done so that the organizers and performers of this cynical killing are found and punished," the Russian president said in a message to the head of the Moscow City Court, Olga Yegorova. A criminal case into the murder and illegal possession of firearms has been opened. The Russian Investigative Committee said the incident was thought to be linked to the judge’s professional activities, although a motive for the crime had not been established. Medvedev said Chuvashov "was respected... as a competent lawyer in the legal community, who honestly served the law, performed his duties with responsibility and adherence to principles." The Moscow City Court’s website states that on Monday Chuvashov was supposed to be looking into the case of Vladimir Belashev, a former member of the Interior Ministry department in charge of fighting organized crime, who was accused of taking part in the bombings of two statues near Moscow. Belashev was arrested in April 1998, and was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for terrorism. In 2008, an EU court in Strasbourg ordered Russia pay 10,000 euros ($13,612) in compensation to Belashev after he complained that he had spent five years waiting sentencing. Chuvashov was previously involved in a number of controversial cases.

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100412/158547167.html

 Moscow judges pay last respects to colleague killed in contract hit

14.04.2010, 16.41

MOSCOW, April 14 (Itar-Tass) - The Moscow judges’ community on Wednesday paid last respects to federal judge of the Moscow City Court Eduard Chuvashov, killed in a contract hit in the entrance hall of his apartment house several days ago. The civil funeral is taking place in the building of the Moscow City Court. The victim’s body lies in state in the Court’s conference hall, amid a great amount of wreaths and flowers. The conference hall cannot accommodate all the mourners and many people are queuing at the entrance to the building and passageways. Supreme Court chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev, chairwoman of the Moscow City Court Olga Yegorova, representatives of the city community of judges and the victim’s friends and relatives are present at the civil funeral.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15024610&PageNum=2

* [Kyrgyzstan]

 Kyrgyzstan hopes to get more than $150 million aid from Russia

11:34 12/04/2010

Russia should give Kyrgyzstan more than $150 million aid, a first deputy prime minister in the interim government said on Monday following talks in Moscow. Almazbek Atambayev flew to Russia for discussions after the Kyrgyz opposition took control of the country last week, ousting the government of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. “During the talks I said that last year when there was absolute peace and quiet Kyrgyzstan received $150 million from Russia. In the current difficult situation the grant must be bigger,” he said, adding that he “met with understanding” from the Russian side. “We were assured that Kyrgyzstan is a fraternal country for Russia, and Kyrgyz problems are Russian problems,” Atambayev said at a news conference. “The day after tomorrow an interim government delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Temir Sariyev will fly to Moscow for talks.” Last Thursday, the day the opposition took control of the government in Bishkek, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone with the new interim prime minister. Roza Otunbayeva told him that Kyrgyzstan needed help and Putin said Russia was ready to provide humanitarian aid.

BISHKEK, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100412/158535146.html

 Russia to provide $50 mln in financial aid to Kyrgyzstan

16:25 14/04/2010

Russia will give Kyrgyzstan a $20 mln grant and a $30 mln concessional loan to help stabilize the economic situation in the ex-Soviet republic after recent riots, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Wednesday. Large-scale anti-government protests swept Kyrgyzstan from April 6-7, claiming the lives of 82 people and leading to the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The self-declared interim government urgently needs funds and fuel to normalize conditions in the impoverished Central Asian republic. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia could increase financial aid to Kyrgyzstan if necessary. "We presume that the situation [in Kyrgyzstan] will normalize. But considering the complexity of the situation, we can increase our aid if necessary," Putin said. The Russian premier instructed the government to prepare corresponding resolutions to provide assistance to Kyrgyzstan by the end of this week. Putin said that according to the interim government, Kyrgyzstan’s coffers were empty because the previous leadership embezzled all the country’s funds. "This, of course, is not an issue for us to judge. But considering that we have always had special relations with the Kyrgyz people, we will support our friends in Kyrgyzstan at this undoubtedly difficult time for them," Putin said. Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said Russia could send up to 25,000 metric tons of petroleum products to Kyrgyzstan to help it with its spring sowing campaign.

MOSCOW, April 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100414/158578767.html

 Medvedev hopes ’negative scenario’ in Kyrgyzstan averted

07:56 16/04/2010

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed hope on Friday that negative political developments in Kyrgyzstan have been averted. "I hope this scenario has been ruled out especially after the former president submitted his resignation," Medvedev said adding that the threat of a civil war in Kyrgyzstan had been real. The resignation of deposed Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev has been recently announced by the interim government citing his statement allegedly faxed from exile in Kazakhstan.

BRASILIA, April 16 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100416/158603149.html

 CSTO’s ability to protect members’ interests doubted

17.04.2010 19:50

MINSK, 17 April (BelTA) – Former Chairman of the International Affairs and National Security Commission of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, political analyst Nikolai Cherginets doubts the ability of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to protect interests of its member-states and to fulfill its obligations to ensure security of each state. Nikolai Cherginets made the relevant statement as he commented on the political situation in Kyrgyzstan. “I was in favor of creating the CSTO as an organization for tight cooperation with all countries and an instrument to enhance relations between them. Even the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly was created following my initiative. But now we have a question: what did we create the CSTO for if there are murderous developments and a coup in [Kyrgyzstan]? The CSTO keeps back, including many leaders of the member-states,” he said. Nikolai Cherginets believes that Kyrgyzstan events directly threaten the collective security. “The CSTO should have said its word if necessary, should have provided assistance in resolving the problem, should have made things clear. Unfortunately it didn’t happen,” he said. As part of its direct obligations the CSTO might have acted as a mediator between the opposition and Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, might have prevented the dramatic scenario, remarked the source.

http://www.belta.by/en/news/politics

 Ousted Kyrgyz president welcome in Belarus - Lukashenko

17:04 18/04/2010

Belarus is ready to receive former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and give him and his family whatever help they need, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday. "If the president of Kyrgyzstan and his family need support and assistance at this difficult time, they will get it in Belarus," Lukashenko told journalists. "If he wants to come - today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow - we are ready to receive him here in Belarus," he said. Bakiyev fled Bishkek on April 7 amid violent protests in the Kyrgyz capital that killed more than 80 people and saw the opposition take power. He flew to Kazakhstan on Thursday and reportedly resigned on Friday. The interim government in Kyrgyzstan says it will set up an international investigation into alleged crimes committed by Bakiyev. Charges have already been filed against some of his relatives. Lukashenko said Bakiyev was in Kazakhstan with his 5-year-old son, daughter and wife, and rejected reports that he had resigned. "For me, today he is the president of the country. It is not right to trust the signature on the letter of resignation, which is now being shown in the media," the Belarusian president said. Bakiyev had refused to step down as the interim government was demanding, but reports on Friday said a resignation letter had been faxed from a location in Kazakhstan to the authorities in Bishkek. A statement was published later on Friday by the Kazakh state news agency Kazinform.

MINSK, April 18 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100418/158638978.html

* [International relations]

 Russia-U.S. relations better than before - Medvedev

03:41 14/04/2010

Russia and the United States have improved bilateral relations during the past year, President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday. "I am glad that in the past year plus we have managed to change the atmosphere of Russian-American relations [for the better]," Medvedev said at Brookings Institution, a U.S. think tank based in Washington, D.C. "I am pleased that I have a part in it," the Russian president, who spoke after the end of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington that gathered over 40 world leaders. Russia and the United States have been following the route of "resetting" their relations and ridding them of Cold War-era holdbacks since Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama announced the new policy of bilateral ties in April 2009. The U.S. summit came after the signing of a new strategic arms reduction treaty by Obama and Medvedev in Prague on April 8. In the treaty, the two countries, which possess about 90% of global arsenals of nuclear weapons, agreed to reduce the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 on each side and the number of deployed and non-deployed delivery vehicles to 800 on each side.

WASHINGTON, April 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100414/158568717.html

 Russian president departs on American tour

07:00 12/04/2010

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will depart on Monday on a five-day visit to North and South America to attend two international summits and discuss bilateral ties with Argentina.

NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON

On the first leg of his tour, President Medvedev will attend a nuclear security summit in Washington on April 12-13. The two-day global conference on nuclear security will focus on the vulnerability of stockpiles of nuclear materials and securing them against the threat of terrorist acquisition. During the 47-nation summit, world leaders are expected to make concrete commitments to ensure that their national stocks of separated plutonium and enriched uranium are not at risk of being stolen, smuggled or sold to terrorists. The U.S. summit comes after the signing last week of a new strategic arms reduction treaty by Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama in Prague.

FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO ARGENTINA

The Russian president will visit Argentina on April 14 for the first time in the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In Argentina, Medvedev will meet with the country’s president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and other top officials to discuss the development of bilateral relations in the sphere of energy and high-technology. The sides are expected to issue a joint statement and sign a number of documents, including an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in culture and education. Trade between Russia and Argentina has risen fivefold since 2003, reaching almost $2 billion in 2008, but fell to $1.35 last year mainly due to the global financial crisis.

BRIC SUMMIT IN BRAZIL

on April 15-16, the president will take part in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) summit in the Brazilian capital Brasilia along with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao. The meeting will focus on improving the current global economic situation and strengthening cooperation between the four countries. The BRIC group is also expected to agree on a common stance for the G20 meeting in Washington, which will take place in late April. The leaders will also discuss the outcome of the nuclear security summit in Washington and the new nuclear arms reduction treaty signed by the Russian and U.S. presidents in Prague. The first BRIC summit was held in the Russian Urals town of Yekaterinburg in June, 2009. The leaders issued a declaration calling for the establishment of a multi-polar world order.

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100412/158532101.html

 Medvedev’s visit to Argentina: more than 10 agreements signed

05:16 15/04/2010

Russia and Argentina signed more than 10 agreements concerning various spheres of bilateral relations during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to the Latin American state. Medvedev held talks with his Argentinean counterpart Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner during his visit, the first top-level official visit in the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Documents signed in Buenos Aires focused among others on cooperation in the spheres of nuclear energy, transportation, forestry, culture, education and sports. Russia’s state-run nuclear power corporation Rosatom and Argentina’s Ministry of Federal Planning signed a protocol on cooperation in the sphere of peaceful use of nuclear energy. Medvedev said during a joint news conference with Kirchner that the agreement stipulated a several-billion-dollar investment in Argentina’s nuclear energy sector. "If we are talking about, for example, the atomic energy sphere, the arrival of the Russian company Rosatom in the Argentinean market... will lead to a several-billion-dollar investment intended to be spent on the creation of... nuclear reactors, as well as on the development of infrastructure," the Russian president said. "I stress that only this project is estimated at several billion dollars. But there are other projects as well," he said. The Latin American state has two operational nuclear power plants, the Atucha I NPP near Buenos Aires and the Embalse NPP in the central Cordoba province. The third facility, Atucha II, is under construction. Kirchner said there were plans to build another NPP, the Atucha III. Russian space agency Roscosmos and Argentina’s National Commission on Space Activities signed a memorandum on mutual understanding concerning Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). Glonass is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian use. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters. The goal of Glonass project was to have global coverage by 1991. With the collapse of the Russian economy in the 1990s, work on the project was suspended. Beginning in 2001, Russia committed to restoring the Glonass system. The number of satellites increased from six to 23 over the last nine years, with only 21 of them operational. Russia and Argentina have also signed a deal on the purchase of two Russia-produced Mi-171E helicopters intended for the Latin American state’s Defense Ministry. Medvedev will fly to Brazil later on Thursday to take part in the BRIC summit. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao will also attend the top-level talks.

BUENOS AIRES, April 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100415/158586719.html

 BRIC develops into powerful decision-making force - Medvedev

07:35 16/04/2010

The BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) group is gradually becoming a global force capable of making concrete decisions, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday. The leaders of the four leading emerging powers have gathered in the Brazilian capital to discuss ways to improve of the current global economic and political situation and strengthen their cooperation. "The BRIC format is becoming fully-developed. It allows us not only to coordinate our efforts but also to make concrete decisions," Medvedev told a news conference after the summit. Medvedev said that although the summit had been scaled back due to a devastating earthquake in China, which forced Chinese President Hu Jintao to go home earlier than planned, the leaders managed to discuss a wide range of political and economic issues on the global agenda. In a six-page joint statement, the four increasingly influential countries praised the key role of the G20 group of leading world economies in efforts to overcome the global financial crisis and urged a broader use of local currencies in global and regional trade. The document also includes the BRIC group’s consolidated position on energy security, climate changes and the fight against terrorism. The countries agreed to hold the next BRIC summit in China in 2011.

BRASILIA, April 16 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100416/158602959.html