20.09 Russian Press at a Glance, Friday, September 20, 2013
POLITICS
Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced his view of Russias national identity, saying that sovereignty, independence and integrity were the three red lines that no one should be allowed to cross. He also did not rule out the possibility of running for presidency again in 2018.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia)
The UN Security Council has started preparing a resolution obliging Syria to provide information about its chemical stockpiles and to place its chemical arsenal under international control. The US is pushing for a resolution that would allow the use of military force against Syria if Damascus fails to comply with the plan. Moscow has criticized the draft, and says additional UN approval would be needed for any foreign military intervention. According to Syrian President Bashar Assad, the destruction of his countrys chemical weapons would cost about $1 billion and take at least a year.
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
ECONOMY
The Russian government has approved the draft federal budget for the next three years. The main issue is whether it will enable the country to achieve its target 3 percent growth in GDP per year.
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
The US Federal Reserve announced it will not taper its latest round of economic stimulus, an open-ended asset purchase program known as QE3.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti)
Ahead of a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko lashed out at Russias potash giant Uralkali. The company was accused of faking its financial reports to conceal its nearly bankrupt performance.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Russia may propose excluding Ukraine from the CIS free-trade zone if Kiev signs a planned association agreement with the European Union. Ukraine stands to lose its trade preferences not only on the markets of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, but also on markets of other ex-Soviet states, which are not members of the Russian-led Customs Union.
(Izvestia)
OIL & GAS
Russia may postpone its planned sale of 3 percent in state pipeline monopoly Transneft until at least 2015.
(Izvestia)
The Russian presidents former envoy to the Far East, Viktor Ishayev, who resigned in late August, could be appointed vice president of state-run oil company Rosneft in charge of Far Eastern projects.
(Kommersant)
VEHICLES & ENGINEERING
Russian flagship air carrier Aeroflot is to pay up to $7.4 billion to lease new Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft.
(Vedomosti)
TELECOMS & IT
The reform of national telecoms holding Svyazinvest, the biggest reform of Russias state assets in the telecoms industry, has not produced the expected results, the holding said.
(Kommersant)
SOCIETY
Russias Investigative Committee said it has solved the murder of a Russian diplomat and his wife in Abkhazia. Georgian authorities have apprehended the suspected killer, and said they were ready to consider Russias extradition request.
(Kommersant, Izvestia)
The Russian Investigative Committee has launched its first criminal cases following inspections to evaluate the disaster response in flood-hit Far Eastern regions.
(Kommersant, Izvestia)
The State Dumas healthcare committee has drafted a bill to re-introduce daylight saving time, scrapped in 2011 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev. According to opinion polls, an increasing number of Russians support the move.
(Kommersant)
Two senior officials were detained in Russias North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan as part of republic head Ramazan Abdulatipovs campaign to cleanse the regions authorities.
(Kommersant, Izvestia)
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