Russia in Review

A digest of useful news from U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism for the week of January 14-21, 2011

I. U.S. and Russia priorities for the bilateral agenda.

Nuclear security agenda:

The United States and Canada have inked an agreement to support the creation of a counterterrorism facility in Russia that would prepare nuclear facility workers on security operations, the National Nuclear Security Administration announced on Friday. The Abramovo Counterterrorism Training Center would be managed by the Russian Defense Ministry as part of efforts to ensure the nation's nuclear material is safe from potential terrorist diversion, according to NNSA. The counterterrorism center is to feature a road on which drills could be conducted that would test Russian Defense Ministry employees' readiness to defend nuclear arms convoys during a potential terrorist assault. (GSN, 01.18.11, Kommersant, 01.19.11).
Russia's Kola nuclear power plant (NPP) has successfully moved solid radioactive wastes into five new storage containers. The five containers, which have been delivered by the company Petrozavdskmash, have now been filled with radioactive waste and taken to a secure place at the plant area, a press release from the company informs. (Barents Observer, 01.12.11).
Rosatom and South Africa's Department of Energy will discuss at the February meeting in Pretoria a possibility of South Africa's joining the International Uranium Enrichment Center in Angarsk. (Fissile material blog, 01.19.11).
Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary of State, said that the 123 agreement with Russia "will help with some very, very nitty-gritty counter-nuclear-terrorism issues like nuclear forensics." (Council on Foreign Relations, 01.13.11).
Nuclear terrorism in the Black Sea region is a real risk, and the training of specialized structures in the countries of the area to meet the threat of proliferation is very important, said Iulian Chifu, director of the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning, which organized a workshop on the subject in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest. (Rompress, 01.21.11).

Iran nuclear issues:

Tehran is prepared to discuss the exchange of low-enriched uranium for highly-enriched uranium at the talks with the P5+1 group, which open on Friday, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in Moscow on Thursday. He also said Russia's chances of winning a future tender for the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Iran are most preferable. (Interfax, 01.20.11).
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that two-day talks with world powers over Iran's nuclear program should address ways of easing sanctions on Tehran. Lavrov said unilateral sanctions were "spoilers" and the talks in Istanbul on Friday and Saturday should look at ways of rolling back sanctions."Canceling the sanctions against Iran should also be discussed," he said. Iran gave no sign of making concessions to world powers bent on coaxing it to curb its nuclear program at talks on Friday (Reuters, 01.20.11, 01.21.11).
Russia has vowed never to allow Iran to make its own fuel for a Russian-built nuclear power plant at Bushehr, on the Gulf coast, and this promise helps the U.S. containment policy, according to leaked US diplomatic cables. (The Guardian, 01.21.11).
The "energy launch" of the Bushehr NPP is to take place shortly, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad confirmed in a telephone conversation on Monday. The two leaders have agreed to continue discussions on Tehran's nuclear program "in different formats. They also noted the importance of the forthcoming Istanbul Summit between Iran and the six international mediators. (Itar-Tass, RIA Novosti, 01.17.11, Oreanda News, 01.19.11).
Moscow proceeds on the assumption that Bushehr's power launch (the moment when the station will supply its first current) will take place at the end of next month. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 01.18.11).
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom on Monday denied a reported contamination of the Bushehr NPP's computer system by the Stuxnet virus. Earlier, British newspaper Daily Telegraph referred to Russian specialists working in Bushehr, saying that the virus had already done "enormous damage" to the reactor and that the Russian team "cannot guarantee safe activation of the reactor.".(Xinhua, 01.17.11).
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that his country was willing to strengthen ties with Iran. Ryabkov made the remark in a meeting on Tuesday evening with his visiting Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Mehdi Akhoundzadeh in Moscow. Commenting about the upcoming talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 due in the Turkish capital city of Istanbul, Ryabkov said Russia believes that the negotiations will help solve the nuclear dispute. (IRNA via Trend, 01.19.11).
Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi says Iran has taken legal action against Russia's "breach of contract" in cancelling the delivery of the S-300 missile defense system. (Press TV via BBC, 01.17.11).

NATO-Russia cooperation, including transit to Afghanistan:

The U.S. military plans to award an exclusive contract to Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport to supply helicopters for Afghanistan's military, speeding a deal that was outlined as part of a "reset" of U.S.-Russia relations. In a Jan. 13 notice, the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command Contracting Center said it would award a "sole-source" contract to Rosoboronexport for the purchase of Mi-17 helicopters, rugged Soviet-era aircraft that are a workhorse of Afghan military forces. The Army didn't provide specifics on the cost or the size of the contract, but individuals familiar with the details confirmed it was for 21 new Mi-17 helicopters. (Wall Street Journal, 01.21.11).
Russian President Medvedev accepted an invitation Friday to visit Afghanistan during a milestone summit with Hamid Karzai that aimed to revive the two sides' Soviet-era trade ties. Karzai said that Russia was likely to play a much broader role in preparing Afghan soldiers and repairing the country's heavily damaged bridges and dams. A top Russian security official said Karzai had agreed to allow Russia to take part in future drug busts. Federal Drug Control Service chief Viktor Ivanov said an agreement had also been reached on exchange of operational intelligence on drug dealers. Russia's assistance in the training of Afghan anti-drug policemen was also discussed. (AFP, RIA Novosti, 01.21.11).

Counter-terrorism cooperation:

The U.S. and Russia will fight international efforts this week to set a deadline to destroy the last known stocks of smallpox, saying the deadly virus is needed for research to combat bioterrorism. Members of the World Health Organization met on Wednesday to begin debating the future of what is left of what was one of the world's most lethal viruses before it was eradicated more than 30 years ago: samples kept in tightly guarded freezers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and a Russian government lab near Novosibirsk. (Wall Street Journal, 01.18.11).

Missile defense:

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance's plan for a European missile shield involves two separate but collaborative programs, one operated by the military alliance and the other by Russia. (GSN, 01.20.11).
The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday announced it has augmented the hardware of a missile defense radar facility in Greenland, enabling the system to spot smaller enemy weapons from a greater distance. (GSN, 01.19.11).

Ratification of the New START treaty:

The State Duma International Affairs Committee recommended the house pass in the third reading on January 25 the bill on the ratification of the New START that will feature two statements, committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov said. The first statement says "the U.S. unilateral interpretation of certain provisions of this document does not change the legal commitments of the U.S. side and does not impose any additional commitments on Russia," Kosachyov said. The second document calls for sustainable production of nuclear weapons, for professional training, for government support to related research and development, and for development of the national missile defense system in Russia, he said. (Interfax, 01.20.11)
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Alexander Vershbow met in Moscow on Thursday to discuss "ratification of the New START treaty, the problem of missile defense, control over conventional weapons in Europe, as well as the prospects for continuing bilateral dialogue in these spheres," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website. (Interfax, 01.20.11)
Russia is developing a replacement for the world's most devastating intercontinental ballistic missile in a move that risks reviving a global nuclear arms race. Work on the new missile, which has yet to be given a name, started in Moscow in 2009 and could be wrapped up as early as 2017, according to Artur Usenkov, head of the Russian defense manufacturer Rosobshemash. (Telegraph, 01.14.11).

Energy exports from CIS:

A day after securing a commitment from Azerbaijan, top European Union leaders visited Turkmenistan to continue the EU's pursuit of natural gas supplies. In Baku on January 13, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration that commits Azerbaijan to providing what is described as "substantial" long-term gas supplies to EU countries. (RFE/RL, 01.14.11)

Access to major markets for exports and imports:

U.S. Representative Edward Markey on Thursday asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to launch an immediate investigation into a $16 billion share-swap plan between BP and state-owned Russian oil firm Rosneft. (Reuters, 01.21.11).

Other bilateral issues:

Senator Richard G. Lugar of Indiana reaffirmed his commitment Tuesday to seek re-election to a seventh term. "The relationship with the Russians is absolutely critical for our safety as a country and it's something that I can continue to make contributions," Mr. Lugar said. "I know the players, so this is an opportunity for me to be most productive." (New York Times, 01.18.11).
US attempted to purchase Russian-made air-to-ground Kh-31 missiles in Belarus, according to U.S. diplomatic cables leaked to Wikileaks. (Regnum, 01.19.11.)
One of the highest-ranking CIA officers ever convicted of espionage will spend eight more years in prison after pleading guilty to betraying his country a second time. Harold "Jim" Nicholson admitted to using his son, Nathaniel, to collect a "pension" from Russian agents while serving time in federal prison in Oregon. (AP, 01.18.11).
Newly freed opposition leaders, including Boris Nemtsov, a deputy prime minister in the Yeltsin era, called on the United States and Europe on Monday to confront Russia's top officials - even Prime Minister Vladimir Putin - over recent repression by denying them visas and freezing their assets. (Washington Post, 01.17.11).

II. Russia news.

Domestic Political, Social and Demographic News

Russian presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich on Wednesday described speculation over who would run in the 2012 presidential elections as "senseless" in an interview with the Gazeta.ru news site."The decision of any candidate to run in the 2012 presidential elections will be based on a number of factors, such as the state of the economy, professional achievements and public sentiment," Dvorkovich said. (RIA Novosti, 01.19.11).
Prime Minister Putin will chair the supervisory board of the organizational committee set up to prepare Russia for hosting soccer's 2018 World Cup. (Gazeta.ru, 01.17.11).

Economy and Energy:

Russian scientists have completed a TACIS-funded study which concludes that reactors in Russian NPPs can serve up to 60 years. (Nuclear.Ru, 01.17.01).
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed the government to draft proposals for oil revenue spending and the maximum amount from the budget that could be financed from these revenues starting from 2012. (RIA Novosti, 01.19.11).
David Peattie, BP's top executive in Russia expected its TNK-BP venture to be broken up by the end of this year by the oil group's new Kremlin-controlled partner, according to leaked U.S. embassy cables. The newspaper said, head of BP's Russian operations, also said BP saw Rosneft as its long-term partner in Russia rather than TNK-BP. (AP, 01.18.11).
BP's new deal to explore the Russian Arctic in partnership with Rosneft has drawn protests from a group of private Russian investors with whom BP has a separate partnership. On Tuesday, a representative of the TNK-BP partners said the Rosneft deal violated a 2003 shareholder agreement that required BP to first consult the management of that joint venture before negotiating new business with others in Russia or Ukraine. (New York Times, 01.18.11).
The risk of doing business in Russia will increase in the eyes of many foreign investors after the second conviction of Yukos chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky last month, Kremlin economic aide Arkady Dvorkovich said Wednesday. (Moscow Times, 01.20.110).

Defense:

In the autumn and winter of 2010, 278,821 citizens were called up for military service, Col-Gen Vasiliy Smirnov, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, told journalists on Thursday. The results of medical checkups conducted during Russia's autumn military draft showed that 30% of conscripts were unfit to serve in the armed forces due to poor health, he said. (Interfax, 01.20.11).
Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation Nikolay Pankov has announced that there are no plans to discharge the commander-in-chief of the Air Force of the Russian Federation, Col-Gen Aleksandr Zelin, from military service in the near future. A source in the Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that Zelin is expected to be discharged to the reserve from the Armed Forces due to his length of service. (Interfax, 01.21.11).

Security and law-enforcement:

President Medvedev gave prosecutors three months to verify income declarations filed by government officials as part of his drive to stamp out Russia's rampant corruption. "You hear that they all have palaces in the countryside and the declarations they make" are tiny, Medvedev told a government meeting on corruption in the Kremlin today. "Let's check it all. If there are discrepancies, prepare proposals on the accountability of these people." (Bloomberg, 01.13.11).
Lieutenant General Alexander Bokov, an Interior Ministry official overseeing an anti-mafia coordination bureau for former Soviet republics, was detained Wednesday in Moscow on suspicion of defrauding a businessman of $46 million. (Moscow Times, 01.20.11).
British police said Tuesday they are investigating corruption allegations against four Russian officials working at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London. Russia's Economic Development Ministry said one of the officials is Yelena Kotova, who was removed from her position on the board of directors following the EBRD's internal inquiry. (AP, 01.18.11).
President Medvedev on Monday urged a crackdown on far-right nationalists, the latest government effort to curb neo-Nazi movements after Moscow saw the worst racial clashes since the fall of the Soviet Union. "These developments must be countered with a serious response," he said. (Reuters, 01.17.11).
Preliminary data for the year 2010 show that in 44 regions of Russia, racially motivated attacks resulted in the deaths of 37 people, with no fewer than 368 injured. Moscow and the greater Moscow region continued to face the most violence, with 19 killed and 174 injured. In St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, two were killed and 47 injured. In Nizhny Novgorod, 4 were killed and 17 injured. In Rostov-on-Don, 12 were injured in attacks, and in Tomsk, 13. (Sova-center, 01.18.11).
A total of 3 million crimes were registered nationwide in 2009, according to official statistics, but the real number of crimes committed that year - including unreported ones - stood at 26 million and will reach 30 million by 2020, according to a research group with the General Prosecutor's Office Academy. The number of crimes has been growing by 2.4 percent a year, with millions of wrongdoings going unreported, the group said. (Moscow Times, 01.17.11).

Foreign affairs:

President Medvedev will deliver the opening speech at next week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which will be attended former U.S. President Bill Clinton, U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend the forum that starts in the ski resort on Jan. 26. Medvedev will speak about the need to change the rules of the game in the world economy and politics in light of ongoing information processes, presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich said. (Interfax, 01.21.11, Bloomberg, 01.19.11).
Medvedev will speak about the need to change the rules of the game in the world economy and politics in light of ongoing information processes, presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich said. (Interfax, 01.21.11, Bloomberg, 01.19.11).
President Medvedev on Tuesday said Russia had recognized an independent Palestinian state in 1988 and was not changing that position. Medvedev met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordanian King Abdullah II during his trip. Sergei Prikhodko was quoted as saying Russia is still interested in hosting a Mideast peace conference in Moscow, though no dates have been set. (AP, Reuters, 01.19.11).
Foreign Minister Lavrov arrived in Istanbul on a visit on Wednesday for talks with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. Lavrov will also take part in the first session of the Russian-Turkish strategic planning group. "The participants in the meeting will discuss the activity of the new structure and exchange views on Russian-Turkish interaction on bilateral and international issues, including European security, the situation in the Middle East, the Balkans, Transcaucasia and other regions," the Foreign Ministry reported. (Itar-Tass, 01.19.11).
Russian air traffic controllers failed to warn the crew of Polish President Lech Kaczynski's plane that it was off course shortly before it crashed last year in Russia, Polish investigators said Tuesday. (AP, 01.18.11).
The Russian Migration Service will in the course of the year sign all remaining protocols adhering to the readmission agreement with the European Union. (Barents Observer, 01.19.11).
Austria will not grant former Mayor Yury Luzhkov a residency permit because the country's government does not want to jeopardize relations with the Kremlin by favoring a fallen official, a news report said Thursday.(Moscow Times, 01.21.11).

Russia's neighbors:

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko was sworn in Friday in a ceremony boycotted by Western ambassadors after his re-election last month in what the opposition and international monitors said was a rigged vote. "The 'color revolution' virus only strikes weak countries," he said, referring to events that led to change of power in ex-Soviet Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan in 2003-2005. (Reuters, 01.20.11).
Prime Minister Putin on Thursday took a step toward restarting oil supplies to Belarus by reiterating that Minsk would have a chance to earn an additional $4 billion in revenues. Deliveries didn't resume after Putin met with his Belarussian counterpart, Mikhail Myasnikovich, on Thursday, but Myasnikovich said the prime ministers ordered their cabinets to complete oil talks within days. (Moscow Times, 01.21.11).
One Azerbaijani soldier has been killed and two Armenian conscripts wounded recently in skirmishes at the Armenian-Azerbaijani "line of contact" around the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh. ( RFE/RL, 01.18.11).
A Tajik Interior Ministry official says four suspected members of the banned Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) were killed and some 50 others arrested in northern Tajikistan last year. (RFE/RL, 01.19.11).
The chairman of Kyrgyzstan's state committee on national security, Keneshbek Duishebaev, said a group called "Zhayshul Mahdi" (Army of the Righteous Ruler) was responsible for a series of bombings in Bishkek, including one near a synagogue last autumn and one outside a sports complex, as well as a recent attempted bombing outside a Bishkek police station. (RFE/RL, 01.17.11).
A U.S.-funded biodefense laboratory under construction in Kazakhstan created a stir today among opposition officials in the Central Asian nation who demanded to know why they had not been previously notified of the facility. (GSN, 01.18.11).