Lavrov's Press Conference During Fifth Caspian Summit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answers to Media Questions on the sidelines of the Fifth Caspian Summit, Aktau, August 12, 2018.
Nazarbayev Meets Putin At The End Of Fifth Caspian Summit
Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with the President Vladimir Putin of Russia, at the end of the Fifth Caspian Summit, Aktau, Kazakhstan, August 12, 2018.
Putin Meets Rouhani At Sidelines Of Fifth Caspian Summit
Vladimir Putin met with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the Caspian Summit, Aktau, Kazakhstan, August 12, 2018.
Putin Sums Up Caspian Five Summit: Convention On Legal Status Of Caspian...
Vladimir Putin made a statement to the press following the Fifth Caspian Summit, Aktau, Kazakhstan, August 12, 2018.
Putin's Speech At Fifth Caspian Summit In Aktau
Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech at the Fifth Caspian Summit in Aktau, Kazakhstan, August 12, 2018.
Walk Around The World: Yerevan City
This clip features images of the capital of Armenia, Yerevan: city views, institutional buildings and education centres.
Moscow Concerned About Russian Citizens’ Detention In US
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed concern about Russian citizens’ detention in the United States, in particular, the arrest of Maria Butina and detention Maxim Suverin, Nikolay Tupikin, Stanislav Lisitsky, and Alexey Livadny.
Progress Of Investigation Into Deaths Of Russian Journalists In CAR
Maria Zakharova speaks about progress of the investigation into the deaths of Russian journalists in the CAR, at a weekly briefing by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow, August 9, 2018.
Putin Convenes Security Council In Connection With New Anti-Russian Sanc...
Vladimir Putin held a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council.
The meeting considered the potential further unfriendly steps on behalf of Washington in the form of trade restrictions. It was stressed that such actions are completely illegitimate under international law.
The meeting considered the potential further unfriendly steps on behalf of Washington in the form of trade restrictions. It was stressed that such actions are completely illegitimate under international law.
Russian Diplomat: Developments Around Salisbury And Amesbury
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on Developments around Salisbury and Amesbury, at its weekly briefing, Moscow, August 9, 2018.
Zakharova Comments On New US Sanctions Against Russia And Iran
Russian diplomat Maria Zakharova commented on the US decision to impose new sanctions against Russia, as well as on restoring sanctions against Iran, at a weekly briefing by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow, August 9, 2018.
Michael Pence's Major Policy Announcement At Pentagon
Secretary of Defense James Mattis host a major policy announcement by Vice President Michael Pence in the Pentagon Auditorium, Washington, August 9, 2018.
Federica Mogherini Visits Australia
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini visited Australia, Sydney, August 8, 2018.
Putin Discuss Developing Space Industry With New ROSCOSMOS CEO
Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the development of the space industry with Dmitry Rogozin, CEO of Roskosmos State Corporation, in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence, Moscow region, August 8, 2018.
Walk Around The World: Tokyo City
This video provides stockshots about Tokyo: - general views of the city centre: Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, Hachikō crossing - views of public and governmental buildings: National Diet Building, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister's Office - views of cultural buildings: Zōjō-ji temple, Sensō-ji temple, Kabuki-za.
Federica Mogherini Visits New Zealand
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini visited New Zealand, Wellington, August 7, 2018.
South Korea-EU: UM Cho Meets EU HR Mogherini In Seoul
Minister for Unification of the Republic of Korea, Cho Myung-gyun meets EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini in Seoul, on August 6, 2018.
Kang, Mogherini Hold Joint Press Statement Ahead Meeting
Joint press statement by Kang Kyung-wha and Federica Mogherini, ahead of their meeting in Seoul, on August 6, 2018.
South Korea-EU: FM Kang Meets EU HR Mogherini In Seoul
Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Korea, Kang Kyung-wha meets EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini in Seoul, on August 6, 2018.
South Korea-EU: PM Lee Meets EU HR Mogherini In Seoul
Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Lee Nak-Yeon meets EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini in Seoul, on August 6, 2018.
Mogherini Visits Panmunjom In North Korea
EU HR Federica Mogherini visits the Truce Village of Panmunjom in Kaesong, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea, on August 5, 2018.
The Panmunjom village just north of the de facto border between North and South Korea, where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement that paused the Korean War was signed. The building where the armistice was signed still stands.
The Panmunjom village just north of the de facto border between North and South Korea, where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement that paused the Korean War was signed. The building where the armistice was signed still stands.
Putin Visits Opera In Chersonese International Music Festival
Vladimir Putin visits Opera in Chersonese 2th International Music Festival , which will be held on 10-12 August in the territory of the Chersonese Tavrichesky museum-reserve in Sevastopol, August 4, 2018.
Mogherini Attends 25th ASEAN Regional Forum
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini represents the EU at the roundtable and family photo at the 25th ASEAN Regional Forum, Singapore, August 4, 2018.
Maria Zaharova: Latest Developments In Syria
Maria Zakharova commented on the latest developments in Syria at the weekly briefing of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow, August 3, 2018.
Mi-8 Helicopter Crashes In East Siberia
18 passengers died
MOSCOW, August 4.A Mi-8 helicopter has crashed in the north of Krasnoyarsk region, East Siberia, killing 18 people aboard, a source at the emergency services told.
"There were three crewmembers and 15 passenger abroad the Mi-8 that belonged to Utair airline," he said. "All of them died."
A well-informed official in the law enforcement agencies told the helicopter had taken off from the town of Igarka, located on the River Yenisei to the north of the Arctic Circle.
"It crashed 2 km to the south of the airport, immediately after takeoff," he said.
Officials at the Krasnoyarsk regional branch of the federal Ministry for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense said the helicopter crash-landed 10:20 Siberian time [06:20 Moscow Standard Time, 03:20 UTC].
Law enforcers also said the helicopter crashed because of midair collision with a cargo carried by another helicopter.
"It crashed immediately after takeoff because of collision with the cargo carried by another helicopter that was also airborne at the moment," a police source said.
In the meantime, other law enforcers said there was priority version explaining for the cause of the accident so far, with all the possible versions under consideration. Their list included a crew error and equipment failure.
A spokesman for an emergency team set up to eliminate the aftermaths of the accident two flight recorders had been found at the site of the crash.
"Both flight recorders have been found," he said. "We’ll hand them to the experts of the Interstate Aviation Committee."
Operatives and rescue teams were working at the site of the crash at the time this report went on wire.
MOSCOW, August 4.A Mi-8 helicopter has crashed in the north of Krasnoyarsk region, East Siberia, killing 18 people aboard, a source at the emergency services told.
"There were three crewmembers and 15 passenger abroad the Mi-8 that belonged to Utair airline," he said. "All of them died."
A well-informed official in the law enforcement agencies told the helicopter had taken off from the town of Igarka, located on the River Yenisei to the north of the Arctic Circle.
"It crashed 2 km to the south of the airport, immediately after takeoff," he said.
Officials at the Krasnoyarsk regional branch of the federal Ministry for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense said the helicopter crash-landed 10:20 Siberian time [06:20 Moscow Standard Time, 03:20 UTC].
Law enforcers also said the helicopter crashed because of midair collision with a cargo carried by another helicopter.
"It crashed immediately after takeoff because of collision with the cargo carried by another helicopter that was also airborne at the moment," a police source said.
In the meantime, other law enforcers said there was priority version explaining for the cause of the accident so far, with all the possible versions under consideration. Their list included a crew error and equipment failure.
A spokesman for an emergency team set up to eliminate the aftermaths of the accident two flight recorders had been found at the site of the crash.
"Both flight recorders have been found," he said. "We’ll hand them to the experts of the Interstate Aviation Committee."
Operatives and rescue teams were working at the site of the crash at the time this report went on wire.
Mogherini's Remarks At ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting In Singapore
Opening remarks by Federica Mogherini, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, at the 2018 ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting, Singapore, August 3, 2018.
US Missile Defense System In Romania Threatens Russia’s Security
The US missile defense system Aegis Ashore was deployed at the Deveselu Military Base in May 2016
The US missile defense system Aegis Ashore stationed at a military base in the Romanian commune of Deveselu threatens Russia’s security. Diplomat from the Russian Embassy in Bucharest Pavel Alexeyenko wrote on Facebook that it is proved by the words of Romanian Minister of Defense Mihai Fifor, who said in an interview with the TV channel Antena 3 on Tuesday that his country "has a military base with ballistic missiles in Deveselu." This wording, corrected by the minister later, sparked a large scandal.
"Fifor’s statement is another proof that the American shield in Deveselu is a direct and immediate threat to Russian national security. Thank you for this spontaneous truth, Mr Fifor!" the Russian diplomat wrote on social media on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, his statement was cited by numerous Romanian mass media, including the Mediafax agency.
Some local observers consider the Romanian minister’s statement as the possible confession that there are ballistic missiles at the Deveselu Military Base. Political analyst Stelian Tanase noted that "there are either ballistic missiles there, as Fifor said live," and then the minister should be removed from office and handed over to the tribunal for the divulgence of state secrets, or "this was just a slip of the tongue," which, however, should arouse mistrust in Romania among its NATO partners. On Wednesday, the leaders of three opposition parties - the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the People's Movement Party (PMP) - demanded the minister’s resignation.
Fifor himself stated later that he never said that there are ballistic missiles in Deveselu and supposed that his words could have been misinterpreted. "I never said there are any ballistic missiles in Deveselu," he told Mediafax. "Anyway, it is hard to believe that a defense minister could say such a thing. I think this is misinterpretation."
The US missile defense system Aegis Ashore was stationed at the Deveselu Military Base in May 2016. It includes the command and control center, Mk-41 vertical launching systems and SM-3 missile defense interceptors and is serviced by 200 US soldiers.
The Russian Foreign Ministry repeatedly stated that by deploying Aegis Ashore systems in Eastern European countries Washington violates its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty).
The US missile defense system Aegis Ashore stationed at a military base in the Romanian commune of Deveselu threatens Russia’s security. Diplomat from the Russian Embassy in Bucharest Pavel Alexeyenko wrote on Facebook that it is proved by the words of Romanian Minister of Defense Mihai Fifor, who said in an interview with the TV channel Antena 3 on Tuesday that his country "has a military base with ballistic missiles in Deveselu." This wording, corrected by the minister later, sparked a large scandal.
"Fifor’s statement is another proof that the American shield in Deveselu is a direct and immediate threat to Russian national security. Thank you for this spontaneous truth, Mr Fifor!" the Russian diplomat wrote on social media on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, his statement was cited by numerous Romanian mass media, including the Mediafax agency.
Some local observers consider the Romanian minister’s statement as the possible confession that there are ballistic missiles at the Deveselu Military Base. Political analyst Stelian Tanase noted that "there are either ballistic missiles there, as Fifor said live," and then the minister should be removed from office and handed over to the tribunal for the divulgence of state secrets, or "this was just a slip of the tongue," which, however, should arouse mistrust in Romania among its NATO partners. On Wednesday, the leaders of three opposition parties - the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the People's Movement Party (PMP) - demanded the minister’s resignation.
Fifor himself stated later that he never said that there are ballistic missiles in Deveselu and supposed that his words could have been misinterpreted. "I never said there are any ballistic missiles in Deveselu," he told Mediafax. "Anyway, it is hard to believe that a defense minister could say such a thing. I think this is misinterpretation."
The US missile defense system Aegis Ashore was stationed at the Deveselu Military Base in May 2016. It includes the command and control center, Mk-41 vertical launching systems and SM-3 missile defense interceptors and is serviced by 200 US soldiers.
The Russian Foreign Ministry repeatedly stated that by deploying Aegis Ashore systems in Eastern European countries Washington violates its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty).
Lawmakers Mull Bill On Protecting Journalists In Conflict Zones
Top stories in the Russian press on Thursday, August 2
Vedomosti: Lawmakers mull bill on protecting journalists in conflict zones
Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, should pass a law on guarantees for journalists working in hot spots of tension as soon as possible in the wake of the deaths of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic, Vedomosti writes. The paper is citing Mikhail Fedotov, who heads the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, as saying these measures should include higher insurance payouts, special training and protection means.
All these proposals were stipulated in a special bill introduced in 2014 after Russian journalists were killed in Donbass. The bill was approved in the first reading in 2015 but has been shelved since. "I hope the death of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic will make our lawmakers feel ashamed of their tardiness," he said.
Three Russian journalists were killed in the Central African Republic while making a film for ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s Investigations Management Center about the Wagner private military company, which is allegedly involved in providing Russian military assistance to the CAR government, the paper writes.
Meanwhile, a source in the State Duma told Vedomosti that the government has not backed the bill, which is opposed by both the Finance Ministry and the Labor Ministry. The Finance Ministry says the initiative will force the state media to make significant cash injections in insurance, while the Labor Ministry insists that the current legislation already has the necessary regulations.
Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Committee for Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Leonid Levin believes the bill is important and should be endorsed during the autumn session. "We don’t think additional spending is more important than human lives."
Novaya Gazeta publisher Dmitry Muratov warns that the bill could complicate the procedure of sending journalists to military conflict zones.
TKS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
Vedomosti: Lawmakers mull bill on protecting journalists in conflict zones
Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, should pass a law on guarantees for journalists working in hot spots of tension as soon as possible in the wake of the deaths of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic, Vedomosti writes. The paper is citing Mikhail Fedotov, who heads the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, as saying these measures should include higher insurance payouts, special training and protection means.
All these proposals were stipulated in a special bill introduced in 2014 after Russian journalists were killed in Donbass. The bill was approved in the first reading in 2015 but has been shelved since. "I hope the death of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic will make our lawmakers feel ashamed of their tardiness," he said.
Three Russian journalists were killed in the Central African Republic while making a film for ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s Investigations Management Center about the Wagner private military company, which is allegedly involved in providing Russian military assistance to the CAR government, the paper writes.
Meanwhile, a source in the State Duma told Vedomosti that the government has not backed the bill, which is opposed by both the Finance Ministry and the Labor Ministry. The Finance Ministry says the initiative will force the state media to make significant cash injections in insurance, while the Labor Ministry insists that the current legislation already has the necessary regulations.
Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Committee for Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Leonid Levin believes the bill is important and should be endorsed during the autumn session. "We don’t think additional spending is more important than human lives."
Novaya Gazeta publisher Dmitry Muratov warns that the bill could complicate the procedure of sending journalists to military conflict zones.
TKS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
Crimea Opens Door To EU
Top stories in the Russian press on Thursday, August 2
Izvestia: Crimea opens doors to the European Union
Russia and Slovakia have agreed to establish the European-Crimean chamber of commerce to foster business cooperation between the Black Sea peninsula and the European Union member-states, Izvestia writes. The organization will be headquartered in Bratislava and will be registered with Slovakia’s Interior Ministry, said head of the Krymcongress fund Rustam Muratov, Slovak MP Peter Marcek and businessman Roman Buso, who signed the foundational agreement.
On August 1, the Slovak delegation consisting of 12 members arrived in Crimea and will return on August 3. The signing of the agreement on setting up the European-Crimean chamber of commerce was the key outcome of business meetings during the first day, the paper says.
"This is a historic event. The public organization’s establishment will make it possible to develop trade relations with Crimea, which the Western countries have been trying to isolate over the past years," Marcek said.
The chief of Krymcongress, which promotes economic potential of the region, believes that this initiative will become a tool of cooperation between Crimean entrepreneurs and Europe. Such chambers of commerce will become the gate to the EU for Crimean goods, said Andrei Nazarov, who co-chairs the Yalta International Economic Forum and the Business Russia public organization. "Crimea and Slovakia have a great potential for cooperation, namely in agriculture, tourism, construction and the industrial sector," he said.
Over the past years, Crimea has been becoming more and more attractive for foreign investors, the paper says. This was largely encouraged by the fact that in 2015 a law on the free economic zone regime in Crimea came into effect.
TKS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
Izvestia: Crimea opens doors to the European Union
Russia and Slovakia have agreed to establish the European-Crimean chamber of commerce to foster business cooperation between the Black Sea peninsula and the European Union member-states, Izvestia writes. The organization will be headquartered in Bratislava and will be registered with Slovakia’s Interior Ministry, said head of the Krymcongress fund Rustam Muratov, Slovak MP Peter Marcek and businessman Roman Buso, who signed the foundational agreement.
On August 1, the Slovak delegation consisting of 12 members arrived in Crimea and will return on August 3. The signing of the agreement on setting up the European-Crimean chamber of commerce was the key outcome of business meetings during the first day, the paper says.
"This is a historic event. The public organization’s establishment will make it possible to develop trade relations with Crimea, which the Western countries have been trying to isolate over the past years," Marcek said.
The chief of Krymcongress, which promotes economic potential of the region, believes that this initiative will become a tool of cooperation between Crimean entrepreneurs and Europe. Such chambers of commerce will become the gate to the EU for Crimean goods, said Andrei Nazarov, who co-chairs the Yalta International Economic Forum and the Business Russia public organization. "Crimea and Slovakia have a great potential for cooperation, namely in agriculture, tourism, construction and the industrial sector," he said.
Over the past years, Crimea has been becoming more and more attractive for foreign investors, the paper says. This was largely encouraged by the fact that in 2015 a law on the free economic zone regime in Crimea came into effect.
TKS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
Russia Angered By Armenia's Actions
Top stories in the Russian press on Thursday, August 2
Kommersant: Moscow angered by Armenia’s crackdown on CSTO chief
The new Armenian authorities’ decision to prosecute former leaders has driven a wedge into Moscow’s relations with Yerevan and may set the two countries at loggerheads even more, Kommersant writes. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government has launched a criminal investigation against former senior officials as part of a case into dispersing opposition protesters in March 2008.
Pashinyan, who was sent behind the bars in 2010 for organizing the riots, now demands those who also had a role in the crackdown on the protesters be held accountable: ex-President Robert Kocharyan and Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Yuri Khatchaturov, who was the commander of the Yerevan garrison in 2008. They have been charged with usurping power, the paper says.
The prosecution of the CSTO chief has sparked Moscow’s outrage as this deals a blow to the image of the Russian-led military and political bloc, sources in Russia’s state bodies told Kommersant. One of the sources close to the CSTO did not rule out that "the attempt to slander Khatchaturov and the entire organization has been inspired by players outside the region."
The standoff between Moscow and Yerevan may affect Russian weapons supplies to Armenia agreed earlier, according to the paper. Top managers of two Russian defense enterprises said the implementation of the second package of contracts, under a $100 mln loan to Armenia, "now remains doubtful."
Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute, has called not to link the current events in Armenia with the country’s foreign policy priorities. "What is happening now in Armenia is within the logic of the Armenian domestic political process. It should be viewed in the context of relations between the new and old elites."
Lavrov Comments On What Is Happening In Armenia
TKS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
Kommersant: Moscow angered by Armenia’s crackdown on CSTO chief
The new Armenian authorities’ decision to prosecute former leaders has driven a wedge into Moscow’s relations with Yerevan and may set the two countries at loggerheads even more, Kommersant writes. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government has launched a criminal investigation against former senior officials as part of a case into dispersing opposition protesters in March 2008.
Pashinyan, who was sent behind the bars in 2010 for organizing the riots, now demands those who also had a role in the crackdown on the protesters be held accountable: ex-President Robert Kocharyan and Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Yuri Khatchaturov, who was the commander of the Yerevan garrison in 2008. They have been charged with usurping power, the paper says.
The prosecution of the CSTO chief has sparked Moscow’s outrage as this deals a blow to the image of the Russian-led military and political bloc, sources in Russia’s state bodies told Kommersant. One of the sources close to the CSTO did not rule out that "the attempt to slander Khatchaturov and the entire organization has been inspired by players outside the region."
The standoff between Moscow and Yerevan may affect Russian weapons supplies to Armenia agreed earlier, according to the paper. Top managers of two Russian defense enterprises said the implementation of the second package of contracts, under a $100 mln loan to Armenia, "now remains doubtful."
Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute, has called not to link the current events in Armenia with the country’s foreign policy priorities. "What is happening now in Armenia is within the logic of the Armenian domestic political process. It should be viewed in the context of relations between the new and old elites."
Lavrov Comments On What Is Happening In Armenia
TKS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
Washington's New Crushing Sanctions And US-China Trade Standoff Escalates
Top stories in the Russian press on Friday, August 3
Kommersant: US senators unveil ‘crushing’ penalties against Moscow
A group of senators from the US Republican Party and the Democratic Party has introduced a bill on new sanctions against Russia accusing it of continuing to meddle in the US election, creating chaos in Syria and aggression in Crimea, Kommersant writes. While acknowledging that the previous sanctions have had no effect, initiators of The Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act of 2018 offered a new package of penalties - ranging from banning any transactions pertaining to the Russian sovereign debt to personal sanctions targeting "political figures, oligarchs, and family members." The authors believe these will be "crushing measures" forcing Moscow to change its behavior ahead of the November US midterm elections.
The legislation was submitted by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to the Senate just two weeks after the landmark Helsinki summit between the Russian and US presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The reason behind the new surge in activity was not only dissatisfaction over Trump’s steps in Helsinki, but also the upcoming elections to Congress due on November 6, the paper says.
The direct sanctions effect for Russian state energy companies will be banning them from entering new projects abroad and also further restrictions when attracting Western investment and debt capital in Russian projects. In a more long-term prospect, the potential influence of expanding US sanctions on the macroeconomic situation in Russia is still significantly limited, according to the paper.
Izvestia: Russia talks Japan into discussing US missile shield
The first consultations between Russian and Japanese experts on the US missile defense system’s deployment to Japan will be held before the September meeting between the two countries’ leadership in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, sources in the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. The agreement on this was reached after the 2+2 format negotiations in Moscow between the Russian and Japanese foreign and defense ministers. The meeting was attended by Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, who visited Russia for the first time in the past 12 years.
The agreement on holding these consultations may be considered as Russia’s diplomatic victory, the paper writes. Moscow had been seeking Tokyo’s response to the initiative on organizing these talks for several months.
Japan insists that the US missile shield on its territory will be purely for defensive purposes and won’t threaten Russia. However, Moscow is not satisfied by the general explanations from high-level Japanese officials. "There are certain technical parameters of the missile defense system and only experts can explain if it may have offensive capabilities or not," a diplomatic source told Izvestia.
According to Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Japan is a staunch ally of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and all decisions regarding the foreign and defense policy on Russia are made through the lens of Tokyo’s relations with Washington. "The fact that Japan agreed to create this group is a great step forward and a big victory of Russia’s diplomacy," the expert said.
Kommersant: Tajikistan terror attack may ruin Iran’s plans on joining SCO
Relations between Tajikistan and Iran are at the lowest point: Dushanbe has blamed Tehran for a terrorist attack, which killed four foreign tourists, Kommersant writes. Although the Islamic State (terror group, outlawed in Russia) claimed responsibility for the attack, Tajikistan insists that this was the work of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRP). This conclusion was made based on the evidence of the only surviving attacker Husein Abdusamadov, who allegedly confessed that in 2014-2015 he underwent ideological and subversive training in Iran. Meanwhile, experts are not convinced on both the role of the IRP and Iran in this attack.
The Tajik-Iranian conflict, which is gaining steam, may affect Russia’s interests, the paper says. Moscow backs Iran’s aspiration to become a full-fledged member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. However, Dushanbe stonewalls all Tehran’s attempts of joining the alliance.
"Due to Tajikistan’s principled stance the issue on Iran’s accession was not even raised at the SCO June summit in Qingdao," said Radzhab Safarov, Director General of the Center for Modern Iranian Studies. Iran took offense with Moscow’s not using its "huge authority in Central Asia to ask Tajikistan not to impede the SCO expansion," he noted.
According to Valdai Club expert and senior lecturer at the Tehran Shahid Behsti University Hamidrez Azizi, Dushanbe’s steps are encouraged by Saudi Arabia, which has been increasing its influence in Tajikistan. "Iran’s full-fledged membership (in the SCO) will strengthen the country’s international role, while Riyadh is not ready to accept this," Azizi said.
Moscow may attempt to defuse tensions between the conflicting parties, but no one expects it to side with Iran. "When Tajikistan is concerned, the situation becomes more complicated, as this is Russia’s de facto ally," the expert explained.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: US-Chinese trade standoff may draw Russia into new crisis
The trade war between Beijing and Washington is heating up. China retaliates against any US measures by countermeasures, and now Washington plans to hike tariffs on $200 bln in Chinese goods, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. China calls on the US to show common sense, but is not ruling out the introduction of tit-for-tat restrictions on US imports. Experts note that Washington is shooting itself in the foot: one third of Chinese imports returns to the US under American brands. Besides, this trade standoff may trigger a huge slowdown in the global economy, and result in a recession in Russia.
"If the US makes a decision to increase tariffs doubling what was earlier expected, this will result in a greater slowdown in global economy. According to our assessments, due to this decision global GDP growth rates may drop by 1 or 1.5 percentage points," analyst at the Analytical Credit Rating Agency Vasilisa Baranova said.
For Russia, the increasing protectionism in global trade will mean reduced demand in its export. On the other hand, the tariffs will in theory create new opportunities for boosting Russian-Chinese trade, the expert said. "In the mid-term prospect this may partly compensate the negative effect for our economy related to the general downturn in global trade. This process may be also encouraged by the general tendency of the past years linked to growing cooperation between Russia and China, trade and financial flows and also the Silk Road project implementation," the analyst noted.
According to Roman Tkachuk, a senior analyst at the Alpari investment company, "if the scenario of a full-scale trade standoff between the US and China becomes a reality, the price of Brent crude will roll back to $50-$60 per barrel. In this case we will see an outflow of funds from all developing markets. Russia will be affected as an export-oriented country."
"Russia should not hope to win the economic race. Trade wars can slow down global economic growth by 1 or 2 percentage points and disturb logistic chains around the world," analyst at Alor Broker Alexei Antonov said.
Izvestia: EBRD shuts down six offices in Russia amid lack of new projects
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has closed six out of its seven branches in Russia, leaving just one central office in Moscow, the international financial institution’s press service told Izvestia. This decision is in connection with the gradual suspension of the organization’s work in Russia and the lack of new projects where the bank could invest funds.
The Eurasian Development Bank, which brings together Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is already replacing the EBRD. It has bought the EBRD’s stake in some Russian projects and plans to further pour in funds in small and medium-sized businesses.
The EBRD board of directors announced the decision to suspend all new operations in Russia in July 2014. The Russian Foreign Ministry slammed this decision as politicized viewing this as another attempt of sanctions pressure. A source close to the financial institution told Izvestia that the decision on investing in new projects is made by its shareholders, namely Western states. This means that halting the financing of new Russian projects was indeed a political move, the source noted.
In early July, some media reports said that Italy suggested lifting the ban on issuing loans of the EBRD for small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. The bank confirmed this report to Izvestia, but stressed that shareholders should adopt a consolidated stance.
Deputy Chairman of the EBRD Board of Directors Andrey Krayniy said there are great doubts about the bank’s return into serious strategic projects. The signal from Italian colleagues came amid news from Brussels on extending sanctions against Russia. Even if this initiative is successful, the EBRD will face serious rivalry on the Russian market, he noted.
TKS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
Kommersant: US senators unveil ‘crushing’ penalties against Moscow
A group of senators from the US Republican Party and the Democratic Party has introduced a bill on new sanctions against Russia accusing it of continuing to meddle in the US election, creating chaos in Syria and aggression in Crimea, Kommersant writes. While acknowledging that the previous sanctions have had no effect, initiators of The Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act of 2018 offered a new package of penalties - ranging from banning any transactions pertaining to the Russian sovereign debt to personal sanctions targeting "political figures, oligarchs, and family members." The authors believe these will be "crushing measures" forcing Moscow to change its behavior ahead of the November US midterm elections.
The legislation was submitted by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to the Senate just two weeks after the landmark Helsinki summit between the Russian and US presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The reason behind the new surge in activity was not only dissatisfaction over Trump’s steps in Helsinki, but also the upcoming elections to Congress due on November 6, the paper says.
It is noteworthy that unlike other proposals on strengthening sanctions, the new initiative suggests punishing for investments not in Russian export pipelines, but in general for investment in energy projects "supported by Russia state-owned or parastatal entities." Since the term "support" is rather vague, it is unclear whether it targets projects receiving secured loans at state banks, or receiving tax benefits.
The direct sanctions effect for Russian state energy companies will be banning them from entering new projects abroad and also further restrictions when attracting Western investment and debt capital in Russian projects. In a more long-term prospect, the potential influence of expanding US sanctions on the macroeconomic situation in Russia is still significantly limited, according to the paper.
Izvestia: Russia talks Japan into discussing US missile shield
The first consultations between Russian and Japanese experts on the US missile defense system’s deployment to Japan will be held before the September meeting between the two countries’ leadership in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, sources in the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. The agreement on this was reached after the 2+2 format negotiations in Moscow between the Russian and Japanese foreign and defense ministers. The meeting was attended by Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, who visited Russia for the first time in the past 12 years.
The agreement on holding these consultations may be considered as Russia’s diplomatic victory, the paper writes. Moscow had been seeking Tokyo’s response to the initiative on organizing these talks for several months.
Japan insists that the US missile shield on its territory will be purely for defensive purposes and won’t threaten Russia. However, Moscow is not satisfied by the general explanations from high-level Japanese officials. "There are certain technical parameters of the missile defense system and only experts can explain if it may have offensive capabilities or not," a diplomatic source told Izvestia.
According to Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Japan is a staunch ally of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and all decisions regarding the foreign and defense policy on Russia are made through the lens of Tokyo’s relations with Washington. "The fact that Japan agreed to create this group is a great step forward and a big victory of Russia’s diplomacy," the expert said.
Kommersant: Tajikistan terror attack may ruin Iran’s plans on joining SCO
Relations between Tajikistan and Iran are at the lowest point: Dushanbe has blamed Tehran for a terrorist attack, which killed four foreign tourists, Kommersant writes. Although the Islamic State (terror group, outlawed in Russia) claimed responsibility for the attack, Tajikistan insists that this was the work of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRP). This conclusion was made based on the evidence of the only surviving attacker Husein Abdusamadov, who allegedly confessed that in 2014-2015 he underwent ideological and subversive training in Iran. Meanwhile, experts are not convinced on both the role of the IRP and Iran in this attack.
The Tajik-Iranian conflict, which is gaining steam, may affect Russia’s interests, the paper says. Moscow backs Iran’s aspiration to become a full-fledged member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. However, Dushanbe stonewalls all Tehran’s attempts of joining the alliance.
"Due to Tajikistan’s principled stance the issue on Iran’s accession was not even raised at the SCO June summit in Qingdao," said Radzhab Safarov, Director General of the Center for Modern Iranian Studies. Iran took offense with Moscow’s not using its "huge authority in Central Asia to ask Tajikistan not to impede the SCO expansion," he noted.
According to Valdai Club expert and senior lecturer at the Tehran Shahid Behsti University Hamidrez Azizi, Dushanbe’s steps are encouraged by Saudi Arabia, which has been increasing its influence in Tajikistan. "Iran’s full-fledged membership (in the SCO) will strengthen the country’s international role, while Riyadh is not ready to accept this," Azizi said.
Moscow may attempt to defuse tensions between the conflicting parties, but no one expects it to side with Iran. "When Tajikistan is concerned, the situation becomes more complicated, as this is Russia’s de facto ally," the expert explained.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: US-Chinese trade standoff may draw Russia into new crisis
The trade war between Beijing and Washington is heating up. China retaliates against any US measures by countermeasures, and now Washington plans to hike tariffs on $200 bln in Chinese goods, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. China calls on the US to show common sense, but is not ruling out the introduction of tit-for-tat restrictions on US imports. Experts note that Washington is shooting itself in the foot: one third of Chinese imports returns to the US under American brands. Besides, this trade standoff may trigger a huge slowdown in the global economy, and result in a recession in Russia.
"If the US makes a decision to increase tariffs doubling what was earlier expected, this will result in a greater slowdown in global economy. According to our assessments, due to this decision global GDP growth rates may drop by 1 or 1.5 percentage points," analyst at the Analytical Credit Rating Agency Vasilisa Baranova said.
For Russia, the increasing protectionism in global trade will mean reduced demand in its export. On the other hand, the tariffs will in theory create new opportunities for boosting Russian-Chinese trade, the expert said. "In the mid-term prospect this may partly compensate the negative effect for our economy related to the general downturn in global trade. This process may be also encouraged by the general tendency of the past years linked to growing cooperation between Russia and China, trade and financial flows and also the Silk Road project implementation," the analyst noted.
According to Roman Tkachuk, a senior analyst at the Alpari investment company, "if the scenario of a full-scale trade standoff between the US and China becomes a reality, the price of Brent crude will roll back to $50-$60 per barrel. In this case we will see an outflow of funds from all developing markets. Russia will be affected as an export-oriented country."
"Russia should not hope to win the economic race. Trade wars can slow down global economic growth by 1 or 2 percentage points and disturb logistic chains around the world," analyst at Alor Broker Alexei Antonov said.
Izvestia: EBRD shuts down six offices in Russia amid lack of new projects
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has closed six out of its seven branches in Russia, leaving just one central office in Moscow, the international financial institution’s press service told Izvestia. This decision is in connection with the gradual suspension of the organization’s work in Russia and the lack of new projects where the bank could invest funds.
The Eurasian Development Bank, which brings together Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is already replacing the EBRD. It has bought the EBRD’s stake in some Russian projects and plans to further pour in funds in small and medium-sized businesses.
The EBRD board of directors announced the decision to suspend all new operations in Russia in July 2014. The Russian Foreign Ministry slammed this decision as politicized viewing this as another attempt of sanctions pressure. A source close to the financial institution told Izvestia that the decision on investing in new projects is made by its shareholders, namely Western states. This means that halting the financing of new Russian projects was indeed a political move, the source noted.
In early July, some media reports said that Italy suggested lifting the ban on issuing loans of the EBRD for small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. The bank confirmed this report to Izvestia, but stressed that shareholders should adopt a consolidated stance.
Deputy Chairman of the EBRD Board of Directors Andrey Krayniy said there are great doubts about the bank’s return into serious strategic projects. The signal from Italian colleagues came amid news from Brussels on extending sanctions against Russia. Even if this initiative is successful, the EBRD will face serious rivalry on the Russian market, he noted.
TKS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
Lavrov's Remarks At ASEAN-Russian Foreign Ministers Summit In Singapore
Opening Remarks by Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov at the Meeting of the Russian-ASEAN Foreign Ministers, Singapore, August 2, 2018.
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