Prime Minister Medvedev pays an official visit to China; Russia-NATO Council meeting at Defence Ministers level held; Russia and Netherlands discuss the situation over Russian Embassy in Hague; Russia’s Air Force Commander pays an official visit to Iran;
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Whatsapp
  • Linkedin
  • Print
  • (OCTOBER 21-27)

    According to reports, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited China on an official trip during October 21-23. Apart from participating in the 18th regular meeting between heads of government of the two states, he also met members of PRC. A total of 20 agreements were signed which include bilateral economic, investment, nuclear, energy, hydrocarbon and humanitarian cooperation. Developments in Syria were also discussed. 1

    Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said that the Russia-NATO Council is concerned over the evolving situation in Afghanistan. His comments were made in the backdrop of a session of Russia-NATO Council at Defence ministers' level held on October 23. Other issues discussed include Anti Ballistic Missile deployment, fight against terrorism, plans for joint exercises and interaction on logistical support. 2

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte discussed, over a telephonic conversation held on October 21, the recent irritants in their bilateral relations. The negotiators of both sides also shared their views on the ongoing Russian-Dutch cross years and gave a positive assessment to the events within the programme of the cross years. 3

    Russia’s Air Force Commander Viktor Bondarev has paid an official visit to Iran wherein bilateral military cooperation was discussed. Some of the deals agreed in principle include cooperation in training of military pilots, technical maintenance of missiles and radar air defence systems and expert experience exchanges. However, delivery of S-300 air defence systems was not part of the agenda. 4

    According to reports, Russia’s state legislature ‘Duma’ has urged the international community to demand lifting the American blockade of Cuba. This was the 11th similar resolution of the Duma. 5

    Russia has put into operation the Kirinsky gas and condensate field on the shelf of Sakhalin Island. The field which is owned by Gazprom and located in the Sea of Okhotsk at about 28 kms from Sakhalin shore is to become a resource base for the Vladivosotk-LNG project. The prospected reserves of the gas-field amount to 162.5 billion cubic metres of gas and 19.1 million tonnes of gas condensate. The projected production is estimated to be 5.5 billion cubic metres a year. 6

    Russian Investigative Committee has mitigates charges against Greenpeace activists from piracy to more lenient ‘hooliganism’. The activists were arrested for staging protests in the Russian offshore oil drilling rig Prirazlomnaya. 7

    Aircraft carrier Vikramaditya will be transferred to India on November 16 when a ceremony will be held at the Sevmash shipyard. It is expected to sail for India on November 30. 8

    Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich has said that Moscow is deeply outraged with “the cynical statement” made by Latvia’s Minister of Justice Jānis Bordāns, in which he called for bringing down Riga's Memorial to Soviet Liberators. 9

    According to reports, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has announced that Russia has started testing a new hypersonic weapon. 10

    President Putin has declared that Ukraine cannot become a member of Customs Union if it signs the Association Agreement with the European Union. 11

    A Russian Proton-M carrier rocket with a Briz-M booster and a U.S. Sirium FM-6 radio satellite has been successfully launched from the Baikonur space pad in Kazakhstan on October 25. 12

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a telephonic conversation (held on October 26) with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, has discussed plans to convene the Geneva II peace conference on Syria. The conference is expected to take place at the end of November while the Russia-U.S.-U.N. consultative meeting will be held in Geneva on November 5. 13

    In other developments, according to reports, Syrian Deputy Minister of Economy Hayan Solaiman has said that Syria is looking to develop closer economic cooperation with Russia. He added that the share of Russian imports by Syria has reached 15 per cent (from five per cent before the beginning of war) and will reach 35 per cent within the next two years. Bilateral trade has increased by 40 per cent in 2012. Moreover, Syria has also applied for membership to the Customs Union and is interested in joining BRICS and SCO. 14

    Russia has provided urgent humanitarian assistance (37 tonnes) for Syrian refugees living in Iraq. 15

    Russia has declared that the number of combat planes stationed at Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan will be doubled in the near future. 16

    Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that in a Council of CIS Foreign Ministers meeting held in Minsk on October 25, a number of issues of international concern were discussed. These include the situation in Syria, prospects for cooperation in Afghanistan and interaction with the UN and OSCE. 17

    A Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting, comprising of Presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan has taken place in Minsk on October 24. Among the documents signed include agreements on integration of development areas, work on the draft Eurasian Economic Union treaty, Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space. 18

    Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has drafted a proposal which will allow it to monitor the internet. This includes getting access to internet history, phone numbers, IP-addresses, account names and emails of social network users. 19

    Top