Russia is ready to increase delivery the delivery of natural gas to India; Russia to quit START if the US goes ahead with Europe’s missile defence plan; Russian Air Force to get 90 new aircrafts in 2012; In the backdrop of a spate of space failures, Presi
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    • According to Gazprom’s CEO Alexei Miller Russia is ready to increase gas supply to India within the framework of the Eastern Gas Programme. Gazprom has exported to India 650,000 tonnes of natural gas since 2009.1

    According to reports, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that Russia will take a step back in the field of disarmament and arms control and may even quit START if the US goes ahead with the European missile defence plan.2

    Reports noted that the Russian Air Force will take delivery of about 90 new or modernized fixed and rotary wing aircraft in 2012. These include the Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers, Su-25SM Frogfoot attack fighters, Mi-28N Night Hunter and the Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters, Mi-26T heavy lift helicopters and Su-35S Flanker-E multirole fighters.3

    Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has threatened to punish (in the form of heavy fines, disciplinary or even criminal penalties) officials responsible for recent high profile failures in the space sector.4

    Meanwhile, Russia’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, has warned Western powers against meddling in Russia’s forthcoming elections after agreeing to stand for president in March 2012. Such defiant rhetoric has come to dominate Russian political discourse since liberal revolutions in neighbouring Ukraine and Georgia in the early 2000s forced pro-Kremlin leaders from power there.5

    In another development, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Russia would seek US explanation on its plans to deploy military bases in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of troops in 2014. In the past Lavrov has voiced concern over the U.S. plans to create counter-terrorism bases in Afghanistan and expand its presence in Central Asia.6

    President Dmitry Medvedev has lavished praise on Russia’s effort in the Caucasus in 2008 which prevent further NATO expansion in the region.7

    Prime Minister Putin has said that Russia will grant a loan of up to $10 billion ‘with the ten-year takedown period and the 15-year repayment period’ to Belarus for building a nuclear power plant.8

    Russia’s budget surplus may reach 0.3-0.4 percent (comprise 300 billion roubles) of the GDP in 2011. Acting Finance Minister Mr. Anton Siluanov has said that the money will be utilized to reduce borrowings in the domestic market.9

    According to reports, the United States has announced that it will not allow Russian inspections of U.S. bases or share data with Russia on its nonnuclear weapons stores in Europe after years of failed efforts to revitalize the Cold War-era arms treaty - Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty. The major bone of contention has been NATO expansion and Russia’s troop presence in Georgia.10

    Russia has termed force interference into Syria’s domestic affairs as inadmissible and human rights pretexts must not be used as an excuse for such interference.11

    According to reports, the executive secretary of the Customs Union Sergei Glaziev has said that Russia’s accession to the World Trade organization (WTO) will not affect the activity and viability of the Customs Union since the Union was being developed in compliance with the WTO rules.12

    Reports noted that Gazprom has agreed to slash its gas price for Belarus as the two neighbours prepare to move their economies closer next year. The gas behemoth will charge Belarus $165.60 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas next year, down from $244 this quarter. The average price for Gazprom's other European customers will amount to $400 throughout next year. The pricing agreement will come into force simultaneously with the Single Economic Space, an economic integration effort of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.13

    In other developments, according to reports, a new radar station in Kaliningrad is ready for integration in a missile attack warning system. 14

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