Press & Information Wing Embassy of India Moscow Daily Media Digest December 12, 2013 I o!

!erage on India Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan have threatened each other with war (Izvestia) Increased cultural cooperation can help overcome stereotypes ( Russia and India Report) Sri Lanka detains and releases over 220 Indian fishermen ( Voice of Russia) India Supreme Court upholds colonial ban on ay se! (Russia Today) II o!erage on India"s neig#bo$r#ood "f hanistan#s nei hbours wary as $S withdrawal looms (Kommersant) %last near $S embassy& IS"' () in *abul (Russia Today) $S to provide +,- million for Central "sia . South "sia electricity pro/ect Pakistan0 court instead of the army (Voice of Russia) Pakistan 1avy chief to arrive in Sri Lanka (Voice of Russia) Pakistani court stops airin of forei n films (Voice of Russia) III o!erage on %$ssia and its neig#bo$r#ood 1& %$ssia'E(ternal 2ussia& $S to draft new trade a enda Ma nitsky list may row by year#s end 3 $S "mbassador 2ussia warns of nuclear response to $S lobal strike pro ram 2ussia reaffirms plans to cooperate with Iran on peaceful atom Syria to resume partnership with 4estern special services after embassies opened in 5amascus 6PC4 to make public plan on chemicals elimination in Syria

5ecember ,7 . $1 official President 6bama unlikely to attend Sochi 6lympics& $S 8nvoy su ests "ustria e!tradites 2ussian banker accused of over +9, million fraud 2& %$ssia'Internal 2ussians accused of leakin :dual use; technolo y Constitutional framework must be stable . President Islamists held over arson attack on 2ussian churches 2ussia to focus on robotic weaponry in arms procurement 2ussia to develop li ht.class fi hter /et 2ussian official plays down concerns on future of Proton 2ussia speeds up work on "n ara rocket base 2ussian leader#s state.of.the.nation address to 'ederal "ssembly President Putin says population rowth re istered in 2ussia& first time after ,<<, President Putin proposes broad discussion of law on public control President Putin calls for political competition development& public debate 2ussian parliament to consider amnesty on 5ecember ,7 3& Economy Inflation in 2ussia may be 9=> ? . 'inance Minister Siluanov 2ussian overnment assi ns 'inance Ministry to amend roadmap for establishin an International financial center in 2ussia 2ussia;s @aAprom takes over as monopoly in *yr yAstan for +, 2ussia unveils new ruble si n President Putin dissatisfied with absence of non.raw.material e!port& demands new e!port roadmap from overnment& strate ic investments a ency by March ,& 20,> )& I* & +eig#bo$r#ood 2esult is of importance to 2ussia in dialo ue with $kraine& not format . 2ussian 'irst Bice.Premier I or Shuvalov

2ussians support stron er ties with $kraine $S hints at possible sanctions a ainst $kraine Police action hinders political dialo ue in $kraine 3 8$ $kraine seeks to si n a reement with 8$ on mutually advanta eous basis . 'orei n Minister $S 6fficial calls *iev police crackdown :impermissible; $krainian opposition re/ects talks with overnment $S State 5epartment meets "merican "mbassadors to South Caucasian countries in Cerevan "rmenia can brin closer to Customs $nion till 1ew Cear . "rmenian Minister Dransdniestria preparin anti.crisis measures in li ht of Moldova;s /oinin 8$ free trade Aone deal EEEEE

DE,-I.* I o!erage on India I/!estia, 00&12&13 Prime Ministers of India and Pa1istan #a!e t#reatened eac# ot#er wit# war& 2y -le1sey 2ae!, Del#i The conflict over Kashmir is being used by both sides for political aims Speakin in the Le islative "ssembly of Pakistan occupied *ashmir& Prime Minister 1awaA Sharif said that Fthe Guestion of the status of the State remains a ma/or problem in relations with India and could unleash a fourth war between the two nuclear powers at any moment=H "nd after /ust a few hours& his Indian counterpart Manmohan Sin h ave Guite an uneGuivocal answer to his opposite number& recallin that Fin his lifetime he does not remember e!amples when Pakistan mana ed to win even one of those wars=H 8!perts on both sides of the Line& which divides the State into two parts& have started talkin seriously about the possibility of a ma/or armed conflict between India and Pakistan= IAvestia asked "li "hmed& an employee of the Indian Institute of 5efence Studies and "nalyses& to comment on the current situation= . 6ne should not rule out the fact that the critical situation of Pakistan;s economy could push the country;s leadership into takin some radical action= "lthou h& if speakin about the statement of the Pakistani Prime Minister& then it& most likely& is addressed to the domestic audience 3 he thinks= 3 "fter his une!pected decision to appoint 2aheel Sharif as Chief of "rmy Staff of the Pakistani "rmy& who is known for his moderate views& many have said that one should e!pect confidence.buildin measures on the Line of Control= So& now the Pakistani Prime Minister has to demonstrate intransi ence towards their nei hbours= "nother IAvestia source& an employee of the Indian 'oundation for Political Studies& "run Pradeep believes that for the rulin coalition in 5elhi it is a reat chance to score political points in the run up to the eneral elections in 20,>=

. "s shown by the survey data& the current @overnment is now seriously la in behind the 6pposition& the backbone of which is made up of the parties of a nationalist persuasion& 3 he stated= 3 Dhe 6pposition does not hesitate to point out the softness and indecisiveness of the current Cabinet= Dhus& accordin to him& a small altercation now with a traditional enemy is very advanta eous to the @overnment= Dhe e!pert is sure that the ne!t tests of the F" ni.-H ballistic missiles& scheduled for March."pril ne!t year& /ust before the elections& are intended to demonstrate the Flack of softness in defendin national interests=H It is known that the Siachen lacier is the most difficult issue in the direct confrontation between the Indian and Pakistani Military= (ere the two "rmies; troops are arran ed in the form of a layer cake& on the top of which the Indians have mana ed to ain a foothold= *eepin troops in this remote area& devoid of normal infrastructure and communications& in low temperature conditions& is e!ceedin ly costly for the military bud ets= Dhe sides have met several times to discuss the demilitariAation of the lacier 3 but without any success= (owever& now& Islamabad has accused 5elhi sayin that the presence of soldiers on the lacier is leadin to an ecolo ical catastrophe for the whole re ion= "ccordin to the Pakistanis& the water Guality has deteriorated si nificantly& the source of which is the ice under the boots of the Indian soldiers= . 1o additional eGuipment has been deployed at hi h altitude= Dhe number of troops has also remained unchan ed& 3 it was e!plained to IAvestia in the press service of the Indian "rmy (eadGuarters= 3 It is clear that the Pakistani side is lookin for an e!cuse to e!acerbate the situation= Siachen is still seen as a strate ically important stron hold for uaranteein security= Dhere is no plan to reduce our presence there= "li "hmed also thinks that another factor seriously annoyin Islamabad is the rowin military cooperation between 5elhi and *abul= Dhis fact is perceived by Pakistan as no less than Fstrate ic encirclementH= . It is obvious that one of the purposes of such harsh statements by Sharif was to demonstrate his discontentment on the threshold of "f han President (amid *arAai;s forthcomin visit to 5elhi ne!t week& durin which an a reement on military.technical cooperation will probably be si ned 3 stated the e!pert= 3 4e are talkin about the transfer to the "f han "rmy of Fnon.

lethal armamentsH (transport helicopters& trucks and so onI& as well as about the e!pansion of the trainin pro ramme for officers by Indian specialists= Dhe Indo.Pakistani conflict over *ashmir has been on oin since ,<>7= It was a conseGuence of the collapse of %ritish India& when the territory of the former Principality of Jammu and *ashmir was divided between Pakistan and India= China has also laid claim to part of the State= 5urin this time& there have been four Indo.Pakistani wars& which& however& have not chan ed the situation in reality= %$ssia and India %e3ort, 12&12&13 Increased c$lt$ral coo3eration can #el3 o!ercome stereoty3es& 2y -nton 4eres#c#agin, s3ecially for %I% In an exclusive interview with RIR, r !lena Karach"ova, author of a new boo" on the history of #aipur, tal"s about the importance of cultural anthropology and various representations of history$ 6ne of the most talked about events in Moscow;s Indolo y circles is the publication of :5ialo ues 4ith Dhe Past0 8thno (istory of a 2a/put Princely State&; a book by 5r 8lena *arachkova& a leadin scholar and senior researcher at the Centre for Indian Studies of the 2ussian "cademy of Sciences Institute of 6riental Studies= Dhe book describes in detail& but at the same time in an entertainin way& the results of a study on Jaipur& the former capital of the formidable "mer kin dom= Particular attention is paid to the four main ethno.reli ious roups in Jaipur . the 2a/puts& Meenas& Muslims& and Jains= "n 8n lish.lan ua e version of the book should be ready in time for the 20,- Jaipur Literature 'estival= *arachkova& an Indophile& whose father was a diplomat in the Soviet 8mbassy in 5elhi& dedicated the book to 2ani Lakshmi *umari Chundawat& an eminent author from 2a/asthan= *arachkova has been visitin the capital of 2a/asthan for the last >0 years and is Guite passionate about the history of the :Pink City=; *arachkova#s main topic of study in the book were the oral traditions and collective historical memories of the local people& particularly their traditional thinkin & and the role that myths& le ends& and architectural landmarks have played in shapin the peoples# ideas about the past= Dhe book shows the effectiveness of the author#s participant observation method& which is the

study of societies from within throu h direct and prolon ed contact with them= In an interview with 2I2& *arachkova talks about modern cultural anthropolo y& and about collective consciousness and historical memory= W#at are t#e main goals of c$lt$ral ant#ro3ology as a science5 Cultural anthropolo y is not a hi h culture of the elites& like art history& but it is culture of the masses= 5escribin and understandin traditions& views& thou ht processes& and collective historical memory of ordinary people& which is the ma/ority of the people in the world& is the most important oal of cultural anthropolo y= 6ow are c$lt$ral ant#ro3ology and t#e #istorical sciences related5 8ach discipline has its own ob/ectives and methodolo y= %ut brin in to ether the talents of historians and anthropolo ists to work on a research pro/ect could yield new results and even discoveries= Dhe necessity and usefulness of interdisciplinary research is one of the main ideas of my new book :5ialo ues 4ith Dhe Past0 8thno (istory of a 2a/put Princely State; Combinin field work& which is the main method used by cultural anthropolo ists& with the study of written sources is a very effective way to do research= W#at is t#e role of collecti!e #istorical conscio$sness and #istorical memory in contem3orary international relations5 I will not attempt to /ud e their role& I have not worked in this area= %ut I believe& however& that the friendly relations and mutual interest that were deliberately cultivated by the political leadership of the $SS2 and India from ,<-0.70 benefited the mass consciousness of our peoples= 'rom my own e!perience& I know that Indians still are very friendly towards 2ussians& but are radually losin interest in 2ussia= Dhis is due to the si nificant decline in cultural contacts between the two countries= Dhe older eneration of Indians remember with a hint of nostal ia the times when they could buy hi h.Guality translations of 2ussian and Soviet classics for affordable prices when folk ensembles and classical music and dance roups freGuently toured there=

W#at are some e(am3les of #istorical myt#s or fol1 inter3retation of memorable e!ents in %$ssia5 6ne of the most common historical myths in modern 2ussia is the myth of Stalin as an honest and incorruptible ruler capable of punishin evil and restorin /ustice= Dhese myths emphasiAe the personal austerity of Stalin& who alle edly had /ust one coat and one pair of boots= Such stereotypes have iven rise to the main complaints 2ussians have of the present re ime 3 that it is corrupt and unable to restore order= In order to idealiAe an ima e& its shortcomin s are overlooked= 2ussian believers have a widely held myth that in ,<>,& when @erman troops were approachin Moscow& the Soviet leader sou ht a blessin from St= Matrona of Moscow& althou h we all know perfectly well that durin the Stalin era believers were persecuted= W#at 3erce3tions and stereoty3es do %$ssians #a!e abo$t India and !ice !ersa5 2ussians# ideas about India still are mainly oriental in nature= 2ussians think of India as a mysterious country that holds untold riches= Dhey associate it with yo a& fakirs and elephants= Dhe ima e of 2ussia common in India is also not particularly different from that of other countries (cold& snow& bears& nestin dolls& and vodkaI= Dhe older eneration of 2ussians ot their information on India from the Soviet film on the /ourney of "fanasy 1ikitin and from Indian films starrin 2a/ *apoorK youn 2ussians are familiar with India#s modern %ollywood films= %oth ima es are far from reality= Stereotypes about other peoples have always e!isted and will e!ist in the public consciousness& but they can be overcome in part by increasin cultural contacts and encoura in tourism= 4oice of %$ssia, 12&12&13 *ri .an1a detains and releases o!er 220 Indian fis#ermen& The %ri &an"an 'avy on (ednesday detained over ))* Indian fishermen and later released them, unconfirmed reports said$ Dhe official said the fishermen were fishin in the Palk Strait= (e said the fishermen in 2L boats are from Damil 1adu while four vessels are from the *araikal re ion in Puducherry=

Stron ly condemnin the incident& PM* leader S= 2amadoss& in a statement& said the fishermen were fishin in Indian waters when the Sri Lankan 1avy trespassed and arrested them besides seiAin their fishin boats= Dhe detention of Indian fishermen in lar e numbers and their boats is to be condemned stron ly& 2amadoss said= MIt is a challen e to India#s soverei nty&M he said= %$ssia ,oday, 11&12&13 India *$3reme o$rt $3#olds colonial ban on gay se(& Dhe Indian Supreme Court has struck down a 200< rulin by a lower court to decriminaliAe homose!ual se! and will uphold the ban= India;s ay community was FdisappointedH by the rulin and declared it was a Fblack dayH for L@%D ri hts= In 4ednesday;s hearin the Supreme Court said that the 5elhi (i h Court overreached its authority by rulin a ainst the ban in 200<= Dhe 5elhi (i h Court moved to abolish Section N77 of the Indian Penal Code& which classifies anal se! as Fcarnal intercourse a ainst the order of nature&H in 200<= MIt is for the le islature to look into desirability of deletin Section N77 of the Indian Penal Code&M the Supreme Court said on 4ednesday= Section N77 was introduced into the Indian le al system durin colonial rule in ,L9,= %ritish

Dhose found breakin the law bannin homose!ual intercourse can be punished by a fine and a ma!imum /ail sentence of ,0 years= %efore makin the decision& /ustices @ S Sin hvi and S J Mukhopadhaya heard the appeals of representatives of various L@%D or aniAations as well as those of reli ious roups who decried the previous (i h Court rulin as a ainst the cultural and reli ious values of the country= L@%D activists who were in attendance at the hearin visibly broke down when the rulin was pronounced and said the verdict had Ftaken away their ri ht to life&H reported the India Dimes=

MSuch a decision was totally une!pected from the top court= It is a black day&M "rvind 1arrain& a lawyer for the "lternative Law 'orum ay ri hts roup& told reporters= FIn our understandin & the Supreme Court has always sided with those who have no ri hts&H said 1arrain= In addition& "mnesty International India made a plea to the Indian parliament to take immediate steps to decriminaliAe consensual se! between adults of the same se!= L@%D activists have pled ed to appeal the Supreme Court;s rulin = (owever it is unlikely the overnment will approve decriminaliAation ahead of eneral elections in May for fear of losin conservative voters= 2eli ious roups& however& have hailed the rulin as in keepin with India;s cultural and reli ious herita e= M"ll the ma/or communities of the country . the (indus& the Christians and the Muslims . had appealed a ainst the rulin of the 5elhi (i h Court&M a lawyer for a Muslim charity told reporters= MDhey had said that this unnatural se! is not permissible in all the reli ions of the world=M 6ne of the main ar uments by L@%D supporters a ainst the criminaliAation of ay se! was that the initial ban was a product of %ritish colonialism and Indian society was more tolerant towards homose!uality= "ttorney @eneral @ 8 Bahanwati ar ued that the law was introduced into the Indian Penal Code under the influence of FBictorian morality and values=H FIt would appear that the introduction of Section N77 in India was not a reflection of e!istin Indian values and traditions= 2ather& it was imposed upon Indian society due to the moral views of the coloniAers&H the attorney said in a 20,2 hearin = II o!erage on India"s neig#bo$r#ood 7ommersant, 12&12&13 -fg#anistan8s neig#bo$rs wary as 9* wit#drawal looms& 2y Elena #ernen1o

The Russian +mbassador in Ta,i"istan tal"s about the future of the region in the wa"e of the withdrawal of the International %ecurity +ssistance -orce$ In anticipation of the imminent "merican withdrawal from "f hanistan& 2ussian "mbassador to nei hborin Da/ikistan& I or Lyakin.'rolov tells *ommersant about what kind of a role the 20,st 2ussian military base can play if the situation in nei hbourin "f hanistan deteriorates beyond a point= %$ssian e(3erts belie!e t#e most li1ely scenario in t#e sit$ation after t#e wit#drawal of +-,: from -fg#anistan is t#e coming to 3ower of t#e ,aliban and a i!il War& In yo$r o3inion, w#at is t#e most li1ely scenario5 I can talk about the view from 5ushanbe= Dhe situation in "f hanistan is taken very seriously here by both the overnment and the e!perts= " few months a o& the prevailin assessment of the situation in "f hanistan was that thin s are more or less normal and there was no direct threat to Da/ikistan= Dhe forecasts are (nowI more pessimistic= 4e all proceed from the principle that we should hope for the best but prepare for the worst= Dhe most favourable scenario is assumed to be that the current re ime is retained only in *abul and most of the provincial capitals& with the support of the $nited States and 1"D6 troops= Dhere are also less favourable scenarios about a full.blown civil war that would threaten the inte rity of the "f han State and the security of Central "sian countries= -nd %$ssia5 Dhese developments affect the security of 2ussia itself= Dherefore it is necessary to prepare= Is t#ere any disc$ssion from t#e ,a;i1 abo$t t#e ret$rn of %$ssian border g$ards on t#e ,a;i1 border wit# -fg#anistan5 "t the international level or in the framework of the CSD6& as far as I know& this issue is not bein discussed= Da/ik border uards are fully staffed= Dhey number about ,9&000& an impressive fi ure= Da/ik border uards are well preparedK many officers were trained in special educational institutions=

2$t many %$ssian e(3erts say t#at t#e border <abo$t 1300 miles on mo$ntaino$s terrain= is 3oorly g$arded& 6ur Da/ik partners say they could ensure reliable protection of the border with lo istical support from 2ussia and other countries of CSD6= Dhe Guestion of whether to return the 2ussian border uards on the Da/ik."f han border is not withstandin = "t the September CSD6 Summit& the issue of stren thenin Da/ikistan;s border with "f hanistan received the support of all the member states= Dhe initial transfer of less e!pensive supplies& weapons& ammunition and some types of special eGuipment will be implemented in January= Is it in addition to t#e tec#nical military assistance t#at was 3romised by %$ssia to ,a;i1istan5 Ces= Dhere is a pro ram of cooperation on a bilateral basis& but 2ussia and other CSD6 members felt it necessary to provide Da/ikistan with full assistance on this matter= an t#e location of t#e %$ssian 201st military base be of $se if t#e sit$ation in -fg#anistan deteriorates and s3read across t#e region5 6f course= It can be used in the event of an imminent threat to the security of Da/ikistan and other CSD6 member states= Such a feature is provided by the a reement on the conditions of stay of the 2ussian base= It is about a /oint a reement with the leadership of Da/ikistan= $nder the present circumstances& when the situation in "f hanistan is ettin worse& the base value increases= %$ssia ,oday, 12&12&13 2last near 9* embassy, I*-> 6? in 7ab$l& " blast has occurred outside the 1"D6.led IS"' military headGuarters& near the $S embassy in the "f han capital& *abul= 2euters reports that the blast struck within meters of the entrance to the $S embassy= " police official on the scene said that the blast took place ne!t to a key traffic circle in the city& located close to 1"D6.led International Security

"ssistance 'orce (IS"'I as other witnesses reported alarms oin off at the embassy compound= Dhe IS"' said the e!plosion took place around ,0020am local time (0-020@MDI& but declined to ive further comment= Dhe chief of police later reported that the blast happened by accident and took place inside the buildin of the "f han 1ational 5irectorate of Security ("15SI= Dhe IS"' has since iven the Mall clearM and daily operations have returned to normal= Dhe incident comes a day after a @erman convoy became the tar et of a suicide bomber at the capitals; international airport= (owever& terrorism was ruled out in today;s e!plosion= "nother recent incident took place on 1ovember ,9& when a suicide bomber rammed his car into an "f han army vehicle at the site of the upcomin "f han.$S security pact talks= 9* to 3ro!ide @10 million for 3ro;ect& entral -sia ' *o$t# -sia electricity

184S C62*& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . Dhe $nited States will provide +,- million for the C"S".,000 pro/ect for the creation of a system for the electric power transmission form *yr yAstan and Da/ikistan to "f hanistan and Pakistan& the $=S= 5epartment of State said in a release on 4ednesday= F4e believe C"S".,000 can be a potentially transformative pro/ect& helpin create a re ional ener y rid that connects Central and South "sia for the first time&H the document says= Dhe $=S= State 5epartment stressed& F4hen completed& C"S".,000 will allow Da/ikistan and *yr yAstan to profit from e!istin & unused summer eneration capacity by sellin electricity to "f hanistan and Pakistan=H "f hanistan would doubly benefit from the pro/ect as a consumer (N00 M4I FC"S".,000 is entirely dependent on e!istin hydropower eneration so it will not affect water.sharin a reements for other Central "sian countries= It also complements on oin efforts by the "sian 5evelopment %ank and others to support a re ional ener y rid= Dhese types of pro/ects can enhance economic interdependence and support peace and stability in the re ion for

years to come= Dhat is why the $nited States has been supportin the C"S". ,000 Secretariat for several years& and is now committin an eGuity stake in the pro/ect&H the release says= C"S".,000 provides for electricity supply by hi h.volta e transmission lines with the total len th e!ceedin ,&000 kilometres= In September& the overnment of *yr yAstan said that the practical phase of the C"S".,000 pro/ect implementation was scheduled for ne!t July= Its total cost is e!pected to reach one billion $=S= dollars= 4oice of %$ssia, 11&12&13 Pa1istanA co$rt instead of t#e army& .n (ednesday, #ustice Ifti"har /uhammad 0haudhry resigned after the completion of his constitutional term as 0hief #ustice of the %upreme 0ourt of 1a"istan$ (is tenure was rife with sharp turns of events0 dismissal& reinstatement& active role in the early resi nation of President PerveA Musharraf& and attempts to resume the prosecution of his successor "sif "li Oardari= (owever& more important than personal vicissitudes of fate of the now former chief /ud e of Pakistan seems the radical chan e in the role of the court in the political life0 in fact& now that the army has withdrawn from direct intervention in politics& it is precisely the /udiciary that takes on the role of arbiter of the political destinies of the country= Doday& Pakistani and world press list the merits of Iftikhar Chaudhry at the head of the Supreme Court= Dhese include the independence of the /udiciary from political influence and pressure from the military& and in the realiAation of human ri hts& in particular in such a troubled province as %aluchistan& as well as the fi ht a ainst corruption& and more= 8pisodes from the personal destiny of Justice Chaudhry are also remembered0 how in March 2007& he was dismissed by President PerveA Musharraf& and what ensued0 a powerful protest movement& reinstatement and& in the end& the resi nation of Musharraf in "u ust 200L year= "ctivity of the Chief Justice did not wane with the departure from the political scene of his main opponent0 durin the presidency of "sif "li Oardari& attempts were made to reopen old cases a ainst Oardari at the insistence of the /udiciary= (e& however& kept his post until the end of his mandate& but only

by sacrificin smaller fi ures like some ministers& includin Prime Minister Cousuf 2aAa @ilani= %oris Bolkhonsky& e!pert at the 2ussian Institute for Strate ic Studies& comments0 (owever& it seems that when the media are talkin about the increased de ree of independence of the /udiciary durin the presidency of Iftikhar Chaudhry& they are somewhat underestimatin what happened durin this period= 2ather& we can say that it is not the /udiciary that has become more independent& but rather that all se ments of the broader political life of Pakistan have become dependent on the /udiciary= Dhe credit for this oes not only to Iftikhar Chaudhry& says %oris Bolkhonsky= . Perhaps no less& and may be& even much reater role in this process was played by the position adopted all these years by the Chief commander of the Pakistani army& "shfaG ParveA *ayani= 5urin his tenure& the army studiously kept out of politics& while remainin actual the only uarantor of the constitutional order and territorial inte rity= Dhus was broken the Pakistani tradition of periodical chan e of re imes of civilian overnments to military power in a coup characteristic for the whole history of its independent e!istence= (owever& disen a ement from direct military intervention in politics was not in itself a uarantor of the stren th of civil overnment . says %oris Bolkhonsky= . "t least this is true for the previous overnment headed by "sif "li Oardari= "nd the vacant place of the most influential political body was filled by the Supreme Court= 6f course& this situation is much more in line with the reco niAed principles of democracy than periodic military coups= (owever& e!cessive /udicial intervention in the political process& as it was under Musharraf and Oardari& are hardly indicative of the stren th of democratic institutions in the country= So the Prime Minister 1awaA Sharif and the new head of the Supreme Court DassaduG @illani have somethin to work upon= 4oice of %$ssia, 11&12&13 Pa1istan +a!y c#ief to arri!e in *ri .an1a&

0lose on the heels of a visit by the Indian 'avy chief +dmiral K #oshi, 1a"istan2s 0hief of 'aval %taff +dmiral /ohammad +sif %andila will arrive in %ri &an"a on Thursday$ 5urin his four.day visit& Sandila will hold discussions on bilateral cooperation with his counterpart Bice "dmiral Jayanath Colomba e= (e will also hold talks with 5efence Secretary @otabaya 2a/apaksa& the brother of President Mahinda 2a/apaksa& and pay courtesy calls on the Chief of 5efence Staff and commanders of army and air force= Dhe naval relationship between the two countries has diversified si nificantly since the termination of the war a ainst Damil rebels in Sri Lanka in 200<= In the last two years& Pakistan has started sendin its youn naval officers to Sri Lanka for trainin in asymmetric warfare= 4oice of %$ssia, 12&12&13 Pa1istani co$rt sto3s airing of foreign films& + 1a"istani court has stopped the screening of foreign films, serials and television shows, especially Indian content, on the country2s TV channels, triggering panic and outrage among exhibitors and viewers$ 4hile stayin the beamin of forei n content& Lahore hi h court Justice *halid Mahmood *han on Duesday ruled that Indian films and television serials were included in M1e ative ListM under the current bilateral trade re ime= (e also directed the federal overnment and the Pakistan 8lectronic Media 2e ulatory "uthority (P8M2"I to submit a detailed reply in this re ard at the ne!t hearin on 5ecember ,2= Dhe order was issued in response to a petition filed last month by controversial DB talk show host Mubashir Lucman& a former film producer known for his anti.India stance= Lucman had contended that Indian films and DB serials were bein imported in violation of Pakistani re ulations= (e further claimed that under Pakistani rules& Indian movies that are shot completely in India and are sponsored by an Indian cannot be screened in the country=

5espite the court#s order& none of the Pakistani channels have stopped screenin forei n content& includin Indian and Durkish serials that are e!tremely popular in the country= III o!erage on %$ssia and its neig#bo$r#ood 1& %$ssia'E(ternal %$ssia, 9* to draft new trade agenda& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (2I" 1ovostiI 3 2ussia and the $S are ne otiatin new proposals to boost bilateral trade and eventually establish a free.trade Aone& a senior 2ussian official has said= F4e have proposed===establishin a comprehensive economic a enda that would===mean creatin a kind of a free trade Aone by a certain period&H 'irst 5eputy Prime Minister I or Shuvalov told reporters in 4ashin ton 4ednesday= Shuvalov has been talkin to $S investors& $S Secretary of Commerce Penny PritAker and $S Drade 2epresentative Michael 'roman in 1ew Cork and 4ashin ton durin a three.day visit= Moscow is not yet ready to discuss a free trade a reement with 4ashin ton& but is Fready to talk a deal on protectin bilateral investment&H Shuvalov said= Dhe two sides have to first find a compromise to harmoniAe bilateral standards and ensure transparency of economic entities to achieve these ains& he stressed= Dhe 2ussian and $S Presidents are e!pected to discuss the proposals at the ne!t @L summit that will take place in the southern 2ussian %lack Sea resort of Sochi in June 20,>& Shuvalov said= F"lthou h it is not called a free trade a reement& in essence the creation of institutions means this&H Shuvalov said= 2ussia finally entered the 4orld Drade 6r aniAation in 20,2 after ,< years of protracted talks= Magnits1y list may grow by year8s end 9* -mbassador&

S*6L*6B6& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 Dhe $nited States could broaden the number of 2ussian officials included on a travel blacklist by the end of this year& the $S "mbassador in Moscow said 4ednesday= "mbassador Michael Mc'aul said a review of the Ma nitsky List was currently under way& and that althou h he was uncertain what the outcome of the process would be& additions were possible= Last 5ecember& the $nited States blacklisted ,L officials over their alle ed role in the fate of whistleblowin lawyer Ser ei Ma nitsky& who was detained on ta! char es and died in custody in a Moscow /ail in 200<& after he had implicated state officials in a fraud involvin the company for which he worked= Dhe 2ussian 'orei n Ministry;s point man for human ri hts& *onstantin 5ol ov& said Mc'aul;s statement came as no surprise as the $S law stipulated that the list should be reviewed from time to time= F4e have already revealed our stance& PandQ it remains unchan ed= "ppropriate measures will be taken in response= 1aturally& we won;t leave moves like that unanswered&H 5ol ov said= %$ssia warns of n$clear res3onse to 9* global stri1e 3rogram& M6SC64& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 " senior overnment minister warned 4ednesday that 2ussia could retaliate with a nuclear strike if a new $S military strate y threatened its security= 5eputy Prime Minister 5mitry 2o oAin said that 2ussia was Fpreparin a responseH to plans by the $nited States to develop a new fast.strike weapons platform capable of hittin hi h.priority tar ets around the lobe= (e told the State 5uma that the development of a lobal strike pro ram was Fthe most important new strate y bein developed by the $nited States today=H FDhey may e!periment with conventional weapons on strate ic delivery platforms& but they must bear in mind& that if we are attacked& in certain circumstances we will of course respond with nuclear weapons&H 2o oAin said=

(e stressed that 2ussia cannot i nore the development of hi h.precision hypersonic weapon systems= 2o oAin;s comment came a day after President Putin announced that >0 new Cars (SS.2<I Intercontinental %allistic Missiles (IC%MsI would be added to 2ussia;s nuclear arsenal in 20,>= Dhe $S administration under President @eor e 4= %ush considered the idea of a lobal strike capability& but abandoned the pro/ect over fears that launchin an IC%M with a conventional warhead mi ht accidentally tri er a nuclear war= %$ssia reaffirms 3lans to coo3erate wit# Iran on 3eacef$l atom& D8(2"1& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 2ussia is interested in continuin collaboration with Iran in the development of the Islamic 2epublic;s civilian nuclear power pro ram& 'orei n Minister Ser ei Lavrov said 4ednesday= In September& 2ussia handed over to Iran operational control of the %ushehr nuclear power plant& built with 2ussia;s assistance in the country;s south= F4e see the same interest on the Iranian side= 4e know of Iran;s plans to build additional nuclear power units similar to %ushehr& which operates on a li ht water reactor& and I emphasiAe the point that this reactor is not banned by the $1 Security Council;s resolutions&H Lavrov said followin talks with Iranian 'orei n Minister Mohammad Oarif= Dhe 2ussian 'orei n Minister praised the pro ress in the implementation of a deal between Dehran and the so.called P-R, roup of international ne otiators on Iran;s controversial nuclear pro ram reached in @eneva last month= Dehran a reed to temporary freeAe its nuclear research in e!chan e for liftin some of the cripplin international sanctions= Dhe deal also stipulates that international observers will monitor nuclear sites in the country= %ut the parties still have to work out a permanent a reement that would alleviate 4estern fears about Iran;s peaceful nuclear pro ram bein a facade to build an atomic bomb= 5urin the meetin in Dehran on 4ednesday& Lavrov and Oarif also a reed on the need to boost bilateral trade and cultural ties& as well as step up collaboration on re ional issues& includin the situation in Syria& IraG and

"f hanistan= (owever& a coalition of @ulf states backed by Saudi "rabia on 4ednesday e!pressed concern over Iran;s plans to build more nuclear reactors= %ut it stopped short of echoin 4estern fears of an atomic arsenal= Dhe head of the @ulf Cooperation Council said after a two.day summit in *uwait that Fmore nuclear reactors on the banks of the @ulf threaten the environmental system and water security&H 2euters reported= *yria to res$me 3artners#i3 wit# Western s3ecial ser!ices after embassies o3ened in Damasc$s& %8I2$D& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . Syria will resume partnership with 4estern special services to fi ht terrorism after their embassies are opened in 5amascus& 1%1 reported= FCooperation with 8uropeans on the e!tremist dossier has been stopped&H 1%1 Guoted a Syrian source as sayin on Dhursday= Dhe $=S=& 'rance& %ritain and other 4estern countries closed the embassies in 5amascus in the be innin of 20,2= Dhese days Syrian 5eputy 'orei n Minister 'aisal Mekdad said several 4estern countries ave si nals to e!chan e information on the activities of armed e!tremists= :P W to ma1e 3$blic 3lan on c#emicals elimination in *yria December 1B ' 9+ official& $1ID85 1"DI61S 62@"1IS"DI61& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . " detailed plan on the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria will be made public by the 6r anisation for the Prohibition of Chemical 4eapons (6PC4I on Duesday& 5ecember ,7& the $=1= Secretary.@eneral;s spokesman& Martin 1esirky& said= It is timely to talk about the contents of the document& he said= $nder the 6PC4 plan& chemical weapons should be withdrawn from Syria till 'ebruary -& 20,>= Dhe most dan erous a ents will be eliminated outside Syria not later than March N,= Dhe other substances will be eliminated not later than June N0& 20,>= Do!ic a ents are plannin to be eliminated at sea aboard a specially eGuipped ship due to be provided by the $nited States=

"t present& practical issues are bein discussed& 1esirky said= 8arlier& 'rench permanent representative to the $=1= @erard "raud said there were lo istics problems that could hamper the withdrawal of chemical weapons outside of Syria= Dhere is no decision on ensurin security while chemicals were bein transported throu hout Syria to the Mediterranean port of Latakia= Dhen they will be loaded into ships iven by 1orway and 5enmark= Dhe parties failed to determine a port where chemicals will be reloaded into an "merican ship= President :bama $nli1ely to attend *oc#i :lym3ics, 9* En!oy s$ggests& S*6L*6B6& 2ussia& 5ecember ,, (2.SportI . $S President %arack 6bama is unlikely to attend 'ebruary;s 4inter 6lympics in Sochi& 2ussia& but could send a dele ation headed by Fformer advisors&H the $=S= "mbassador to 2ussia Michael Mc'aul su ested 4ednesday= 6bama has attended neither of the two 6lympics that have taken place durin his five years in office& but has sent hi h.level fi ures to lead the $=S= dele ations . Bice President Joe %iden headed the "merican presence at Bancouver 20,0& while 'irst Lady Michelle 6bama was present for London 20,2= FDhere will be a Presidential dele ation& that;s ,00 percent&H Mc'aul said in 2ussian.lan ua e comments= F(is wife opened the London 6lympics& and it happens that sometimes (the dele ationI is former advisors or a famous person connected with 6bama= %ut there;s a discussion still oin on about who will head it=H Dhe dele ation will be present at the Sochi openin ceremony 'ebruary 7 and closin ceremony 'ebruary 2N& as well as for March;s Paralympics& Mc'aul added= @ermany;s President Joachim @auck will not attend& ma aAine 5er Spie el has reported& in what has been widely seen as a protest a ainst 2ussian human ri hts issues= Poland& which often has strained relations with 2ussia& has vowed to send a

dele ation& but it will not include Prime Minister 5onald Dusk and may not feature President %ronislaw *omorowski= @eor ia& which fou ht a war with 2ussia in 200L& has said it will send athletes to Sochi but no overnment officials= -$stria e(tradites %$ssian ban1er acc$sed of o!er @C1 million fra$d& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (2I" 1ovostiI 3 " 2ussian banker accused of a series of frauds worth over 2 billion rubles (+9, millionI has been e!tradited to 2ussia from "ustria& 2ussian police said Dhursday= "le!ander @itelson& 9N& was detained in a town outside Bienna in "pril after bein arrested by a Moscow court in absentia in 20,0 and sou ht on an international arrest warrant= F"le!ander @itelson& who was found uilty of fraud and is suspected of ivin lar e bribes& has been e!tradited&H 2ussia;s Interior Ministry said in a statement= %etween 2009 and 200L& @itelson used his %ank of 8ast.8uropean 'inance Corporation to receive about +,-=, million of ille al funds& a crime for which he has already been sentenced to five years in prison& accordin to police= (e is also suspected of a series of other frauds& includin arran in the transfer of +-L million from the overnment of St= Petersbur & police said= @itelson will be transferred to St= Petersbur & where he will be Guestioned about the other alle ed offenses& accordin to a report in 2ussia;s *ommersant newspaper Dhursday= 2& %$ssia'Internal %$ssians acc$sed of lea1ing Dd$al $se" tec#nology& 16B6SI%I2S*& 5ecember ,2 (2I" 1ovostiI 3 Dwo 2ussians have been accused of leakin documents containin information about secret Fdual useH technolo y from a Siberian plant to a forei ner& 2ussia#s 'ederal Security Service ('S%I said Dhursday=

Dhe suspects alle edly passed documents on devices made by a plant in the city of 1ovosibirsk& a center for hi h technolo y& to a citiAen of the "sian. Pacific re ion who has been convicted of smu lin and e!pelled from 2ussia& the 'S% said= "lthou h no char es have been brou ht a ainst the suspects& they have received an official warnin that their ille al actions could have led to char es of Fstate treason&H the 'S% said= Dhe suspects were cau ht durin an operation conducted by the 'S% between 20,, and 20,N that prevented the ille al smu lin of the plant;s devices& the statement said= onstit$tional framewor1 m$st be stable ' President& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . Dhe Constitutional framework should be stable& and amendments are only needed in order to overcome le al uncertainty& as for e!ample in mer in the Supreme Court and the Supreme "rbitration Court& 2ussian President Bladimir Putin said in his annual state. of.the.nation address to the 'ederal "ssembly on Dhursday= MI#m confident that the Constitutional framework should be stableK in the first place it concerns Chapter 2 of the Constitution on the ri hts and freedoms of person and citiAen&M Putin said= MDhese provisions are inviolable=M M%ut life does not stand still& and the Constitutional process cannot be viewed as fully completed&M the 2ussian leader underlined= M'ine ad/ustments reGuired by life itself are possible and sometimes necessary=M "s an e!ample& Putin reminded about the proposal to mer e the Supreme Court and the Supreme "rbitration Court= MDheir interpretations of laws sometimes differ today= Dhis results in le al uncertainty&M the President said= In his view& the mer er of the two courts will put /udicial practice on one course= Islamists #eld o!er arson attac1 on %$ssian c#$rc#es& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (2I" 1ovostiI 3 " roup of Islamists have been detained on suspicion of arson attacks on churches in 2ussia#s 2epublic of Datarstan& local police said Dhursday=

Dhe youn men from a non.traditional Islamic roup& a ed between 22 and N-& alle edly set two 6rthodo! churches on fire in mid.1ovember usin Molotov cocktails& the Interior Ministry said in a statement= " wooden church in the villa e of Lenino was completely destroyed& while in the second case a uard mana ed to put out a fire in a church in the town of Chistopol& the ministry said= Police are investi atin whether the suspects were behind two other arson attacks last month on churches in Datarstan& a predominantly Muslim republic= Muslims and Christians have traditionally lived in harmony in Datarstan= In the last few years& a number of violent incidents have taken place& includin an attempt on the life of the most senior Muslim cleric in the republic in 20,2& that the authorities blamed on Islamist radicals from the north Caucasus= %$ssia to foc$s on robotic wea3onry in arms 3roc$rement& M6SC64& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 Dhe 2ussian army should focus on the acGuisition of robotic weaponry and reduce its overall number of different types of military eGuipment in use& a deputy Prime Minister said 4ednesday= "ddressin lawmakers from 2ussia;s lower house of parliament& 5mitry 2o oAin listed robotic weaponry and automated combat mana ement systems with hi hly secure and fast communication links as key items to be included in the new state arms procurement pro ram for 20,9 to 202-= 2o oAin said robotic technolo ies should be present in the development of all types of military hardware for use on the round& in the air and under water= 2o oAin& who oversees the defense and space industries& stressed the need to reduce the variety of similar types of weaponry manufactured in small batches because of the heavy burden on defense companies and si nificant production costs= Dhe development of modular universal combat platforms that could be used as a basis for a variety of military hardware should also be a priority& he

said= 2ussia is currently implementin an ambitious rearmament pro ram throu h 2020& with a bud et of some 20 trillion rubles (+9>0 billionI= Dhe pro ram will see the share of modern weaponry in 2ussia;s armed forces reach N0 percent by 20,- and 70 percent by 2020= %$ssia to de!elo3 lig#t'class fig#ter ;et& M6SC64& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 2ussia will soon start developin a prototype of an advanced li htwei ht fi hter /et to supplement fifth. eneration D.-0 aircraft& a top overnment official said 4ednesday= Dhe new aircraft is e!pected to be cheaper to produce and easier to maintain& but should also possess combat capabilities and performance characteristics comparable with those of heavy.class aircraft= FDhe development of a li ht.class fi hter has been included in the current arms procurement pro ram= It will be created&H said 5eputy Prime Minister 5mitry 2o oAin& addressin the lower house of parliament= 2o oAin& who oversees the defense and space industries& said li ht.class fi hters were in reater demand abroad& compared to more advanced heavy. class aircraft& such as Su.N0 or the planned D.-0 fi hter /ets= 2ussia is currently developin the heavy.class D.-0 multirole fi hter aircraft& also known as P"*.'"& which will be the core of the country;s future fi hter fleet= Dhe D.-0 is e!pected to enter service with the 2ussian air force in 20,9= 2o oAin& who first voiced the idea of developin a second type of a fifth. eneration fi hter in 'ebruary 20,2& said 4ednesday that 2ussia has always had at least two types of tactical fi hters that in eneral supplemented one another= Dhe latest e!ample is a Mi@.2<SSu.27 pair= 2o oAin did not specify which of 2ussia;s two main desi ners of combat /ets 3 Mi@ or Sukhoi 3 will be assi ned the development of the future li ht.

class fi hter= %$ssian official 3lays down concerns on f$t$re of Proton& M6SC64& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 " top 2ussian official overseein the nation;s defense sector said 4ednesday that launches of the Proton rocket from Moscow.leased %aikonur cosmodrome are set to continue= Dies between 2ussia and *aAakhstan have been sorely tested by an e!plosion of the heavy.lift rocket in July that spread 900 tons of fiery to!ic propellants in the vicinity of the launch site deep inside the vast Central "sian nation= *aAakhstan has demanded +L< million in compensation for that incident& but there has been speculation Moscow is unwillin to pay that sum& raisin doubts about prospects for the Proton& which is currently launched only from %aikonur= 5eputy Prime Minister 5mitry 2o oAin told deputies 4ednesday in the State 5uma& the lower house of parliament& that he had discussed the Proton issue with President 1ursultan 1aAarbayev on a recent visit to *aAakhstan;s capital& "stana= FIn the course of thin s we came to a mutual understandin about resumin Proton launches from %aikonur&H 2o oAin said= Dhe e!act terms of the a reement remain unclear= Launches of the Proton had suspended for three months followin an e!plosion of the Proton in July= *aAakhstan has lon had reservations about the use of to!ic fuels at %aikonur and insisted a cleanup be completed before launches resumed= 2ussia has launched four Protons since the July disaster= In January& the *aAakhstan;s *aAcosmos space a ency threatened to pull out of a /oint pro/ect with 2ussia to build a new launchpad at %aikonur= Dhe situation was resolved in 'ebruary with an a reement to launch the $krainian.made Oenit rocket at the proposed new site& instead of the 2ussian "n ara& as was previously planned=

Dhe terms of the lease for %aikonur have been sub/ect to dispute since the dissolution of the Soviet $nion in ,<<,= 2ussia currently leases the facility for +,,- million annually= %$ssia s3eeds $3 wor1 on -ngara roc1et base& M6SC64& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 Construction of a launchpad in northern 2ussia for the lon .delayed "n ara rocket will be completed ahead of previous estimates& the country#s defense minister has said= F4e have implemented a monitorin system and reduced the construction backlo of the "n ara launch facility at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome by three to si! months&H Ser ei Shoi u said= (e made the statement at a meetin of senior military fi ures in Moscow on Duesday attended by President Bladimir Putin to discuss military procurement plans for 20,>= 5evelopment of the "n ara rocket be an in ,<<-= Dhe maiden launch& ori inally scheduled for 200L& has slipped several times and is now slated for mid.20,>= Dhe first "n ara was shipped to Plesetsk& in the northwestern "rkhan elsk 2e ion& in May 20,N& the 2ussian space a ency said= %uilt by the *hrunichev State 2esearch and Production Space Center& "n ara has a modular desi n allowin it to launch payloads in a ran e of wei ht classes= " variant known as "n ara.- will be launched from a new space launch comple! known as Bostochny that 2ussia is constructin in the 'ar 8astern "mur re ion& accordin to a 2ussian space a ency tender announced in July 20,2= Moscow wants the new cosmodrome to reduce its reliance on its main %aikonur facility& which it leases from *aAakhstan= In "u ust& 5eputy Prime Minister 5mitry 2o oAin described delays in the construction of Bostochny as Fsabota e=H %$ssian leader8s state'of't#e'nation address to >ederal -ssembly& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . 2ussian President Bladimir Putin

believes that Constitutional stability is one of the basic principles of the state= MDhe constitutional framework should be stableK it foremost concerns the chapter on citiAens# ri hts and freedoms&M he said in his annual state.of. the.nation address to the 'ederal "ssembly in the *remlin on Dhursday= It is a double /ubilee address0 the 20th in newest 2ussian history and the ,0th made by Putin= M4e#re not disclosin the content of the addressK it#s done by the President as he reads it&M Presidential spokesman 5mitry Peskov underlined to Itar.Dass on 4ednesday= (owever& he did note that the address Mis always a very broad document containin medium.term& lon .term and conceptual tasks=M 4hen asked if the address would have a section concernin the 'undamental Law& Peskov replied0 Mit#s no coincidence that the address is made on Constitution 5ay=M Dhe address is the key pro ramme document of 2ussian authorities focusin the society on the key problems and mechanisms of their solution= President P$tin says 3o3$lation growt# registered in %$ssia, first time after 1EE1& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . 1atural rowth of the population was re istered in 2ussia in the period of January throu h to 6ctober . the first such instance since ,<<,& President Bladimir Putin said 4ednesday in the annual State of the 1ation "ddress to both houses of 2ussian parliament= (e believes that the current task is to make the trend irreversible and one of the instruments in this respect could be a pro ram of state support for housin construction= Putin proposed to title the pro ram :(ousin for the 2ussian 'amily;= "lon with this& he admitted that Fslow rates of housin construction development are e!plained for by heavy corruption in the sphere=H President P$tin 3ro3oses broad disc$ssion of law on 3$blic control&

M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . 2ussia;s President Bladimir Putin has proposed a broad discussion of a law on public control= (e also proposed to promote the human ri hts movements in the country= FDoday;s 2ussia stands in need of a broad public discussion& the one that brin s about practical results& a discussion that turns public initiatives into state policies&H he said in the annual State of the 1ation "ddress to both houses of 2ussian parliament= FSociety should control their e!ecution=H FI think all the bills& key state decisions and strate ic plans should pass the so.called :Aero readin ; in which non overnmental or aniAations and other institutes of civic society will take place&H Putin said= President P$tin calls for 3olitical com3etition de!elo3ment, 3$blic debate& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . 2ussian President Bladimir Putin& deliverin his state.of.the.nation address to the 'ederal "ssembly on Dhursday& has called for the development of political competition in the country and for a wide public debate on the key issues= FI believe it is important that many new parties have asserted themselves& winin seats in municipal and re ional bodies of authority& they have laid a ood foundation for the participation in future election campai ns= I am sure that they will be worthy competitors to the political old.timers&H the President said= %$ssian 3arliament to consider amnesty on December 1B& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . 2ussian lawmakers will consider a criminal /ustice amnesty in connection with the 20th anniversary of the 2ussian Constitution at the session on 5ecember ,7& deputy speaker of the State 5uma lower house of 2ussia#s parliament I or Lebedev told Itar.Dass on Dhursday= Dhe document was submitted to the State 5uma by President Bladimir Putin on 5ecember 2-= Dhe amnesty will set some 2-&000 prisoners free& accordin to the documents on the initiative= Dhe fi ure accounts for ,&N00 persons who are already servin their terms in prisons& about ,7&000 persons whose penalties

do not reGuire imprisonment& and 9&000 persons under prosecution= Dhe amnesty will apply to the most socially vulnerable cate ories of convicts& suspects and defendants& and persons awarded for meritorious service to the country= Dhese include persons who committed crimes when they were minors& women who have under.a ed children& pre nant women& women older than -- years of a e and men older than 90 years of a e& people with disabilities& persons who participated in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant cleanup operation& military servicemen& law enforcers& penitentiary system officials& and other persons who participated in combat operations to protect the country= Dhe amnesty will only apply to persons who were sentenced to imprisonment for no more than five years and who did not serve prison terms in correctional institutions before= "n e!ception will be made for minors who committed offences before the a e ,9 or who have served at least half of their terms= Dhe amnesty will not apply to persons who committed crimes that posed a reat social dan er or involved violence or threat of violence& as well as to persons who were pardoned or amnestied before& to persons who committed deliberate crimes in prison& and to prison inmates who rossly violate prison re ulations= Dhe amnesty will apply not only to persons who have been sentenced to imprisonment& but also to those who have been iven penalties that do not reGuire imprisonment or who received suspended sentences& and persons on parole= Criminal proceedin s a ainst persons who are suspects or defendants under prosecution will be terminated= Dhe amnesty resolution is to be e!ecuted within si! months after comin into effect= 6n 4ednesday& chairman of the parliament#s committee on le islation Pavel *rasheninnikov said the amnesty would Mnot impact the criminal situation in the country and would not hurt our citiAens=M 3& Economy

Inflation in %$ssia may be C&) F ' >inance Minister *il$ano!& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . Dhe inflation in the 2ussian 'ederation in 20,N may make 9=> percent& 'inance Minister "nton Siluanov told reporters on Dhursday= FDhe inflation forecast to the yearend . over si! percent& 9=N.9=>&H he said= Several days earlier& Minister of 8conomic 5evelopment "le!ei $lukayev said the inflation would be above the tar et level of si! percent= FIt may be 9=> or 9=- percent&H he said= %$ssian go!ernment assigns >inance Ministry to amend roadma3 for establis#ing an International financial center in %$ssia& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . 2ussia#s overnment has assi ned the 'inance Ministry to introduce chan es with the participation of the %ank of 2ussia before 'ebruary ,& ne!t year& to the roadmap for establishin an International 'inancial Center (I'CI in 2ussia= 2espective orders are published Dhursday on the website of the overnment as a result of a conference on establishin an I'C and improvin the investment climate in the 2'= Dhe conference was held by Prime Minister 5mitry Medvedev on 1ovember 2L& 20,N= Dhe chan es include the elaboration of the proposal made by the Supreme Court of "rbitration on matters aimed at re ulatin affiliation= Dhe meanin of chan es& as envisioned by the authorities& is that they must result in enhancin the transparency of the deals struck by companies which will operate Munder transparent proceduresM& and reveal the end beneficiaries= %i business believes that the chan es entail a steep e!pansion of the ri hts of minority shareholders& which is frau ht with lar e.scale abuses on their part= 8!ecutives in companies fear that the mana ement will lose the levers of control while %oards of 5irectors will be actually paralysed= 8!perts say that affiliation criteria are the stumblin .block between bi business and the overnment in the path of efforts towards establishin an I'C in 2ussia= Dhe Ministry of 8conomic 5evelopment has been directed to work out the Guestion of introducin the norms of a Corporate Mana ement Code& which is bein drawn up by the %ank of 2ussia& in public companies with State

participation and refer proposals to the overnment before "pril ,& 20,>= Dhe Ministry of 8ducation and Science has been assi ned to mull over the possibility of studyin financial literacy principles in eneral educational establishments and report results before 'ebruary 2L& 20,>= It has been su ested that the 'inance Ministry refer proposals to the overnment before 'eb= , on advisability of bannin the activities of or aniAations which e!ercise credit.lendin intermediation and issue loans without a license or without re istration at the %ank of 2ussia= %$ssia"s Ga/3rom ta1es o!er gas mono3oly in 7yrgy/stan for @1& %IS(*8*& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 Dhe former Soviet republic of *yr yAstan has approved a deal to sell the country;s debt.ridden natural as monopoly to 2ussia;s state ener y company @aAprom for +,= Dhe decision& backed by 7L deputies in the ,20.seat parliament& hands Moscow control over a strate ic asset in the Central "sian state in e!chan e for a uaranteed supply of fuel= $nder the a reement& @aAprom will ain control over pipelines& as distribution stations and under round stora e facilities owned by *yr yA aA= @aAprom has committed to invest 20 billion rubles (+9,0 millionI in moderniAin the *yr yA company;s infrastructure over the ne!t five years= It will also take over more than +>0 million in debt= *yr Aystan has suffered increasin difficulties in maintainin as supplies because of risin debts to nei hborin *aAakhstan and $Abekistan Dhe deal ives @aAprom full control over *yr yAstan;s as sector= %ut a proviso in the a reement means that the 2ussian company can only transport its fuel usin pipelines belon in to *yr yA aA= Dhe *yr yA overnment will be permitted to en a e independently in as transportation or support investors in that field at a later date= It will also have a ri ht to buy back the *yr yA aA assets in 2- years= *yr yAstan has been racked by political upheavals in the past decade and

two Presidents have been overthrown by popular revolts in the impoverished republic= Dhe strate ically important nation& which borders China& hosts both a 2ussian and an $S military base= Dhe *yr yA parliament last month told the $S military to vacate its air base by ne!t July= 2ussia recently a reed a ,-.year e!tension to the lease on its military base as part of a packa e of measures that included writin off +-00 million of *yr yA debt= %$ssia $n!eils new r$ble sign& M6SC64& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 2ussia unveiled a si n 4ednesday that will be used to represent the ruble alon side other ma/or world currencies= Dhe new symbol& which resembles the Latin letter FPH with a horiAontal score throu h it& will be used by the central bank and appear on 2ussia;s coins and banknotes& financial officials told reporters= Dhe si n was approved by the central bank after a period of public consultation& durin which 9, percent of participants voted for the eventual winner& %ank of 2ussia chairwoman 8lvira 1abiullina said= Dhe decision to seek a symbol for the ruble comes as 2ussia strives to e!tend its lobal economic reach= Prime Minister 5mitry Medvedev has championed a drive to make Moscow an international financial center in recent years& and has called for the ruble to become one of the world;s reserve currencies= 2uble coins with the new symbol will be introduced into circulation in 20,>& 'irst 5eputy Central %ank Chairman @eor y Luntovsky said= 1abiullina told reporters that there are no plans to force people to use the new si n= Some critics have said that the si n will be confusin for forei ners= In 2ussian& the letter FPH is sounded as an F2&H while to 8n lish speakers it will look simply look like the Latin letter FPH and have no obvious link to the word Mruble=M

6ther variations ori inally proposed by the central bank included different forms of the Latin letter F2=H 1abiullina brushed aside the potential for confusion= F5ollar does not be in with the letter :S&;H she said= President P$tin dissatisfied wit# absence of non'raw'material e(3ort, demands new e(3ort roadma3 from go!ernment, strategic in!estments agency by Marc# 1, 201)& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . 2ussia;s President Bladimir Putin is dissatisfied with the fact that an effective system to support non.raw. material e!port has not be un& and demands from the overnment and the " ency of Strate ic Investments to offer by March ,& 20,> a new roadmap on development of the e!port= F" system of the kind has not be un workin = Many administrative barriers still e!ist= "n e!port license processin takes over 20 days= Compare with si! days in the $S& ei ht in Canada or South *orea= "ll these aspects should be considered in a new roadmap on supportin the e!port&H the President said in the state.of.the.nation to the 'ederal "ssembly on Dhursday= FI am addressin the overnment and the " ency of Strate ic Investments to offer it by Marc h ,& 20,>&H the President said= )& I* & +eig#bo$r#ood %es$lt is of im3ortance to %$ssia in dialog$e wit# 91raine, not format ' %$ssian >irst 4ice'Premier Igor *#$!alo!& 4"S(I1@D61& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . In a dialo ue with $kraine& it is Ma result& not a formatM that is of importance to 2ussia& 2' 'irst Bice. Premier I or Shuvalov said here 4ednesday in response to Itar.Dass correspondent#s Guestions durin a meetin with /ournalists to brief them on the results of his workin tour of the $S"= In recent days& $kraine#s leadership more than once su ested arran in consultations in a $kraine.2ussia.8uropean $nion (8$I format= (owever& this idea did not find a positive response in the 8$= MIt appears to me that we are much more fle!ible than 8urope (in this respectI&M Shuvalov said on that

score= M4e are ready to conduct talks in various formats= Dhe most important thin is to achieve an actual result= 4e appreciate a result& not a formatM= "s for $S attitude to the matter& he su ested that /ournalists find this out from "merican authorities themselves= Dhe 2' 'irst Bice.Premier emphasiAed several times that M$kraine itself determines a status that is most suitable to it0 whether it will carry on the talks with the 8$ on a 'ree Drade "rea& or it will seek closer economic ties with 2ussiaM= M4e shall support any decision of $kraine&M he assured= Shuvalov said that in recent weeks the $krainian side had been su estin that Moscow Men a e in in.depth industrial co.production arran ementsM= 2ussia is also hi hly interested in this& and M4e shall in any case uphold everythin connected with industrial co.production&M Dhe 'irst Bice.Premier said= (is conviction is that M4e all are interested in $kraine#s developments terminatin as softly as possibleK no one wants any escalationM= Crucial issues as to Mhow $kraine will develop its economy subseGuently and what kind of inte ration and with which side it will pursue itM can and must be discussed Mbut only in a state of calm . not under the influence of the sentiments of the street or under a stron pressure from opponents&M Shuvalov stressed= (e confirmed that Guestions as to what is oin on in $kraine and what is Moscow#s attitude to the developments had been constantly asked durin his three.day tour of the $S by most diverse interlocutors& ran in from 'ederal officials to analysts and members of the business community= In reply& he said& he sou ht to e!plain 2ussia#s stand and on the stren th of specific e!amples he was tryin to prove why in the current situation there was Mno possibility to arran e a special formatM for $kraine& the format that would fulfil all ambitions and would allow its inte ration to develop both westward and eastwardM simultaneously= %$ssians s$33ort stronger ties wit# 91raine& M6SC64& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 Most 2ussians think that $kraine would be better off if the two countries formed closer ties& accordin to a new poll published Duesday= Just 9 percent believe that $kraine will ain from formin closer links with

the 4est& while N9 percent are convinced that 2ussia will suffer harm if its nei hbor makes such a move& the poll showed= Dhe survey& by the Public 6pinion 'oundation& found that -< percent of respondents a reed that 2ussia and $kraine share Fone bloodH and that it would be positive for them to have warmer relations= "n increasin number see strains in the relationship between the nei hborin former Soviet states= Some N< percent of 2ussians believe that the country;s bond with $kraine is poor& compared with N0 percent si! months a o= Just over half (-- percentI said they felt positively toward $kraine& while N9 percent a reed that they were indifferent= Dhe poll of ,&-00 people in >N re ions of 2ussia was conducted on 5ecember ,& with a statistical mar in of error of N=9 percent= 2elations between 2ussia and $kraine have been under the microscope as massive street protests continue in the $krainian capital *iev over President Biktor Canukovych;s decision to re/ect a planned association a reement with the 8uropean $nion in favor of stren thenin ties with Moscow= 9* #ints at 3ossible sanctions against 91raine& M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (2I" 1ovostiI 3 Dhe $nited States may consider imposin sanctions on $kraine as part of a raft of measures to lead the country out of its deepenin political crisis and promote reforms= Dhe $S State 5epartment;s si nals about the possibility of punitive action a ainst $kraine;s overnment will pile pressure on President Biktor Canukovych to consider a ne otiated e!it out of his standoff with opposition forces leadin the massive demonstrations unfoldin in the capital& *iev= Dhe hint at sanctions follows a visit on 4ednesday to the epicenter of the protests on *iev;s Independence SGuare by $S "ssistant Secretary of State for 8uropean and 8urasian "ffairs Bictoria 1uland& who met with demonstrators occupyin the space= 1uland also met Canukovych for talks in which she reportedly condemned the $krainian overnment;s heavy.handed use of force a ainst protesters= F%rin in & of course& /ustice and di nity to the people of $kraine is what T

our stron messa e was on the round= "ll policy options& includin sanctions& are on the table in our view&H State 5epartment spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters= Protests in $kraine have been ran in since the overnment last month pulled out of preparations to si n landmark political and trade deals with the 8$& sparkin widespread indi nation= 4hile nationwide discontent was initially focused on the reversal of course over the 8$ 3 a move the authorities /ustified by statin it was necessary to boost economic ties with nei hborin 2ussia 3 it has with time taken on a more eneraliAed anti. overnment flavor= 2iot police and Interior Ministry forces clashed with opposition supporters in *iev early 4ednesday& while utilities services removed barricades that protesters put up in the streets to disrupt access to overnment buildin s= Police said later that they were only workin to dismantle the barricades impedin traffic& not to disband the protest camp itself= %ut the authorities; attempts to clear Independence SGuare and the city hall buildin & which has also been taken over by demonstrators& were thwarted and barricades have been put back in place= Police action #inders 3olitical dialog$e in 91raine E9& %2$SS8LS& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 Dhe 8uropean $nion;s top diplomat& Catherine "shton& said 4ednesday that despite the $krainian overnment;s declared readiness to ne otiate with the opposition& police action makes the start of political dialo ue more difficult= "shton;s visit to the protest.hit country be an hours after police moved in on protesters in *iev on Duesday& breakin up the last of the demonstrators; street barricades and drivin them into the city;s central sGuare in an on oin push to clear ma/or protest sites= "lthou h police have denied the use of force a ainst protesters& "shton said she condemned Fthe use of force and violence& which cannot be the answer to peaceful demonstrations=H FLast ni ht#s police action makes the launch of a political dialo ue more

difficult than before&H "shton said= FIn the ne!t hours I will try to e!plore all possible ways to assure that a enuine peaceful solution is still in reach=H "shton is in $kraine to try to mediate a deal between the overnment and pro.8$ protesters who have been rallyin since late 1ovember= "shton has already met with overnment and opposition leaders& as well as members of civil society& durin her visit= (er meetin with $krainian President Biktor Canukovych on Duesday lasted nearly four hours= FIn the lon discussion I have had with the President& he reassured me that he was prepared to en a e in dialo ue& and I ur e him to do so&H she said in a statement= Dhe protests were sparked by the overnment;s snap re/ection of political and free.trade a reements with the 8uropean $nion= 91raine see1s to sign agreement wit# E9 on m$t$ally ad!antageo$s basis ' >oreign Minister& *I8B& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . $kraine continues to search for its own al orithm of relationship with the 8uropean $nion and 2ussia that would allow the country to si n the "ssociation " reement with the 8$ on a Fmutually advanta eous basisH& $krainian 'orei n Minister Leonid *oAhara said at a meetin with students on 4ednesday& 5ecember ,,= 5urin the meetin & special attention was paid to prospects for si nin the "ssociation " reement with the 8uropean $nion& which had not been concluded at the 8astern Partnership summit& which took place in Bilnius on 1ovember 2L.2<& due to the difficult economic situation in $kraine= *oAhara said& FDoday the 8$ realises that it is necessary to search for compromises= Dhe parties intend to start substantial talks on this issue shortly=H $kraine;s dele ation led by 'irst Bice.Premier Ser ei "rbuAov will visit %russels on Dhursday& 5ecember ,2& spokesman to the 8$ Commissioner for 8nlar ement and @ood.1ei hbourliness Policy Peter Stano said= 8$ Commissioner Stefan 'ule will meet the $krainian first vice.premier for talks on issues related to the si nin and implementation of the "ssociation

" reement in %russels& Stano said= (e declined to specify other details= 8arlier this week& 'ule said the 8uropean $nion was not ready to revise the "ssociation " reement& which had been initialled with $kraine= (owever& the Commissioner said the 8uropean $nion was ready to discuss a roadmap& conditions between $kraine and the IM' (International Monetary 'undI and the 8$ assistance to $kraine= 9* :fficial calls 7ie! 3olice crac1down Dim3ermissible"& *I8B& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 " top $S forei n affairs official slammed $kraine;s police crackdown on anti. overnment protesters after a meetin 4ednesday with the country;s President& Biktor Canukovych& that was aimed at findin a peaceful resolution to the former Soviet state;s escalatin political crisis= Bictoria 1uland& the $S "ssistant Secretary of State for 8urope& told /ournalists that her two.hour conversation with the President about the street protests was Ftou h but realistic=H FI made it absolutely clear to him that what happened last ni ht Pdurin an attempted police breakup of protestersQ& what was happenin in security terms was absolutely impermissible in democratic states&H she told reporters after the meetin = 2iot police and Interior Ministry troops clashed with opposition supporters in the capital early 4ednesday& with protesters resistin repeated police attempts to clear out their main stron hold in *iev;s central Independence SGuare= 1uland& who walked around the sGuare 4ednesday afternoon to hand out bread to protesters and riot police& said $kraine still has a chance to democratically resolve the conflict that be an last month after the overnment suddenly announced it was postponin a lon .awaited association a reement with the 8uropean $nion in favor of stren thenin ties with Moscow= She said she had ur ed Canukovych to resume talks with the 8$ and with

the International Monetary 'und to et financial assistance for $kraine#s loomin debt problem= Dhe 8$;s forei n policy chief& Catherine "shton& has also met with Canukovych and three former $krainian Presidents over the last two days in efforts to find a solution to the crisis= Protests in *iev and other cities around $kraine& which be an as a reaction to the 8$ deal postponement& have intensified into a staunch anti. overnment movement& with opposition leaders demandin the dissolution of the overnment and callin for snap le islative and Presidential elections= Dhe overnment re/ected those demands& but said later it was ready for talks with the opposition= 91rainian o33osition re;ects tal1s wit# go!ernment& *I8B& 5ecember ,, (2I" 1ovostiI 3 $krainian opposition leaders on 4ednesday re/ected talks proposed by the overnment in a bid to resolve the current political crisis= $krainian President Biktor Canukovych and his three predecessors 3 Leonid *ravchuk& Leonid *uchma and Biktor Cushchenko 3 decided earlier this week to hold a national round table involvin representatives from both the authorities and the opposition to seek compromises in the current political standoff= FDhere will be no round tables with them Pthe overnmentQ& only immediate resi nation of Canukovych and his alliesUH said /ailed former Prime Minister Culia Dymoshenko& a lon standin foe of the current President whom he /ust barely defeated in the 20,0 vote= She also reGuested the F lobal democratic communityH to impose financial and visa sanctions on the country;s incumbent leadership= Similar demands were voiced by another opposition leader& 6leh Dyahnybok& who heads the nationalist Svoboda party= FDhe opposition;s demands remain unchan ed0 the overnment must resi n& and all those uilty of beatin up peaceful protestors must be brou ht to /ustice= Dhe political leadership must under o a complete overhaul&H he said=

Later in the day& Canukovych invited all political& public and spiritual leaders to /oin the round table without any preconditions= FPersonally& I;m ready to take part in such a round table= 'or the sake of reachin a compromise& I call on the opposition to stop re/ectin Pthe talksQ& to withdraw from a path of confrontations and ultimatums&H he said= Dymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 20,, for e!ceedin her authority by si nin a 200< as deal with 2ussia= (er release was an 8$ precondition for *iev to be able to si n the free.trade and association a reements with the 8$= %ut laws to enable her to leave for medical treatment in @ermany were thrown out by $kraine;s parliament shortly before the planned si nin of the deals= Dhe overnment;s announcement late last month that it would postpone the si nin of the a reements in favor of stren thenin ties with Moscow tri ered on oin street protests in *iev and other $krainian cities= 9* *tate De3artment meets -merican -mbassadors to *o$t# a$casian co$ntries in Here!an& C828B"1& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . Dhe $=S= State 5epartment has held a meetin of "merican "mbassadors to the South Caucasian countries in Cerevan= $=S= 5eputy "ssistant of State for 8uropean and 8urasian "ffairs 8ric 2ubin has arrived in Cerevan for this purpose= Dhe $nited States attaches bi importance to the development of multilateral cooperation with "rmenia& 2ubin said= Dhe "merican diplomat has been received by "rmenian 'orei n Minister 8dward 1albandian= Dhe consultations also involved the $=S= "mbassadors to "rmenia& "Aerbai/an and @eor ia . John (effern& 2ichard Mornin star and 2ichard 1orland= F5ue to the /oint efforts "rmenian."merican friendly partnership has reached a Gualitatively new level= Dhere are all necessary conditions for e!pandin them&H the "rmenian minister said=

Dhe parties discussed measures to stren then partnership and the results of a session of the "rmenian."merican workin roup for economic cooperation= Dhey said it was necessary to implement a reements on easin visa formalities between both countries& the "rmenian 'orei n Ministry reported= Dhey also discussed the *arabakh settlement& international and re ional issues& the ministry added= -rmenia can bring closer to Minister& $stoms 9nion till +ew Hear ' -rmenian

M6SC64& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . "rmenia;s dele ation will visit Moscow on Dhursday& 5ecember ,2& to discuss a roadmap of the country;s /oinin the Customs $nion& "rmenian 'irst 5eputy 8conomics Minister *arine Minasyan told IAvestia daily= Dhe dele ation includes nine deputy ministers& includin the deputy 'orei n Minister& the deputy economy minister& the deputy a riculture minister& the deputy customs minister& the deputy ta! minister and the deputy head of the Statistic Service= 2ussia;s dele ation involves 8urasian 8conomic Commission Minister for Inte ration and Macroeconomics Datyana Balovaya= F"rmenia;s 8uropean inte ration will only add the process for /oinin the Customs $nion= It is built on international principles and with the use of lobal e!perience&H Minasyan said& addin FI wouldn;t talk about any diver ences because the $nion;s countries listen to our view=H (owever& she said it was necessary to harmonise "rmenia;s le islation with the rules of the Customs $nion= 'or e!ample& Cerevan should adopt the Customs $nion Code related to the e!chan e of information on oods movement= "rmenia and 2ussia have no common borders that hamper trade contacts= Cerevan believes that this problem can be solved= Dhe 88C will ather on 5ecember ,N at the level of vice.premiers= Dhe roadmap will be si ned at a session of the Supreme 8urasian 8conomic Council on 5ecember 2>& IAvestia reports=

In the be innin of 5ecember Cerevan has iven a discount on the most sensitive positions . as& oil products and diamonds= "rmenia;s economy will benefit at least ,>0 million dollars when 2ussia cancels as e!port duties= Meanwhile& "rmenia;s path is not too easy because of *aAakhstan and %elarus that are rather sceptical about /oinin a new member& which is at feud with "Aerbai/an= Dhe 8urasian 8conomic Commission is set up under a decision of the 2ussian& %elarusian and *aAakhstani Presidents at the end of 20,, as a permanent re ular body of the Customs $nion and the common economic space= Dhe or anisation is not subordinated to any overnment= Dhe 88C is led by Biktor *hristenko= ,ransdniestria 3re3aring anti'crisis meas$res in lig#t of Moldo!a"s ;oining E9 free trade /one deal& DI2"SP6L& 5ecember ,2 (Itar.DassI . Moldova;s breakaway republic of Dransdniestria is preparin anti.crisis measures due to the fact that Moldova and the 8uropean $nion will si n a free trade Aone a reement= 5eputies of Moldova;s breakaway republic have approved a draft law F6n Certain State Measures to Increase Macroeconomic& Social and 8conomic Sustainability of DransdniestriaH= Dhe draft law envisa es ivin broader powers to chan e the ta! base& ivin preferences to enterprises and creatin special re imes of currency and customs control= Dhe draft law was proposed by Dransdniestria leader Cev eny Shevchuk last week= FDhe fact that Moldova and the 8uropean $nion initialled the free trade Aone a reement does not meet the interests of Dransdniestria= 8uropean markets are likely to be closed for local producers= Dhis will have a stron impact on the economy& which was seriously hurt by the lobal economic crisis&H Shevchuk said= Moldova and the 8uropean $nion are preparin to si n the free trade Aone a reement in 20,> in parallel with the "ssociation " reement= Dransdniestria;s representatives did not take part in workin out the document& but they were invited by Moldovan authorities to /oin the final

document= "t present& Dransdniestria uses the 8$ autonomous trade preferences& which have been e!tended till the end of 20,-= Dhen Diraspol should /oin the 8uropean free trade Aone /ointly with Chisinau= If this fails& %russels threatens to levy barra e duties on oods from Dransdniestria= Dhus& Dransdniestria is considerin a possibility to si n a separate a reement on trade cooperation with the 8uropean $nion= EEEEE