The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

[Armenian]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

Russia's Putin may return as president in 2009

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev could resign next year paving the way for his predecessor and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a Russian paper said on Thursday citing an unidentified Kremlin official. In his state of the nation address on Wednesday, Medvedev proposed extending the presidential term from four to six years, which Vedomosti said was part of an arrangement devised by first deputy head of the Kremlin staff Vladislav Surkov. The paper said, citing the Kremlin source that under the arrangement Putin's successor needed to amend the Constitution to secure a longer term in office for Putin and to carry out unpopular social reforms. The source told the paper that Medvedev may resign citing changes to the Constitution, leading to presidential elections being held next year. Vedomosti said Putin could then rule for two six-year terms, from 2009 to 2021. "There are no reasons why Putin should not return as president next year as the current president's term is not set to expire in 2009," the premier's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told the paper. Another source close to the Kremlin quoted by the paper said Putin had already started his election campaign. The premier has launched a personal website and is expected to lay out his manifesto as leader of the ruling United Russia party at a congress in November, following which he will broadcast a video link with the nation, the practice he resorted to as president. Political analysts and business have been playing a guessing game since Medvedev's election win in May trying to work out who is really in charge in Russia, the president or premier. A senior United Russia member quoted by the daily said the proposal to extend the presidential term, coupled with the increase in the parliamentary term to five years, was the beginning of constitutional reforms designed to turn Russia into a parliamentary republic. A source in the presidential administration said the amendments could be approved next year, the paper reported.

Source: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081106/118157645.html

[ZORAVAR]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

I was expecting this to happen.

I was in Moscow a few months ago. The country is awash with imported goods from Europe, Asia, America etc. Russia is a huge market for many manufacturing industries.

While countries like Georgia were quickly admited in the WTO, the west created all kinds of hurdles and delays for Russia to join the World Trade Organization. All the nice speaches and advices about opening up markets, bringing down trade barriers etc.etc.

The Russian government apparently had enough of that and today brought in the first protectionist measure.

This first move may be seen as a step to protect the local auto industry and/or to make it more difficult for foreign companies to export to Russia and force them to assemble vehicles locally (which they are doing to a certain extant). In other words, more pressure and the beleagered western car companies.

I expect further protectionist measures to follow and make life harder for many foreign companies in these difficult times.

The west not only needs Russian oil and gas, but also the prospering Russian market. Time will tell if Obama and other western leaders comprehand that.

ZORAVAR

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Protectionist Move

A Russian PATRIOT 4x4 SUV made by the Soller's Ulyanovsk Avto Zavod (UAZ) at an autoshow. This model was introduced in 2007.

Foreign Car Owners to Have Higher Self-Rating

The automobile industry has become the first industry in Russia to be rescued under the bailout plan for the country’s economy. The government’s commission hiked duties on new foreign car import from 25 percent to 30 percent and shortened from seven to five years in-service time of used cars to be subjected to blocking-off duties. Thanks to the government’s initiative, the buyers will back up local car makers through the surge in foreign car prices of 7.5 percent to 8 percent in 2009.
Chaired by First Vice Premier Viktor Zubkov, the government’s commission for protective actions in foreign trade and customs and tariff policy hiked on Friday the duties on foreign car import. The changes mostly relate to new cars and to the cars made not earlier than three years ago. For them, the customs duty went up by 5 percent, from 25 percent to 30 percent, and the euro-component (€1-€2.35 per a cu cm of engine volume) gained 5 percent as well.

The age-limit for cars, trucks and busses on which expiration the vehicles are subjected to blocking-off duties was shortened from seven to five years. According to the Industry and Trade Ministry, higher duties are aimed at bolstering up local carmakers and assembly of foreign cars in Russia.

“Although the increase in duties is presented as support for foreign car assemblers, it is clear that it will mostly play into the hands of local AvtoVAZ, GAZ Group, Sollers and KamAZ,” commented Igor Krolivts, who is the board member at Avtomir Dealer Holding.

The next effort of the government to rescue local automobile industry will be subsidizing interest rates of the loans raised by carmakers to upgrade facilities and supporting the lease schemes of car sales.

http://www.kommersant.com/p1054618/Duty_foreign_car/

[Armenian]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

I would normally not give exposure to this kind of news but there are a few points I want to make. Foremost, I am quite amused at how fast and how extensive bad news from Russia is covered in the US while geopolitically pertinent developments or news that casts Russia in a good light is virtually banned from mainstream media coverage, with rare exceptions. The recent tragic accident that took the lives of twenty Russian sailors and shipbuilders is being presented in the US as a sign that Russia's military is hopelessly outdated. From my perspective, however, the recent deadly accidents within the Russian military, while normal by international standards, are clear signs that the Russian military is emerging from its decade long deprivation and degradation. The slumbering Russian military is awakening and becoming highly active again. Unfortunately, on its course towards recuperation and modernization there will more such incidents. Furthermore, Moscow's reaction to the unfortunate incident was a pleasant surprise. The news of the accident was broadcasted soon after it had occurred and constant media coverage is continuing. In a news article today the New York Times suggested that Putin, unlike Medvedev with the current event, was grossly negligent during the Kursk incident in 2000. Was Putin negligent or was he forced to be negligent due to serious geopolitical considerations?

The Kursk tragedy - a submarin in troubled waters: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...18731467852276

Armenian

*****************************

Russian Sub Returns to Base After Accident That Killed 20

A brand-new Russian nuclear submarine returned to base on Sunday after an accident with its fire-extinguishing system flooded two compartments with Freon gas, killing 20 people and injuring 21, Russian officials said. Naval officials would not identify the submarine, but a state-owned news agency said it was the Nerpa, an Akula-class attack submarine. It was undergoing tests in the Sea of Japan at the time of the accident. A Russian Navy spokesman, Igor Dygalo, reported that its reactor had not been damaged and that radiation levels were normal. The vessel was scheduled to be commissioned in the navy later this year, and most of the dead were shipbuilding workers on board to carry out tests. An additional 167 people on board were not injured, Mr. Dygalo said. The specific naval base to which the sub returned was not disclosed, though the accident occurred near Vladivostok, the main base in Russia’s far east. It was the most deadly accident on a Russian submarine since 2000, when an explosion aboard the nuclear submarine Kursk caused it to sink in the Barents Sea. Many of the 118 men aboard survived the sinking, but they were all dead by the time the vessel was brought to the surface, prompting criticism that Vladimir V. Putin, who was then the president, had reacted slowly to the crisis. The government’s response to this accident has been notably different. Within hours of the malfunction, President Dmitri A. Medvedev asked his defense minister for continual briefings on the situation and pledged support to victims’ families. News coverage has been intense, with telephone hot line numbers for victims’ families displayed on newscasts. Russian submarines have had other accidents since the sinking of the Kursk. In 2003, a decommissioned nuclear submarine sank while it was being towed to a scrap yard, killing nine crew members. In 2004, one person was killed when a holding tank on a submarine exploded during repair work. In 2005, a hurried international rescue effort brought seven Russian sailors to the surface with only three to six hours’ worth of air left. And in 2006, two soldiers suffocated when a fire broke out on a nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/wo...russia.html?hp

[SweetAngessa]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

I would normally not give exposure to this kind of news but there are a few points I want to make. Foremost, I am quite amused at how fast and how extensive bad news from Russia is covered in the US while geopolitically pertinent developments or news that casts Russia in a good light is virtually banned from mainstream media coverage, with rare exceptions.

Anything to make Russia look like a third world, backwards nation, with nothing but poor people. I just finished a interesting book on psychology. If people are given information over and over from false, fiction or even comical sources. They will forget where the information was from and believe it as truth. So they will harbor a biased thinking, even if they cant recall why or where the information was from. I feel this why many American feel negative toward Russia or stereotypes about us.They get it from video games. jokes and movies, comedians. Than forget the sources and believe it as true. For instances the call of duty four video game, Any Tom Clancy Novel or movies and etc.

Also here is some links from the parades on November 7

http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=kcq10F2uNYQ

http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=5fzbxV9DlFw

I like this years events, they were well rehearsed, cultural and patriotic. It evokes very strong emotions in people. It really timed well with the Western missile shield going up. Was it portrayed in the western media? Because here it was gave a strong message that we are brave and will not back down to any invader.



( I am Angessa new account. I cant seem to log into my other one. Even with a new password sent, it wont log me in.)

[Armenian]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

( I am Angessa new account. I cant seem to log into my other one. Even with a new password sent, it wont log me in.)

Welcome back, Angessa, I was wondering what happened to you. Please contact one of the moderators here and ask them what was wrong with your previous account. Is your fiance still in Syria? How is he doing? Anyway, I hope all is well with you and your family. I am glad you made an effort to come back here.

[Armenian]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

Russia Backing Iran-Armenia Rail Link

Russia could participate in the construction of a major railroad linking Iran and Armenia, according to the president of Russia Railroads. President of Russia Railroads Vladimir Yakunin, said the company is ready to participate in the construction of the rail line should Iran, Armenia and Russia agree on the project's finance, Fars News Agency reported. Armenia's Transport and Communications Minister Gurgen Sargsyan has said that the rail link would cost approximately $2 billion, announcing that the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have both shown interest in the project. Armenia currently has only one working international rail link that runs via Georgia, as rail tracks linking Turkey and Azerbaijan are inactive.

Under Review

The proposed link would require around 80 kilometers of new railroad construction in northwestern Iran, from the Armenian border on the Aras River to the Iranian city of Marand where the track would be connected to the Tabriz-Jolfa line. The railroad, which has been discussed since initial proposals were submitted in 2006, would be a major boost to the development of trade between the two countries. Armenia would also benefit from being able to use Iran as a transit route for transport links with the rest of the world. Sargsyan said the railroad's construction can take up to five years. Presently, three projects are under review. The first originates from Yeraskh, the second from Vardenis and the third from Gagarin, extending for 443, 449 and 397 km respectively. Armenia favors the project that starts from Gagarin and then through Gavar, Martuni and Jermuk.

Advantageous

At a meeting in Sochi in September, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev discussed the project with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian as part of a cooperation agreement between the two countries. Russia Railroads' subsidiary South Caucasus Railroad took over the operation of the Armenian rail network on June 1 under a 25-year concession. Iran and Armenia have agreed to set up a working group, in which the Russians may be invited to participate. ADB has allocated about $1.5 million to finance feasibility studies on Armenia's ambitious plans to build a railroad linking neighboring Iran, Yerevan's Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian said. "By the middle of next year, we will be able to approve business approaches, calculations of cost-effectiveness and to present documents prepared by the Asian Development Bank to the private sector, which could also participate in the project," Sarkisian added. In an apparent reference to Russia, Sarkisian said Armenia's "strategic partners" can also finance the railroad's construction. "I hope that we will be able to report next year serious progress in this sphere," he said. The project has for years been discussed by the Armenian and Iranian governments. The Armenian authorities have recently signaled their desire to finally get it off the drawing board, with Sarkisian declaring its implementation as one of his administration's top economic priorities. Armenia considers Russia as well as international lending institutions like the World Bank as potential sources of funding for the project. The lack of a rail link between Armenia and Iran is a major obstacle to the expansion of bilateral trade. Officials of the three countries should realize the advantages of the proposed railroad for themselves as well as the region, and make concerted efforts for implementing the project as soon as possible.

Source: http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZA...%20Rail%20Link

Russia may push Iran-Armenia rail link

Construction of a rail link to Iran is likely to be pushed forward with Russian backing. At a meeting in Sochi in September, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev discussed the project with his Armenian counterpart Serch Sarkissjan as part of a cooperation agreement between the two countries. The Russian Rialways (RZD) subsidiary South Caucasus Railway took over the operation of the Armenian rail network on June 1 under a 25-year concession, but Armenia’s only active international rail link runs via Georgia, as the lines to Turkey and Azerbaijan are out of use. Initial proposals for a line into Iran were first floated in 2006, and feasibility studies for three possible alignments are currently underway. One would start from Eraskh on the line to Ararat, one from the current terminus at Vardenis and the other from Gagarin, to the northeast of Yerevan. The link would require around 80 km of new construction in northwestern Iran, running from the Armenian border on the Aras River to Marand on Tabriz-Djolfa line. According to Armenian Minister of Transport and Communications Gurgen Sargsyan, the line is expected to cost around 2 billion U.S. dollars. Iran and Armenia have agreed to set up a working group, in which the Russians may be invited to participate.

Source: http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=181941

[SweetAngessa]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

Welcome back, Angessa, I was wondering what happened to you. Please contact one of the moderators here and ask them what was wrong with your previous account. Is your fiance still in Syria? How is he doing? Anyway, I hope all is well with you and your family. I am glad you made an effort to come back here.

Thank you friend, I do not have a fiance anymore but a husband. I am also pregnant and have morning sickness everyday now. He is still in Syria till they build a fully operational military base and unit there. Thank you for asking and your concern. I hope your family and friends are in the greatest of health. May god bless the great and noble people of Armenia.

Here is an interesting British news report on Russia. With some Russian interviews.

part 1 http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=BvnutD...eature=related

part 2 http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z_xCO...eature=related

part 3 http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=toi6fa...eature=related

( I like the director words at 7:52-8:30. Short, sweet, strong and full of emotion.)

[Armenian]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

Russia must develop ways to influence world oil prices - Putin

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the country must develop a set of measures to influence world oil prices. World oil prices have fallen more than 50% from a record high of $147 per barrel in July, as the global credit crunch has brought fuel demand down in most oil-consuming economies. "As a major exporter and producer of crude and oil products, Russia cannot remain on the sidelines with regard to the formulation of world pricing for crude, and we must develop an entire range of measures that would allow us to actively influence the market situation," Putin said. On Monday, Putin met with the heads of Russia's top oil companies to discuss crude export duty cuts amid the ongoing global financial crisis. Putin met executives from state-run Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, the country's largest independent crude producer LUKoil, the Russian-British joint venture TNK-BP, and Surgutneftegaz, as well as the national pipeline monopoly Transneft.

Source: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081110/118230972.html

[Armenian]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

Thank you friend, I do not have a fiance anymore but a husband. I am also pregnant and have morning sickness everyday now...

Congratulations on the marriage and the pregnancy, Angessa. And thank you for the excellent BBC documentary, I had not seen it.

[Armenian]

Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations

Outside view: Russian air power

Past problems with lack of funding for pilot and crew training have led to strange incidents in the Russian air force. A few years ago, a Maj. Troyanov lost orientation in the Baltic sky, flew over Lithuania instead of the Kaliningrad region, and had to eject from the aircraft when his plane ran out of fuel. It was later established that Maj. Troyanov had had just seven hours of flight experience in the year preceding the incident. Lack of combat experience was among the reasons for the loss of two planes during the peacekeeping operation in South Ossetia. It's no secret that until recently, Russian military pilots had just 20 hours of flying time a year, while the standard was 150 hours. A rapid growth in oil prices limited the availability of fuel and lubricants. Young graduates of flying schools could not gain the necessary experience as they were not allowed to conduct solo flights because of the potential risk of losing expensive hardware. Meanwhile, it was necessary to keep the older, more experienced pilots fit for combat duty. Simulators, no matter how perfect, cannot substitute for real flying experience. The Russian air force currently has enough fuel, three-star Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, commander of the Russian air force, told a recent news conference in Moscow. By now, the average flying time among tactical and army aviation pilots has risen to around 90 hours a year. Special attention is paid to young pilots.

The flying time for the crews of strategic bombers also has increased considerably. Starting from Aug. 17, 2007, Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack and Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear warplanes resumed flights over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. Since then, the crews have conducted more than 150 patrols amid "counteraction by aviation of neighboring countries," Gen. Zelin said. NATO fighters approached very close to Russian planes, sometimes beyond safety regulations, aiming their weapons, and the Russian crews responded, although they had no combat missiles on board, by simulating firing at the "potential adversaries," practicing repelling "hostile" attacks. In fact, it was joint combat training. During the 2007-08 joint drills with Russia's Northern and Black Sea fleets in the Atlantic, long-range aircraft for the first time in many years saw intensive action far away from their bases. They rehearsed the destruction of naval targets together with ships, naval aviation, air defense and shipboard missile systems. This year, Russian army aviation crews have conducted a few dozen tactical training exercises with live firing of missiles at aerial, ground and naval targets. The exercises usually were part of joint drills with motorized infantry, coastal units and navy vessels. This proves that the Russian armed forces command is focused on simultaneous multirole combat employment of troops on the ground, in the air and at sea.

Joint drills of long-range aviation and navy ships are scheduled to be held in the Indian Ocean this year. Last year's cruise will be repeated but with new objectives and in new conditions. Another priority is the further development of the joint air defense system of the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which is the only operational defensive system within the CIS countries, Gen. Zelin said. Besides Russia, this system comprises the air defense troops of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Ukraine. The CIS countries are facing the task of improving the control system of the joint air defense and securing mutual information exchanges concerning the situation at the frontiers of the commonwealth. A universal automation equipment complex for command and control centers is under development on request by the CIS Air Defense Coordination Committee. Air defense troops from the member countries are engaged in joint combat duty. Around 100 warplanes at a time take part in drills within this system. The Russian air force still has a lot of problems to be solved, Gen. Zelin said. Nevertheless, it is clear that it is recovering, he added.

Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ian-air-power/