Russia 100715 Basic Political Developments

RIA: Merkel hopes Russia's WTO accession not hampered by Customs Union

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100715/159819449.html
10:34 15/07/2010

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she hoped the recently formed Customs Union between Russian, Kazakhstan and Belarus will not hamper Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Angela Merkel arrived in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on Wednesday for the Russian-German interstate consultations.

"We want Russia's accession to the WTO to be completed and hope the Customs Union will not make the situation more complicated. We want to see transparent investment conditions," Merkel said.

Medvedev said that Russia is making progress towards WTO accession and has held talks with the United States on the issue.

"Our entry into the Customs Union has not halted our efforts towards WTO membership," he said. "I think that this year we will make significant progress in this direction."

Russia has been in negotiations for WTO membership for 17 years and is the only major economy outside of the global trade body.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday he hopes that Russia will complete negotiations on its accession by yearend.

Medvedev and Merkel are also expected to discuss bilateral trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as international affairs.

A total of 10 bilateral documents are expected to be signed, including a memorandum of understanding between the Skolkovo foundation, which supervises the eponymous innovation hub outside of Moscow, and Germany's Siemens AG.

The Russian companies Rostekhnologii (Russian Technology) and RusHydro will sign a partnership agreement with Siemens AG to establish a joint venture manufacturing hydroelectric power units.

Russian railway monopoly RZD will also sign a memorandum with Siemens AG to establish a joint venture for the supply and maintenance of high-speed trains.

YEKATERINBURG, July 15 (RIA Novosti)

Itar-Tass: 2011 to be Russia-Germany Scientific Achievements Year – Medvedev

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15320539

15.07.2010, 11.17

YEKATERINBURG, July 15 (Itar-Tass) -- The year 2011 will be announced as the Year of Russian-German Scientific Achievements, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev said at the opening of the Russian-German intergovernmental consultations on Thursday.

“We agreed yesterday to announce the coming year as the Year of Russian-German Scientific Achievements and the Development of Russian-German Science,” he said. “I believe this is a very good idea, which will favour the achievement of our goals.”

Itar-Tass: RF-EU visa-free regimen depends on EU political will – Medvedev

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15320529&PageNum=0

15.07.2010, 10.49

YEKATERINBURG, July 15 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev is convinced that Europe’s political will may make a decision on a visa-free regimen with Russia.

“There are topics, where we shall continue our cooperation,” he said on Thursday. “The topic of visas has been raised here already: both businesses and civil societies of our countries speak about it.”

“A visa-free regimen should help youth exchange programmes and will be useful in general contacts,” Medvedev said at the Russian-German business forum, which he attended together with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A visa issue is not a problem of exclusively Russia and Germany, he said.

“This is a problem of Russia and the EU, but I am convinced that, with good will and desire to cooperate, we shall be able to achieve a visa-free regimen in the long run,” Medvedev said.

“The visas problem affects various contacts,” Merkel said. “We shall deal with this matter surely.”

RIA: Russia's Medvedev discusses Customs Union, visa regime with EU

http://en.rian.ru/business/20100715/159819527.html
10:38 15/07/2010

Foreign investors planning to work within the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus will be given comfortable conditions, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday.

President Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are attending sessions of the Russian-German forum St. Petersburg Dialogue currently underway in Yekaterinburg, which has brought together politicians and businessmen from both countries.

"In regard to the Customs Union, we will of course do everything that is needed so that investors feel comfortable within the framework of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan...everything will be done," Medvedev said.

The chairman of the Eastern Committee of German Business, Klaus Mangold, said particular attention should be paid to the opportunity of continuing work with Russia in beneficial conditions within the Customs Union.

Mangold also touched upon the issue of simplifying the visa regime between Russia and the European Union. Medvedev gave his support to Mangold's suggestion.

"We have been discussing this topic. It is of course not a simple issue, but it is clear that a high-quality partnership between Russia and the European Union and Russia and Germany as a member of the European Union would be impossible [without solving this issue]," Medvedev said.

YEKATERINBURG, July 15 (RIA Novosti)

RIA: Medvedev says no need to get rid of state-run media

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100715/159819900.html
11:02 15/07/2010
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he does not deem it necessary to get rid of state-run media in Russia.

"I am not sure that we need to be running away from state-run media," Medvedev said at the Russian-German forum St. Petersburg Dialogue, which is currently underway in Yekaterinburg.

He said that there was room for the media to be run both privately and by the state.

"There is no point in setting the task of discarding state media when both [private and state-run] can exist side by side," Medvedev said.

The president also said that the transition to digital technology and the development of the Internet have blurred the boundary between state and private media.

YEKATERINBURG, July 15 (RIA Novosti)