Home›
Publications› Topics› Russia and its neighbours
During President Viktor Yanukovych’s visit to Moscow on 5 March, he announced that laws "protecting the rights of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine" would be adopted soon. Some politicians and media interpreted this as meaning that Russian would be recognised as an equal state language. However, on 9 March, Yanukovych stated that Ukrainian would remain the sole state language, and the rights of the Russian-speaking population would be assured by implementing the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which Ukraine ratified in 2005. more »
Yanukovych's objective is to resume the so-called multi-vector policy (which is in fact a bidirectional policy), which Ukraine pursued under Leonid Kuchma, and which consists in balancing the influences of Russia and the West and profiting from both. more »
A meeting of the Committee of the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus was held in Moscow on 27 January. The parties failed to agree on the division of import duty revenue. The first month of the new, common custom tariff's functioning has revealed many difficulties that integration with its two neighbours will entail for Russia. more »
Following lengthy negotiations, on 27 January 2010 Russia and Belarus reached an agreement with regard to co-operation on the export of oil and petroleum products. The agreement ends the heated dispute between the two countries about the extent to which oil processed by Belarusian refineries should be exempted from Russian export duties. By limiting the scope of the exemption, Moscow hopes to force Minsk to sell its controlling stakes in the refineries. more »
On 24 December, the strategic investor for PFTS, Ukraine's largest stock exchange, was selected. The Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange (MICEX) will purchase 50% plus one share in the PFTS. Since the Russian Trading System (RTS) exchange took over a controlling stake in another major Ukrainian stock exchange (Ukrainian Exchange) a year ago, the present decision means that Russian capital now controls the institutionalised securities market in Ukraine. more »
