Russia
 
Russian MFA advises against travel to Georgia
The Russian Foreign Office has issued a travel advisory telling Russian citizens not to travel to Georgia in order to avoid repressions from the local law enforcement agencies. Commenting on the statement issued by the Georgian Foreign Office warning foreigners of the consequences of entering separatist republics – Abkhazia and South Ossetia – without permission from the authorities in Tbilisi, spokesman for the Russian MFA, Andrei Nesterenko, said on 1 September that Georgian authorities are trying to cut off the republics from the rest of the world due to their pathological hatred of Abkhazians and South Ossetians. According to Nesterenko, Russian citizens risk imprisonment in Georgia regardless of whether or not they have previously visited Abkhazia or South Ossetia. They fall victim of illegal provocations used by Georgian special services, which plant arms, fake banknotes or drugs on Russian citizens, and fabricate criminal cases against them, said Nesterenko. The Georgian Foreign Office described Nesterenko’s comments as constituting a part of an anti-Georgian campaign. Minister for Reintegration, Temur Yakobashvili, assured Russian citizens that they are welcome to visit Georgia.
2010.09.01, Interfax, www.mid.ru, www.ghn.ge
 
Russia partly lifts grain export ban
The Russian government has introduces changes to the ban on grain export imposed due to the disastrous drought which destroyed one third of the country’s harvest. The new regulations adopted by the government on 30 August allow the export of grain, flour and groats to supply Russian troops and diplomatic staff based abroad, as well as for humanitarian aid and to fulfil intergovernmental agreements. The changes do not open any loopholes for commercial shipments. (The embargo has been put in place for the period between 15 August and 31 December, but its extension has not been ruled out).
2010.09.01, www.rian.ru, www.rg.ru, www.vedomosti.ru
 
Russia sells Mi-17 helicopters to Argentina
Russia will deliver two Mi-17 helicopters to the Argentinean armed forces – said on 1 September Rosoboronexport’s representative, Vyacheslav Davydenko. The deal was signed the previous day in Buenos Aires. This is the first contract for the sale of Russian military equipment to Argentina.
2010.09.01, Interfax, www.rian.ru, www.lenta.ru
 
Eastern Europe
 
Naftogaz suspends gas supply to Hrubieszow
Naftogaz Ukraine has suspended the supply of natural gas to Hrubieszow – said on 1 September PGNiG’s spokesperson, Joanna Zakrzewska. A change in internal regulations has been quoted by Naftogaz as the reason for the decision. The new rules require all gas produced in the country to be used for domestic needs only – effectively, blocking its export. Poland, however, demands that Ukraine perform the contract signed by the two countries, binding until the end of 2020. Talks on the matter are in progress.
2010.09.01, PAP, delo.ua
 
Russia-Belarus confrontation continues
Belarusian President, Alexandr Lukashenko, did not rule out the possibility that Russia was involved in the incident which took place at the Russian Embassy in Minsk on the night of 30 August (Daily News No. 150). He said that also this version of events has been taken into consideration as part of the on-going investigation into the attack. Lukashenko explained that Moscow may have needed such an incident to justify further discrimination against the Belarusian government and the President – following earlier unprecedented economic pressure and a media offensive. He said also that people who commented on the incident and suggested that Belarusian authorities knew that the attack was being planned and did not attempt to prevent it, were bastards and scoundrels.
On 1 September, Belarusian television aired a programme ridiculing Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s tour of the Far East. According to the producers of the programme, the road trip was a well scripted and very costly PR campaign which failed to improve Putin’s image and exposed more clearly Russian problems. Russian media described the programme as yet another response to “God Father”, a three-part film about the Belarusian President produced by the Russian NTV channel.
2010.09.01-02, Interfax, PAP, www.belapan.com, www.naviny.by, www.newsru.com
 
Belarus increases state sector salaries
Belarusian government has decided to increase the salaries of certain groups of state sector workers. As of 1 September, doctors and some teachers will be earning 25 percent more; while social workers and people working within the educational and cultural sector will receive a pay rise of 15 percent.
2010.09.01, www.naviny.by
 
South Caucasus and Central Asia
 
Shootout in Nagorno-Karabakh
A shootout between Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers took place on 1 September in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Several of the servicemen were killed. Azerbaijani Defence Ministry has reported that an Armenian commando group crossed a contact line and attacked Azerbaijani troops. Armenia’s Defence Minister, Seyran Ohanian, argued however that the attack was carried out on 31 August by an Azerbaijani unit. A similar position was taken by Nagorno-Karabakh’s Defence Ministry, which said that Azerbaijani troops have already made several dozen attempts at violating the truce agreement.
2010.09.01, Interfax, PAP, www.aysor.am, www.lenta.ru
 
Future of OSCE mission to Kyrgyzstan uncertain
Kyrgyz authorities have refused to sign a memorandum on the powers for the OSCE police advisory group which was expected to arrive in the republic in August. Government spokesman, Farid Niyazov, said on 1 September that Bishkek was not refusing to allow the mission into the country but wanted to see its format adapted to Kyrgyzstan’s national interests. This would include giving Bishkek the right to decide the duration of their deployment and the powers to unilaterally revoke its mandate. According to Niyazov, talks on the changes to the original draft of the memorandum will be resumed soon.
2010.09.01, Interfax, www.ferghana.ru
 
Tajikistan – new head of State Committee for National Security
Tajikistan’s President, Emomali Rahmon, accepted on 2 September the resignation of the head of the State Committee for National Security, Khairidin Abdurakhimov, and appointed to the post Saimumin Yatimov. The President has also accepted the resignations of three deputy heads of the Committee. All resignations are linked to the recent escape of 25 detainees from the Committee’s detention centre (all of whom were sentenced for membership of an armed Islamist organization).
2010.09.02, Interfax, www.rian.ru, www.ferghana.ru