Russia
 
Russia-Vietnam talks
Russia’s President, Dmitry Medvedev, and the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nong Duc Manh, met in Moscow on 9 July to talk about energy cooperation between the two countries, including prospecting as well as oil and gas production. The leaders also discussed the implementation of joint projectsin machine building, mining and telecommunication industries, as well as the possibilities for Russian companies to participate in the construction of new, and modernization of already existing, energy plants in Vietnam. During Nong Duc Manh’s visit, three documents were signed on further development of cooperation between Russian Zarubezhneft and Vietnamiese PetroVietnam. (In 1981, the companies set up Vietsovpetro, a joint venture which is currently a market leader in gas and oil production in Vietnam).
2010.07.11, TV Rossija 24, Interfax, www.rian.ru, www.kremlin.ru
 
No “black lists” in Russo-Ukrainian relations
Russia’s President, Dmitry Medvedev, has made the decision to cancel the practice of denying undesirable Ukrainian citizens entry to Russia. The decision was made on reciprocal terms and the President has already issued relevant instructions to Russian officials – reported Russia’s Foreign Office on 9 July. The statement said that the cancellation of the “black lists”, which has for a long time been advocated by Russia, “reflects the new nature of bilateral relations between Moscow and Kiev”. (“Black lists” of undesirable persons were used in relations between the two countries for five years during Viktor Yushchenko’s presidency. Usually, Kiev refused entry to selected Russian politicians, to which Moscow reacted by issuing analogous restrictions on Ukrainian citizens). 
2010.07.09, TV Rossija 24, PAP, www.gazeta.ru, www.mid.ru
 
Russia-Poland-Germany consultations
Trilateral consultations between Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov, Poland’s Under-Secretary of State Henryk Litwin, and Germany’s State Secretary Wolf-Ruthart Born were held on 9 July in Berlin. According to Russia’s Foreign Office, the politicians talked about cooperation between the tree countries within the frameworks of the OSCE, as well as EU-Russia, and Council of Russia-NATO formats. The discussions also focused on the prospects for the implementation of the agreements reached by the Russian President and the German Chancellor with regard to the formation of an EU-Russia Foreign Policy and Security Committee at ministerial level. The participants of the meeting expressed the opinion that consultations and meetings between experts from Russia, Poland and Germany should be continued.
2010.07.09, ITAR-TASS, www.mid.ru, rus.ruvr.ru
 
Founding congress of Eduard Limonov’s new party
150 delegates from 50 Russian regions arrived in Moscow on 10 July to participate in the founding congress of the Other Russia party set up (on the basis of an opposition coalition of the same name) by the writer Eduard Limonov, an opposition politician, leader of the delegalised National-Bolsheviks party. The party’s statute has been approved and Limonov has been selected as the chairman of a 7-person executive committee. The party’s programme, which calls for “decisive democratization of the country”, has also been adopted. The new party plans to run in the 2011 parliamentary elections.  
2010.07.12, www.kommersant.ru, www.gazeta.ru, www.echo.msk.ru, www.rian.ru
 
Kadyrov changes his mind on human rights activists
Chechnya’s President, Ramzan Kadyrov, said on 10 July that human rights activists, including Memorial group, carrying out their activities in the republic, have nothing to fear. Kadyrov announced that Chechen authorities are ready for dialogue with the representatives of the civil society. Commenting on the statement, the head of Memorial, Oleg Orlov, declared his readiness to begin talks with the republic’s authorities. Orlov stressed that he would not probe why Kadyrov decided to change his position on the matter so radically. (On 3 July, in an interview with a local television channel, the Chechen President described Memorial activists working in Chechnya as “enemies of the Chechen people”, “enemies of the law”, and “enemies of the state” financed by the West and posing a threat to the republic).     
2010.07.11, Interfax, www.gazeta.ru, www.newsru.com
 
Eastern Europe
 
Unofficial CIS summit on Ukraine’s President’s 60th birthday
Presidents of 5 out of 11 CIS countries – Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Kazakhstan – arrived in Yalta in the Crimea on 10 July to participate in Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych’s 60th birthday celebrations (Mikhail Saakashvili, the President of former CIS member Georgia, met with Yanukovych in Kiev a day earlier). The talks in Yalta were conducted behind closed doors. A statement released after the meeting said that the leaders discussed economic and investment cooperation within the framework of CIS, including with reference to important sporting events: EuroCup 2012 in Ukraine, the 2014 Olympics in Russia and the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus. The presidents supported the idea to hold in April 2011 in Kiev an international conference on the ways to deal with the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.   
2010.07.10, Interfax, www.unian.net, www.pravda.com.ua, www.kommersant.ru
 
President of European Council visits Kiev
The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, paid an official visit to Ukraine on 9 July. His talks with President Viktor Yanukovych, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Volodymyr Lytvyn, focused on EU-Ukraine relations, including the waiver of the visa requirement for Ukrainian citizens, the progress on the free trade zone agreement, the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, and cooperation within the Eastern Partnership scheme. Van Rompuy met also with the leader of the opposition, former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko.   
2010.07.09, Interfax, PAP, www.unian.net, www.pravda.com.ua
 
Another dismissal in Ukrainian government
At the request of the Ukrainian government, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine dismissed on 10 July Nestor Shufrych from the position of Minister for Emergencies. The same day the President appointed Shufrych as deputy secretaryof the National Security and Defence Council. In a statement to the media, Shufrych said that his dismissal was a political necessity as President Viktor Yanukovych is planning to widen the coalition and needs “several free seats in the cabinet”. His statement may be supported by media reports quoting serious sources which suggest that the post may be offered to Viktor Baloga, the head of the Office of the former President of Ukraine, Viktor Lushchenko.  
2010.07.10, Interfax, www.unian.net, www.pravda.com.ua
 
New bill on local elections in Ukraine
On 10 July Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada adopted at final reading a bill on local elections. The bill provides that town, district and regional council elections will be held according to a mixed – majority-proportional representation – system, without the participation of political party blocs. 50% of the councilors will be selected from party lists; the other 50% will follow the majority system in single-seat constituencies. Local parties will be able to put forward candidates under the condition that they have been registered for at least 365 days prior to the elections. 
2010.07.10, Interfax, www.prawda.com.ua, www.unian.net
 
Polish MP being refused entry to Belarus
On 11 July Belarusian border police refused entry to deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission, Robert Tyszkiewicz. Together with three other MPs, Tyszkiewicz was travelling through a border crossing at Kuznica on the way to the 66th anniversary of the Operation Ostra Brama organised by the unrecognised by Belarusian authorities Union of Poles in Belarus and the Polish consulate in Grodno. While the other three MPs were allowed to enter Belarus, Tyszkiewicz was informed by the border police that he was being refused entry under the Geneva convention and that his presence in Belarus was undesirable.   
2010.07.11, PAP, www.naviny.by
 
Belarus-EU: EU commissioner visits Minsk
EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fuele paid a visit to Belarus during which he held meetings with President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Foreign Minister Syarhei Martinov, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov and representatives of the Belarusian civil society and opposition parties (A separate meeting was scheduled with acting president of the unrecognised Union of Poles in Belarus, Angelica Orekhvo, as her participation in the joint meeting was made impossible by the Belarusian police). Fuele discussed the situation in Belarus and the possibility of improving and widening the cooperation between the EU and Belarus. On 9 July, at a press conference concluding his visit, the Commissioner said that EU member states will receive in early autumn a plan for a dialogue between the parties. He added that the document will be a political agreement serving as a basis for the development of bilateral relations and that opinions of not only Belarusian authorities but also the civil society and the opposition will be taken into consideration while drafting the plan.       
2010.07.09, Interfax, PAP, www.belapan.com, www.naviny.by
 
Russia-Latvia gas talks
On 7 July in Riga, Gazprom opened its branch office. On the same day, Valery Golubev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, held talks with Latvia’s Economy Minister, Artis Kampars. On 9 July, in an interview with the LatvianLietiska Diena newspaper, Golubev said that Gazprom would not lower the price of gas supplied to Latvia under the contract valid till 2030 (which Riga has been seeking) but added that the Russian company was willing to specify supply volumes and price indexes. Golubev stressed however that the gas price paid to Gazprom constitutes only 35% of the price paid by the Latvian end consumer; the rest of the price is made up local taxes, pipeline charges and the profit of the Latvian monopoly Latvijas Gaze.      
2010.07.08-10, www.regnum.ru, www.novonews.lv, www.gazeta.ru, www.lenta.ru
 
South Caucasus and Central Asia
 
Uzbekistan grants tax exemption to MB Central Asia
The Uzbek-German bus-making company – Mercedes-Benz Central Asia – set up in May 2010, has been granted a 5-year tax exemption (covering all applicable taxes). A relevant regulation has already been signed by President Islam Karimov. The first batch of buses is to leave the plant in September 2010.
2010.07.10, www.ferghana.ru, www.regnum.ru, www.uzemtronom.com
 
Uzbekistan raises pay and benefits
Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov, has raised by 20% the country’s minimum wage, the salaries of public sector employees, as well as pensions, scholarships and welfare benefits. The presidential decree will take effect on 1 August 2010. 
2010.07.09, www.uzdaily.uz, www.gazeta.uz, www.regnum.ru