What the Papers Say, May 17, 2013

Kommersant

1. Yegor Popov article headlined "Dockyards to be kept by shelf" looks at alternative strategies to develop the United Shipbuilding Corporation that will be discussed at the May 21 meeting to be held by President Vladimir Putin; pp 1, 11 (849 words).

2. Yulia Orlova and Dmitry Ladygin article headlined "Renaissance gets stuck in African land" says that the investment bank Renaissance Capital has published its 2012 financial results. The bank made a record loss of 378 million dollars; pp 1, 10 (875 words).

3. Pyotr Netreba and Dmitry Butrin article headlined "Russian Economic Development Ministry's miracle" says that at a government meeting, Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov has admitted that the Russian economy has been stagnating for over a year. However, he said that it will recover within a month; pp 1, 6 (783 words).

4. Ivan Buranov article headlined "Moscow surrounded with dry firewood" says that abnormal forest fires and smog are threatening the Moscow region and Moscow this summer; pp 1, 3 (680 words).

5. Irina Nagornykh article headlined "United Russia grows slowly" says that the number of United Russia members has increased by 80,000 people over the last 18 months. However, at the height of popularity in 2007-08, the party accepted 40,000 new members monthly, the article says; p 2 (700 words).

6. Maria-Luiza Tirmaste and Sofya Samokhina article headlined "Amnesty to be guarded from embezzlers and fraudsters" looks at a bill on granting an amnesty to businessmen convicted of economic crimes, being drafted by the council of experts under the Russian businessmen's rights ombudsman; p 2 (581 words).

7. Viktor Khamrayev and Irina Nagornykh article headlined "Bills are not urgent" says that the State Duma has postponed for a month the consideration in the second reading of a bill on a mechanism of electing State Duma deputies in order to discuss it one more time with the opposition; p 2 (644 words).

8. Sergei Goryashko article headlined "Vladimir Markin has garage, but lacks car" looks at the 2012 income and property declarations submitted by the personnel of the Russian Investigative Committee; p 2 (437 words).

9. Natalya Bashlykova et al. article headlined "Foreign accounts being withdrawn from Moscow region election" says that the Moscow region Duma has passed amendments to the law on the governor election in the region, which bans candidates from having accounts abroad. The Communists say that thus, United Russia has got rid of rivals of its candidate; p 2 (618 words).

10. Kirill Belyaninov et al. article headlined "Control in exchange for concessions" says that US families, whom the Dima Yakovlev law banning foreign adoption in Russia has prevented from adopting Russian children, are ready to draft a system of mutual control and provide Russian officials with access anytime to Russian orphans, who have moved to the USA; p 3 (867 words).

11. Ivan Buranov article headlined "President and prime minister soar up over traffic jams" says that a helipad has been built for the president in the Kremlin; p 3 (623 words).

12. Ilya Barabanov article headlined "Court does not let Alexei Navalny in Aeroflot" says that one of the witnesses for the prosecution has been heard in the trial of opposition activist Alexei Navalny targeted in the Kirovles timber company case. Moreover, the court dismissed Navalny's appeal not to hold another court session on 21 May, when the board of directors of the Aeroflot airlines company will meet; p 3 (700 words).

13. Natalya Korchenkova interview with Anatoly Lysenko, general director of the Public TV, to begin broadcasting on 19 May, headlined "'Only riot police with helicopter cover can force our citizens to pay for TV'", who speaks about the future of the TV channel; p 4 (2,016 words).

14. Yury Senatorov and Ivan Safronov article headlined "Money for Glonass lost in contracts" says that the former and current directors of the Sinertek company have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling budget funds allocated for development of the Glonass navigation system; p 5 (737 words).

15. Dmitry Butrin article headlined "Fight against offshore companies not to be national sport" says that Russia has decided to join an automatic exchange of tax information between the world's largest countries; p 6 (700 words).

16. Maxim Yusin article headlined "Embargo being imposed on Syrian opposition" says that France and the UK have asked the UN to recognize the terrorist group Al-Nusrah as the most efficient one among the Syrian opposition. All the five UN Security Council permanent members may approve the move; p 7 (427 words).

17. Andrei Kolesnikov article headlined "Russian and South African presidents measure diamonds" reports on President Vladimir Putin's meeting with his South African counterpart in Sochi; p 7 (599 words).

18. Kirill Belyaninov report "Barack Obama frees himself from taxman" says that US President Barack Obama has announced he has accepted the resignation of tax agency chief Steven Miller; p 7 (900 words).

19. Kirill Melnikov and Yelena Kiseleva article headlined "Igor Sechin squeezes gas out of diamonds" says that the oil company Rosneft has agreed with the diamonds manufacturer Alrosa on the purchase of its gas assets; p 9 (666 words).

20. Yelena Kiseleva et al. article headlined "Officials to be brought to roof" says that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu may become the next state official in Russia who will acquire his own helipad; p 9 (724 words).

21. Olga Mordyushenko et al. article headlined "Gazprom bides its time" describes gas talks between Russia's Gazprom head Alexei Miller and the Ukrainian prime minister in Moscow; p 11 (687 words).

22. Yelena Kiseleva report "Igor Putin to become guarantor" says that the president's cousin will help a company from Yakutia to get contracts in Moscow; pp 9, 12 (900 words).

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

1. Ivan Rodin article headlined "Federal non-bailiff service" describes the problems that the Russian judicial system is facing, mentioned at the International Legal Forum in St. Petersburg; pp 1-2 (1,000 words).

2. Alexei Gorbachev article headlined "Timber case gets lost in evidence" says that witnesses in the trial of opposition activist Alexei Navalny, targeted in the Kirovles timber company case, have been inconsistent in their testimony or have given evidence for Navalny; pp 1, 3 (800 words).

3. Igor Naumov article headlined "Russia boasts about fiscal system" looks at a conference on tax management held by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Moscow; pp 1, 4 (800 words).

4. Sergei Kulikov article headlined "Government takes up presidential tariffs" says that despite a planned rise in natural monopolies' tariffs, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has instructed the ministries to make the 2014-16 federal budgets as if tariffs were decreased; pp 1, 4 (900 words).

5. Svetlana Gavrilina report "Another fighter against pedophiles in St Petersburg Legislative Assembly" says that a politician, who has written a condemnatory letter to well-known Russian pop singer Alla Pugacheva, is returning to the St. Petersburg parliament; pp 1, 6 (700 words).

6. Editorial headlined "Menacing signal to former defense minister" says that the dismissal of Sergei Khursevich as general director of the Oboronservis defense company may mean that former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will be prosecuted; p 2 (600 words).

7. Vladimir Mukhin article headlined "Permanent conscription" says that the Defense Ministry is considering rescheduling the launch of the autumn conscription campaign from October to August. Moreover, young people who served in the armies of foreign countries will be conscripted too; p 2 (500 words).

8. Lidia Orlova article headlined "Religious organizations listen to each other" describes a round table meeting in the Public Chamber, during which the role and the meaning of religion in society were discussed; p 2 (600 words).

9. Alexandra Samarina article headlined "Party blocs become more called-for" says that both the Kremlin and parliamentarians are pleased with the results of the president's meeting with the leaders of the parliamentary parties. An idea to establish pre-election party blocs seems to have been shelved; p 3 (1,000 words).

10. Kirill Rodionov article headlined "Self-destruction of Russia" contemplates Russia's migration policy and says that an inflow of migrants from Central Asia is threatening the Russian cultural identity; p 5 (1,100 words).

11. Vladimir Gurvich article headlined "Revolution is not cancelled" says that Russia needs not only reforms in various areas of life, but it needs to reform a mechanism of carrying out reforms to score a success; p 5 (1,700 words).

12. Vladimir Skosyrev article headlined "Tories stab Cameron in back" says that British Prime Minister David Cameron's authority has been undermined by his party fellows who voted for holding a referendum on Britain's withdrawal from the EU; p 8 (600 words).

Vedomosti

1. Bela Lyauv and Alexei Rozhkov article headlined "Kovalchuk's double" says that businessman Yuriy Kovalchuk's company Lider may build the first turnpike road in Moscow; pp 1, 18 (468 words).

2. Olga Kuvshinova article headlined "Corridor for prices" says that the Central Bank has suggested setting possible fluctuation rate for inflation from 3 to 6 percent annually; pp 1, 4 (730 words).

3. Editorial headlined "Not only amnesty" says that granting an amnesty to businessmen convicted of economic crimes is a necessary step for development of the Russian economy, but the Russian authorities should not confine themselves to it if they want to improve the investment climate and the economic situation in the country; pp 1, 6 (438 words).

4. Another editorial headlined "Left half-middle one" contemplates the notion of middle class in Russia; p 6 (268 words).

5. Maxim Glikin article headlined "People believe in agents" says that a Levada Center opinion poll has shown that 66 percent of Russians think that human rights NGOs should not have a right to receive financial aid from abroad. Moreover, 53 percent of respondents approve tough sanctions against the NGOs financed from abroad that do not to register as foreign agents; p 2 (412 words).

6. Anastasia Kornya article headlined "Politics is everything that moving" says that the human rights NGO Agora has studied the results of prosecutor's checks on NGOs and concluded that over 50 types of NGOs' activity are seen by the Prosecutor-General's Office as political; p 2 (582 words).

7. Alexei Nikolsky article headlined "Thing of week: Spy wig" says that an operation to detain an alleged US spy has been held openly through a state-run TV channel in order to bring the CIA to reason that the Federal Security Service should not be seen as a third-rate agency from a third world country; p 7 (358 words).

8. Timofei Dzyadko and Yekaterina Derbilova article headlined "Rosneft keeps not all" says that two Rosneft vice-presidents, who moved to these posts from TNK-BP in late March, have resigned; p 11 (633 words).

9. Svetlana Bocharova and Lilia Biryukova article headlined "Duma concretes its regulations" says that a constitutional bill regulating the work of the State Duma and the Federation Council will be drafted in Russia. The Communists fear that United Russia, which has the majority in the parliament, will impose its own rules for the parliament's work; p 3 (401 words).

10. Anastasia Golitsyna report "Tiger bids farewell to Yandex" says that the US investment company Tiger Global Management has sold all Yandex's shares; p 16 (600 words).

Izvestia

1. Dmitry Yevstifeyev article headlined "Rosagrolizing's stolen millions being searched for at regional politicians" says that a former Lipetsk region deputy is believed to be involved in the large-scale embezzlement of budget funds at the state-owned company Rosagrolizing; pp 1, 4 (721 words).

2. Yekaterina Kvon and Renata Gareyeva article headlined "Rosbank head fails on bribe from singer and businessman" says that Rosbank head Vladimir Golubkov, who has been recently detained on suspicion of taking a large bribe, extorted money for easing terms of a loan given to the company AvtoPrestizh 1, owned by former Moscow city Duma deputy and musician Andrei Kovalev; pp 1, 4 (621 words).

3. Article by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, headlined "Say 'thanks' and do not make show", wonders why the Kyrgyz parliament has declared him persona non grata and disagrees that he has made offensive statements regarding the country; p 1 (441 words).

4. Tatyana Shirmanova article headlined "Future pensioners to be deprived of funded part [of pensions]" says that only those Russian people, who will take part in the mandatory pension insurance before January 1 2015, will be given a right to choose the rate of their contributions to the funded part of their future pensions; pp 1, 4 (710 words).

5. Anastasia Kashevarova interview with Audit Chamber official Sergei Ryabukhin, headlined "'Over 1 Billion Rubles went on salaries in Skolkovo'", who speaks about the audit of the Skolkovo innovation fund's financial activities; pp 1, 5 (1,531 words).

6. Yelena Teslova article headlined "United Russia members link main party events to elections" says that the United Russia party has decided to hold joint meetings of the supreme and general councils in May before the launch of election campaigns in regions, where elections will be held on the second Sunday of September. A party conference will be held in November-December to sum up election results and make necessary personnel changes; p 2 (532 words).

7. Ivan Cheberko article headlined "Defendants appear in Glonass theft case" says that a new criminal case has been opened following an investigation of the improper use of budget funds allocated for the federal program to develop the Glonass navigation system; p 3 (704 words).

8. Alexei Mikhailov report "Zmei Gorynych to be upgraded" looks at a new Russian mine-clearance vehicle; p 3 (700 words).

9. Aleksandr Grigoryev article headlined "Interior Ministry to purge its ranks from security officers and secretaries" says that the Interior Ministry has decided to get rid of 'needless' officers who are working as secretaries and aides to department heads or officials' guards; p 5 (553 words).

10. Vladimir Zykov article headlined "YouTube video clip banned due to title" says that the Moscow's arbitration court has explained why it has upheld the decision by the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection (Rospotrebnadzor) to ban a YouTube video clip, which describes how to make oneself up as a self-murderer who slashed wrists for the Halloween. Even the title of the video clip, "How to slash wrists", is an illegal content in Russia, the court said; p 8 (598 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

1. Tatyana Zykova interview with Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Yevtukhov, headlined "Certificates without defect", who speaks about an idea to hand over patent and know-how licenses to businessmen; pp 1, 17 (1,223 words).

2. Kira Latukhina article headlined "Visa for summit" looks at Putin's meeting with his South African counterpart in Sochi; p 2 (650 words).

3. Anna Zakatnova article headlined "Everything that has been acquired" looks at the 2012 income and property declarations submitted by Constitutional Court judges; p 2 (500 words).

4. Anna Zakatnova article headlined "Notions about court" focuses on Constitutional Court chairman Valery Zorkin's statement on Russia-Europe legal cooperation at the International Legal Forum in St Petersburg; p 3 (700 words).

5. Vladimir Kuzmin article headlined "According to three scenarios" says that the Economic Development Ministry has prepared three scenarios of Russia's economic development in 2014-16; p 3 (877 words).

6. Valeriy Vyzhutovich article headlined "Under political occupation" looks at political speculations about Russia's role in the victory over Nazi Germany given the recent Victory Day holiday; p 3 (690 words).

7. Tamara Shkel article headlined "To trust corrections" says that 12 State Duma deputies have introduced clarity into their 2012 income and property declarations; p 5 (437 words).

8. Marina Alyoshina article headlined "Who to blame for ambassador's death?" says that the US leadership knew about the imminent terrorist attack on the US embassy in Benghazi, as a result of which the US ambassador to Libya had been killed; p 8 (376 words).

9. Yelena Yakovleva interview with Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk, headlined "Belief by chance and providence", who speaks about the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill's visit to China; p 11 (696 words).

10. President of the Russian International Affairs Council Igor Ivanov article headlined "Not to miss this chance" expresses the hope that the Syrian issue will be settled soon; p 18 (636 words).

Moskovsky Komsomolets

1. Mikhail Rostovsky article headlined "Taming of Russia: What America wants from Kremlin, in fact" contemplates the USA's policy towards Russia and says that Washington wants to turn Moscow into an obedient and unambitious junior geopolitical partner, like London; pp 1, 6 (3,078 words).

2. Yeva Merkacheva and Olga Bozhyeva article headlined "President's helicopter allowed to land in Kremlin" says that a helipad for the president has been opened in the Kremlin; pp 1, 3 (1,110 words).

3. Yeva Merkacheva article headlined "Killer of football fan Volkov should have been behind bars for 24 hours more" says that a scandal over a photo depicting Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov together with Bekkhan Ibragimov, a native of Chechnya, who has been convicted of killing football fan Yury Volkov to five years, but has been released within 30 months, has caused a hailstorm of criticism of Federal Penal Service officers; pp 1, 3 (413 words).

4. Tatyana Fedotkina article headlined "Voluntary folly" ridicules yet another odd law passed by the State Duma, which says that schoolchildren and students will be tested for drugs, but on a voluntary basis; pp 1-2 (431 words).

5. Yekaterina Petukhova article headlined "'Yunus-Bek Yevkurov: Now I understand why whole world knows MK'" describes Ingushetia's leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov's visit to the Moskovsky Komsomolets editorial office, where he gave a news conference; pp 1, 3 (802 words).

6. Marina Ozerova article headlined "Duma measures believers' feelings in rubles" says that a bill introducing criminal penalty for insulting believers' feelings has been amended for a second reading. It now envisages a three-year prison term for insulting believers' feelings; p 2 (603 words).

7. Pavel Chuvilyayev article headlined "How banks extort bribes from borrowers" focuses on recent scandals in the Russian banking system and says that the developments look like purges ahead of a change in the leadership in the Russian Central Bank; p 3 (1,055 words).

8. Stanislav Belkovsky article headlined "Amnesty of Russian soul" says that a great amnesty is brewing up in Russia: up to 150,000 people may be freed. If it happens, Putin's presidency can be described as a success and he will go down in history mainly with this move; p 3 (1,154 words).

9. Sergei Yegorov and Konstantin Smirnov article headlined "Will oil beat ruble and GDP?" says that the Russian economy is stagnating despite high oil prices; p 4 (2,019 words).

10. Aleksandr Melman interview with Anatoly Lysenko, the general director of the Public TV, to begin broadcasting on 19 May, headlined "Who needs public TV?", who speaks about the new TV channel; p 7 (1,074 words).

11. Yulia Kalinina article headlined "Spy, but not just anybody" speaks ironically of an alleged US spy detained in Moscow on 14 May; p 20 (514 words).

12. Darya Fedotova report "They came to blogger for 'ABC book"' looks at searches conducted in blogger Rustem Adagamov's wife's flats in Moscow; p 2 (200 words).

RBK Daily

1. Yevgeny Novikov article headlined "Not so much open government" looks at how the RIA Novosti news agency and RBK rank openness of the Russian government bodies; p 3 (700 words).

Novaya Gazeta

1. Alexei Polukhin article headlined "Russia to be free. Economic area" comments on a bill granting an amnesty to businessmen convicted of economic crimes and features comments on the issue made by one of the authors of the bill, lawyer Mikhail Barshchevsky; pp 2-3 (1000 words).

2. Yevgeny Feldman article headlined "Your witnesses remember nothing" looks at the ongoing hearings of the embezzlement case against opposition leader Alexei Navalny; pp 3-4 (750 words).

3. Nikita Girin article headlined "Their father embarrassed, but our father not that insulted" features comments of former Russian spies on the latest Russian-US spy scandal and its possible consequences; p 5 (400 words).

4. Semen Novoprudsky article headlined "Stepchild of Channel One TV family" says the Russian Public TV channel, which is to begin broadcasting on May 19, is short both of money and audience; p 7 (650 words).

Noviye Izvestia

1. Alexander Protsenko article headlined "Simply bribenomics" comments on the detention of the head of Rosbank, a major Russian bank controlled by the French multinational banking group Societe Generale, who has been charged of bribery; pp 1, 3 (900 words).

Komsomolskaya Pravda

1. Yevgeny Belyakov article headlined "Why Rosbank head squeezed $1.5M?" details a bribery case involving Russian Rosbank's head Vladimir Golubkov, and gives possible reasons behind the crime; p 5 (650 words).

Krasnaya Zvezda

1. Aleksandr Tikhonov article headlined "CIA: Yet another failure" details the latest developments in the recent Russian-US spy scandal; p 15 (850 words).

Related articles:

• What the Papers Say, May 16, 2012
• What the Papers Say, May 15, 2012
• What the Papers Say, May 14, 2012