What the Papers Say, July 3, 2012

Kommersant

1. Pyotr Rudenko et al. report headlined "Moderation of Their Own Resources" says that according to a Central Bank report, Russian banks and financial organizations are incapable of getting enough liquidity without the Central Bank's assistance; pp 1, 9 (854 words).

2. Viktor Khamrayev et al. report headlined "'Foreign Agents' Covered by 'Foreign Standards'" says despite the fact that United Russia claims that the law on foreign financing for NGOs working in Russia will correspond to Western legislation, experts note that there are no similar laws abroad; pp 1, 3 (87 words).

3. Sergei Mashkin article headlined "Catastrophe Under Author's Supervision" gives some details of a probe into the Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane crash in Indonesia on May 9. The local authorities blame Russian pilots for the fatal mistake while Russian colleagues of the pilots believe that Indonesia air traffic controllers gave wrong directions; pp 1, 6 (1,169 words).

4. Anna Balashova and Yelena Kiseleva article headlined "Communications Ministry Calls Fourth Generation" says director general of Skartel company Denis Sverdlov is to become deputy communications minister; pp 1, 9 (583 words).

5. Pyotr Netreba and Dmitry Butrin article headlined "Big Bucks to Far East" says Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visiting Vladivostok has pledged more financing to large-scale projects to be implemented in the region; p 2 (854 words).

6. Irina Granik article headlined "Parliamentary Majority Do Not Want to Move Outside Moscow Ring Road" says three State Duma factions including United Russia have rejected Prime Minister Medvedev's proposal to move the parliament together with other government institutions outside Moscow's center; p 2 (662 words).

7. Natalya Gorodetskaya and Sofya Samokhina article headlined "Human Rights Council Opens for Discussion" says members of the presidential human rights council have accepted the new procedure of forming the council drafted by the presidential administration. The new procedure of Internet-based elections will not be applied to the incumbent members of the council; p 3 (561 words).

8. Grigory Tumanov article headlined "Displeased to Be Shown Their Place" says Moscow city authorities have made a shortlist of venues where opposition protests will be sanctioned in the city. The opposition wants officials to discuss venues with them before making their final decision; p 3 (535 words).

9. Alexander Zheglov article headlined "Interior Ministry Fails to Get Assistance in Hermitage Capital Fund Case" says the U.K. law enforcement agencies have refused to provide the Russian Interior Ministry with help in investigating the case of Hermitage Capital head William Browder. Moscow says the refusal will not become a reason for canceling the trial of the businessman in absentia; p 5 (676 words).

10. Vadim Kozyulin and Sergei Strokan article headlined "Taking Aim at Arms Trade" comments on the UN conference on arms trade aiming to develop universal regulations for arms export. Russia being the world's second-largest arms exporter wants measures to be taken against illegal arms trade but not against its deals with regimes criticized by the West; p 6 (626 words).

11. Kirill Melnikov et al. report headlined "TNK-BP Wants to Join Nord Stream" says after Russian partners within the TNK-BP Russian-British joint venture blocked BP's participation in the Nord Stream gas pipeline, TNK-BP decided to join the project itself; p 7 (675 words).

12. Sergei Sobolev interview with Ruben Dishdishyan, ex-president of the Tsentral Partnership film company speaking on his dismissal; p 10 (2,120 words).

13. Sergei Sobolev interview with Sergei Tikhonov, chairman of the Tsentral Partnership company's board of directors and vice-president of ProfMedia holding company speaking on Dishdishyan's dismissal; p 10 (712 words).

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

1. Igor Naumov article headlined "One-Third of Russia Turning Into Uninhabited Desert" says a delegation of federal ministers headed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has visited Vladivostok to discuss the future of Russia's Far East, which may become literally uninhabited in several dozen years; pp 1, 4 (904 words).

2. Olga Shulga article headlined "Politically Motivated Legal Proceedings" says the opposition plans to stage an all-Russian rally on July 26 in support of activists charged with violating public order at May protest. Meanwhile, the investigation into the Pussy Riot punk group case is still under way, the female members of the group are in custody; pp 1, 3 (948 words).

3. Alexei Gorbachev article headlined "Rights Activists Mixed Up With Secret Service Agents" says the presidential human rights council has criticized United Russia's bill on foreign NGOs, while sources in the Kremlin acknowledged that they copied a U.S. law passed before World War II; pp 1, 2 (705 words).

4. Anastasia Bashkatova article headlined "Russian Credit Market Blowing Bubbles" says the Russian Central Bank has expressed concern over activity of some credit organizations as banks are giving more loans to individuals while their debts are growing; pp 1, 4 (980 words).

5. Svetlana Gamova article headlined "Saakashvili Creating Tandem of Putin-Medvedev Type" comments on the ongoing reshuffle in the Georgian government; pp 1, 7 (596 words).

6. Vladimir Skosyrev article headlined "Reform Undermines Morale of British Armed Forces" says the U.K. military is expressing its disagreement with plans to reform the country's armed forces, which envisage cuts in financing and layoffs of personnel; pp 1, 8 (488 words).

7. Editorial headlined "Old Order Controls New One by Reproducing Itself" criticizes the so-called "presidential and municipal filters" in gubernatorial elections and notes that people afraid of political responsibility are empowering the authorities with the right to elect the best candidates for them; p 2 (456 words).

8. Oleg Nikiforov article headlined "Points of Contact With NATO" looks into Russia-NATO relations and calls for closer military cooperation with the West in new globalization realities; p 3 (686 words).

9. Nikolai Surkov interview with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki speaking on his recent visit to Russia and on the Middle East peace process; p 8 (868 words).

Vedomosti

1. Bela Lyauv article headlined "Kindergartens Instead of Flats" says less and less housing is being built in Moscow. Developers got disappointed in the Moscow housing market; p 1 (535 words).

2. Yelizaveta Nikitina et al. report headlined "Grains Landing Force" says foreign investors are buying stakes in Russian grains export facilities in the ports in Kaliningrad and Azov; pp 1, 10 (693 words).

3. Olga Kuvshinova article headlined "Economy Making Landing" says economic experts predict no economic growth in Russia in the second half of 2012, moreover, inflation is expected to grow and the ruble to weaken; pp 1, 3 (697 words).

4. Editorial headlined "First Increase" analyses Russian pension system reform and notes that Russians hoping to get decent pension payments have to start saving money while they are in their 40s; pp 1, 4 (563 words).

5. Article by political expert Nikolai Zlobin headlined "Lobbyism in Russia: for a Handful of Dollars" compares United Russia's bill on foreign NGOs with a similar U.S. law and notes that the U.S. legislation controls fiscal mechanisms while the Russian bill aims at political control over NGOs; p 4 (744 words).

6. Another editorial headlined "Higher Than Responsibility" says the relatives of the victims of the Nord Ost siege in Moscow are still trying to find the ones to blame for the death of 130 people during the assault operation; p 4 (301 words).

Izvestia

1. Maria Zhebit article headlined "Defense Companies to Get Freedom in Working With Foreign Customers" says President Putin pledged to give defense companies more freedom in working with foreign clients; pp 1 — 2 (521 words).

2. Natalya Galimova interview with Igor Shchyogolev, presidential aide in charge of mass communications and "electronic democracy" Web-based government resources, speaking on his work; pp 1, 4 (778 words).

3. Pavel Panov article headlined "Russia to Build World's Largest Nuclear-Powered Ice Breaker" says the Atomflot state-controlled company is to build a record large nuclear-powered ice breaker by 2015; pp 1, 2 (642 words).

4. Viktor Toporov commentary headlined "Tartlet With Caviar for Tartuffe" analyses the new bill on NGOs and urges the opposition to make their sources of financing transparent; pp 1, 10 (978 words).

5. Natalya Galimova article headlined "Head of United Russia's Executive Commission to Be Elected" says Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has come up with an initiative to elect the head of United Russia's central executive committee. The author tries to predict who may stand for the post; p 2 (645 words).

6. Dmitry Runkevich article headlined "Gorbachev Fund to Be Included in List of 'Foreign Agents'" says an NGO set up by Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev is expected to be labelled as an organization working in the interests of a foreign state after the new controversial bill on NGOs comes into effect; p 2 (508 words).

7. Maria Parfyonova article headlined "War in Iran Beneficial for Russian Budget" says oil-extracting countries including Russia would benefit from an armed conflict in Iran; p 5 (782 words).

8. Anna Akhmadiyeva article headlined "Nikolai Kaztozia to Return to NTV" says Nikolai Kartozia will be in charge of the Tsentralnoye Televidenie project on NTV; p 7 (411 words).

9. Olga Tropkina and Pyotr Kozlov article headlined "State Duma Takes Hacker 'Case' of Navalny-Belykh Under Control" says the Duma will bring under control information that appeared in a published exchange of messages between Kirov region Governor Nikita Belykh and opposition blogger Alexei Navalny. The exchange was made public as a result of a hacker attack; p 3 (300 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

1. Anatoly Lomanov interview with the president of the International Tax and Investments Centre, Daniel A.Witt, says the hike in excise duties of cigarettes will result in the growth of the black tobacco market in Russia; p 4 (2,737 words).

2. Galina Bryntseva article headlined "Special Regime Ranch" comments on a scandal in Russian-U.S. relations as Russian rights activists were denied access to a U.S. camp for orphans; p 7 (479 words).

Moskovsky Komsomolets

1. Oleg Adamovich article headlined "Stand Still and Be Afraid" says new hefty fines for illegal parking will not improve the situation in Moscow as there is a lack of parking lots in the city; pp 1, 3 (675 words).

2. Sergei Artemov article headlined "Conspiracy of Swiss Wise Men" attributes problems the Norilsk Nickel mining and metallurgical company is facing to the company's refusal to allow Glencore trader to control its export; pp 1, 5 (1,825 words).

3. Yulia Kalinina article headlined "Chubais Quarters Rusnano" analyses reasons for the poor performance of the Rusnano state controlled corporation; pp 1, 2 (479 words).

4. Mikhail Zubov article headlined "Why 'Union of Good and Evil' Fails to Get Registered for Elections" reviews the new Russian law on registering political parties and comes to the conclusion that fewer than half of political parties seeking registration will not be able to take part in the next elections; pp 1, 4 (2,927 words).

5. Anastasia Rodionova interview with head of the presidential human rights council Mikhail Fedotov on the recent law on NGOs; p 2 (300 words)

RBK daily

1. Anna Reznikova article headlined "Our Answer to 'Magnitskiy Law'" says Russian deputies have come up with an interesting response to the Magnitsky law. They propose that officials get rid of their property and bank accounts abroad before their property overseas is arrested; p 1 (700 words)

July 3, 2012/BBC Monitoring/©BBC