What the Papers Say, Sept. 6, 2012

Kommersant

1. Alexei Shapovalov and Angelina Davydova article headlined "Back to Kyoto" says that Russia has decided to participate in the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol, which limits global gas emissions; pp 1-2 (885 words).

2. Yury Senatorov and Svetlana Mentyukova article headlined "Investigative Committee Dumps Berezovsky's Assets" says that the Investigative Committee has carried out searches in the Russian offices of IDS Borjomi as part of a criminal investigation into money laundering and fraud. Experts say the move will result in a decline in the price of Borjomi water and some other assets; pp 1, 4 (838 words).

3. Vladimir Dzaguto article headlined "Oleg Deripaska to Have Place in Reactor" says that the Energy Ministry wants to save an unprofitable aluminum plant owned by UC Rusal in Sverdlovsk region by reducing its electricity bills. The only way to make the plant profitable is to have a direct agreement with the local power plant; pp 1, 7 (633 words).

4. Natalya Gorodetskaya and Sergei Titov article headlined "Dmitry Medvedev Gets to Countryside" says that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has backed a new reform of local governments, since the move will help cut budget costs; pp 1-2 (704 words).

5. Vadim Visloguzov and Oleg Sapozhkov article headlined "Big Spending on Foreign Trade" zooms in on a state program drafted by the Economic Development Ministry to develop Russia's foreign trade in the period 2013-18; p 2 (614 words).

6. Taisia Bekbulatova article headlined "State Duma to Probe Gennady Gudkov Until Sept. 10" says that the State Duma has initiated a probe into A Just Russia Deputy Gennady Gudkov's family business; p 2 (252 words).

7. Maxim Ivanov and Irina Nagornykh article headlined "Russian Elite to Be Domesticated" says that the United Russia party and the All-Russia People's Front were determined to establish control over foreign assets and property of Russian officials in an attempt to "nationalize" the Russian political and business elite. Experts say the Kremlin wants to control officials' interests abroad in the wake of the Arab Spring; p 2 (623 words).

8. Alexander Zheglov and Alexander Igorev article headlined "Moscow Experience Boosts Fight Against Extremism" looks at the latest reshuffle in the Interior Ministry; p 3 (601 words).

9. Maria-Luiza Tirmaste and Sofya Samokhina article headlined "Democrats Ready to Unite Platforms" says that the democratic opposition has agreed to work out a general political program that would serve as a single platform for the consolidation of all parties. The program is expected to be approved at a "Dec. 12 roundtable" meeting in Moscow on Sept. 7; p 3 (479 words).

10. Taisia Bekbulatova and Maxim Ivanov article headlined "Candidates for Khimki Mayor Arranged at Their Places" looks at the mayoral election campaign in the town of Khimki in Moscow region, focusing on popular support for certain candidates, among other things; p 3 (508 words).

11. Maria-Luiza Tirmaste article headlined "United Russia Talks and Shows" says that United Russia has embarked on redesigning its website to make it more interactive. The party has abandoned a plan to launch its own Internet TV channel; p 5 (429 words).

12. Grigory Tumanov article headlined "March of Millions Gives It Another Try" says the political opposition has filed a second application with Moscow authorities to hold a "March of Millions" in central Moscow on Sept. 15; p 5 (597 words).

13. Anna Pushkarskaya and Sofya Samokhina article headlined "PACE and Russia Come Closer in 7-Year Steps" says that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has published a draft resolution on the situation in Russia over the last seven years. The Russian opposition slammed the document as "cowardly"; p 5 (646 words).

14. Pavel Tarasenko article headlined "Iraq Betrays U.S. Air Interests" says that U.S. senators have accused Iraqi authorities of providing an air corridor for Iranian aircraft that are allegedly carrying arms to Syrian pro-government forces. Experts say the scandal shows the U.S.'s weak influence on the Iraqi government; p 6 (466 words).

15. Sergei Sobolev et al. article headlined "Sanoma Takes Fundamental Action" says that the chairman of Sanoma Independent Media's board of directors and its general director Yelena Myasnikova are said to lose their posts in the near future; p 7 (600 words).

16. Olga Mordyushenko et al. article headlined "Customers Find Gazprom Guilty" says that Lithuania and Poland have criticized gas giant Gazprom for overstated gas prices and illegal practices, thus taking advantage of the anti-monopoly investigation launched by the European Commission against Gazprom; p 10 (610 words).

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

1. Alexandra Samarina and Pyotr Tverdov article headlined "Right-Wing Party Comes From Regions" says that representatives of the non-parliamentary opposition will hold a "Dec. 12 Roundtable" meeting in Moscow. A right-wing party may receive strong support in Russian regions, the article says; pp 1, 3 (924 words).

2. Yury Roks article headlined "Everyone Needs Acquitted Safarov" says that the world has split over Hungary releasing former Azeri serviceman Ramil Safarov, who was found guilty of murder: some countries support the move, while others condemn it. Meanwhile, the terrorist organization ASALA has reportedly threatened to kill Safarov; pp 1, 6 (972 words).

3. Sergei Kulikov and Anastasia Bashkatova article headlined "Europe Brings Gazprom to Justice" says that the European Commission has launched a probe into Gazprom's market monopoly. The company may be fined or deprived of some of its assets in Europe; pp 1, 4 (870 words).

4. Yury Paniyev article headlined "2,000 Catalans Separate From Spain" says that the municipal government of a town near Barcelona has declared independence from the Spanish government and called on the parliament of Catalonia to pass a resolution on national sovereignty; pp 1, 7 (555 words).

5. Ivan Rodin article headlined "To Help Deputy Gudkov" says that the State Duma commission for control over deputies' income and property declarations has considered A Just Russia Deputy Gennady Gudkov's case and found no evidence that he combined his work in the Duma with business activity, for which he might be stripped of his seat in parliament. But Gudkov has insisted that his activity be checked thoroughly. The commission will make a final decision on Sept. 10; pp 1, 3 (400 words).

6. Yevgeny Grigoryev article headlined "Germany's Constitutional Court Flooded With Complaints" says that the number of civil complaints about the law on the European stabilization mechanism filed to the German Constitutional Court has reached a record 37,000; pp 1, 7 (765 words).

7. Editorial headlined "Government Sets Different Tariffs for Poor and for Rich" says that the government only pretends to improve the situation in the housing sector by introducing social norms for the use of housing and utilities services; p 2 (507 words).

8. Andrei Melnikov article headlined "Patriarch Kirill Rejects Clericalization" focuses on an interview by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, to the Japanese media before his visit to Japan in which he spoke about relations between the church and the Russian authorities, among other things; p 2 (648 words).

9. Oxana Skripnikova article headlined "Moscow Ready for Peace With Tokyo" quotes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying at the APEC summit in Vladivostok that Russia is ready to continue talks with Japan on adopting a peace treaty and discuss eliminating visa requirements with most countries in the Asia-Pacific region; p 2 (291 words).

10. Sergei Nikanorov article headlined "Election Lists to Be Cleared From Relatives" says that United Russia Deputy Andrei Isayev has drafted a bill banning close relatives of acting deputies from occupying seats in the State Duma and the Federation Council; p 3 (409 words).

11. Sergei Kulikov article headlined "Russia Weakens Again" says that Russia has been ranked 67th in a global competitiveness rating; p 4 (699 words).

12. Alexei Mukhin article headlined "Green Raiders on the March" says that environmental issues have recently turned into a serious tool to defend political or economic interests; p 5 (677 words).

13. Nikolai Surkov article headlined "UN Secretary-General Calls for Stopping Arming of Syrians" says that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said the situation in Syria has worsened sharply and called on external players to stop rendering aid to the conflicting sides. The U.S. has accused Iran of supplying arms to the Syrian president's forces and has demanded that Iraq close its airspace for Iranian aircraft; p 7 (546 words).

Vedomosti

1. Tatyana Voronova and Olga Plotonova article headlined "They Will Follow Pugachev Around World" says that the Deposit Insurance Agency, which took over the bankrupt Mezhprombank owned by businessman Sergei Pugachev, wants to initiate proceedings against Pugachev in London; p 1 (613 words).

2. Dmitry Kazmin et al. article headlined "Hidden Ties" focuses on State Duma deputies' work under the new version of the Civil Code; pp 1, 3 (514 words).

3. Yelizaveta Sergina and Oleg Salmanov article headlined "Fight for Communication" says that the government has nominated VEB Capital general director Yury Kudimov to the post of chairman of the board of directors of communications company Svyazinvest. But the presidential administration has opposed his candidacy; p 1 (383 words).

4. Editorial headlined "Manual Hiring" comments on a new state program designed to promote higher employment rates to 2020; pp 1, 4 (475 words).

5. Lilia Biryukova and Alexei Nikolsky article headlined "They Turn Him Out for Old Deeds" says the State Duma has given the Investigative Committee a week to find new evidence that A Just Russia Deputy Gennady Gudkov combined parliamentary work with business activity; p 2 (434 words).

6. Article by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin headlined "Pension Reform: Back to Social Security" comments on the authorities' plans to reform the pension system once again; p 4 (2,550 words).

7. Maria Eismont article headlined "Civil Society: Familiar Arguments" looks at the selection of candidates for the presidential human rights council; p 4 (440 words).

8. Natalya Kostenko and Maxim Glikin article headlined "Not to Confuse With Own People" says the All-Russia People's Front will remain inactive until late October so as not to interfere with United Russia's efforts in regional elections; p 2 (424 words).

9. Alexei Nikolsky article headlined "Who Will Fight With Bandits" contemplates prospects for restoring special units at the Interior Ministry to fight against organized crime groups; p 2 (331 words).

10. Yelena Mazneva article headlined "Gazprom Answers Brussels" says that in response to the anti-monopoly investigation launched by the European Commission, gas giant Gazprom has said it was founded beyond EU jurisdiction; p 8 (583 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

1. Vitaly Petrov article headlined "Bigwig" describes President Vladimir Putin's visit to the town of Salekhard in the Yamal-Nenets autonomous district, where he took part in an ornithological experiment; pp 1-2 (800 words).

2. Tamara Shkel article headlined "Vote But Check" says the State Duma has decided to check A Just Russia Deputy Gennady Gudkov's involvement in business activity; pp 1-2 (349 words).

3. Vladimir Poletayev article headlined "Defendants in Bolotnaya Case Remain Behind Bars" says that a court has ruled to extend the detention of those arrested on charges of inciting mass unrest on Bolotnaya Ploshchad at a May 6 opposition rally until Sept. 25; p 3 (100 words).

4. Sergei Ptichkin article headlined "Russian 'Dubina' Swings" says that Russia has successfully tested an X-35 anti-ship cruise missile launched from the unique Club-K missile system; p 4 (466 words).

5. Kira Latukhina article headlined "Vladivostok Principles" examines the results of the three-day session of the APEC Business Advisory Council held in Vladivostok; p 4 (631 words).

6. Yevgeny Shestakov article headlined "Russia Provides APEC With Ideas" looks at the initiatives to be put forward by Russia at the APEC summit in Vladivostok and the ideas put forward by the U.S. at the previous summit in Honolulu and their implementation, as well as the first results of the summit; p 8 (697 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta (weekly)

1. Tatyana Shadrina brief interview with Federal Mass Media Inspection Service head Alexander Zharov, headlined "And Also Their Parents," in which he explains to parents how they should observe a new law protecting children from harmful information that came into effect Sept. 1; p 5 (796 words).

2. Timur Alimov and Oleg Koryakin article headlined "'I Did Not Kill...'" provides the latest developments in the probe into a slaughter in Kazan. The killer in the case left a blood-written message reading "Free Pussy Riot" at the crime scene; p 10 (1,203 words).

Izvestia

1. Alexander Yunashev article headlined "Vladimir Putin Teaches Cranes to Fly" says that President Vladimir Putin has found flying a military jet easier than navigating a plane in an ornithological experiment; pp 1-2 (400 words).

2. German Petelin article headlined "Owners of Kolskaya [Oil Rig] Fight in Court for 3Bln Rubles" says that the owner of the Kolskaya oil rig that sank in the Sea of Okhotsk is trying to reject in court an accusation of being involved in the accident. Experts say the owner simply wants to receive an insurance payment; pp 1, 3 (455 words).

3. Vladimir Zykov article headlined "VKontakte and Odnoklassniki Turn to Be at Risk of Closure" says that social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, owned by the company Mail.Ru Group, may be blocked due to the introduction of a blacklist of websites posing a threat to children; pp 1, 3 (439 words).

4. Anna Akhmadiyeva article headlined "Anatoly Serdyukov Fails to Defend Zvezda" says that national TV channel Zvezda, owned by the Defense Ministry, will be left without broadcasting frequencies because the government has obliged it to hand over the frequencies to the public TV channel to be launched on Jan. 1, 2013; pp 1, 3 (343 words).

5. Anastasia Alexeyevskikh article headlined "Nabiullina Instructs to Deal With U.S. Taxmen" says that the application in Russia of the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act has been discussed at a meeting chaired by presidential aide Elvira Nabiullina; pp 1, 3 (1,067 words).

5. Svetlana Subbotina article headlined "State Duma Commission Insists on Probe of Gennady Gudkov" provides comments by A Just Russia Deputy Gennady Gudkov on the State Duma's consideration of his involvement in business activity; p 2 (666 words).

6. Olga Zhermeleva article headlined "A Just Russia Gathers Strength" says the Just Russia party has submitted an application to the Justice Ministry to register a new youth movement called "A Just Force"; p 2 (464 words).

7. Svetlana Subbotina and Olga Tropkina article headlined "A Just Russia Members Discover Deputy Knyshov's Undeclared Property in Miami" says that opposition State Duma Deputy Ilya Ponomaryov has revealed yet another discrepancy in the income declaration submitted by United Russia Deputy Alexei Knyshov; p 2 (295 words).

8. Valeria Fedorenko and Konstantin Volkov article headlined "Vladivostok Becomes City of Contrasts" looks at the preparations for the APEC summit in Vladivostok, focusing on the facilities built for the summit and problems faced by local residents before and during the summit; p 4 (1,070 words).

9. Konstantin Volkov article headlined "Japan Ready for Warm Relations With Russia" describes a meeting of the APEC foreign and trade ministers in Vladivostok; p 4 (584 words).

10. Anna Fedorova article headlined "No Country for Old Men?" comments on an initiative to increase the retirement age to 70 years for state officials; p 7 (484 words).

11. Viktor Toporov article headlined "Not Only 'Like in Grandma's Times'" says that opponents of President Vladimir Putin have given up the struggle for power until 2018, when the next presidential election is held, but they are still waging an information war against the authorities; p 7 (848 words).

12. Yelizaveta Mayetnaya and German Petelin article headlined "Initiation of Criminal Proceedings Demanded Against Former Federal Prison Service Head Reimer" says that convicts from Chelyabinsk region prisons together with human rights activists have demanded that criminal proceedings be brought against the former head of the Federal Prison Service, Alexander Reimer, on charges of negligence and abuse of office; p 9 (757 words).

13. Vadim Taktarov article headlined "Borjomi Moscow Office Searched in Berezovsky Case" says that the Investigative Committee has searched the office of Borjomi in Moscow after receiving a request from State Duma deputies; p 8 (500 words).

Moskovsky Komsomolets

1. Marina Ozerova factual report headlined "Gudkov Decides Not to Be Shy" describes a State Duma meeting at which the so-called Gennady Gudkov case was debated; pp 1-2 (1,092 words).

2. Mikhail Rostovsky article headlined "Chechnya May Turn Putin Into Gorbachev" says that President Vladimir Putin is faced with a showdown between Chechnya and Ingushetia similar to the one that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev's rule; pp 1, 3 (831 words).

3. Svetlana Samodelova interview headlined "Commander of Strizhi Defamed" with Dmitry Koposov, former deputy commander of the Russian aerobatic plane group Strizhi, who says that Strizhi commander Valery Morozov, charged with bribery, has been defamed; pp 1, 12 (661 words).

4. Yulia Chernukhina article headlined "Putin to Fly With Flock of Cranes" highlights Putin's visit to Yamal, where he took part in a project to preserve a rare type of crane; pp 1-2 (1,142 words).

5. Anastasia Rodionova article headlined "Navalny Calls on Sobchak to Envy Him" says that the opposition is ready to hold an unauthorized rally if it fails to get Moscow city authorities' permission. Meanwhile, opposition activist Alexei Navalny's belongings seized earlier have been returned to him. Fellow opposition activist Ksenia Sobchak has still not succeeded in securing the return of money seized from her; p 2 (742 words).

6. Nikita Krichevsky article headlined "The Economy? The Hell With It!" says the opposition continues to call on people to take part in protests, but no clear political or economic program has been worked out by it over the time of the protests; p 3 (1,106 words).

7. Irina Kukzenkova article headlined "Will Ramzan Kadyrov Break His Father's Word?" says the Chechnya-Ingushetia border row is a mere conflict between Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Ingush head Yunus-Bek Yevkurov; p 3 (837 words).

8. Melor Sturua article headlined "'No Easy Operation' After 'No Easy Day'" says that an e-book entitled "No Easy Operation" was published several hours before the start of sales of a book called "No Easy Day" written by a U.S. marine about a special operation to eliminate Al-Qaida leader Osama Bin-Laden in Pakistan; p 4 (454 words).

9. Another article by Melor Sturua headlined "Democrats Move to Offensive" compares the Republican Party convention in Florida to the Democratic convention in North Carolina; p 4 (620 words).

10. Zurab Nalbandyan article headlined "Riddle With Russian Paralympics Athletes' Bus" says the U.K. special services are investigating an attack on Russian Paralympics volleyball players; p 12 (444 words).

RBC Daily

1. Yulia Gallyamova and Anastasia Mishanina article headlined "Acceleration From Vladimir Putin" says that President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to draft proposals concerning the development of high-speed railways for the 2018 FIFA World Cup; p 1 (600 words).

2. Ivan Petrov article headlined "He Comes From Manezh" says that Timur Valiulin has been appointed head of the Interior Ministry's Main Directorate for the Prevention of Extremism; p 2 (800 words).

3. Valeria Khamrayeva article headlined "Central Elections Commission Prepares for Competitive Struggle" says that according to the Central Elections Commission, the forthcoming regional elections will be marked by intense competition among candidates, but experts say that this competition will be formal; p 2 (550 words).

4. Svetlana Makunina report "Mandate for Five Days" says that State Duma deputies will conduct an additional probe into materials from the Investigative Committee, which demands that opposition Deputy Gennady Gudkov be stripped of his parliamentary immunity. The probe will take five extra days, two of which two are weekend days; p 2 (500 words).

5. Inga Vorobyeva report "APEC Without Obama" says that the presidential election has prevented U.S. President Barack Obama from taking part in the APEC summit in Vladivostok; p 3 (600 words).

6. Yulia Kalachikhina report "Everything Is Stable in Russia" looks at Russia's global competitiveness and notes that Russia's rating is between Iran and Sri Lanka; p 4 (650 words).

7. Alexander Litoi interview with the leader of the Left Front opposition movement, Sergei Udaltsov, headlined "'People Stored Up Emotions and the Desire to Take to the Streets in Summer'," in which he speaks about opposition protests set for this fall; p 5 (1,500 words).

8. Unattributed report "European Commission Makes Case for Gazprom" says that the European Commission has opened an anti-trust case against gas giant Gazprom; p 9 (450 words).

Noviye Izvestia

1. Yulia Savina article headlined "New Elections by Old Molds" looks at election campaigns in the regions; pp 1-2 (1,364 words).

2. Nadezhda Bulanova article headlined "Myth and Reality" says that in an interview with the Japanese mass media, Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill denied a widespread opinion about an interpretation of the church and Russian officialdom; p 2 (434 words).

3. Nadezhda Krasilova report "Record-Breaking Summit" looks at preparations for the APEC summit in Vladivostok; p 2 (500 words).

4. Vera Moslakova report "In Haste" says that the State Duma will carry out a probe into opposition Deputy Gennady Gudkov's business activities; p 2 (500 words).

5. Valentin Boinik report "Cabinet Listens to Intelligence Service" says that Iran may launch a preemptive strike against Iran; p 2 (450 words).

6. Sergei Putilov article headlined "It Smells of Fines" says that Gazprom's shares have lost value after it became known that an anti-monopoly investigation had been launched against it; p 3 (786 words).

7. Sergei Putilov article headlined "Missile Without Head" says that the Khrunichev space research center has won a tender to design a new heavy missile; p 3 (350 words).

8. Margarita Alyokhina article headlined "Someone Else's Lawyers Join Pussy Riot Case" says that 18 lawyers from Moscow and St. Petersburg have signed an address to Supreme Court chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev calling on him to analyze legal proceedings in the country and return Russian courts to the legal framework in the wake of the Pussy Riot case; p 5 (328 words).

Komsomolskaya Pravda

1. Dmitry Smirnov report "Putin Sets White Cranes on Wing" says that President Vladimir Putin has flown a motorized hang glider as part of an effort to protect rare birds; pp 1-2 (900 words).

2. Tatyana Reut report "Principality Dispute" looks at a territorial dispute between the heads of Ingushetia and Chechnya; p 3 (350 words).

3. Sergei Semushkin report "To Live as Long as Monday" says that a decision to strip opposition Deputy Gennady Gudkov of his State Duma mandate has been postponed until Sept. 10; p 4 (450 words).

4. Yulia Makarova report "Europe Angry With Gazprom" says that gas company Gazprom has been accused of monopolist practices in the European Union; p 4 (350 words).

Moskovskiye Novosti

1. Alexandra Beluza interview headlined "We Do Not Have Right to Beat Anyone Except Ourselves" with head of the central Cossacks troops Valery Nalimov, who speaks about Cossack patrols and the role of Cossacks in Russia; pp 1, 3 (800 words).

2. Alina Garbuznyak report "Pro-Kremlin Activist Finds Himself in 1937" says that the former leader of pro-Kremlin youth in Volgograd Vladimir Vasin says that he has fallen victim to political persecution; pp 1, 3 (700 words).

3. Anastasia Matveyeva report "Europe Against Russian Gas" says that Gazprom may lose distribution networks in the EU; pp 1, 4 (700 words).

4. Irina Novikova report "Gudkov's Case to Be Checked Within Five Days" says the State Duma has taken five days to study more information about opposition Deputy Gennady Gudkov's business activities; p 4 (600 words).

5. Unattributed report looks at a territorial dispute between the heads of Chechnya and Ingushetia; p 5 (700 words).

Krasnaya Zvezda

1. Viktor Ruchkin report "Mercenaries Oppose Dialogue" says that Lakhdar Brahimi, UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, has said at a UN General Assembly session that Syria's future will be decided by the Syrian people only; pp 1, 3 (700 words).

Zavtra

1. Mikhail Delyagin report "Deja Vu Syndrome" looks at problems in the Russian economy and at the political situation in the country; p 2 (800 words).

Sept. 6, 2012/BBC Monitoring/©BBC

Related articles:

• What the Papers Say, Sept. 5, 2012
• What the Papers Say, Sept. 4, 2012
• What the Papers Say, Sept. 3, 2012