What the Papers Say, Dec. 5, 2012

Kommersant

1. Renata Yambayeva and Anatoly Dzhumailo article headlined "They Agree on Nickel in Private" says the main shareholders of Norilsk Nikel mining and metals company, Vladimir Potanin and Oleg Deripaska, have announced that they have settled their disagreements. Tycoon Roman Abramovich will buy 7.3 percent of the company's shares and will act as a guarantor of the shareholders' agreement; pp 1, 9 (1,324 words).

2. Vadim Visloguzov article headlined "Conversation Between Those You Have Not Yet Flown Away With Those Who Have Not Yet Left" sums up Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's meeting with core members of the Russian Union of Industrials and Entrepreneurs who complained to him about the pension reform, amendments to the law on state purchases and the work of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service; pp 1, 6 (1,034 words).

3. Vladislav Novy article headlined "Request to Postpone Mobile Number Transfer" says mobile phone operators have asked the authorities to postpone the adoption of a law allowing subscribers to keep their telephone numbers when they change operators. The companies say they need from 18 to 24 months to prepare their facilities for the change; pp 1, 9 (605 words).

4. Oleg Trutnev article headlined "Beer Not Taken Into Account" says Russian brewers will not be able to operate without special meters registering the amount of beer their produce as from 1 January 2013. The companies are asking to suspend the new regulation for a year; pp 1, 12 (540 words).

5. Viktor Khamrayev article headlined "Alexei Kudrin Asks Authorities to Talk to Society" says the Committee for Civil Initiatives has urged the Russian authorities to stop setting protesters against the rest of Russian society, as only a dialogue will help Russia's development; p 2 (785 words).

6. Musa Muradov et al. report headlined "From Opposition Activist to Billionaire" says political parties, including the opposition, have started preparing for the president election in the Republic of Ingushetia to be held in September 2013; p 2 (667 words).

7. Ivan Safronov article headlined "Yury Baluyevsky Being Sent Into Space" says the former chief of the General Staff may head the board of directors of the Russian Space Systems open joint-stock company; p 3 (550 words).

8. Grigory Tumanov article headlined "March of Freedom Is Eyeing Lubyanka" says the Moscow Mayor's Office has refused to authorize the route for the opposition march on Dec. 15 that the organizers applied for; p 3 (426 words).

9. Nikolai Sergeyev article headlined "Platon Lebedev's Release to Be Approved" says the Moscow City Court is to hear complaints filed by the lawyers of former Yukos owners Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev claiming that the defendants were convicted twice for one and the same crime; p 4 (649 words).

10. Pavel Tarasenko article headlined "Hugo Chavez Falls Out of Web" says the opposition claim that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is undergoing medical treatment in Cuba, is feeling worse as he has stopped sending messages on Twitter; p 7 (510 words).

11. Vasiliy Golovnin article headlined "Disputed Territories Nominate Themselves for Elections" says the issue of disputed territories has become one of the main ones in the parliamentary elections campaign in Japan; p 8 (550 words).

12. Georgy Kunadze, a senior researcher with the Institute of World Economy and International Relations under the Russian Academy of Sciences, in the "Price of Issue" opinion column, says Russian-Japanese relations will not change regardless of the outcome of the parliamentary elections in Japan; p 8 (404 words).

13. Sergei Strokan article headlined "Bashar Assad Taught Chemistry Lesson" says U.S. President Barack Obama has warned the Syrian leadership against the use of chemical weapons against the opposition; p 8 (495 words).

14. Yelena Chernenko article headlined "Russia and NATO Have Afghanistan for Snack" says the Russia-NATO Council has decided to step up cooperation in Afghanistan, however, the sides have failed to come to agreement on the issues of European missile defense and Syria; p 8 (544 words).

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

1. Ivan Rodin article headlined "Foreign Agents With Presidential Grants" says Russian NGOs receiving financing from abroad are in no hurry to get registered as foreign agents. They are going to work on private donations or even for free if the Russian authorities close the organizations; pp 1, 3 (808 words).

2. Sergei Kulikov article headlined "Russia Being Squeezed Out of Nuclear Market" says the U.S.A. and Russia are competing for a nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Russia is worried that pressure from shale gas manufacturers will reduce the cost of its atomic energy; pp 1, 4 (759 words).

3. Nikolai Surkov article headlined "U.S.A. Preparing Special Operation in Syria" says reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria may become a pretext for an international military operation against the Syrian regime; pp 1, 8 (480 words).

4. Alexei Gorbachev article headlined "Opposition Gets Back to Point of No-Return" says some Russian opposition activists plan to stage an unauthorized rally in Moscow on Dec. 5 to mark the first anniversary of protests in Russia; pp 1, 3 (717 words).

5. Vladimir Mukhin article headlined "Sergei Shoigu Starts Audit" says a group of Russian veterans have sent a letter to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu asking him to start a fundamental reform of the Armed Forces; pp 1-2 (900 words).

6. Tatyana Dvoynova article headlined "Communist Cannot Be Playboy" says Primorye region lawmaker Artyom Samsonov is suing the local media for defamation over reports that he has allegedly appeared in public dressed improperly and has uploaded on the Internet his photos in female clothing; pp 1, 6 (754 words).

7. Viktor Litovkin article headlined "Defense Sector Defends Itself From Mistral" looks into the situation in the Russian defense sector incapable of manufacturing state-of-the-art weapons and hardware; p 2 (695 words).

8. Editorial headlined "Moment of Truth in Brussels" says the upcoming Russian-EU summit should overcome stagnation in relations between Moscow and Brussels; p 2 (463 words).

9. Alexandra Samarina article headlined "Patriotism 0+" reviews the program for patriotic upbringing of the young that is being developed by the Russian presidential administration; p 3 (677 words).

10. Vladimir Skosyrev article headlined "Delhi to Send Ships to Disputed Waters" says India is to conduct an exercise to protect its ships from China as tensions between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea are growing; p 8 (525 words).

11. Yury Paniyev article headlined "Barack Obama Proposes Resetting Nunn-Lugar Program" says President Barack Obama has suggested that the U.S.A. should continue cooperation with Russia in the decommissioning of nuclear and chemical weapons, known as the Nunn-Lugar program. Russia has recently said that this cooperation did not answer the purpose of Russian-U.S. relations; p 8 (812 words).

12. Vladislav Maltsev article "Khalifate Emissaries Being Invited to Moscow" in the NG-Religions supplement to the newspaper says Russia is establishing relations with the Muslim Brotherhood movement; p 1, 6 (800 words).

Vedomosti

1. Alexandra Terentyeva article headlined "2nd Peaceful Settlement" details the deal reached by Oleg Deripaska, Vladimir Potanin and Roman Abramovich to settle their disagreement over the management of the Norilsk Nikel mining and metals company; pp 1, 8 (1,101 words).

2. Margarita Lyutova and Maxim Tovkailo article headlined "Medvedev's Quarter" says the Russian government has not only obliged state companies to give 25 percent of their revenues to the state but has also calculated the sums of money they will have to pay; pp 1, 3 (556 words).

3. Alexei Rozhkov article headlined "Dinamo Goes Down in Price" says that as no World Cup 2018 games are to be held at the Dinamo stadium in Moscow, the cost of its reconstruction will go down to $700-750 million; pp 1, 10 (599 words).

4. Editorial headlined "Laboratory Research" looks into the quality and effectiveness of higher education in Russia and calls on the Russian authorities to use the experience of foreign countries when developing criteria for assessing universities; pp 1, 4 (480 words).

5. Another editorial headlined "Which Screws to Tighten" analyses the effect of budget cuts and tax increases on the global economy; p 4 (294 words).

6. Natalya Kostenko article "Supervisor for Newcomers" says Tatyana Voronova from the Central Elections Commission will move to the domestic policy section of the Russian presidential administration to be in charge of work with new political parties; p 2 (400 words).

7. Alexander Knobel and Ilya Sokolov article headlined "Budget of Heightened Risk" analyzes Russia's budget for 2013-2015; p 4 (1,500 words).

8. Alexei Nikolsky article headlined "Figure of the Week: 1,530,600" says the penal service reform which concern 1,530,600 people (prison inmates and personnel of penal colonies) has been found to be a failure; p 4 (306 words).

Izvestia

1. Margarita Kazantseva article headlined "Gazprom Complains to Government About Japanese Banks" says Japanese creditors do not allow Sakhalin Energy to sell bonds for $1.5 billion; pp 1, 4 (739 words).

2. Svetlana Subbotina article headlined "Employers to Be Jailed for Illegal Migrants" says the ruling United Russia party wants to make amendments to the Criminal Code introducing criminal prosecution of entrepreneurs who hire illegal migrants; pp 1, 4 (507 words).

3. Yelizaveta Mayetnaya et al. report "Defense Ministry Inflated Housing Construction Cost Estimates by 70Bln Rubles" says that, according to the Audit Chamber, the Defense Ministry has signed state contracts for housing construction to an amount that is nearly twice the size of relevant budget allocations; pp 1, 4 (850 words).

4. Vladimir Barinov article headlined "Federal Prison Service's chief mentor becomes victim of mutiny" says deputy head of the Russian Federal Penal Service in charge of pastoral care of prisoners Alexei Velichko has been dismissed following the recent riot in a penal colony in the Chelyabinsk region; pp 1, 4 (681 words).

5. Sergei Kashin and Dina Ushakova article headlined "Cabinet of Ministers Does Not Want to Be Held to Account for Its Own Promises" says a number of social programs have been excluded from the Russian government's priority plans to 2018; pp 1-2 (1,085 words).

6. Vladimir Dergachev article headlined "Prokhorov Transfers 1M Rubles to Moscow Helsinki Group" says billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has donated 1 million rubles ($32,000) to the Moscow Helsinki Group NGO which refuses to get registered as a foreign agent and thus will be left without foreign financing; p 2 (563 words).

7. Ivan Cheberko article "Roskosmos' Request to Double Is Staff Has Been Refused" says the Russian Federal Space Agency's bid to have its central staff increased has been criticized by several ministries; p 3 (650 words).

8. Yury Matsarsky report "UN Is Withdrawing Its Staff From Syria" says the international organization is cutting down its presence in Syria and contains a Russian pundit's comment on the move; p 5 (400 words).

9. Igor Yavlyansky report "Lavrov Not to Change His Work Schedule Because of Injury" gives details of an incident in which Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov received a minor injury to his wrist while on an official visit to Turkey; p 5 (250 words).

10. Anna Akhmadiyeva article "Prokhorov May Exchange RBK Daily for Vedomosti" says serious changes may be afoot in the RBK media holding company owned by billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov; p 8 (650 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

1. Ivan Yegorov interview with Russian Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika speaking on the anti-corruption campaign, the state of the Russian public utilities services and the protest movement pp 1, 4 (1,000 words).

2. Tamara Shkel article headlined "Let Them Live This Way" reviews the law obliging Russian officials to report on their spending, not only revenues; pp 1-2 (400 words).

3. Yulia Krivoshapko article headlined "Fortune-Telling on Oil" says experts predict that a barrel of oil will cost around $100 in 2013; pp 1-2 (600 words).

4. Tatyana Smolyakova and Marina Gritsyuk interview with Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social policy Olga Golodets speaking on the reform of the Russian pension system; p 6 (1,800 words).

5. Yevgeny Shestakov article headlined "Playing at Trust" comments on the results of the Russia-NATO Council meeting in Brussels; p 8 (550 words).

6. Ariadna Rokossovskaya article headlined "Great Brutal Press" says the Russian Embassy in the U.K. has accused The Guardian of harassing Russian diplomats working in London after the paper reported an alleged link between the recently set-up Conservative Friends of Russia political group and Russian secret services; p 8 (450 words).

RBK Daily

1. Valeria Khamrayeva and Alexander Litoi article headlined "Time for Tango" gives details of a report issued by the Civil Initiatives Committee let by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin summing up the political results of the year 2012; p 1 (450 words).

2. Anastasia Novikova interview with Federation Council member Vyacheslav Fetisov speaking on new legislation making it easier for Russians living abroad to receive Russian citizenship; p 2 (1,100 words).

Moskovsky Komsomolets

1. Anastasia Rodionova interview with veteran opposition figure Eduard Limonov reviewing the results of the first year since the start of the latest opposition protests in Russia; pp 1-2 (810 words).

2. Article by Valery Voitko, head of a haulers' trade union, headlined "Slippery Road to Revolt" slams the authorities for putting the blame for massive traffic jams on the Moscow-St Petersburg motorway after heavy snowfall on drivers; pp 1, 4 (2,013 words).

3. Alexei Minkin article headlined "Giving Himself Up" comments on another criminal case opened against opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev who allegedly crossed the Russian border illegally; pp 1, 3 (267 words).

4. Article by rights activist and head of the Moscow Helsinki Group Lyudmila Alexeyeva headlined "Show Trial Begins" calls on Russian civil society to protect people facing trial following the May 6 protests in Moscow; p 3 (1,261 words).

Moskovskiye Novosti

1. Alina Garbuznya interview with sociologist Alexander Bikbov headlined "Public Sector Employees Came to Rallies" looks at the social make-up of the opposition and protest movement in Russia; pp 4-5 (500 words).

2. Alexandra Beluza interview with pundit Vladimir Buldakov headlined "There Is a Clear Logic in Russian Revolt" looks at the ideology that drives the protests in Russia that began a year ago; pp 6-7 (750 words).

3. Alexandra Beluza article "Protest Glossary" lists key terms that came into the Russian language since the start of opposition protests a year ago and provides their definitions; pp 14-15 (1,750 words).

Komsomolskaya Pravda

1. Viktor Baranets offers his comment to some of the statements made by the new Russian chief of General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, at a meeting with foreign military attaches, mainly about the future of the ongoing military reform in Russia; p 3 (550 words).

Krasnaya Zvezda

1. Vladimir Mokhov report "Crime Rate Is Falling" contains the first installment of statements made by the head of the Main Military Investigations Directorate, a deputy chairman of the Russian Investigations Committee, Col-Gen Alexander Sorochkin, at a recent news conference; p 5 (1,800 words).

Dec. 5, 2012/BBC Monitoring/©BBC? 

Related articles:

• What the Papers Say, Dec. 4, 2012
• What the Papers Say, Dec. 3, 2012
• What the Papers Say, Nov. 30, 2012