What the Papers Say, Jan. 31, 2013

Kommersant

1. Kirill Belyaninov article headlined "Moscow to follow non-commercial way" says that Russia plans to establish a non-governmental organization in the USA to collect information about the life of Russian children adopted by U.S. citizens; pp 1, 3 (749 words).

2. Anna Balashova article headlined "On basis of above-mentioned things" says that the UK-based Privy Council has recognized the rights of Alfa-Group to the 13.8-per-cent stake in Turkey's largest operator Turkcell, thus enabling the company to acquire the controlling stake in the operator; pp 1, 10 (546 words).

3. Natalya Skorlygina article headlined "Plus sewerage systems of entire country" says that the energy company RusGidro has suggested establishing the holding company Water of Russia to manage all water supply and sewerage systems across Russia; pp 1, 7 (1,001 words).

4. Petr Netreba and Dmitry Butrin article headlined "Kremlin raises issue" says that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will present the main projects to be implemented by the government by 2018 to the Kremlin and outlines the Economic Development Ministry's stance on the issue; pp 1-2 (1,054 words).

5. Sergei Goryashko article headlined "Prosecutor-General's Office gets interested in Vladimir Churov" says that the Prosecutor-General's Office will check the performance of the Central Electoral Commission following a request by a State Duma deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia; p 2 (630 words).

6. Yulia Rybina article headlined "'The one who comes has chance of putting blame on the one who leaves'" says that Dagestan's acting head Ramazan Abdulatipov has been introduced to local deputies. The man criticized his predecessors for errors and dissolved the local government; p 2 (446 words).

7. Alexandra Vikulova et al. article headlined "Nikita Belykh ready for new questioning" says that Kirov Region governor Nikita Belykh has been questioned as part of the probe into the sale of a stake belonging to the regional government in the Urzhum distillery. Meanwhile, opposition activist Boris Nemtsov has been summoned for questioning as part of the probe into the theft of money from the Union of Right Forces party; p 3 (1,001 words).

8. Ilya Barabanov article headlined "Objects of historical and cultural investigation" says that officials from the Moscow directorate of the Federal Agency for the Management of Federal Property are believed to be involved in state property fraud; p 4 (1,491 words).

9. Grigory Tumanov article headlined "Punk prayer included in Justice Ministry's list" says that the Moscow city court has found all Pussy Riot video clips extremist; p 5 (424 words).

10. Sergei Mashkin and Oleg Rubnikovich article headlined "Anatoly Serdyukov approached from air" says that the office of the aerodrome service company Chkalov Avia has been searched and the head of the company has been questioned as part of the probe into the high-profile case on abuse of office when decorating the residence owned by former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov's relative; p 5 (444 words).

11. Yelena Chernenko article headlined "Recipient starts recovering" says that Russia has terminated an agreement with the USA on cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, trade in people, corruption and terrorism because "Russia is displeased with the status of a recipient in relations with the USA", a high-ranking Russian diplomat said; p 6 (705 words).

12. Kirill Belyaninov article headlined "Hillary Clinton says good-buy to whole world" says that the outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has given an international interview, in the course of which she spoke about Russian-US relations; p 6 (475 words).

13. Georgy Dvali et al. article headlined "Invitation to CIS seems to be heard by Georgia" says that a scandal over Georgia initiating talks with Russia on re-joining the CIS is escalating in Tbilisi; p 6 (581 words).

14. Kirill Melnikov article headlined "State-run companies clear out shelf" says that the Russian gas giant Gazprom and the oil company Rosneft continue opposing any initiatives by the government to liberalize the development of offshore areas; p 9 (710 words).

15. Olga Mordyushenko and Dmitry Butrin article headlined "Rosneft to add gas in Venezuela" says that Rosneft has come to an agreement with the Venezuelan national company PDVSA on the joint development of the gas deposit Mariscal Sucre; p 9 (576 words).

16. Svetlana Mentyukova article headlined "Russia gives up meat" says that as from 11 February, Russia will suspend US meat supplies because they contain a special growth stimulant, ractopamine; p 10 (560 words).

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

1. Nikolai Surkov article headlined "Undeclared war in Lebanese sky" says that Israel has carried out an air raid on a target in Lebanon near the border with Syria. Observers say that Israel's increased activity may be linked to the possible handover of Syrian chemical weapons to the Hezbollah movement; pp 1-2 (572 words).

2. Alexandra Samarina and Velimir Razuvayev article headlined "Investigative camouflage" says that a great number of criminal cases involving opposition activists, among whom are Kirov Region governor Nikita Belykh and co-chairman of the Republican Party of Russia-People's Freedom Party (RPR-Parnas) Boris Nemtsov, are being investigated now. Experts consider the developments to be a concentrated attack on the opposition; pp 1, 3 (818 words).

3. Alexandra Samarina article headlined "Russia rids itself of U.S. drug addiction" says that Russia has terminated an agreement with the USA on cooperation in law enforcement, which, in particular, envisaged granting Russia financial aid for the fight against drug trafficking, among other things; pp 1, 3 (603 words).

4. Ivan Rodin article headlined "Security department of Russian Federation" says that the Russian Investigations Committee is building up its political potential and, according to the opposition, may turn into kind of a security department in charge of political criminal investigation; pp 1, 3 (740 words).

5. Yury Roks article headlined "Georgia does not plan to return to CIS" says that Georgia has denied information that it has begun to hold talks on the country's return to the CIS, which it left back in 2008 after the Russian-Georgian war; pp 1, 6 (974 words).

6. Sergei Kulikov article headlined "Officials like to play scenarios" says that shortly after the World Economic Forum in Davos, at which three negative scenarios of Russia's development were discussed, the Economic Development Ministry has drafted three more scenarios of Russia's socioeconomic development until 2030: one is negative and two are positive; pp 1, 4 (770 words).

7. Alexei Gorbachev article headlined "Parents from USA against Russia" says that the European Court of Human Rights has accepted a complaint about the U.S. adoption ban in place in Russia. The plaintiffs think that the ban may cause serious moral damage to the orphans, on whose adoption by US citizens court decisions have not yet been made; p 2 (783 words).

8. Editorial headlined "Citizens look for logic in new registration rules" criticizes a bill introducing criminal responsibility and heavy fines for violating the rules of registration drafted by President Vladimir Putin as a measure to fight against illegal migration; p 2 (496 words).

9. Vladislav Maltsev and Andrey Melnikov article headlined "Divine service under federal protection" says that at a meeting with the presidential envoys to the federal districts, Putin has promised to provide support and state protection to the Muslim clergy whom radicals threaten; p 2 (509 words).

10. Stefan Richter article headlined "Five tasks for Barack Obama" contemplates problems that U.S. President Barack Obama will have to solve during his second term in office; p 3 (676 words).

11. Oleg Vladykin article headlined "Armament by clear rules" says that Deputy Prime Minister for the defense industry Dmitriy Rogozin has suggested drafting a new state armament programme; p 5 (522 words).

12. Tatyana Ivzhenko article headlined "Kiev begins to speak about Russian trace in Gongadze case" says that Ukrainian former police general Oleksiy Pukach has been sentenced to life for killing journalist Heorhiy Gongadze. Meanwhile, a person who has ordered the murder has not been established yet, but there are speculations that Russia could have had to do with it; p 6 (974 words).

13. Yury Paniyev article headlined "Kerry has never been Russophobe" says that the U.S. Senate has unanimously approved John Kerry as the U.S. Secretary of State; p 7 (637 words).

14. Yevgeny Grigoryev article headlined "Lavrov and Biden to make speeches in Munich" looks ahead at the International Security Conference to be held in Munich on 1-3 February; p 7 (507 words).

Vedomosti

1. Maxim Tovkaylo and Yevgenia Pismennaya article headlined "Welfare to be spent on infrastructure" says that the Economic Development Ministry has put forward an initiative to establish a fund to implement infrastructure projects, to be increased by the National Welfare Fund and petrodollars; pp 1, 5 (807 words).

2. Yelena Khodyakova and Timofei Dzyadko article headlined "Shelf without private companies" says that Gazprom and Rosneft have asked the government to preserve the state-run companies' monopoly on development of offshore areas and not to admit private companies to even geological prospecting; pp 1, 13 (420 words).

3. Editorial headlined "Unscientific fantasy" comments on Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's program of Russia's economic development until 2018; pp 1, 6 (436 words).

4. Maria Zheleznova and Alexei Nikolsky article headlined "Other version of Bolotnaya" says that organizers of the public investigation of the 6 May riots on Moscow's Bolotnaya Ploshchad square say that the evidence by eyewitnesses of the event, collected to be studied by human rights activists and men of law, do not confirm the official theory that the unrest was planned; p 3 (521 words).

5. Editorial headlined "Paper curtain" wonders why Russia has decided to terminate an agreement with the USA on cooperation in law enforcement; p 6 (289 words).

6. Roman Dorokhov article headlined "Google with flux" says that the social network Google+ has outstripped Twitter in the number of users; p 11 (439 words).

7. Alexei Nikolsky and Polina Khimshiashvili article headlined "They manage to do without USA" says that Russia has decided to terminate an agreement with the USA on cooperation in law enforcement and features an expert's comment on the issue; p 2 (404 words).

8. Alexandra Terentyeva article headlined "Check of buyers" says that the UK takeover regulator Takeover Panel has demanded that the potential buyers of businessman Mikhail Prokhorov's stake in the company Polyus Gold prove that they are not acting in collusion with the other co-owner of the company, Suleiman Kerimov; p 12 (525 words).

9. Irina Novikova and Sergei Druzhinin article headlined "Old land" says that the Russian Investigations Committee has submitted to the Prosecutor-General's Office the documents, on the basis of which the State Duma will be asked to deprive One Russia MP Vadim Bulavinov of deputy immunity for abusing office when acting as the Nizhny Novgorod mayor. Bulavinov attributes the move to the forthcoming governor election, in which he plans to stand; p 2 (503 words).

10. Ella Paneyakh report "State and other groups" looks at the bill banning promotion of homosexuality among miners; p 6 (1,300 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

1. Alena Uzbekova interview with Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fedorov, headlined "Sowing at this place," speaking about the forthcoming sowing campaign in Russia; pp 1-2 (787 words).

2. Yelena Kukol and Roman Markelov article headlined "We will overtake, but not outstrip" focuses on the Economic Development Ministry's long-term forecast for Russia's socioeconomic development until 2030; pp 1, 5 (905 words).

3. Kira Latukhina article headlined "Failure awaits extremists" gives an account of Putin's meeting with the presidential envoys to the federal districts; p 2 (758 words).

4. Sergei Ptichkin article headlined "'Bumerang' ready for rush" looks at novelties to be introduced by a new state armament program; p 2 (414 words).

5. Vitaly Petrov and Timofei Borisov article headlined "We extremely thank" describes Medvedev's meeting with the leadership of the Russian Emergencies Ministry; p 3 (977 words).

6. Konstantin Novikov interview with Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko, headlined "Bridge to future", who sums up the results of the 21st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Vladivostok; p 6 (1,153 words).

7. Yevgeny Shestakov article headlined "Russia asked to 'renounce' once again" says that Lakhdar Brahimi has failed as the UN and Arab League special envoy for Syria and has not managed to bring the positions of Russia and the West on the Syrian issue closer together; p 8 (553 words).

8. Unattributed article headlined "'Umbrella' for both" says that Russia and Kazakhstan have signed an agreement to set up a single regional missile defense system; p 10 (800 words).

9. Vladislav Vorobyev article headlined "Reset of State Department" looks at the appointment of John Kerry as U.S. Secretary of State; p 8 (250 words).

Izvestia

1. Anna Lyalyakina article headlined "Russian Orthodox Church seeks special legal status for holy places" says that the Russian Orthodox Church wants the Solovki cloister in Arkhangelsk Region to be given a status of a "religious and historical place", along with the status of a "state nature reserve" and a "federal place of interest"; pp 1, 4 (698 words).

2. Alexei Mikhaylov and Dmitry Balburov article headlined "Defense Ministry orders armored vehicles for Mistral" says that the Defense Ministry has determined the technical specifications of a new infantry fighting vehicle to be landed from Mistral helicopter carriers, two of which will be delivered from France; pp 1, 4 (639 words).

3. Dina Ushakova article headlined "Investigators to receive all cases of businessmen" says that the organization Business Russia has drafted yet another package of amendments to the Russian Criminal and the Criminal Procedure codes impeding prosecution of businessmen; pp 1, 4 (840 words).

4. Andranik Migranyan article headlined "President Obama's second term for Russian-US relations" contemplates prospects for Russian-US relations and their future development; pp 1, 9 (965 words).

5. Yegor Sozayev-Guryev article headlined "Government to report to Kremlin en masse" says that the Russian government will hold a meeting in the Kremlin to present its main projects to be implemented by 2018 to Putin. Holding such an important meeting in the Kremlin is evidence of warming relations in the ruling tandem, experts say; p 2 (553 words).

6. Yulia Tsoy article headlined "Deputies doubt Bulavinov's guilt" says that State Duma deputies do not rule out that the Russian Investigations Committee's wish to deprive One Russia MP Vadim Bulavinov of deputy immunity may be linked to his political activity; p 3 (619 words).

7. Vladimir Zykov article headlined "Skolkovo main negotiator moves to Renova" says that Roman Romanovsky, responsible for holding talks with the world's largest companies on their participation in the Skolkovo innovation projects, has left the post for a job in Renova group of companies; p 3 (497 words).

8. Maria Gorkovskaya article headlined "U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles to take entire Africa under control" says that the USA plans to set up shortly a base of UAVs in Niger to track Islamists' locations in the region. Experts attribute the move to Washington's intention to increase its influence in Africa; p 7 (568 words).

9. Igor Yavlyansky article headlined "UN special envoy disputes Geneva agreements on Syria" says that UN and Arab League special envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has admitted that the peace plan for Syria, agreed on in Geneva on 30 June 2012 by the Action Group, has failed and a new UN Security Council resolution should be passed; p 7 (442 words).

10. Dmitry Drobnitskiy article headlined "Etatism and homosexuality" comments on an anti-gay law being debated in Russia; p 9 (840 words).

11. Maxim Shevchenko article headlined "Last chance for Dagestan" comments on the change of power in Dagestan and the aftermath of the move for the republic and Russia; p 9 (1,022 words).

12. Vladimir Dergachev report "Stalin-buses to travel in St Petersburg, Chita and Volgograd on 2 February" says that infamous buses with the portraits of Joseph Stalin painted on them will appear in Russian streets again; p 2 (800 words).

Moskovsky Komsomolets

1. Anastasia Rodionova article headlined "'Evil slop' for Belykh and Navalny" comments on the criminal case involving Kirov Region governor Nikita Belykh and possibly opposition activist and blogger Alexei Navalny; pp 1-2 (574 words).

2. Mikhail Rostovsky article headlined "Take off trousers and take revenge on America!" criticizes Russia's decision to terminate several agreements with the USA and says that anti-Americanism by the Russian authorities looks like imitation of the fight against the USA; pp 1-2 (674 words).

3. Mikhail Zubov article headlined "One Russia gives away its people" interviews One Russia MP Vadim Bulavinov on the Russian Investigations Committee's initiative to deprive him of deputy immunity; p 2 (940 words).

4. Matvei Ganapolskiy article headlined "Dum-dee-dum! We take cat with us..." ponders over why so many people leave Russia; p 3 (830 words).

5. Ignat Kalinin article headlined "Russia and Kazakhstan unite sky" focuses on Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu's visits to Kazakhstan and Armenia; p 3 (516 words).

Novyye Izvestia

1. Vera Moslakova article headlined "Domino effect" zooms in at the probe into the sale of a stake belonging to the regional government in the Urzhum distillery, involving the Kirov Region governor; pp 1-2 (965 words).

2. Yulia Savina article headlined "Looking for truth" says that a working group for a public investigation of the 6 May riots on Moscow's Bolotnaya Ploshchad has summed up the results of its work; p 2 (555 words).

RBK

1. Galina Starinskaya article headlined "Shelf for two" say Rosneft and Gazprom companies have warned Gazprom against letting private companies using the shelf, as it may trigger an uncontrolled use of resources without promising any economic benefits; pp 1, 5 (800 words).

2. Yulia Sinyayeva article headlined "Business cannot sleep in peace" says changes in the tax legislation did not make the life of businessmen any better and a lot needs to be done to improve fiscal policy; p 3 (600 words).