WTO — Finally!
Global trade ministers on Friday approved Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization, giving Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin a victory on the international stage at a time of rising domestic opposition to his hold on power.
The Nigerian trade minister, Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga, struck a gavel to announce that the W.T.O. trade ministers’ meeting here had accepted the bid. Because the organization operates by consensus, Russia had to first reach bilateral agreements with 57 of its current 153 members to secure their support.
“This result of long and complex negotiation is favorable both for Russia and for all our future partners,” President Dmitri A. Medvedev said in a statement read to the conference by the first deputy prime minister, Igor I. Shuvalov. He called on world leaders to continue working for freer and fairer trade, adding: “Russia is ready to contribute as much as possible into this work.” Read more →
Putin vs. Medvedev in 2012
Public opinion polls in Russia reflect exhaustion with the Putin Brand…Even he may come to realize he would be better advised to reverse course as per my earlier analysis (see below). In the short term, his United Russia party may suffer Duma losses in the mid-December national elections.
This fall the members of Russia’s State Duma, the national legislature, are up for election and it is widely assumed that United Russia will again have a comfortable margin although other parties will be represented in the next Duma, as at present. Nationwide, thousands of candidates, representing three or four organized parties, or no party, stand for election at all levels of government in the Russian Federation on a continuing basis… Russia today is a free market democracy.
Russia’s Dynamic Duo
Last Saturday was a “historic” moment in Russia. At the political convention of United Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Vladimir Putin would stand for election as Russia’s next President when elections occur next March. Putin then took the podium and announced that Medvedev would be asked to form the next Cabinet after this December’s elections for the State Duma, Russia’s national legislature, as Prime Minister, Putin’s present job. (He would have to resign as President to assume such role or Putin could hold over until March)… I was still in Moscow from a week of meetings with leading oil & gas companies, including a visit to Lukoil’s largest refinery in Nizhny Novgorod, and the reaction to these announcements was “as expected”. Certainly this tandem in leadership has been very effective for Russia’s economic growth and these announcements remove uncertainty as to future economic policy since it is widely assumed that Putin will win. Read more →
The Future Of European Gas
Last week, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin launched a major pipeline that will start pumping gas to Western Europe as soon as next month. With the click of a computer mouse in front of flashing cameras, Putin opened the valve to let the gas into the first Nord Stream pipeline at the Portovaya compressor station at the Russian-Finnish border. Read more →
Too Good To Be True…
In his book The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia, David E. Hoffman says, “Mikhail Khodorkovsky was a child of the last-ditch effort of the Soviet system to save itself. Desperate for a way out of stagnation, the Soviet leadership permitted a modest experiment in capitalism. It worked—and unleashed enormous, unexpected forces of change.” This experiment started at university where Khodorkovsky was the deputy chief of Komsomol, and he was more ambitious and ruthless than any other. At an extremely young age, Mikhail became one of the first titans of the new entrepreneurial age, a pioneering financier. By 2004, Khodorkovsky was the wealthiest man in Russia and was 16th on Forbes list of billionaires. Read more →
Reprisal of Russia-Georgia War
As we reflect on the 3rd anniversary of Georgia’s ill-fated invasion of South Ossetia, it is interesting to note how lobbyists for the Government of Georgia continue to perpetuate the myth that the war was started by the Russians. This high-powered, well financed group has launched a powerful campaign to derail the improved relations between the U.S. and Russia. They have enlisted many neo-con think tanks and politicians in their effort to rewrite history. Apparently these cold warriors are nostalgic for the days when every event was viewed as West versus East. It was this sort of dated vision during the Georgian invasion that produced hollow and silly neo-con slogans like “We are all Georgians now.” Read more →
Medvedev vs. Putin in 2012
This fall the members of Russia’s State Duma, the national legislature, are up for election and it is widely assumed that United Russia will again have a comfortable margin although other parties will be represented in the next Duma, as at present. Nationwide, thousands of candidates, representing three or four organized parties, or no party, stand for election at all levels of government in the Russian Federation on a continuing basis… Russia today is a free market democracy.
In March 2012, it is likely that four candidates for President of Russia will once again offer themselves to the electorate. Both Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin have kept everyone guessing as to which man, as between these two favorites, will vie for the head of government position… My hope and expectation is that President Medvedev will be that man. Read more →
Jackson-Vanik Lawsuit
According to U.S. administration officials, including Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama, Russia has been in compliance with Jackson-Vanik amendment requirements since 1994. However, this amendment is still on the books and its continued application not only is irrelevant but is in direct contravention with U.S. law. On April 18, 2011 a lawsuit 11-CV-00737 has been filed in the district federal court in Washington. Plaintiffs pray this court to direct Defendant Obama to fulfill his Presidential duties by executing an appropriate proclamation that Russia should not be subject to the trade restrictions of Jackson-Vanik in any way.
Plaintiffs are looking for legal, moral and financial support. All those who are interested in receiving additional information please visit russiahouse.org/wrf.php.