POLITICS

Russian state oil company Rosneft’s CEO Igor Sechin will try to mend ties between Russia and Belarus that recently plunged to a low following a conflict over potash producer Uralkali.

(Kommersant)

President Vladimir Putin told the government it must be prepared for a possible downturn in the world economy when planning the budget for 2014-16, and must decide on whether to freeze natural monopoly tariffs. The Russian Finance Ministry plans to drastically cut all budget spending and government procurement.

(Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

President Vladimir Putin appointed business lobbyist Alexander Galushka as Far East development minister, completing personnel changes meant to spur investment in a region located next to major Asian economic powerhouses.

(The Moscow Times)

The US Senate plans to propose that President Barack Obama postpone a potential military operation in Syria by 45 days to give Russia’s latest peace initiative a chance.

(Izvestia, Kommersant, Komsomolskaya Pravda)

ECONOMICS & BUSINESS

The real owners of Russia’s largest airport, Domodedovo, will have to reveal who they are if they want to vote at company meetings. The Economic Development Ministry has proposed restricting the rights of owners who keep their identity secret.

(Vedomosti)

The US authorities have announced they are seeking the forfeiture of top-end Manhattan real estate linked to a fraud they say was uncovered by a whistleblowing Russian lawyer before he died behind bars.

(The Moscow Times)

Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets says the government has approved a pension calculation mechanism – “the pension formula,” as a proposal for changes in the operating principles of the pension system from 2014.

(Kommersant, Komsomolskaya Pravda)

The Trade and Industry Ministry will limit the working life of buses and trucks to seven to 15 years.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Russia’s Sukhoi Superjet airliner will qualify for EU export co-financing, after the EU’s export agency recognized it as a 70 percent “European-made” product.

(Kommersant)

RUSSIA

Opposition leader and former mayoral hopeful Alexei Navalny announced he would submit 951 separate complaints of voting violations to the Moscow City Elections Commission.

(The Moscow Times)

SOCIETY

Russian state employees whose jobs expose them to potential temptation to graft will have to be cautious: their activities will be video-recorded, they will have to reveal their revenues and have frequent conversations with management.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Moscow may soon bring in provincial Russian workers to carry out domestic utilities work such as janitors and road sweepers to replace migrant laborers, starting in the capital and neighboring areas.

(Izvestia).

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