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Business Quarterly (Summer 2017)
Summer 2017 Regional Development With AEB updates on: #investment climate in Russia, #localisation in the Russian regions, #discovering Krasnodar Region, #St. Petersburg investment legislation, #AEB news, #Committee activities, #member news, and #new members. | Introduction AEB Business Quarterly | Summer 2017 Dear readers, Welcome to the summer issue of the AEB Business Quarterly! The Association of European Businesses represents the interests of foreign investors in Russia and sup- ports foreign companies operating on the Russian market. Far more than 50% of foreign direct invest- ments originate from the European Union, so the country’s investment attractiveness is of vital impor- tance for the AEB. The AEB is focused on engaging with the Russian regions. We have two Regional Committees: the North-Western and the Southern ones with the offices in Saint Petersburg and Krasnodar correspondingly. They actively cooperate with the regional and local authorities and take part in the work of the investment councils of the governments of the Krasnodar and Leningrad regions, and the city of St. Petersburg. On 1 June 2017, the AEB signed an Agreement on Cooperation with Leningrad region within the framework of the St.Petersburg International Forum. The AEB regularly holds presentations of the investment potential of the regions in Moscow. Thus, recently we have hosted several events on the investment potential of the Altai and Sakhalin regions, the North Caucasus and the Chuvash Republic. The Association regularly organises business missions to the Russian regions and meetings with the regional governors, enabling companies to get acquainted with the investment opportunities of the given region as well as the terms of co- operation and development. -
Chechnya Weekly: Volume 9, Issue 19 (May 16, 2008)
Chechnya Weekly Volume 9, Issue 19 (May 16, 2008) Kadyrov Keeps the Heat on the Yamadaevs By Andrei Smirnov In what appears to be an ongoing campaign by Chechnya's pro-Moscow administration against the Vostok Battalion of the GRU (Russian military intelligence), investigators with the republic's law-enforcement bodies are looking into the battalion's possible involvement in the murder of the Arsamakov brothers (Chechnya Weekly, April 17 and 24; May 1). Kavkazky Uzel on May 8 quoted a Chechen law-enforcement source as saying that investigators who are looking into the Vostok Battalion's activities have information about the possible involvement of battalion members in the kidnapping and subsequent brutal murder of Yusup and Yunus Arsamakov and their driver, who disappeared in early February of 2007. "Investigators have testimony from several former servicemen of the GRU's spetsnaz battalion Vostok that sheds light on the fate of Yusup and Yunus Arsamakov, brothers of the Moscow Industrial Bank president Abubakar Arsamakov, and their driver Khamzat Magomadov, who disappeared last year on the territory of the republic's Shatoi district," a Chechen law-enforcement source told Kavkazky Uzel. "They [the ex-Vostok servicemen-CW] claim that the Arsamakovs and Magomadov were murdered by spetsnaz and that their bodies were taken out of Vedeno district and burned. That information is being checked." As Kavkazky Uzel reported, in addition to the disappearance and murder of the Arsamakov brothers and their driver, investigators this past week charged -
The London School of Economics and Political Science State-Led Coercive Takeovers in Putin's Russia: Explaining the Underlying
The London School of Economics and Political Science State-led coercive takeovers in Putin’s Russia: explaining the underlying motives and ownership outcomes Andrew Yorke A thesis submitted to the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, April 2014 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. Abstract Since Vladimir Putin first became Russia’s President in 2000, the state has played an increasingly active and interventionist role in the economy, including through its involvement in a large number of coercive takeovers of privately-owned businesses. The best known case is the Yukos affair, but there have been many other, less prominent takeovers. These have largely been explained as predatory acts by state officials seeking to enrich themselves or increase their power. This has contributed to the perception that Putin’s Russia is a kleptocracy, with the state given free rein to engage in economically-destructive attacks on property rights. -
Kazakhstan and the New International Politics of Eurasia
Kazakhstan and the New International Politics of Eurasia Richard Weitz SILK ROAD PAPER July 2008 Kazakhstan and the New International Politics of Eurasia Richard Weitz © Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program – A Joint Transatlantic Research and Policy Center Johns Hopkins University-SAIS, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 Institute for Security and Development Policy, V. Finnbodav. 2, Stockholm-Nacka 13130, Sweden www.silkroadstudies.org “Kazakhstan and the New International Politics of Eurasia” is a Silk Road Paper published by the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program. The Silk Road Papers Series is the Occasional Paper series of the Joint Center, and addresses topical and timely subjects. The Joint Center is a transatlantic independent and non-profit research and policy center. It has offices in Washington and Stockholm and is affiliated with the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University and the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy. It is the first institution of its kind in Europe and North America, and is firmly established as a leading research and policy center, serving a large and diverse community of analysts, scholars, policy-watchers, business leaders, and journalists. The Joint Center is at the forefront of research on issues of conflict, security, and development in the region. Through its applied research, publications, research cooperation, public lectures, and seminars, it functions as a focal point for academic, policy, and public discussion regarding the region. The opinions and conclusions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program. -
Russia Intelligence N∞18 P
RIA63 11/10/07 10:59 Page 1 N°63 - October 11 2007 Published every two weeks / International Edition CONTENTS KREMLIN c P. 1-4 Politics & Government Hunting scenes in Moscow KREMLIN It is Moscow as it’s never been seen before : a senior officer of a power centre, Viktor Cherkesov, 56, c Hunting scenes the boss of the anti-narcotics service, a co-disciple of Vladimir Putin at the university of Leningrad in in Moscow FOCUS 1973, who entered the KGB in 1975, the point man in the hunt for dissidents in the northern capital un- c Vladimir Putin, the til 1984, Putin’s deputy at the direction of the FSB in 1998 and anxious enough about his security to pub- improbable "Chancellor of licly denounce in an open letter in the daily Kommersant «the fratricidal struggle within the secret serv- Russia" ices» that could «weaken the government and undermine the stability of the state»...Just as we have FOCUS never ceased to write, the process of Vladimir Putin’s succession is leading to chain reactions in his in- c Who will take Gazprom? ner circle which is developing into mass formation battles between two clans. Igor Sechin (presidential ALERTS administration), Nicolay Patrushev (FSB), Rashid Nurgaliev (Interior) have decided to clash with the c Gazprom in line for the opposite clan, whose principal leaders are Dimitri Medvedev, Alisher Usmanov, Alexey Kudrin, Vladimir Ankara distribution network Kozhin, Viktor Cherkesov, Viktor Zolotov, Yevgeny Murov (read details page 4). It’s likely that the ar- c Suez is preparing rest of Vladimir Barsukov, alias Kumarin, reputed head of the Tambov gang in Saint Petersburg (Rus- its entry on the Russian sia Intelligence n 61 of September 3 and n 62 September 27) was the first shot of the war whose most electricity market ∞ ∞ recent episode was the arrest by the Sechin clan of Cherkesov’s closest associate, the latter obviously be- ALERTS ing in the grasp of Sechin and Patrushev. -
Russia 2008. REGIONS and REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Part 5. REGIONS AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 5.1 Dmitri Medvedev and governors’ corps: priorities in cadre policy 5.2 Territorial management and prospects of reform of the President’s envoys institution 5.3. Reform of local self-government: achievements, problems and prospects of changes 5.4. Trends and prospects of economic development of Russian regions 5.1 Dmitri Medvedev and governors’ corps: priorities in cadre policy A specific feature of cadre decision-making in the sphere of regional policy is the non-public character of the process. Since Dmitri Medvedev took the office of the head of the state, the information coverage of this direction of federal policy decreased considerably (compared to the presidency period of Vladimir Putin). Informal mechanisms (consultations in the Presidential Administration) still have the dominant role in cadre issue solution; however, they mostly affect the federal power level. The role of envoys’ has been levelled down: in accordance with the President’s amendments to the legislation the right to nominate candidates to be vested with powers of heads of executive power of constituent entities of the Federation was passed to the political party dominating (by election results) the legislative assembly of a certain region. The new norm will ensure political dividends mostly for “United Russia” dominating regional bodies of legislative power (as of 9th February 2009 the exceptions were only the parliaments of the Vladimir region and the Nenets Autonomous District). The “UR” federal leadership can join the cadre selection process; however, so far there are no grounds to assert that “UR” has got an effective opportunity of lobbying appointment of party members to governor positions. -
A Russian Chronology
Advanced Research and Assessment Group Chron ology Series 09/01 Defence Academy of the United Kingdom Russian Domestic Policy: A Chronology October – December 2008 1 October 2008 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin addresses a government meeting which examines the concept of long-term development of the country until the year 2020. He says events on the world's financial markets have demonstrated that Russia cannot rely on its existing insurance policies alone and should develop a robust national economy. He states: In the next few years, Russia should achieve a significant improvement in the quality of work of the main, backbone industries, such as transport, the fuel and energy complex, the banking sector and agriculture…It is necessary to make serious progress in the construction of a national innovation system and the development of competition, to set up more reliable guarantees of protection of property rights. Putin also lists the priorities of Russia's long-term development programme: I will list just the most important tasks set by the concept for the long-term development of the country. They are an increase in life expectancy in Russia to 72-75 years, stabilization of the size of the population, [and] a decrease in mortality, above all among working-age people. By 2020, the real incomes of citizens should increase by 100-150 per cent. There should be a manifold increase in productivity in the key sectors. One would wish it to be a three-, four- and, in some sectors, perhaps a five-fold increase. The energy efficiency of the economy should increase by at least 40 per cent. -
A Russian Chronology: January – March 2009 Research & Assessment Branch ISBN 978-905962-65-5 April 2009 09/03 Dr Mark a Smith
Research & Assessment Branch 09/03 Defence Academy of the United Kingdom 09/03 Russian Domestic Policy: A Chronology January – March 2009 1 January 2009 One of the leaders of the Solidarity opposition movement, Boris Nemtsov, says he thinks that 2009 will be a year of social protest, due to the economic crisis: This will result in the end of Putinism. This is the deal between Putin and citizens. The deal was money in exchange for rights. Putin gave citizens money - pensions, salaries, work etc - and in exchange took away from citizens their rights - the right to independent information, the right to elect its authorities, the right to independent courts, the right to opposition activities. Co-chairman of the Right Cause party Leonid Gozman says "the transformation of the economic and social crisis into a political one, mass unrest and the situation getting out of control and sliding into the extralegal field cannot be ruled out" in the new year. He says it is preferable "that stability remains in the country in the next two to three years if only to bar from power people in comparison with whom Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin will look white and fluffy". 2 January 2009 Yabloko leader Sergey Mitrokhin says that in 2009 "we may witness mass unrest across the country, a further clamp-down in connection with this unrest and the country being brought to a dangerous point." 2 January 2009 Vesti TV reports that many of the largest iron and steel mills in Russia are putting production on hold, due to the global financial crisis. -
The Failure of Integration
OÂRODEK STUDIÓW WSCHODNICH IM. MARKA KARPIA Centre for Eastern Studies Prace OSW / CES Studies PRACEWojciech Konoƒczuk Fiasko integracji. WNP i inne organizacje mi´dzynarodowe na obszarzeOS poradzieckimW 1991–2006 The failure of integration. The CIS andCE other internationalS organisations in theSTUDIES post-Soviet area, 1991–2006 W arszawa maj 2007 / W arsaw May 2007 © Copyright by OÊrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia © Copyright by Centre for Eastern Studies Redaktor / Editor Anna ¸abuszewska Wspó∏praca / Co-operation Katarzyna Kazimierska Opracowanie graficzne / Graphic design Dorota Nowacka T∏umaczenie / Translation OSW / CES Wspó∏praca / Co-operation Jim Todd Wydawca / Publisher OÊrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia Centre for Eastern studies ul. Koszykowa 6a, Warszawa / Warsaw, Poland tel. / phone + 48 /22/ 525 80 00 fax +48 /22/ 525 80 40 Seria „Prace OSW” zawiera materia∏y analityczne przygotowane w OÊrodku Studiów Wschodnich The ‘CES Studies’ series contains analytical materials prepared at the Centre for Eastern Studies Materia∏y analityczne OSW mo˝na przeczytaç na stronie www.osw.waw.pl Tam równie˝ znaleêç mo˝na wi´cej informacji o OÊrodku Studiów Wschodnich The Centre’s analytical materials can be found on the Internet at www.osw.waw.pl More information about the Centre for Eastern Studies is available at the same web address ISSN 1642-4484 Spis treÊci / Contents Fiasko integracji. WNP i inne organizacje mi´dzynarodowe na obszarze poradzieckim 1991–2006 / 5 Wojciech Konoƒczuk Tezy / 5 Wst´p / 6 I. Wspólnota Niepodleg∏ych Paƒstw / 6 II. Organizacje mi´dzynarodowe powsta∏e na obszarze WNP / 14 Podsumowanie / 21 Aneks 1. Cz∏onkostwo poszczególnych paƒstw WNP w poradzieckich strukturach integracyjnych / 22 Aneks 2. -
CORI Country Report Russian Federation, October 2010
Confirms CORI country of origin research and information CORI Country Report Russian Federation, October 2010 Preface Country of Origin Information (COI) is required within Refugee Status Determination (RSD) to provide objective evidence on conditions in refugee producing countries to support decision making. Quality information about human rights, legal provisions, politics, culture, society, religion and healthcare in countries of origin is essential in establishing whether or not a person’s fear of persecution is well founded. CORI Country Reports are designed to aid decision making within RSD. They are not intended to be general reports on human rights conditions. They serve a specific purpose, collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin, pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. Categories of COI included within this report are based on the most common issues arising from asylum applications made by Russian Federation nationals. This report covers events up to 29 October 2010. COI is a specific discipline distinct from academic, journalistic or policy writing, with its own conventions and protocols of professional standards as outlined in international guidance such as The Common EU Guidelines on Processing Country of Origin Information, 2008 and UNHCR, Country of Origin Information: Towards Enhanced International Cooperation, 2004. CORI provides information impartially and objectively, the inclusion of source material in this report does not equate to CORI agreeing with its content or reflect CORI’s position on conditions in a country. It is acknowledged that all sources have a bias, it is for decision makers to place a weight on sources, assessing relevance to each individual application. -
The Rights of Migrant Workers from Former Soviet Countries: Real-Life Challenges and Unfulfilled Obligations
The Rights of Migrant Workers from Former Soviet Countries: Real-Life Challenges and Unfulfilled Obligations Human Rights Report “We worked but didn’t receive anything.” Inscription on the mosaic floor of the palace baths, III century. Armenia. Architectural landmark, Garni. 2016 The Rights of Migrant Workers from Former Soviet Countries: Real-Life Challenges and Unfulfilled Obligations. Human Rights Report of ADC Memorial. English translation: Lucy Gunderson. 2016. This report analyzes the complicated and multifaceted phenomenon of labor migration in the former Soviet Union. It looks at the migration strategies of individual countries and their failure to implement their international obligations, the discrepancy between pronouncements about freedom of movement and employment made by intergovernmental unions and the restrictive approach to labor migration taken in reality, weak legal guarantees in the sphere of labor migration, and gross human rights violations in the daily life of migrants. Acknowledgements ADC Memorial would like to thank the following people and groups for their assistance gathering information for this report: Migrant workers who shared their stories; experts and staff members of international organizations who shared their opinion on labor migration; attorneys and NGO representatives who shared their experiences protecting the rights of migrants (the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH); in Armenia - the Civil Society Institute and the International Center for Human Development; in Georgia - the IDP Women Association Consent, the Human Rights Center (HRIDC), and Multinational Georgia; in Moldova – PromoLex; in Belarus – La Strada and the Her Rights Center; in Ukraine – the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group; in Kyrgyzstan – Kylym Shamy and Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan; in Kazakhstan – Sana Sezim and the International Legal Initiative; and representatives of migration structures who agreed to share information with ADC Memorial experts. -
Eurasian Economic Union Observer
Eurasian Economic Union Observer Issue 2 / 2016 (2nd quarter) - 30.06 .2016 ISSN 2367-3125 Compiled and edited by the EEU Observatory at LIBERTAS - Europäisches Institut GmbH. Responsible for the EEU Observatory and Editor: Ofelya Sargsyan, MA. This information appears as an eQuarterly. Highlights in the text by the editor. This issue contains original English articles, but also some translated from Russian. Published by: LIBERTAS - Europäisches Institut GmbH / EEU Observatory Lindenweg 37, D-72414 Rangendingen Tel.: +49 7471 984 996-0; Fax: +49 7471 984 996-19 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.libertas-institut.com, www.eufaj.eu (European Union Foreign Affairs Journal) Managing Director: Hans-Jürgen Zahorka Yearly subscription (no subscription fee, but handling for 4 issues): 48,00 EUR (+ VAT if applicable; EU subscribers should communicate their VAT ID no., if existing)) Company registered at AG Stuttgart, HRB 243253, USt ID no.: DE811240129, Tax no.: 53 093 05327 1 A Word from the Publisher Dear readers, this eQuarterly is neither a propaganda instrument for nor a permanent criticizer of the Eurasian Economic Union. It just tries to reflect objectively what is said and written about the EEU. But compared to the European Union, it has to be mentioned that the EEU has its own characteristics, namely being composed of member states who do not follow always the standards of the legal order of the EU. But do they have to do this - this is the question, and also, how far should they adopt comparable rules?. Anyway, there is "something" in the air of the East of Europe which can exercise influence on investment, trade, economic actors etc.