MOSCOW – The Russian government has an idea what should be done to remedy the economic situation, but these measures require extensive discussion, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday making a report to members of the State Duma lower house of parliament.
MOSCOW – The demographic problem was made less acute successfully, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an annual governmental report to the State Duma on Wednesday.
“In 2012 about two million children were born in our country that is 102,500 newborns more than in 2011. Meanwhile, the share of second and further children reached 51.5%. The aggregate coefficient of the birth rate reached the highest level after 1991. I believe that this is actually a very important result,” the prime minister stated.
MOSCOW – The Russian agrarians can thresh up to 95 million tons of grain in case of favourable weather during the current sowing campaign, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an annual governmental report in the State Duma on Wednesday.
“The Russian government decided to hold commodity interventions. We focus attention on the spring sowing and the current sowing campaign. We hope that in case of favourable weather the agrarians can thresh up to 90-95 million tons of grain,” the prime minister stated.
MOSCOW – A total of 42 billion roubles have been provided for support of Russia’s agriculture, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
Speaking at the State Duma on Wednesday, Medvedev said a total of 15 billion roubles out of 42 billion roubles had been provided for support of cattle breeding.
MOSCOW – Russian government drafted and endorsed the State Defense Procurements Order for 2013 and for the years 2014 and 2015 last year and its financing will total more than 6.5 trillion rubles, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday as he address the deputies of the State Duma with a report on the government’s operations.
He recalled that a federal Law on the State Defense Order took effect on January 1, 2013, and a number of regulatory acts are being drafted at present to make all of its provisions produce the maximum effect.
MOSCOW – The national science is to play the cardinal role in the development of Russia, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday reporting to members of the State Duma lower house of parliament.
“At the end of last year the state program “Development of Science and Technology” was approved. “We concentrate efforts on the most promising spheres of nanotechnology, information and telecommunication systems, natural resource use and energy. In 2012, as many as 31 world-class technologies were created within the framework of the existing federal target programs, more than 800 patents were applied for and received,” the prime minister said.
An additional two billion roubles have been allocated from the federal budget for the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) and 500 million - for the Russian Humanities Research Foundation.
MOSCOW – The Russian government will continue the policy for a more flexible regulation of the oil and gas industry, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an annual governmental report to the State Duma on Wednesday.
In his words, legislative initiatives are being developed to boost the production of the hardly extractable natural reserves and the development of the gas deposits in East Siberia and the Far East, as well as the development of the hydrocarbon fields on the continental shelf. “We hope that the State Duma will approve appropriate laws during its spring session,” Medvedev stated.
MOSCOW – Number of children who have received high-tech medical aid has grown 60% since 2009, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday as he addressed deputies of the State Duma with a report on the government’s operations.
MOSCOW – The age or retirement on pension in Russia will not be raised, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the State Duma on Wednesday.
As he presented the government’s report of its performance last year Medvedev said that all those past the retirement age would find it more beneficial to keep working and the mechanisms of indexing pensions in Russia would remain in place.
MOSCOW – Russia’s government will continue permanent monitoring to reveal problems that Russian companies face after Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
Speaking at the State Duma on Wednesday, Medvedev said, “The decrease of the tariff shelter level and fiercer competition from foreign producers will create difficulties for certain branches and companies... We’ve studied them during the talks. Now we continue monitoring the situation.”
MOSCOW – Annual direct foreign investments in Russia should reach 70 billion dollars by 2018, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an annual governmental report to the State Duma on Wednesday.
“Now Russia is ranked sixth in the world and second among the BRICS states in the volume of direct foreign investments for the last five years. In general, this is a quite good figure of about 265 billion dollars,” the prime minister stated.
MOSCOW – The sum of about 37 billion roubles was allocated in 2012 for the program of gas distribution network development in Russian regions, RF Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday making a report to members of the State Duma lower house of parliament.
According to him, the average level of the country’s gas distribution network development is currently 64.4 percent, that is, nearly two-thirds of the territories.
MOSCOW – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev proposed “to give up on Cyprus” and take decisions to stimulate people to keep their savings in Russia.
“We should thank the partners from the European Union for what they did with Cyprus, because they showed the worst example how the confiscating policy should be carried out,” the prime minister said.
MOSCOW – Popularity of the Russian ruble will get on a par with the U.S. dollar only after the Russian Federation creates a financial center of its own, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday as he addressed the deputies of the State Duma.
MOSCOW – Russia’s Prime Minister said Wednesday he sees the Russia of tomorrow as a strong and free country, living in which will be comfortable for the people.
“I am sure that everything depends on trust in one’s own strength, as well as on the ability to work well and to respect others’ opinions,” Medvedev said, adding that responsibility before oneself, one’s family and one’s homeland also matter much.
MOSCOW – Russia will not choose the path of building a closed economy because it stands in need of an open economy, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday as he addressed the State Duma, the lower house of parliament with a regular report on the government’s performance.
MOSCOW – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev believes that the fight against corruption should be conducted at all levels - “from the president, government, parliament to municipalities and subjects.”
“Such fight requires consistency, serious efforts and certainly - time,” the RF government head told members of the State Duma lower house of parliament, delivering an annual report. According to Medvedev, the legal avoidance schemes will appear at all times, “they must be identified and exposed.”
MOSCOW – If any comparisons are to be drawn between Russia’s economic indicators and the figures on the performance of other nations, it would stand to reason to draw comparisons with developed nations, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday as he addressed the deputies of the State Duma.
MOSCOW – The creation of the Customs Union has achieved its main goal - Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have increased mutual trade several-fold, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, replying to questions from factions in the State Duma on Wednesday, April 17.
“Supply of our goods and their supplies to our market is the goal we sought to achieve,” the prime minister said.
Medvedev stressed that he was talking not about a few percentage points but about a 15-30 percent growth.
MOSCOW – Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called for finding new sources of revenue for Russia’s Far East, North and central regions.
MOSCOW – Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev believes that the terms, on which Russia joined the World Trade Organization, were as favorable as they could possibly be.
MOSCOW – De-offshorising the economy is a task that faces not only Russia but other countries as well, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in the State Duma on Wednesday, April 17.
MOSCOW – Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said privatisation plans have to be forward-looking.
“These revenues have to be accounted for but they are hard to project. You understand that the situation in the market changes and some property can be sold for a good profit and some property cannot and then we have to make the decision and remove this property from sale,” Medvedev said in the State Duma on Wednesday, April 17.
MOSCOW – There can be no universal solution to small business taxation problems, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in the State Duma on Wednesday, April 17.
MOSCOW – Large investment that will take a long time to be recouped is needed for the development of the infrastructure under priority projects - the Far East development, the construction of facilities for the Sochi Olympics, the Moscow transport hub, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday, addressing the State Duma lower house of parliament with a regular report on the government’s performance.
MOSCOW – Greater investment activity in regions is the main source for Russia’s development, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in the State Duma on Wednesday, April 17.
“For sustainable development we need large-scale investments. The main source of them is greater investment activity in regions. Personal motivation for the regional authorities is also important,” he said.
MOSCOW – Public services should be open, friendly, quick and effective, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
According to Medvedev, this can be done using “one- stop” services provided by multifunctional centres that offer public and municipal services to the population.
The prime minister noted that there are more than 600 such centres in 71 Russian regions.
MOSCOW – Russia plans to manufacture some 20,000-22,000 tractors a year by 2020, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the State Duma lower house of parliament, delivering a report on the government’s performance.
MOSCOW – Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he vouches for the numbers he cited in his report in the State Duma on Wednesday, April 17.
SOCHI – President Vladimir Putin made a positive assessment of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s report in the State Duma on Wednesday, April 17.
MOSCOW – Deputies of the State Duma polled by Itar-Tass take a positive view of the report on the government’s performance Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev presented on Wednesday even though harsh criticism came from all factions.
MOSCOW – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has adopted a Russian-Austrian intergovernmental draft agreement on mutual relief from natural and manmade disasters and on cooperation in their prevention. The document was posted on the official Internet portal on Wednesday.
In compliance with the document, the Russian Emergencies Ministry jointly with Foreign Ministry were instructed to hold talks to the effect with Austria’s partners and sign the agreement on behalf of the Russian government.
MOSCOW – The Russian government has approved the protocol to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev instructed the Ministry of the Environment to sign the protocol on behalf of Russia with the possibility to make minor amendments.
MOSCOW – Russia these days sees growth in the rate of terrorism-related crimes, Prosecutor-General Yuri Chaika said in his annual report to the Federation Council.
According to the PGO, Russia in 2012 saw 24 terrorist attacks, which is 17.2 percent less than in 2011.
MOSCOW – Russia’s wage indebtedness is estimated at 1.56 billion roubles (USD 1 = RUB 31.23), Chairman of the Russian State Labour Inspectorate Vsevolod Vukolov told a news conference on Wednesday.
“As of January 1, 2013, the total wage indebtedness amounted to 1.56 billion roubles,” he said, emphasising that this was the lowest level of the indicator over the period of statistical surveys starting from 2004. Eleven years ago, the wage indebtedness to Russians was estimated at 24.5 billion roubles, he reaffirmed.
MOSCOW – Russia’s unemployment rate continue decreasing. In March 2013, the indicator decreased by 1.4 percent, Chairman of the Russian State Labour Inspectorate Vsevolod Vukolov told a news conference on Wednesday.
“As of April 1, 2013, the country’s total number of jobless people amounted to 1.083 million, which was 1.4 percent smaller than the indicator registered on March 1, when the total number of unemployed Russians was at 1.098 people,” he said.
MOSCOW – The Norilsk Nickel company’s net profit calculated under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) decreased by 41 percent upon the results of 2012, as compared to the preceding year, and stand at 2.143 billion U.S. dollars, the company said in its report.
MOSCOW – About 28 billion roubles (USD 1 = RUB 31.23) will be assigned disbursed to ‘redress digital imbalance’ of the Russian regions and to assist telecom providers operating in those territories, Russian Communication Minister Nikolai Nikiforov said at the opening of the Russian Internet Forum here on Wednesday.
MOSCOW – Russia’s consumer inflation rate increased by 0.2 percent in the period from April 9 to April 15, 2013, the Federal State Statistics Service said in its regular report made public on Wednesday, adding that the indicator has gone up by 0.3 percent since the beginning of the current month and has grown by 2.2 percent since the beginning of the year.
MOSCOW – Russia’s state-owned oil company Rosneft and Japan’s Marubeni Corporation signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in LNG project implementation and joint exploration and development of oil and gas fields.
OTTAWA – Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) has reduced from 60 to 18 the number of Canadian meat processing plants, which are allowed to supply their products to Russia, Canada Pork International (CPI) - the export promotion and market development agency of the Canadian pork industry said on Tuesday.
This was explained by the fact that the veterinary services of Canada inaccurately certify products of animal origin that are sent to Russia.
KIEV – Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has called destructive the Opposition’s initiative to express no confidence in the government.
He categorically dismissed the Oppositions’ accusations the government was pursuing anti-popular policies.
KIEV – At present, the imports of natural gas from Europe to Ukraine are going in the so-called reverse mode, and supplies of Russian gas to the country are carried out by commercial companies, Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavitsky said at a briefing on Wednesday.
KIEV – Ukraine’s machine-building companies decreased their output by 2.7 times in the first three months of the year, as compared to the same period of 2012, to stand at 6,970 vehicles, the press service of the Ukravtoprom association said.
KIEV – Expenditures of Ukraine’s state budget exceeded revenues by 4.2 billion hryvni (525 million U.S. dollars) in the first three months of the year, a Ukrainian government official said.
In his words, the deficit was slightly below the projected indicator and amounted to 8.3 percent of the planned level for the current year.
KIEV – Oil production in Ukraine decreased by 8.8 percent in the first three months of this year from the same period of last year to 538,000 tonnes, the State Statistics Service said on Wednesday, April 17.
KIEV – Ukraine’s natural gas production in January-March 2013 decreased by 2 percent from the same period of last year to 5 billion cubic metres, the State Statistics Service said on Wednesday, April 17.
KIEV – Ukraine’s oil refineries reduced processing in January-March 2013 by 54.7 percent from the same period of last year to 0.7 million tonnes, the State Statistics Service said on Wednesday, April 17.
KIEV – Ukraine cut electricity production in January-March 2013 by 4.9 percent from the same period of 2012 to 52.7 billion kWh, the State Statistics Service said on Wednesday, April 17.
MINSK – Belarus consumer prices of goods and services went up by 5.4 percent in the first three months of the year, as compared to the same period of 2012, the National Statistics Committee said in its regular report.
In January-March 2013, the republic’s consumer prices of goods and services grew by 5.4 percent as compared to December 2012, while the indicator increased by 1.1 percent in March 2013,” the committee underlined in the document.
BARANOVICHI, Belarus – Russia invests up to 80 million roubles in repairing and servicing the CIS joint air defence system every year, CIS Air Defence Coordination Committee Secretary, Colonel Roman Dyachenko said on Wednesday, April 17.