Izvestia: Tehran summit to focus on imminent staging of 'chemical attack' in Syria
The presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran are going to discuss all aspects of settling the Syrian conflict, at the upcoming summit in Tehran on September 7, including a looming false flag using chemical weapons, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov told Izvestia.
"This issue (the imminent staging of a 'chemical weapons attack') as well as all aspects of the Syrian settlement and aggravating circumstances will be discussed," Ushakov told the newspaper.
He added that, in addition to the tripartite talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold separate meetings with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran's leader Hassan Rouhani.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated earlier that Russia had presented concrete evidence to the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) about the preparation of a provocation involving chemical weapons in the Syrian province of Idlib.
The summit in Tehran will be the third such event to resolve the Syrian crisis. On November 22, 2017, the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey held their first meeting in Sochi. The next trilateral presidential conference was held on April 4 in Ankara. Following its results, the parties adopted a joint statement in which they expressed their intention to continue this work at the highest level.
Kommersant: Leaked secret UN report says aid for Syria possible only after regime change
The United Nations would be able to help rebuild Syria only after the country undergoes a change in authority, according to a classified internal directive of the organization's secretariat, Kommersant wrote. The newspaper said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had learned about the existence of this document and demanded the UN explain why such issues become "the subject of internal secret directives" bypassing the Security Council, and accused Western partners of manipulating the international organization. The UN denied the existence of the directive.
The two-page document entitled "Parameters and Principles of UN Assistance in Syria" was drafted in October 2017. According to Kommersant, the document's author is an American diplomat, former UN Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, who stepped down from his position this spring.
The essence of the directive boils down to three points - "The UN will not promote the return of refugees and ISP, but will support returnees"; "Only after there is a genuine and inclusive political transition negotiated by the parties would the UN be ready to facilitate reconciliation"; "UN assistance must not assist parties who have allegedly committed war crimes or crimes against humanity."
According to Lavrov, the directive was distributed throughout the UN. A source in Damascus close to one of the UN structures confirmed the information to Kommersant.
"This document is well known to those who work in the UN's structures and deal with the issues mentioned in it, we are guided by the document in our work," the source told Kommersant. According to the source, the report had been modified several times since October, and now many countries also talk about the need to review the framework of operations that UN structures conduct in Syria.
Another source close to the UN in Damascus told Kommersant that there is an implicit moratorium in the UN structures on the word "restoration" with reference to Syria, although this is the responsibility of many UN agencies in this country. However, projects are often delayed due to the fact that there is no money for them, or for political reasons.
Vedomosti: Polymetal, Uralchem, TMK line up to join investment projects
The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) sent a working group list for approval to the government, which will select investment projects for large businesses, four sources told Vedomosti. The lobby sent the list to First Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.
According to Vedomosti, Russia’s finance chief, Anton Siluanov, together with RSPP President Alexander Shokhin will chair the group, which is expected to consist of 29 people: representatives from 11 companies on the ‘Belousov list’, excluding SUEK, MMK and Uralkali. The list may also include TMK, Polymetal, Uralchem, Russian Railways, Rosseti, Rostelecom, as well as the following state agencies: the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Industry, the Federal Antimonopoly Service, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Finance, the government apparatus and, finally, the RSPP.
"The so-called ‘Belousov list’ is just an example of companies that have gained from macroeconomic changes," a source close to the group members told Vedomosti. "Now businesses are getting offers to increase investments, and many companies not from the list decided to join the RSPP working group to directly participate in the decision-making," the source added.
According to Professor of the Higher School of Economics Oleg Vyugin, private companies have several reasons to join the group. "This includes discussion of benefits, and the possibility of receiving budget funding, and demonstrating loyalty to the state," he told Vedomosti.
Private companies are trying to be more engaged with working groups, according to Metallurgy and Mining Director at Prosperity Capital Management Nikolay Sosnovsky. Perhaps some companies will manage to steer the situation in their favor, pull projects out of a rut and get them up and running. They might be able to look at something from a different angle, find partners, and receive preferences from the state, he told the newspaper.
Izvestia: Bank Otkritie may rake in net profit of $295 mln in 2019
Bank Otkritie, which underwent bailout procedures, in 2018 expects to receive a net profit that differs from the original business plan. In 2019, it could reach 20 bln rubles ($295.1 mln), Chairman of Otkritie FC Bank's Managing Board Mikhail Zadornov said in an interview with Izvestia.
"This year, according to the business plan, we have to break even, but for the first half of the year the bank earned around 6 bln rubles ($88.53 mln) in net profit, so we are sure that there will be profit by the end of the year. If, of course, we exclude some external shocks, which will affect not only our bank but also the country’s economy in general. In 2019, we plan to earn about 20 bln rubles ($295.1 mln) of profit. In 2020, the profit from the banking business alone should amount to 70 bln rubles ($1.03 bln), this is our strategic goal," Zadornov said. He also stated that the bank's capital by the beginning of next year would amount to 320-350 bln rubles ($4.7-5.1 bln).
According to Zadornov, in 2020 the bank plans to achieve profitability of assets of 18%, and in 2021 - to sell 15-20% of its shares. "Right now it is difficult to imagine that large Russian or foreign investors will come to the banking market, primarily due to uncertainty and sanctions. That is why we do not consider selling to any strategic investors yet. On the other hand, I do not rule out that one of our partners can buy a stake in Otkritie," he clarified.
The bailout of Otkritie was announced in August 2017. In late 2017, the Russian Central Bank allocated 456.2 bln rubles ($6.7 bln) for additional capitalization of the Otkritie group. A substantial part - 189.1 bln rubles ($2.7 bln) - went to close the "gap" in Otkritie’s capital.
Kommersant: Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway requires over $10 bln from budget
The high-speed railway from Moscow to Vladimir, the construction of which should start this year, may not continue to Kazan, if funds are not allocated from the budget, Kommersant wrote. According to Russian Railways’ calculations, without a grant of 700 bln rubles ($10.34 bln), the net present value (NPV) of the highway is profoundly negative - minus 642 bln rubles ($9.47 bln). So far, there is no decision on allocating funds, but, according to experts, other methods of state support will be even more expensive.
Currently, the investment program of Russian Railways until 2025 includes just the Moscow-Vladimir section, which is expected to receive 201.3 bln rubles ($2.9 bln). The total cost of the construction comes to 419.1 bln rubles ($6.2 bln), and the need for financing amounts to 486.7 bln rubles ($7.2 bln), Kommersant wrote. In addition to Russian Railways’ funding, plans are in store to use investments from international strategists (52 bln rubles - $767.3 mln) and other investors (72.9 bln rubles - $1.07 bln), as well as money from a bond placement worth 100 bln rubles ($1.47 bln), and 61.8 bln rubles ($911.53 mln) of loans.
A source told Kommersant that the Ministry of Transportation supports allocating the grant. According to the newspaper, Russian Railways believes that the project is impossible without state support.
Infralex partner Maxim Chernigovsky told Kommersant, that instead of a grant, a concession grantor payment at the operational stage could be possible, but the grant would be allocated only once.
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