Izvestia: What ‘the EU’s Magnitsky Act’ brings to Russia
The European Union has adopted a new sanctions framework, which makes it possible to blacklist all those whom Brussels suspects of human rights violations, denying them entry to the EU and freezing their assets. The framework will come into force on December 10. However, it does not contain any names yet, Izvestia writes.
On December 7, Brussels hosted an EU Foreign Affairs Council, which was particularly focused on the EU's global human rights sanctions framework, branded by the media as "a European Magnitsky Act." The move was triggered by a poisoning incident involving Alexei Navalny. On September 15, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell called on member states to adopt a mechanism similar to Washington’s Magnitsky Act. He even suggested naming the sanctions regime after Navalny but the European Union eventually dropped the idea.
In response to a question on whether Brussels planned to use the document against Russian nationals, a source in the Council of the EU told the newspaper that they would prefer not to comment on the potential blacklists.
Meanwhile, although the new mechanism’s design is similar to that of the EU’s other sanctions regimes, the difference is that these restrictions may now be imposed on the citizens of countries that haven’t been sanctioned before.
"This is how the European Union’s sanctions mechanism works: the Council of the EU makes a framework decision, based on which sanctions are imposed on individuals and companies. For instance, there is such a mechanism for chemical weapons issues. And now the focus is on human rights. The European Union needs a legal basis to make blacklists and it has created one by establishing this mechanism," Valdai Discussion Club Program Director Ivan Timofeev explained.
"It does not only concern Russia because Belarusians, Iranians and Chinese nationals can also be blacklisted," the expert pointed out.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Beijing expects Biden to ease US-China tensions
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stated that Beijing is ready to boost dialogue with the United States at all levels. The statement should be viewed as a signal to US presumptive President-elect Joe Biden, Nezavisimaya Gazeta notes.
Wang Yi’s statement comes at a time when the administration of US President Donald Trump is doing everything possible to complicate Washington’s possible rapprochement with Beijing. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week announced new sanctions on Chinese officials involved in attempts by the Chinese government and affiliated organizations to put pressure on the Chinese community in the US and other countries.
It remains to be seen if these sanctions will prevent a reconsideration of Trump’s China policy. According to Acting Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Far Eastern Studies Alexei Maslov, the Chinese authorities indeed hope that Biden will bring a thaw to US-Chinese relations though they understand that it’s only possible to a certain extent.
In the expert’s view, Beijing expects the new US administration to at least abandon all the bombastic rhetoric that tarnishes China’s image. Trump and his team make such statements quite often, particularly accusing China of creating re-education camps in the Xinjiang autonomous region.
Besides, according to the expert, the Chinese authorities are also hopeful that the ideological component will be removed from bilateral relations, meaning that Biden won’t keep reiterating that Communists are in power in China. "This is why the Chinese are hinting that they are ready to build a constructive dialogue with the new US administration," Maslov emphasized.
Izvestia: Maduro scores parliamentary win
According to the preliminary results of the Venezuelan parliamentary election, the pro-presidential Great Patriotic Pole bloc is set to win a majority of the vote. Experts interviewed by Izvestia point out that radical opposition leader Juan Guaido, who boycotted the election, has lost US support and now Washington will have to deal with Nicolas Maduro.
Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev, who headed the country’s delegation of observers, told the newspaper that no irregularities had been recorded during the vote and the opposition had also admitted it. "The political makeup of the new parliament will be different and the conflict between lawmakers and the president will become a thing of the past," the Russian senator stressed.
The most radical opposition figureheads, including Guaido and other leaders linked to US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not participate in the election. As a result, they lost control of parliament, which is why the election was crucial, the paper wrote, citing Spanish political scientist Jose Antonio Edigo.
Despite the prospects for a softer US policy turn under the new administration, the Venezuelan people aren’t excited about Biden coming to power. According to Chief Researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Latin American Studies Vladimir Sudarev, the incoming US president will demand that an honest election be held in the near future, although without ruling out Maduro’s participation in the vote.
It will be difficult to improve the Venezuelan president’s image because of the United Nations’ report on human rights violations. He will have to rely on ties with those countries that are ready for cooperation, namely Iran, China and Russia, Co-Chair of the Asia and the Americas section of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Andres Serbin emphasized.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Risk of civil war looms over Armenia
The Armenian opposition’s ultimatum for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to step down expires at noon on December 8. If Pashinyan rejects the demand, opposition forces are ready to launch civil disobedience protests, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.
"Much of the public has no doubt that Pashinyan should resign. However, there are issues that concern society more at the moment, including prisoner exchanges, the search for those missing in action, and the security situation along Armenia’s borders and in Karabakh," independent journalist David Petrosyan told the newspaper. "Pashinyan has a parliamentary majority and the support of law enforcement agencies. Another important factor is that Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly expressed support for him," Petrosyan added.
According to analyst Vigen Akopyan, Pashinyan has been able to retain his position only because Russia is preventing attempts to bring him down. The prime minister is in no hurry to step down, yet the opposition is determined to remove him from his post even if it requires the use of force. "The threat of a domestic confrontation is obvious," Akopyan pointed out.
The expert stressed that Armenia’s social and economic situation was still on the rocks. Coronavirus restrictions are complicating transportation services, creating obstacles for investment projects and paving the way for the collapse of the tourism industry. "Given the circumstances, Pashinyan’s government is unstable. If Pashinyan fails to secure assistance from the West, including political, financial and even military support, in order to overcome the consequences of his adventurous policy, he will be swept from power before the end of the year and a violent struggle for control will begin," Akopyan noted.
Izvestia: Car sales continue to grow in Russia
The sales of new cars continue to climb in Russia. Market experts are cautiously optimistic, pointing to a high demand amid supply shortages, Izvestia writes.
November saw a positive trend in new car sales in Russia. According to the Association of European Businesses (AEB), a total of 157,580 new cars were sold in November, which is 5.9% higher than the same period last year.
The lack of new cars at dealerships has played a role in creating a buying fever, Marketing Director at Avilon motor group Andrei Kamensky pointed out. "The car shortage is stimulating customer interest as they rush to buy the cars they want while supplies last," he told the paper.
As for statistics, Lada automobiles come in first. Their sales were 22% greater than last November. The carmaker views the result as a record because demand climbed this high for the first time since October 2014. Lada’s record sales in November became possible because of various campaigns run by the government and the company, as well as thanks to the release of special editions of popular models, said AvtoVAZ Executive Vice President for Sales and Marketing Olivier Mornet.
Market players tend to expect good sales figures in December, while next year may prove to be a difficult one for the automobile industry. "If we succeed in defeating the coronavirus and the economy recovers, growth will continue. However, if vaccines turn out to be not so effective and the pandemic goes on, I don’t rule out that the market will fall by 10% next year," Autostat CEO Sergei Tselikov pointed out.
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