Return to New York please, via Moscow: Kremlin paves way for East to West rail link after after 'approving' £60bn Bering Stra

dailymail 22-AUG-11

Karabakh peace process: Experts suggest changing the format of talks

armenianow 29-JUN-11

[-stated]: If we did not lose the ability to learn the lessons of history, the conclusion can be the only one that democracy should be strong. It should be able to protect itself reliably, protect its citizens, the world in general from any threats coming from the racists, fascists and chauvinists,

itartass_en 26-JAN-12

[-said]: Our enemy is changing faces, uses sophisticated methods, which are primarily seeking to mislead the youth,

itartass_en 26-JAN-12

[-said]: It’s not important what area a person chooses to take these actions in, be it in a political, business, cultural or social sphere. What is important is that people see results and can evaluate them the right way,

sptimesrussi 24-JAN-12

[-said]: The issue of the Kurils inevitably comes up whenever Russo-Japanese ties are discussed, but that issue should not be accorded pride of place. We should change our mentality and avoid existing stereotypes. Russia’s position on the issue has been made clear time and time again by the country’s leaders and diplomats. That issue can be solved only by calm and quiet negotiations, without emotions and politics. We should make effort to broaden our ties in all aspects since it is a serious factor of stability

ruvr 12-JAN-12

[ said]: I would have been surprised if I wasn’t asked a question about the Kurils

ruvr 12-JAN-12

[believes:]: We have offered to host the 2013 APPF in Russia. The APPF is the parliamentary component of APEC, so all agreements reached in Vladivostok in the autumn of 2012 will have to go through parliamentary ratification. It would be much more effective not to protract this process.

ruvr 09-JAN-12

[-said earlier]: As a result of our productive work, Petersburg's trade turnover with Japan increased by 2.4 times in 2010, and this year, it is expected to increase two-fold,

itartass_en 09-JAN-12

[-said]: There are some 50 companies with Japanese stakes operating in St.Petersburg, including a big car-making cluster. This successful experience in cooperation can spread to other Russian regions. Our chamber - the chamber of regions -- is ready to actively contribute to it,

itartass_en 09-JAN-12

[-said]: prepare proposals on the basis of objective analysis of the situation in regions and lobby them in the federal government

itartass_en 29-DEC-11

[noted that:]: the gap between rich and poor regions is eight times. It’s unacceptable. These ministers for territorial affairs will have to prepare and submit proposals on how to ensure more even development of regions and distribute resources and productive forces more evenly

itartass_en 29-DEC-11

[-told]: Maybe, considering the current course toward [power] de-centralization, it would be a good idea to open representations of the Regional Development Ministry,

rian 26-DEC-11

[-stated]: I stated repeatedly that this issue is ripe. The procedure to form the upper house of parliament should be understandable for people. They should participate directly in this procedure and influence it. Only in this case it can be said that members of the Federation Council present fully the interests of their whole region, all its residents, rather than only regional authorities. Only in this case the feedback from a slogan and a wish will become real,

itartass_en 16-DEC-11

[said that:]: today the FC members literally confined into tiny office, where it is difficult to receive even a man from the region. And they, by virtue of their responsibilities, also receive foreign delegations. All who come to us for the parliamentary hearings leave their cars somewhere in the alleys and walk to the building, because the Federation Council has no parking lot or drop-off.

itartass_en 17-NOV-11

[-said]: I was a governor for eight years and I want to say that sometimes you can’t understand what all these structures do. Some 400,000 civil servants and representatives of federal ministries and agencies are working in regions. What for?

itartass_en 17-NOV-11

[-said]: If we want to raise the responsibility of the regional authorities, let’s give them resources, possibilities and resources for effective management of their regions, and then we can call them to account, whereas now we hold governors responsible for everything but we have not given them enough powers,

itartass_en 17-NOV-11

[-said]: I think we joined in this work quite timely, seizing the initiative,

itartass_en 17-NOV-11

[-said]: We will not be guided by the ‘take as much power as you want’ principle. What is important is to redistribute powers to those levels of government where they will be exercised mote effectively. And this means a transfer of some powers to the federal level and vice versa from the federal to the regional and municipal levels,

itartass_en 17-NOV-11

[-explained]: So, the first idea of the parliamentary centre is to house both the State Duma and the Federation Council. In addition, it will remove many administrative structures that duplicate each other in the two houses. This means saving personnel and saving money,

itartass_en 17-NOV-11

[-said]: Unfortunately, inter-budgetary relations today to not motivate regions to expand their tax bases and increase budget revenues, as they often depend on the ability of a certain leader to push its course through. It must not be like this. There must be a single method that takes into account specific features of regions,

itartass_en 17-NOV-11

[-said that]: Several buildings in the city centre that are still not functionally adapted for the activity of the parliament, will be put to auction. Their sale will give much more funds than required for the construction of a new parliamentary centre, pre-adapted to the conditions of the lawmakers’ work.

itartass_en 17-NOV-11

[-said]: I believe the Tajik leadership will show an adequate attitude to Russia's reaction to the incident,

trendnews 10-NOV-11

[-said]: We hope that a settlement will be reached in the next few days,

trendnews 10-NOV-11

Ivanov [ said]: What the policy of the new administration will be like is too early to talk about, but it’s clear that the ambitious policy era has passed with [the departure of] Valentina Matviyenko,

sptimesrussi 05-OCT-11

Nemtsov [-told]: After my detention yesterday, I was planning to distribute leaflets asking St. Petersburg residents not to vote for Valentina Matviyenko in the municipal election of September 21. However, the police stopped our car, and some young men from pro-Kremlin organizations tossed eggs at us. I was put into a police vehicle to be taken to the 71st police station,

kyivpost 15-AUG-11

Gryzlov [said that:]: the Matvienko issue

rt 30-JUN-11

Medvedev [-said]: I like this idea and may say that Valentina Matviyenko is a person with vast administrative experience,

rian 24-JUN-11