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09.11.2009 Foreign Policy in Review October, 2009 The following resource is meant to quickly introduce the reader to Russia's relations with other countries (excluding most of Eurasia, which has its own review). For more news reviews, see the newsletter for this corresponding month. To receive SRAS's free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up.   Asia Warmer ties for Russia, China with big gas deals Russia and China are closing in on a mammoth energy deal which could insure that Beijing has the fuel to run its factories and cities and Moscow has a vast new market for its natural gas empire.   Middle East Russian FM: Iran enrichment deal needs finalizing Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that an agreement reached between Tehran and six world powers last week for Russia to help enrich uranium for an Iranian reactor has yet to be finalized. Iran expects Russia to honor Bushehr commitments on time Tehran expects Moscow to launch Iran's first nuclear power plant as scheduled.  Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, earlier said the Bushehr plant was 96% complete, almost all of the equipment had been installed, and that after testing the plant would go into full operation. Clinton hails US-Russian co-operation on Iran On a visit to Moscow, Clinton said both countries were now engaged in "clear-headed, practical co-operation" over Iran's nuclear programme, as well as other issues including arms reduction and the war in Afghanistan. Don't pressure Iran, says Russia Pressuring Iran and threatening further sanctions over its nuclear programme would be counter-productive, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says.  Speaking after talks in Moscow with US counterpart Hillary Clinton, Mr Lavrov said every effort should be made to continue negotiations.   Middle East Soldiers' Mothers Demand Alternative Service Option For Draftees The nongovernmental organization Soldiers' Mothers of Petersburg have demanded that officials respect Russian legislation on alternative service for young army conscripts. Russian Soldiers' Mothers Kidnap Sons To Prevent Beating At a press conference in the western Russian city of Chelyabinsk, four women said that they had to kidnap their sons from their military unit in order to "save them from a beating." Russia to allow pre-emptive nukes A top Russian security official says Moscow reserves the right to conduct pre-emptive nuclear strikes to safeguard the country against aggression on both a large and a local scale. Russia moves to ease concerns over new military doctrine Countries that do not threaten Russia have no reason to fear its new military doctrine, the Russian foreign minister said on Friday.  The new document envisions the use of preemptive nuclear strikes against potential aggressors. Medvedev calls for defense modernization speed-up Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said he is not satisfied with Russia's defense sector modernization rate and high production prices. Upgrading the Air Force As a result of attrition of old aircraft combined with a lack of new acquisitions, the Russian Air Force currently has fewer than 500 combat airplanes that are capable of flight.   Missiles Russia: new U.S. anti-missiles less risky Russia sees a redrafted U.S. anti-missile shield plan as less of a security threat than the previously proposed project.   Organizations Russia's NATO envoy demands Western apology after Georgia war report publication Russia's permanent representative at NATO, Dmitriy Rogozin, believes that now that the independent international commission investigating the circumstances of the conflict in the South Caucasus in August 2008 has published its findings, some Western politicians "will have to apologize to Russia for pouring a lot of mud on it." PACE formally reaffirms Russia voting rights after Georgia motion The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted on Thursday to reject Georgia's motion to deprive Russia of voting rights over last year's conflict in South Ossetia.   United States Don't repeat Soviet mistakes in Afghanistan The United States risks losing the war in Afghanistan if it continues to repeat the mistakes that once helped the Taliban's forerunners defeat the Soviet Union. Only one U.S. cargo flown to Afghanistan via Russia The United States has so far sent only one shipment of supplies through Russian airspace to its troops in Afghanistan since Moscow and Washington agreed a transit deal in July. US fight against Afghan drugs insufficient Russia's counter-narcotics chief criticized U.S. and NATO anti-drug efforts in Afghanistan as inadequate and called for joint action against the Afghan heroin flooding into the former Soviet Union. Top Russian general challenges US on missiles A top Russian general says Russia will deploy multiple-warhead missiles in December, the same month a nuclear arms control treaty expires. US to deploy Patriot missiles in Poland The United States will deploy ground-to-air Patriot missiles in Poland in 2010 and is discussing its plans for a new anti-missile system with Warsaw. Missile shield shift opens common ground for Russia and US After years squabbling over how the US could build an effective missile defense shield for Europe without scaring or offending Moscow, a growing number of experts suggest there may be an obvious way to square that circle: bring the Russians in and make them partners in a broad multi-national project. US security adviser in Moscow nuclear arms talks U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones is in talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on reducing the nuclear arsenals of the former Cold War adversaries.  Jones is also set to meet his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, as part of a brief visit to Moscow for talks that may also touch on the Iran issue. A Policy Agenda for the U.S.-Russia Congressional Caucus Congress launched the bipartisan Congressional Russia Caucus, which is chaired by Congressmen Tom Price and Dennis J. Kucinich. The creation of the caucus could not be timelier, as the Obama Administration seems to have made unrequited concessions to Russia in missile defense, strategic arms talks, and the sale of Russian arms to Iran and Venezuela. U.S. offers to help Russia in 2014 Winter Olympics preparation The United States Olympic Committee has offered Russia its assistance in the preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in line with a cooperation agreement with the Russian Olympics Committee.  Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi won the right to host the 2014 Olympics at an IOC session in Guatemala in July 2007 after a close race with South Korea's Pyeongchang and Austria's Salzburg. California Looks To Russia To Help Preserve Historic Settlement Few parts of America have been as badly hit by the global economic crisis as California, where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been forced to slash state budgets to compensate for a $24 billion shortfall. An American Dream for Sale In the United States, the EB-5 preference immigration program is a way to obtain a green card by investing in the U.S. economy. Plenty of affluent individuals covet permanent residence in the United States enough to relocate their capital and their families, not only from countries with unstable political and economic regimes. Secretary Clinton's Remarks at Town Hall Meeting at Moscow State University Sometimes our messages to one another are lost in translation. But at the core, we believe strongly that the United States and Russia must be partners, not only for the future of our own country and our own people, but indeed, to the world. Beginning of Meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton I know that you have had productive, intensive talks with Mr Lavrov. The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs has already briefed me on your discussion. I even had a chance earlier to watch part of your press conference, which was good. Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Hillary Rodham Clinton I want to start by thanking Minister Lavrov for hosting me in Moscow today, along with my delegation. We have had a very productive and comprehensive set of discussions. This follows on the work that we began over the last many months to transform the relationship between our two countries, to find common ground wherever we can, to further mutual respect and mutual interests, without in any way accepting the fact that there are not differences between us, because there are. Background Briefing by Senior State Department Official What does she want to achieve here? I mean, I know already talked about the START , she's going to put pressure on START. Is there something substantive that she wants to get out of this, either on Iran or any of those baskets of issues which you've reviewed already in the past? Remarks at Reception for Civil Society Leaders -- Hillary Rodham Clinton Both President Obama and I want to stress strongly how the United States stands with those who work for freedom, campaign for justice and democracy, and who risk their lives to speak out for human rights. Remarks at Reception for Civil Society Leaders -- Hillary Rodham Clinton Well, first, I would ask them, please, to recognize that President Obama is very committed and very sincere about working together with President Medvedev and with Russia. Obviously, this is challenging for many reasons, but I think the 68 percent who answered yes understand that Russia and the United States have so much in common that we need to be working more closely together.   Study Politics in Russia The Library: Politics in Russia SRAS Resources for Teachers   Find out more! SRAS Travel Services More Study Abroad Programs Internships in Russia Heath and Safety in Russia The SRAS Newsletter Journal for Students More Free Resources!  Questions or comments? Contact the editor « back to News archive print this page email this page