Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he was not offended when web users referred to him as "Dimon," a diminutive version of his name. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he was not offended when web users referred to him as "Dimon,"...

The Russian government will take a number of steps to make the country's legal system suitable for new entrepreneurs by making the rules of doing business simple and clear, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the International Legal Forum in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. The Russian government will take a number of steps to make the country's legal system suitable for new entrepreneurs by making the rules of doing business...

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the Finance and Economic Development ministries to introduce a luxury tax by Oct. 15, two weeks ahead of schedule, according to a statement published on the government's official website Tuesday...

Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, meanwhile, said Russia will need three to five years to exit economic stagnation. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the threat of another economic crisis in an interview published Monday, and urged consumers not to stock up canned meat, salt and matches. "I am confident we will succeed in avoiding a crisis like that of 2008-9," Medvedev...

... Surkov, the onetime gray cardinal of the Kremlin and a powerful government official, continued to swirl over the Victory Day holiday weekend, with most politicians and observers calling it a major blow to the embattled Cabinet of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The Kremlin portrayed the ouster of Surkov, who had recently become embroiled in a verbal conflict with federal investigators over a corruption case involving the Skolkovo innovation hub, one of Surkov's pet projects, as the first casualty in...

... Platform party forum where the party leader Mikhail Prokhorov has spoken about his political ambitions; p 2 (579 words). 7. Irina Nagornykh report "United Russia removes 'someone else's projects from budget" says that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has chaired a joint session of United Russia's supreme and general councils, which focused on party projects in the social sphere; p 2 (800 words). 8. Vsevolod Inyutin article headlined "Alexei Kudrin not ready to replace Dmitry Medvedev"...

... (580 words). Nezavisimaya Gazeta 1. Ivan Rodin article headlined "Kudrin happens to be in Naryshkin's retinue" says former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, speaking at a round table discussion in the State Duma, has criticized the work of Medvedev's cabinet and called on United Russia to share responsibility for economic stagnation with the government; pp 1, 3 (765 words). 2. Sergei Kulikov article headlined "Sergei Stepashin demands moratorium" comments on Audit Chamber head...

... is building a system of increasingly centralized control, in which he directly manages the government, influential research group Minchenko Consulting said in a report published Wednesday. The report analyzed the first year of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's government, dividing the Cabinet into Medvedev's team, which includes Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov and Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, and those who owe their loyalty directly to Putin, such as Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov...

... Dmitry Rogozin, who, like Surkov, was promoted to the post of deputy prime minister after Putin's inauguration to a third term last May. Both Surkov and Rogozin's appointments were seen as expressions of gratitude for their loyalty and service to Putin. Medvedev meeting Surkov in the Kremlin. Surkov is said to have grown close to Medvedev. (Kremlin.ru) 4. But analysts say Surkov and Putin grew apart during Dmitry Medvedev's four years as president from 2008-12. Surkov, who was appointed the Kremlin's...

... the appointment in an online statement late Wednesday. Prikhodko, 56, has the rare distinction of having served three presidents, beginning as a foreign policy advisor to then-President Boris Yeltsin in 1997, a role he played for presidents Putin and Medvedev. He moved to the White House last year when the latter became prime minister. ‘He’s not going to conduct any revolutionary activities within the government.’ Alexei Makarkin Center for Political Technologies Prikhodko is also...

... massive two-day forum with members from regional branches in Moscow on Friday, where it lauded its social and infrastructure projects, some three months before September regional and municipal elections. Raising the forum's profile, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who chairs the party, addressed the convention on Saturday, joining the chorus of praise for the party's activities. He set several tasks for the party ahead of the elections, including to support healthcare, education, childcare, housing,...

Danfoss, Skolkovo Sign R&D Deal Energy-efficient equipment maker Danfoss and the Skolkovo innovation hub have signed a deal to create a Danfoss research and development center at Skolkovo, Danfoss said in a press release. (MT) Medvedev Sees $14Bln Spent on Science, Technology Russia will spend some 440 billion rubles (around $14 billion) on federal programs to develop its scientific and technological complex in 2014-2020, with most of the funding coming from the federal budget...

... decrees where he sought to make good on his campaign promises. He started out a Kremlin meeting by acknowledging several achievements, but then poured cold water on the ministers for most of his speech. The meeting was to review how Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's Cabinet worked to implement the decrees that Putin signed on the day of his return as president last May. "It's understandable that it took time to appoint the Cabinet and get this quite complicated mechanism underway," Putin said...

... purposes in more that 50 countries, including India, China and Iran. Putin used an Mi-8 last week to tour construction sites for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. A helipad also was recently opened at the White House, allowing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to arrive at work without a motorcade. Peskov noted that Medvedev has reduced his trips by car significantly and said far fewer government officials were using flashing lights on their cars as a way to beat the traffic. The flashing lights allow...

The government's stake in oil company Rosneft could be cut from 75 percent to 51 percent in the future, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said. "We could bring the stake down to 51 percent," Medvedev told reporters on Saturday. A 51 percent stake in Rosneft is the level to which the government's interest can be reduced without the danger of losing control, he said....

... United Shipbuilding Corporation; pp 1, 9 (866 words). 2. Dmitry Butrin and Pyotr Netreba article headlined "This surely does not exist under grandpa" says that, addressing the International Legal Forum in St. Petersburg, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has cast a shadow on one of the key provisions of the law on foreign investment in Russia; pp 1, 6 (746 words). 3. Yegor Popov article headlined "Car sales drop faster" says that car sales in Russia went down 8 percent in April. The...

... into the embezzlement of budget funds from state-owned innovation hub Skolkovo has led to a public spat between the agency conducting the investigation and the Cabinet of Ministers, whose head, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, created the institution in 2010. An investigation into the embezzlement of budget funds from state-owned innovation hub Skolkovo has led to a public spat between the agency conducting the investigation and the Cabinet of Ministers...

... Putin becomes closer to business" says that Yevgeny Minchenko, head of the International Institute of Political Expertise and head of the communications holding company Minchenko Consulting, on May 22 will present a report "Year of Dmitry Medvedev's government." The report says that positions of Putin's business entourage are strengthening; the report also notes a crisis of agreements within the tandem; p 2 (900 words). 2. Alexander Litoi report "defense takes floor" looks...

... questions. It's not the first time when ministers missed a chance to tune in for a major public appearance by the head of state. A Cabinet meeting was also underway during Putin's wide-ranging hours-long news conference Dec. 20. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev looked relaxed and allowed himself several jovial comments during Fyodorov's speech. Fyodorov made a reference to the Bible when he explained why most of the farming program's objectives remained unattained. The government put together the plan...

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree requiring all major state-funded investment projects to undergo a compulsory technological and financial audit by a panel of independent experts and community representatives. Prime Minister...