Whenever you feel the urge to complain about the injustice of the climate where you live, you can always comfort yourself with the fact that it's probably colder in Murmansk, where snow can linger into May and reappear in September. Murmansk Population: 307,700 Main industries: Shipping...

... protests for foreign investors, who could be spooked by the unfavorable attention shown to a company that they rely on for protection. It may also prove a headache to President Vladimir Putin, who has made it a priority to create an attractive investment climate for foreigners. Police accused the private security company Pantan, a subsidiary of Gudkov’s Oskord security holding, of improperly using and storing its guns and decided to cancel its permits to keep the weapons, according to a police...

... The only remaining first deputy prime minister is Igor Shuvalov, widely considered to be progressive and liberal, and who speaks so eloquently — in both Russian and English — at various international forums about improving the investment climate in Russia. But four years ago, Medvedev made the most memorable statement of his political career when he said that "freedom is better than a lack of freedom." He then wrote an inspirational article titled "Go, Russia!" and...

... to the economy and laws governing commercial activities. The need for amendments and updates to "the second most important law after the Constitution" has become obvious. These amendments are intended to improve the economy and investment climate in Russia. Florian Schneider, LL.M. Rechtsanwalt (Attorney-at-Law) Managing Partner, Moscow, Head of Global Retail Group, Salans The Civil Code of the Russian Federation has not undergone major revisions for more than 15 years. In that time...

... reporters visiting the university in April. The estimated hydrocarbon reserves in the Arctic are about 100 billion tons in oil equivalent, according to findings by Russian experts, said Marcel Gubaidullin, director of the university's oil and gas institute. Climate changes have increased accessibility and boosted international interest in offshore projects in recent years, with countries that have direct access to the Arctic Ocean — like Norway, Canada, Denmark and the United States — competing...

... — 138th place, was assigned to customs. Customs is associated with the international delivery indicator, in which Russia was in 106th place with 2.59 points. According to the World Bank's Doing Business survey, which ranks countries' business climate, 36 days and up to 10 documents are required for goods to cross the Russian border, and the cost of importing a standard container is $1,800. This puts Russia in 160th place out of 183 for cross-border trade in that survey. 179756

... economics and finance. He held that position until Monday. Belousov also headed the Strategic Initiatives Agency, a nongovernmental organization whose establishment was initiated by Putin last year to support medium-sized business and improve the business climate. Vedomosti described Belousov as "Putin's man," and his appointment was widely expected. The daily quoted Alfa Bank analyst Natalya Orlova as saying Belousov's appointment is a sign of continuing government control in the economy. On...

... emissions, despite previously combative statements. The Russian government might be willing to acquiesce on European Union plans to charge airlines for excess carbon emissions, despite previously combative statements, according to media reports. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said last week that "99 percent" of major airlines, including Russian ones, had provided information about emissions in 2011 by the March 31 deadline. Only eight Chinese and two Indian carriers had failed...

... specific projects named, he said Russia and China were considering the joint design of a wide-body long-distance passenger plane. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told participants in the forum that Russia was working to improve its investment climate. 179738

... document published Monday on the Kremlin website. "Principles of state policy on environmental development in the Russian Federation in the period up to 2030" for the first time identifies "global environmental problems associated with climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification and other negative environmental processes" as having an impact on Russian national interests. The report also singles out poor water treatment, degradation of agricultural soil and increasing volumes...

... Petersburg, while 15 percent are arriving as a result of cross-border traffic where the two countries meet on the Amur River. The representatives of the Chinese companies said they were well aware of the problems associated with Russia's investment climate, having heard lots of "rumors" about the issue. They stressed their decision that investing would be a methodical process. "I know for certain that my wife is very beautiful, but I can't say for certain that my neighbor thinks...

... Guenther Oettinger told an EU-Russia conference in Brussels at the end of last week that for the 27-member bloc to continue using gas beyond 2030-2035, it needed carbon capture and storage, or CCS, technology to limit greenhouse gas emissions. CCS captures climate-warming emissions from power plants and stores the carbon underground, for example in depleted natural gas fields under the sea. But the technology is commercially unproven and costly to build. "Unfortunately, progress within the EU is very...

... years and a forecast of the country's economic development until 2030 by Dec. 1, Medvedev said, adding that Cabinet ministers will also continue the work on fighting corruption, improving the tax and budget policies and creating a favorable business climate. Concerning the privatization plan, he also said “things should be put in their final order.” Medvedev added that he would like Shuvalov to coordinate the work on these issues and hold a number of meetings with the government ministers...

... foreign investors in participating in Russian PPP projects. Overall, despite the limited scope of the amendments introduced by the new legislation, they definitely carry a very positive effect because they contribute to improvement of the investment climate in Russia and stimulate development of Russian infrastructure, in particular roads, which together with fools are known to be Russia's two biggest troubles (per the Russian proverb, of course). In the short run, we expect that these latest changes...

... that Russia can afford is to revisit the past, as Tony Blair's Labour government did in 1997. It would be a recipe for paralysis by postponing public support for privatization at a critical juncture and further undermining Russia's battered investment climate. Martin Gilman, a former senior representative of the International Monetary Fund in Russia, is a professor at the Higher School of Economics. 171125

... the next year and develop at least five federal development programs to start implementing next year. It wasn’t immediately clear what he was referring to. Medvedev also said measures in the next six months should seek to improve the investment climate according to the road maps developed by the Strategic Initiatives Agency. The government should also discuss its measures with the Open Government and hire more staff through competitions. In the new Cabinet, Arkady Dvorkovich, former presidential...

... the shallow Baltic Sea wouldn't survive. Even an oil spill of 10 tons could have an impact on the marine environment; a spill of 100 tons would be very hard to tackle; and a 1,000-ton spill would create an absolutely hopeless situation," he said. Climate change is a wild card that also has a serious impact on the Baltic. "The weather is in a feverish state," Tsepelev said. According to Rosgidromet, average temperatures in the southern Baltic have risen by a full degree over the last...

... wholesale market is by far not yet saturated, and we see potential for further growth there. Q: What major challenges do you face working in Krasnoyarsk? A: The main challenge is common for the whole of Siberia — long distances and a severe climate. Metro Cash & Carry was a pioneer in this region and supported the establishment of an efficient supply chain infrastructure. We had to learn many things that only Siberia could teach us. The trucks, for example, have to be equipped with the latest...