... Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. Furthermore, the OECD includes Cyprus on its white list as one of the 45 countries that have implemented internationally agreed tax standards. Cyprus applies all the requirements of international treaties and standards and European Union directives against money laundering. These measures are in full compliance with the Moneyval committee of the Council of Europe and the provisions of the Financial Task Force. Regarding concerns about the disclosure...

At a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization on Tuesday, the president said the group's influence in regional affairs will increase. President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the influence of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in regional affairs will increase and indicated that Russia would take a lead role in forming the organization’s new policies. “We share a common approach toward the questions of international and regional safety. I am sure that the role...

... the exchange of information article can only be seen as a natural consequence of global tax trends. It is no surprise that jurisdictions such as Luxembourg and Switzerland have also included almost identical exchange of information articles in their treaties. It would be a great surprise if a new treaty concluded by Russia did not include such an article. Cyprus should by no means be singled out. Most important, Cyprus is a state that operates and abides by the rule of law. The Cypriot authorities...

... legal entity created in accordance with European security legislation can issue bonds listed on a stock exchange. For more than 15 years, the Russian tax authorities have viewed the term "beneficial owner," a fixture of many double taxation treaties, as an entity that has received income in a legal way (based on an agreement, for example).  As beneficial ownership greatly influences how benefits under double taxation treaties are applied, it is always taken into consideration for international...

China called on the United States and Russia — which hold the vast majority of the world's nuclear warheads — to make further "drastic" cuts in their atomic arsenals. VIENNA — China called on the United States and Russia — which hold the vast majority of the world's nuclear warheads — to make further "drastic" cuts in their atomic arsenals. A senior Chinese diplomat also told a meeting in Vienna that the development of...

A Russian An-30 military jet caught fire at an airport in the Czech town of Chaslav, after the plane suffered a malfunction with its landing gear. No one was killed, but most of the passengers were injured. A Russian An-30 military jet caught fire at an airport in the Czech town of Chaslav, after the plane suffered a malfunction with its landing gear. No one was killed, but most of the passengers were injured. The accident occurred just before noon following an...

A European missile defense system that upgraded operations over the weekend is not directed at Russia and will not threaten its strategic stability, North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders said in a statement issued at a conference in Chicago. A European missile defense system that upgraded operations over the weekend is not directed at Russia and will not threaten its strategic stability, North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders said in a statement issued at a conference in Chicago. Leaders...

Whatever the reasons were for dispatching Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the Group of Eight summit over the weekend as a stand-in for President Vladimir Putin, one thing is clear: Medvedev was not given an independent role on foreign policy, nor is he part of a dual-key arrangement with Putin to manage the country's foreign affairs. Whatever the reasons were for dispatching Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the Group of Eight summit...

President Vladimir Putin's first official visit as president will be to Belarus on May 31. President Vladimir Putin's first official visit as president will be to Belarus on May 31, the Kremlin officially announced Wednesday, confirming earlier media reports. The visit was arranged during a meeting Tuesday of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which was attended by both Putin and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov said Putin's visit...

Little did the Kremlin know during the late 1980s that Star Wars was only a bluff. Strangely enough, now the Kremlin is doing all the bluffing, trying to convince the world that an advanced U.S. missile defense system poses a major security threat to Russia. But Russian officials aren't doing a very good job at it. . On the eve of this week's international conference on missile defense in Moscow, the Defense Ministry promised to present "irrefutable evidence" to the world's 200 leading...

In recent months, we have joined discussions led by former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, former British Defense Minister Desmond Browne and others to find a way to reduce nuclear weapons in Europe. Although we fully endorse the aim of working toward a world free of nuclear arms, we firmly believe that NATO must remain a nuclear alliance so long as these weapons continue to exist around the world. In recent months, we have joined discussions...

Just three days before his return to the Kremlin as president, Vladimir Putin met behind closed doors at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, outside Moscow, with U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, who was there to transmit President Barack Obama's renewed determination to strengthen cooperation with Russia. Just three days before his return to the Kremlin as president, Vladimir Putin met behind closed doors at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, outside Moscow, with U...

World leaders have indicated they are ready for productive work with Prime Minister Medvedev at the G8 summit, a Kremlin economic aide said. Correction appended The leaders of seven of the world's largest economies have made it clear that they are ready for productive work with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the G8 summit where he will represent Russia instead of President Vladimir Putin, acting Kremlin economic aide Arkady Dvorkovich said Thursday. Russia’s participation in the two-day...

Forty-eight hours into his third term, President Vladimir Putin has backed out of a high-profile meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and other G8 leaders in a snub that raises questions about whether he is re-establishing the chilly relationship with the West that characterized his first two terms as president. Forty-eight hours into his third term, President Vladimir Putin has backed out of a high-profile meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and other G8 leaders in a snub that raises...

Moscow’s criticism of NATO’s missile defense plans is overblown and based on false assumptions, but both sides can still clinch a deal on cooperation. Moscow’s criticism of NATO’s missile defense plans is overblown and based on false assumptions, but both sides can still clinch a deal on cooperation, the Western alliance’s second-highest civilian official said Thursday. “When it comes to science, there is a broad consensus among Western experts that the Russian case is exaggerated,”...

There is a huge amount of mutual mistrust between Russia and the United States on missile defense. Nevertheless, there are still several possibilities for cooperation on the project. There is a huge amount of mutual mistrust between Russia and the United States on missile defense. Nevertheless, there are still several possibilities for cooperation on the project. Unlike the United States, Russia continues to improve and develop its limited missile defense system, which...