What the Papers Say, Nov. 25, 2013

Kommersant

1. Pavel Tarasenko et al. report headlined "Maidan.eu" reports on clashes between opposition activists and law-enforcement agencies in Kiev, where the opposition started protests against the country leadership's decision not to sign the association agreement with the EU. Experts note, however, that the opposition is unlikely to topple President Viktor Yanukovych's regime; pp 1, 8 (999 words).

2. Maxim Ivanov article headlined "Term reduced for complainants" says the terms to contest election results in court will be reduced from one year to three months in accordance with the new bill submitted by the government to the State Duma. The opposition believes that the shorter term will reduce their chances of affecting the election results; pp 1-2 (714 words).

3. Anna Solodovnikova article headlined "Transneft splits other companies' surplus profit" says that while facing the freezing of its tariffs, Transneft has asked the government to allow it to charge Gazprom and Rosneft more for the transportation of oil by the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline. The company pledges to increase the capacity of the pipeline in return; pp 1, 11 (649 words).

4. Anna Balashova and Kirill Sarkhanyants article headlined "Richard Branson to come to Russia virtually" says Virgin Mobile wants to launch a virtual mobile operator project in Russia to provide subscribers with mobile services under the company's brand using other operators' networks; pp 1, 12 (533 words).

5. Viktor Khamrayev article headlined "Alexei Kudrin to get program support" reports on a civil forum held in Moscow and notes that former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has spoken at the event and called for the development of civil society in Russia; p 2 (563 words).

6. Irina Nagornykh article headlined "One Russia learns to live in front way" says the United Russia leadership has instructed party activists to cooperate with the All-Russia People's Front as the party and the front "have similar aims"; p 2 (597 words).

7. Anna Pushkarskaya article headlined "Rejuvenating procedure prescribed to Supreme Court" says the State Duma will consider the Supreme Court reform in an accelerated mode, as the presidential amendments to the constitution were passed on Nov. 22; p 2 (675 words).

8. Yulia Rybina article headlined "Makhachkala group's bomb fails to bear planting" says that Dagestani militant Suleiman Magomedov has been killed due to carelessness when working with explosives; p 4 (662 words).

9. Angelina Davydova report "Climate distracted by minor things" looks at the Warsaw Climate Change Conference; p 6 (800 words).

10. Sergei Strokan article headlined "Iranian atom linked to counter" looks at the results of the international talks on the Iranian nuclear program in Geneva and notes that Tehran has been given six months to wind up its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against the country; p 7 (589 words).

11. Kirill Belyaninov article headlined "Disputable part of land surrounded from all sides" comments on the territorial dispute between China and Japan over the Senkaku islands. The U.S. is getting involved in the dispute; Washington has slammed Beijing over the decision to include the islands into its missile defense system; p 8 (494 words).

12. Unattributed article headlined "What will they manage to get?" polls Russian officials and politicians who comment on the current political situation in Ukraine as Kiev has decided to suspend the European integration plans; p 8 (498 words).

13. Article by Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Federation Council international affairs committee, in opinion column headlined "Price of issue" looks at the reasons making Kiev suspend its European integration plans and criticizes the EU policy towards the country; p 8 (400 words).

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

1. Tatyana Ivzhenko article headlined "Maidan looks to West" says that mass rallies have been held in big Ukrainian cities as people protested against the Ukrainian authorities' decision to postpone the association agreement with the EU. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is hesitant about the issue; pp 1-2 (1,593 words).

2. Yevgenia Novikova article headlined "Tehran and 5+1 group prevent war" says the 5+1 group and Iran have signed a six-month interim agreement. Tehran will reduce its nuclear program and the international community will ease sanctions against the country. The next step will be the signing of a full agreement proving that the world community does not suspect Iran of manufacturing nuclear weapons. Israel deplores the move; pp 1-2 (841 words).

3. Ivan Rodin article headlined "Election administrative resource" says the ruling party will benefit from the bill submitted to the State Duma which allows voters to protest against elections results. The authorities will have a chance of cancelling the election results which they are not satisfied with using lawsuits by "indignant" individuals; pp 1, 3 (772 words).

4. Alexei Gorbachev article headlined "Prokhorov and Pugachyova for peace in world" says representatives of the Civil Platform party, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov and pop star Alla Pugachyova, have spoken out for releasing all political prisoners from custody in Russia to mark the 20th anniversary of the constitution; pp 1, 3 (592 words).

5. Yury Roks article headlined "Saakashvili could start speaking out of fear" says former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has started speaking on the connection with the Russian opposition which was carried out via Christian Democratic Movement leader Givi Targamadze. The statement was made during Saakashvili's visit to the U.S., possibly to enlist support of the anti-Russian wing among the U.S. political establishment; pp 1, 6 (762 words).

6. Vladimir Skosyrev article headlined "Chinese and Japanese security zones cross" says China has included air space above the Diaoyu Dao islands into its air defense system. Despite the fact that it was Japan who started the dispute over the islands called Senkaku, Washington accused Beijing of escalating the conflict; pp 1, 6 (539 words).

7. Eduard Lozansky article headlined "Washington needs new, more pragmatic policy towards Moscow" criticizes the U.S. foreign policy which tries to drive Russia "into a geopolitical corner". The author believes the policy does harm to the U.S. interests in the first place; p 3 (774 words).

8. Darya Tsilyurik article headlined "Karzai looks for political cover" says that the consultative loya jerga (grand assembly) has agreed on the terms for U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan. However, President Hamed Karzai said he would sign the agreement with the U.S. only after the presidential election scheduled for April 2014; p 6 (750 words).

9. Yury Panyev report "Cooperation with Brazil boosted" says that Russia and Brazil are ready to share technological secrets; pp 9-10 (1,200 words).

10. Yevgenia Novikova report "Poppy fields guarded officially in Afghanistan" features an interview with an Iranian high-ranking police officer who speaks about a drug threat from Afghanistan; pp 9-10 (800 words).

Vedomosti

1. Vitaly Petlevoy article headlined "Prime minister's iron will" says Russian metallurgical companies with the largest bank loans, UC RusAl, Mechel and Evraz, will meet with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev today to ask the authorities for help; pp 1, 12 (653 words).

2. Editorial headlined "Nuclear truce" says the nuclear deal reached with Iran can help ease tensions in the Middle East. Both Russia and the U.S. can claim political dividends following the deal. China is expected to have the greatest economic benefit from the lifting of sanctions against Iran; pp 1, 6 (411 words).

3. Another editorial headlined "Politician and Catholic" looks ahead at President Vladimir Putin's meeting with the Pope and notes that they both will benefit from the talks; p 6 (327 words).

4. Maxim Glikin article headlined "Person of week: Viktor Yanukovych" says the EU has underestimated the Ukrainian regime when it planned to sign the association deal with Kiev. The Ukrainian president changed his mind; p 6 (364 words).

5. Yekaterina Kravchenko article headlined "Oil prices not to shake" says despite positive results of the international talks on the Iranian nuclear program, Iranian oil will not return to the world market soon, so oil prices are not falling; p 4 (420 words).

6. Maria Zheleznova report "Interpreter Alexei Kudrin" says that the civil forum, organized by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, has gathered 900 activists and will become an annual event; p 2 (500 words).

7. Maxim Glikin report "People happy about bans" says that according to the pollster Levada center, repressive laws do not provoke rejection with Russians; p 3 (450 words).

8. Konstantin Sonin article headlined "Rules of Game: European Choice" says that Russia's closeness to European developed countries is one of the key factors of economic development; p 7 (500 words).

Izvestia

1. Svetlana Subbotina and Yelena Teslova article headlined "Companies with state ownership to be banned from celebrating New Year" says the All-Russia People's Front wants to impose restrictions on state-controlled corporations to prevent them from using public funds on New Year parties and presents; pp 1, 3 (946 words).

2. Natalya Bashlykova article headlined "Alexei Kudrin wants to become chief of liberals" says former Finance Minister and head of the Civil Initiatives Committee Alexei Kudrin has decided to set up his own political party; pp 1, 4 (931 words).

3. Article by U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul headlined "U.S. and Russia: Relations continue developing" recalls the history of Russian-U.S. relations, highlights key moments in the two countries cooperation and speaks on prospects of relations between the two countries; pp 1, 7 (890 words).

4. Dmitry Yevstifeyev report "Baumgertner placed in cell with swindlers" says that Vladislav Baumgertner, the CEO of the Russian potash fertilizer producer Uralkali, has been put in a Moscow remand center and shares a cell with people suspected of economic crimes; p 1 (300 words).

5. Yelena Nikitina report "Sergei Shoigu restores range service" says that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has decided to restore the range service which was eliminated by former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov; p 5 (800 words).

6. Vladimir Zykov article headlined "Microsoft and Google promise Russia to fence themselves from U.S. secret services" says representatives of the Federation Council and the Russian Foreign Ministry have discussed the protection of Russia's information stored by Microsoft and Google from the U.S. secret services; p 6 (473 words).

7. Maria Gorkovskaya report "American lawmakers block 'delay tactic'" looks at changes in the voting procedure regarding staff questions and features analysts' comments on the issue; p 7 (750 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

1. Vladislav Vorobyev article headlined "Enrichment of Iran" welcomes the progress in nuclear talks with Iran reached in Geneva. Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the results of the talks, the paper notes; pp 1, 8 (1,200 words).

2. Pavel Dulman article headlined "Kiev does not yield to European blackmail" looks at the international reaction to the Ukrainian authorities' decision not to sign an association deal with the EU; pp 1, 6 (700 words).

3. Vladislav Fronin interview "Senate gives TV signals" with Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvyenko; p 5 (3,200 words).

4. Roman Markelov article headlined "From Lisbon to Vladivostok" polls experts who comment on Kiev's decision to take a pause in the signing of the association agreement with the EU; p 6 (1,200 words).

5. Mikhail Gusman interview with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta speaking on relations with Russia ahead of the Russian-Italian summit; p 9 (3,700 words).

Moskovsky Komsomolets

1. Oleg Bazak article headlined "People ready for maydan" says the Ukrainian opposition is going to stage on-going protests against the country leadership's decision not to sign a deal with the EU; pp 1-2 (400 words).

2. Marina Ozerova article headlined "Very selective election law" comments on the government bill allowing individual voters to contest election results in courts; pp 1-2 (400 words).

3. Darya Burlakova report "Respected Muscovites against visitors" says that people from Moscow's district Novokosino are protesting against the construction of a cheap hotel; pp 1, 3 (800 words).

4. Melor Sturua article entitled "White smoke over Geneva" says that a "historic" agreement on the Iranian nuclear program has been reached in Geneva; p 2 (550 words).

5. Dmitry Katorzhnov report "Will Kudrin get message of civil forum to Putin?" looks at the all-Russia civil forum organized by Alexei Kudrin's Civil Initiatives Committee and held in Moscow; p 2 (800 words).

RBC Daily

1. Alexander Litoy report "U.S. instead of Kadyrov" says that 50 members of the U.S. Congress are ready to demand that Meskhetian Turks should be relocated from Russia to the U.S.; p 2 (750 words).

2. Andrei Kotov report "Depletion of uranium will make Iran rich in currency" looks at the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program; p 3 (500 words).

3. Yulia Sinyayeva report "Kremlin's fraud" says that according to Russian officials and experts, Ukraine's refusal to sign the association agreement with the EU is the Kremlin's victory; pp 1, 3 (700 words).

4. Unattributed report "'Sputnik' on screen, in Twitter and YouTube" looks at the programs of the TV channel Russia Today; p 9 (650 words).

Novaya Gazeta

1. Natalya Zotova and Yevgeny Feldman article headlined "Arctic witnesses" reports on the release on bail of three Russians who were aboard the Arctic Sunrise ship when it approached the oil rig in the Pechora Sea. The authors interview the people who speak on their time in custody; p 15 (2,408 words).

2. Alexander Mineyev article headlined "EU, Customs Union and let it be" says that "hungry Ukraine" has preferred fish offered by Russia to a fishing rod provided by the EU; that is why Kiev decided not to sign a deal with Europe; p 3 (785 words).

3. Nikita Girin report "Printer's ink" says that the State Duma has become the single ruling party in Russia and "dirty" work is being distributed there in accordance with the factions' political tastes; pp 8-9 (750 words).

Noviye Izvestia

1. Yana Sergeyeva report "Ukrainians go to European maidan" comments on the situation in Ukraine and says that supporters of the rapprochement with the EU have staged a protest in central Kiev; pp 1-2 (650 words).

2. Natalia Amanova report "Practically agreed" looks at the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program reached in Geneva; p 2 (400 words).

3. Elya Grigoryeva report "In web of global supervision" looks at the problems the Internet is facing; p 3 (600 words).

4. Anna Alexeyeva report "Russia will not obey decision of international tribunal in case of Arctic Sunrise" says that according to head of the Russian presidential administration Sergei Ivanov, Russia will not respond to the ruling of a UN maritime tribunal concerning Greenpeace's icebreaker Arctic Sunrise; p 5 (450 words).

Komsomolskaya Pravda

1. Yelena Chinkova report "No-one lost, everyone won" looks at the results of the meeting in Geneva on the Iranian nuclear program; p 3 (300 words).

2. Yelena Chinkova report "'Our gays are more intelligent'" says that a Russian delegation of "fighters for traditional family values" has been attacked in Germany; p 3 (300 words).

3. Alexander Gamov interview with the head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov; p 6 (1,600 words).