What the Papers Say, April 3, 2014

Kommersant

1. Ksenia Dementyeva et al. report headlined "German Gref plays the national card" says Sberbank, Russian Savings Bank, head German Gref has enlisted President Vladimir Putin's support in the issue of developing Russia's national payment system. Gref suggests that the system should be developed based on the universal electronic cards already in use; pp 1, 10 (1,118 words).

2. Andrei Pertsev et al. report headlined "Andrei Bocharov deployed to Volgograd front" says head of the All-Russia People's Front executive committee Andrei Bocharov has been appointed acting Volgograd region governor replacing Sergei Bozhenov who was dismissed; pp 1-2 (1,203 words).

3. Vladimir Barinov article headlined "Deputy prefect works for demolition" says the FSB, or Federal Security Service, has handed over to the Investigative Committee the results of a probe into the work of deputy head of Moscow's Central Administrative district Sergei Fedorov, who has recently left the post he was holding for 22 years. The FSB suspects the former official of abuse of office in demolition of many historical buildings in the centre of Moscow, the article says; pp 1, 4 (676 words).

4. Vitaly Gaidayev article headlined "Conversion of outflow" says Russian open mutual funds lost 2.3 billion rubles ($64.8 million) in a month as investors convert their savings into euros and dollars due to the threat of economic sanctions against the Russia; pp 1, 10 (710 words).

5. Lenur Yunusov and Taisya Bekbulatova article headlined "People's Front goes across Crimea, Sevastopol" says the pro-Kremlin movement All-Russia People's Front has set up its branch in Crimea; p 2 (427 words).

6. Viktor Khamrayev article headlined "They suggest criminal defense for presidential decrees" says the A Just Russia lawmakers have suggested introducing criminal responsibility for failing to fulfil presidential decrees; p 2 (300 words).

7. Pavel Tarasenko article headlined "Secretary of State not mediator for Israel and Palestine" says talks between Israel and the Palestinian authorities have reached a deadlock. The main mediator, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, seems to be losing hope for any positive results, the article adds; p 7 (457 words).

8. Sergei Strokan article headlined "It is hard in exercises for Korean peninsula" says situation on Korean Peninsula has aggravated, as Pyongyang has stepped up military activity amid large-scale exercise conducted by South Korea and the U.S.; p 7 (561 words).

9. Sergei Strokan article headlined "Ukraine goes to West in Eastern way" says the coup in Ukraine has coincided with the third anniversary of the Arab Spring and they show a trend in the international politics when people get rid of dictatorships; p 8 (914 words).

10. Article by political scientist Igor Zevelev in opinion column headlined "Price of issue" compares the recent developments in Ukraine with the Arab Spring; p 8 (388 words).

11. Sergei Strokan interview with head of the Centre for Political Technologies Boris Makarenko speaking on possible consequences of the Ukrainian revolution; p 8 (576 words).

12. Sergei Strokan interview with director of the Institute of Strategic Assessment Sergei Oznobishchev speaking on the global political trends that include the Arab Spring and the Ukrainian revolution; p 8 (507 words).

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

1. Anastasia Bashkatova article headlined "State Bankers invent reciprocal sanctions against West" says the VTB bank head Andrei Kostin has suggested that Russia should start using ruble when dealing with China and Europe in response to Western economic sanctions; pp 1, 4 (851 words).

2. Yury Paniyev article headlined "NATO suspends cooperation with Russia in Afghanistan" says a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers has decided to stop military cooperation with Russia over the Crimean events; pp 1, 7 (735 words).

3. Alexandra Samarina article headlined "None of presidential May decrees fulfilled" says only 15 percent of presidential instructions are being fulfilled by the government; pp 1-2 (757 words).

4. Tatyana Ivzhenko article headlined "Naftogaz delegation plans to visit Gazprom" says the Ukrainian authorities refuse to recognize Russia's denunciation of agreements on the Black Sea Fleet and Gazprom's cancellation of discount on gas prices; pp 1, 6 (1,086 words).

5. Vladimir Skosyrev article headlined "India supports Russia in critical moment" says India has taken the Russian side in the conflict over Crimea having proven that it keeps its own line in the international politics; pp 1, 7 (687 words).

6. Olga Loginova article headlined "With hotels but without beaches" reviews beach facilities in Sochi ahead of summer holidays season; pp 1-2 (757 words).

7. Editorial headlined "Marshall plan for America" says the U.S. is to benefit from anti-Russian sanctions as its shale gas industry will get a boost thanks to a new European market; p 2 (474 words).

8. Yekaterina Trifonova article headlined "Dissenters to have their access to media registration limited" says people having convictions over violations of public order will be banned from setting up their media in Russia; p 3 (523 words).

9. Andrei Serenko article headlined "'Severe policeman' sent to Volgograd region" features experts' comments on the early resignation of the Volgograd Region governor Sergei Bozhenov and the appointment of Andrei Bocharov as acting head of the region; p 5 (500 words).

10. Yevgenia Novikova article headlined "Geneva 3 on horizon" says "Syrian radicals" are trying to provoke West to broaden the crisis. The UN is preparing a new international conference on Syria, Damascus expresses readiness to take part in it, the article adds; p 7 (675 words).

Vedomosti

1. Tatyana Voronova and Svetlana Bocharova article headlined "Sberbank universal card has no chances" says the Central Bank has decided not to set up a national payment system on the base of Sberbank technologies. A noncommercial partnership between the Central Bank and banks may become an operator in the project; pp 1, 14 (700 words).

2. Editorial headlined "Crimean cold spell" says NATO has decided to suspend cooperation with Russia due to the annexation of Crimea. Russia expects the alliance to change its stance in some time as it happened after the war in Georgia; pp 1, 6 (400 words).

3. Another editorial headlined "Soft stiffening" says the Kremlin is likely to use the Crimea's merger to pass tougher laws; p 6 (400 words).

4. Lilia Biryukova and Anastasia Kornya article headlined "Volgograd entrusted to hero" looks at the appointment of the head of the All-Russia People's Front executive committee, Andrei Bocharov, as acting Volgograd region governor; p 2 (600 words).

5. Anastasia Golitsyna column headlined "Company of the week: VKontakte" looks at the prospects for the Russian equivalent of Facebook, VKontakte social networking website, after its founder Pavel Durov decided to quit the company.

Izvestia

1. Anastasia Alexeievskikh article headlined "Business believes in ruble less than population" says cheapening ruble has urged businesses to save more money in dollars and euros. Companies have transferred R1,200bn to foreign currency accounts since the beginning of 2014; pp 1, 4 (939 words).

2. Yelena Teslova article headlined "Surkov to start training young diplomats" says a forum of young diplomats from the CIS states is to be held in Moscow in late April. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and presidential aide Vladislav Surkov are to take part in the event; pp 1, 3 (539 words).

3. Ivan Cheberko article headlined "High-precision GLONASS to be exported" says Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, has send a proposal to the government to implement an international communications project involving China, India, Brazil and South Africa; pp 1, 5 (424 words).

4. Article by political scientist Andranik Migranyan headlined "Our Peredonovs" slams experts who question the Kremlin's policy in Crimea, namely professor Andrei Zubov who compared the Crimea's joining Russia with Hitler's policy ahead of the second world war; pp 1. 9 (2,060 words).

5. Sergei Podosenov article headlined "Officials to be disqualified for nonfulfilment of decrees" looks at the new initiative aimed at toughening responsibility of the Russian officials for failing to fulfil presidential decrees; pp 1-2 (600 words).

6. Natalia Bashlykova article headlined "Volgograd Region entrusted to Hero of Russia" looks at the appointment of the head of the All-Russia People's Front executive committee, Andrei Bocharov, as acting Volgograd Region governor and features experts' comment on the appointment; p 3 (900 words).

7. Svetlana Povoraznyuk interview with REN-TV deputy editor in chief Marianna Maximovskaya speaking on the incident with the television channel journalists who were denied entry to Ukraine; p 3 (821 words).

8. Svetlana Povoraznyuk article headlined "Media to stop alcohol and homosexuality propaganda on peninsula" says Crimean media will start to abide by the Russian laws that differ from the Ukrainian ones that do not ban alcohol adverts entirely and have no punishment for sexual minority propaganda; p 5 (565 words).

9. Konstantin Volkov and Mikhail Vignansky article headlined "NATO to head for East after April 15" says that NATO wants to extend its influence in Europe using "Russian threat" to its own advantage; p 8 (400 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

1. Yevgeny Shestakov article headlined "NATO servicemen to come to Ukraine" says NATO has suspended "pragmatic" cooperation with Russia; pp 1, 8 (950 words).

2. Yelena Novoselova interview with director of the Russian State Archive Andrei Sorokin speaking on Western funding for Bolsheviks back in early 20th century; pp 1, 11 (1,100 words).

3. Yekaterina Zabrodina article headlined "Agreement with opposition was trap" comments on former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's interview with Russian and Western media in which he accuses the opposition of causing the problems the country is now facing; p 3 (550 words).

4. Igor Dunayevsky article headlined "Kiev to get billion only" says a U.S. bill on providing Ukraine with $1 billion worth of financial support has been submitted to President Barack Obama for his approval, meanwhile, some Republicans oppose spending U.S. taxpayers' money in Ukraine; p 8 (300 words).

Moskovsky Komsomolets

1. Marina Perevozkina article headlined "We fought with werewolves in Kiev" features an interview with former personnel of Berkut, Ukrainian special police force, who speak on the deadly clashes with the opposition in Kiev back in February; pp 1, 4 (1,994 words).

2. Matvei Ganapolsky article headlined "Crimean holidays" compares summer holidays in Crimea in the Soviet times with the facilities that peninsula can now offer to holidaymakers; p 7 (1,167 words).

3. Yelena Gamayun article headlined "Ukraine not to return Crimea" looks at possible reasons why the Ukrainian authorities may fail to challenge Russia's actions in Crimea in court; p 3 (400 words).

RBK Daily

1. Inna Grigoryeva et al. report "Crimea, Olympics and cancel confiscation" says that Russian business rights ombudsman Boris Titov has prepared a report to present to President Vladimir Putin; pp 1, 3 (650 words).

2. Maria Makunina report "Banks to be saved from comments" says that the State Duma has prepared a bill allowing the blocking of websites for criticism of financial institutions; p 2 (700 words).

3. Zhanna Ulyanova report "Signatures frighten coalition" says that the coalition of opposition parties is considering the possibility of boycotting the Moscow City Duma election; p 2 (600 words).

4. Stepan Opalev report "Volgograd replaces 'Varangian'" looks at the resignation of Volgograd region governor Sergei Bozhenov; p 2 (450 words).

5. Ivan Petrov report "Following his friend" says that according to an Investigative Committee source, Yevgenia Vasilyeva, a key suspect in the Oboronservis case about alleged corruption in the Defense Ministry, may be sentenced to a real prison term; p 2 (600 words).

6. Yakov Grabar report "Putin's plan under threat" says that the implementation of the "ambitious" Strategy 2020 may be disrupted due to insufficient economic growth; p 3 (500 words).

Noviye Izvestia

1. Valery Yakov report "Living dead body" looks at Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych's interview he has given to correspondents of Gazprom-owned NTV and the American news agency The Associated Press; pp 1-2 (650 words).

2. Margarita Alekhina report "They found scapegoat" says the State Duma is ready to cancel year-round summer time introduced on the initiative of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev; pp 1, 5 (600 words).

3. Yana Stadilnaya report "Price of issue" says that an Ukrainian delegation is arriving in Moscow to discuss gas issues; p 2 (600 words).

4. Arina Raksina report "Implicit threat" says that it is the West's informal sanctions that are, in the first place, dangerous for Russia's economic security; p 3 (700 words).

Komsomolskaya Pravda

1. Sergei Vladimirov report "Will Neverov sue Navalny?" says that secretary of the United Russia general council Sergei Neverov has sued opposition activist Alexei Navalny over the latter's article in the Internet about Neverov failing to indicate all his property in a tax return. The report features a comment from lawyer Igor Trunov; pp 1, 5 (750 words).

2. Unattributed report looks at Yanukovych's interview with NTV and AP; p 5 (800 words).

3. Nigina Beroyeva report "Will U.S. make oil prices slump? No, we haven't heard about this!" looks at the U.S. sanctions against Russia and their possible consequences; p 7 (1,100 words).

Komsomolskaya Pravda weekly

1. Vladimir Demchenko report "Brave dolphins ask to be saluted" says that Crimean combat dolphins are now serving in the Russian Black Sea Fleet; p 4 (700 words).

April 3, 2013 / BBC Monitoring / ©BBC