Russia will back Egyptian efforts to end Israeli aggression Putin

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/16/272661/russia-to-back-egypt-against-israel-putin/

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will back Egyptian efforts to put an end to the Israeli aggression in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a telephone conversation with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Friday, Putin said Russia planned to support Cairo's efforts directed at normalizing the situation in the Palestinian territory, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The remarks come after Egypt’s Prime Minister Hisham Qandil visited the Gaza Strip on Friday, where he urged the world leaders to stop Tel Aviv’s attacks.

Qandil promised to intensify Egypt’s efforts to “stop this aggression and achieve a lasting truce."

On Thursday, President Morsi also condemned the Israeli aggression as "unacceptable" and warned it could lead to instability in the region.

Some 25 people have been killed and more than 250 others injured in the new wave of attacks since November 14.

The Israeli regime frequently carries out airstrikes and other attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying the acts of aggression are being conducted for defensive purposes. However, in violation of international law, disproportionate force is always used and civilians are often killed or injured.

 

The Eleven Orders of Putin: Earmarks for Russia’s development in the next six years

Russian President Vladimir Putin (RIA Novosti / Alexsey Druginyn)

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/politics/putin-set-executive-foreign-751/

President Vladimir Putin has announced 11 Executive Orders within hours of his inauguration. These orders set Russia’s strategic aims in foreign, domestic, social and military policy.

Two Executive Orders (EOs) outline what is to come in the military sphere. A new system of strategic analysis and planning is to be implemented in order to counter threats to national security. Steps will include modernizing weaponry, improving naval communication and intelligence, especially in the Arctic and the Pacific, as well as devoting extra attention to Russia’s nuclear and space defense forces.

Putin hopes to expand the role of auctions and open competition to find defense contractors. The number of contract soldiers is set to increase by 50,000 officers per year.

Putin has also set the goal of moving Russia up by 100 places on the World Bank’s “Ease of Doing Business” list from its current 120th spot to the coveted 20th by 2018.

Another Executive Order detail Russia’s main foreign policy goals

Putin stressed the need to secure Russia’s national interests on the basis of pragmatism and openness as a new, polycentric model of international relations is forged. This means ensuring the central role of the United Nations, as well as bolstering cooperation within the framework of BRICS, the G20, the G8, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Russia’s key partners for cooperation will be countries and organizations in the CIS. With this in mind, Putin wants to boost the efficacy of the Union State with Belarus, integration between Europe and Asia through the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space, and hopes to establish the Eurasian Economic Community by January 1, 2015.

Putin stressed the need to conduct a foreign policy that would ensure stability in international relations and would be based on the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, as well as on mutual respect. This means that Russia will promote only political and diplomatic approaches to resolving regional conflicts.

A major portion of the foreign policy EO is devoted to Russia’s relations with the United States. Putin underscored that Russia would need to defend its interests as the United States plans to create a global AMD system.

More jobs, better salaries for doctors and teachers, higher life expectancy

Most of the Executive Orders set earmarks for internal, social and economic agendas. This includes creating 25 million jobs of high efficiency by 2020, increasing the level of investment by up to 25 per cent of the GDP by 2015, and improving the business climate in the country.

Putin also stressed the importance of expanding the role of science and innovative technology, which, he hopes, will increase their share of GDP by a third by 2018.

However, before that, in 2013, state programs to bolster Russia’s aviation, space, medical and electronics industries, and its agricultural market are scheduled for approval.

Putin’s order also prescribes a salary rise for all Russians, especially for teachers and doctors. Academics and scientists are also expected to get a boost from the state with up to 25 billion rubles to be spent on science by 2018.

Another order targets ways to improve the administration system and sets forth a novel way that would allow citizens to introduce proposals for the government via the Internet. The concept, which Putin hopes the government will approve later this year, stipulates that a proposal that garners over 100,000 positive reviews would be mandatory for deliberation by the government, as well as experts from the Duma, the Federation Council and business representatives.

Most of the president’s Executive Orders are set to be implemented by various branches of the Russian government, which is expected to be helmed by former President Dmitry Medvedev. Putin wished Medvedev luck in implementing the “complex and very responsible” goals set by the orders.

The Executive Orders largely mirrored Vladimir Putin’s pre-election articles, in which he also promised to boost economic development, promote Russia’s foreign policy interests and improve the social standing of Russian citizens.

Russia: No sign of Iran Nuclear deviation

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/162264.html

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says the Western countries have no proof to support its claims that the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear program is deviating from its peaceful path.

"The international community so far has no information that Iran is building nuclear weapons," Medvedev said on Wednesday during the 41st annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the Associated Press reported.

The five-day conference, which opened earlier on the day in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos, focuses on issues such as the European debt crisis, financial instability in the West, rising inflation, and social unrest.

Around 2,500 heads-of-state, international business and political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists from around the world attend the annual meeting.

Medvedev said he has spoken to Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and encouraged him to demonstrate that his country's nuclear activities are peaceful.

The US and its European allies accuse Iran of efforts aimed at developing a military nuclear program, using this pretext to pressure the UN Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Iran's financial and military sectors.

Washington also enticed the European Union to follow in its tracks by imposing further unilateral sanctions against the country's gas and oil industries.

Iranian officials have repeatedly refuted the US-engineered charges, arguing that as a signatory to the NPT and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran has a right to use peaceful nuclear technology.

Russia threatens NATO with nukes

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161778.html

The Russian president has called on NATO to clarify Moscow's role in a European missile system, warning if no agreement is reached, Russia will be forced to deploy “offensive” nuclear weapons.

"So this is not a joking matter. We expect from our NATO partners a direct and unambiguous answer," Dmitry Medvedev said during a meeting with Russia's NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin.

"In either case, we are either together with NATO, or we separately find an adequate response to the existing problem," he said.

Under former US President George W. Bush the United States proposed a plan to deploy a missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic -- a plan which was fiercely opposed to by Russia. Moscow said it would deem such a deployment a threat to its sovereignty and would properly respond to it.

US President Barack Obama later scrapped the plan proposing Russia to join the missile system.

Russia and NATO agreed to cooperate on a joint missile system plan in Europe during a NATO-Russia Council meeting in Lisbon in November last year.

The parties agreed to formulate terms for cooperation on the missile system by June 2011.

"Either we agree to certain principles with NATO, or we fail to agree, and then in the future we are forced to adopt an entire series of unpleasant decisions concerning the deployment of an offensive nuclear missile group," Medvedev was quoted by AFP as saying.

France supports Palestinian statehood

French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie at a news conference in Amman, January 22, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161493.html


The French foreign minister has voiced her country's support for the formation of a Palestinian state and condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

"France supports the establishment of an independent, democratic Palestinian state as soon as possible," Michele Alliot-Marie said at the conclusion of her visit to the occupied Palestinian territories on Saturday, Ha'aretz reported.

She said her country does not recognize Israel's settlements in the occupied West Bank and called for the construction activity to come to a halt.

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, and Uruguay are among over 130 countries that have recognized Palestinian statehood within the borders that existed before the Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Six Day War.

Paraguay and Peru are also expected to follow suit in the coming weeks.

In December, the French foreign ministry declared a decision to recognize a free and independent Palestinian state based on borders before the 1967 war to become the first European nation to do so.

Russia backs independent Palestine

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas meet in the West Bank city of Ariha (Jericho) on January 18, 2011.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160796.html

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has reaffirmed Moscow's support of an independent Palestinian state as recognized by the former Soviet Union in 1988.

"Russia made its choice a long time ago ...we supported and will support the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to an independent state with its capital in East Jerusalem [al-Quds]," Medvedev said on Tuesday at a press conference with acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank oasis town of Ariha (Jericho).

Medvedev also said without Israel's “reasonable” decision on its settlement activity, Middle East talks will not be progressive.

"It is impossible to close your eyes to this fact,” the Russian president said.

In the past two months, several Latin American countries have recognized Palestine as an independent state based on the borders set before 1967.

On September 2, Israel and the Palestinian Authority resumed direct talks, but the talks were stalled again only three weeks later when Tel Aviv refused to extend a partial 10-month freeze it had imposed on its illegal settlement activities.

The Palestinians say that the settlement construction is aimed at preventing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Along with Palestinian and other Arab territories, Tel Aviv occupied East al-Quds during the Six-Day War in 1967.

The occupation and later annexation of the city -- which the Palestinians have long been demanding as the capital of their future state -- has never been recognized by the international community.

Russia slams unilateral Iran sanctions

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=130955§ionid=351020101



Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has censured unilateral US and European sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, warning the move might worsen the situation.

In an interview with American daily The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, he said that unilateral sanctions against Iran would inflict damage on talks with Tehran and hurt the Iranian people.

In addition to the fourth round of the UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on Iran, approved on June 9, the US and the EU have imposed tougher measures on Tehran.

The new EU sanctions, which could come into effect within weeks, target the financial, transport, and banking sectors as well as investments in or sale of equipment to Iranian oil and gas companies.

The EU measures come after the US imposed unilateral sanctions against Iran on Wednesday. The US sanctions include blacklisting a state bank and a group of companies, and seek to freeze any assets Iranian companies may have under US jurisdiction.

Medvedev urged world powers to "act collectively" on Iran in order to solve its nuclear issue.

"We didn't agree to this when we discussed the joint resolution at the UN," he told the newspaper. "We should act collectively. If we do, we will have the desired result."

On Thursday, Russia called the US and EU unilateral sanctions against Iran disappointing, saying such moves could undermine future cooperation on Iran.

"We are extremely disappointed that neither the United States nor the European Union heed our calls to refrain from such moves," Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.