In this issue:

Russian President's Annual Message Delayed

Russia Won't Send Forces to Iraq, Even if Invited

Iranian Foreign Minister Visits Moscow

U.S. Official in Moscow To Pressure Against Iran Cooperation

Russian Academy Opposes Kyoto Protocol

Russian Orthodox Churches Move Towards Reunification

From Volume 3, Issue Number 21 of Electronic Intelligence Weekly, Published May 25, 2004
Russia and the CIS News Digest

Russian President's Annual Message Delayed

The annual Presidential Message to the Federal Assembly, expected to be delivered by Russian President Vladimir Putin of on May 14, has been postponed to a later date, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported. The Message is traditionally an occasion to enunciate economic policy goals, in particular. Some Russian observers link the postponement to the May 9 assassination of Akhmad Kadyrov, President of the Chechnya region. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, owned by exiled Putin foe Boris Berezovsky, jeered, "Now, Putin can't declare as firmly as he did in his [May 7] inauguration speech that 'we have stopped the aggression of international terrorism.'"

Russia Won't Send Forces to Iraq, Even if Invited

Even if invited by a legitimate government of Iraq, Russia will not send troops into that country, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists on May 18. "If the new [Iraqi] government turns to us with such a request," Lavrov said, "I doubt that the security situation will allow us to give a positive answer." He stressed Russia's view that a new government must also include elements of what is considered the opposition, i.e., the resistance. He said, in a statement issued prior to the talks, that "not all political forces have so far established contacts with the UN Secretary General's special representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, who hopes to complete his mission by the end of May." He also said that Moscow viewed the increase in violence as making a political settlement difficult.

Iranian Foreign Minister Visits Moscow

Visiting Moscow on May 18, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi held talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin. They discussed Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian-Isreali conflict, and the Caspian Sea, Lavrov told the press. He also announced that Putin had accepted an invitation to visit Iran later this year, for bilateral talks, and to attend a conference on the Caspian Sea.

In both Russian and Iranian wires, the atmosphere was described as very warm. Putin said, "Iran is our old and stable partner." He added, "We know that the leaders of Iran attach great importance to the development of relations with Russia." Kharrazi said, "To our happiness, relations between Iran and Russia are developing positively, and this is a result of the political will shown by the leaders of our two countries." Kharrazi stressed, "Russia and Iran can cooperate not only bilaterally, but also on international and regional problems, and we are fully prepared to work together with Russia in this direction," an obvious reference to Southwest Asia.

The website strana.ru commented, "While Washington included Tehran in the 'axis of evil,' Moscow sees it as an important strategic partner, relations with which are a crucial aspect of Russian national security." It went on to say that Moscow wanted to raise relations with Iran to a new level, but did not want to undermine good relations with the USA.

U.S. Official in Moscow To Pressure Against Iran Cooperation

Undersecretary of State John Bolton visited Russia the week of May 17, to continue pressuring Russia to halt nuclear cooperation with Iran, Itar-Tass reported May 20. Neo-con Bolton met Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak to discuss measures against proliferation, with North Korea and Iran in mind. Kislyak said no agreement had been reached on Russia's signing the Proliferation Security Initiative, demanded by the United States. Russia says the PSI would open the way for unilateral U.S. military action, whereas Russia wants such matters to be worked through the UN. The agreement would reportedly allow for interdiction of missiles and other possible components of WMD, while they were being transferred at sea or in the air, according to AFP.

Russian Academy Opposes Kyoto Protocol

Academician Yuri Osipov, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has issued an open letter to President Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, opposing ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on gas emissions and climate change, as being contrary to Russia's national interest. According to Izvestia, Osipov and 25 other academicians state that the protocol "is insufficiently scientifically substantiated, practically ineffective, and discriminatory against Russia."

Russian Orthodox Churches Move Towards Reunification

Metropolitan Lavr, head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, visited Moscow May 18, and met with Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Aleksi II. It was the first meeting between the exile church and the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in over 80 years. The Russian Orthodox Church split after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Itar-TASS reported that the two churches have set up commissions to resolve theological, ideological, and practical issues like the ownership of Church property, prior to reunification of the branches.

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