Development strategy for Russian Arctic zone
On February 20, 2013 the Russian president approved the Development Strategy for the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation up to 2020. The document stipulates international cooperation tasks in the Polar region, the development of a single Arctic transportation system of Russia, and the formation of a competitive science and technology sector.
The Strategy determines the basic mechanisms and means of achieving strategic goals and priorities in sustainable development of the Russian Arctic zone and ensuring national security. The implementation of the Strategy will provide for a complex increase in competitive advantages of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in order to enhance Russian positions in the Arctic, promote international security, maintain peace and stability, and mount international cooperation.
Finnish president visits Russia
On February 11-12 President of Finland Sauli Niinisto visited the Russian Federation. On February 12 the presidents of Russia and Finland discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation in trade, economy, and investments. As trade turnover between the two countries has decreased, Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to his counterpart for the visit and for bringing a big group of businessmen as “the state of economy and jobs greatly depend on their work”. Sauli Niinisto recalled that “we have lived through difficult times before and always found a w ay out of the situation.”
The same day the Russian president and his Finnish counterpart met Finnish businessmen. Vladimir Putin said, in particular, that “last year a record number of people crossed the Russian-Finnish border – 12.7 million people. We have agreed to continue liberalizing visa regimes to create the best preconditions for the development of business contacts.” In his turn, the president of Finland said “people-to-people contacts comprise a major factor not only in economy where they are definitely important. They play a big role in making neighbors better know each other and customs of peoples which is very important.”
On February 11 Sauli Niinisto had a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Interview of Dmitry Medvedev with Handelsblatt newspaper
On January 28 the German Handelsblatt newspaper published an interview with the Russian prime minister. Dmitry Medvedev spoke about priorities which Russia plans during its presidency in the G20 in 2013 and then in G8.
The Russian prime minister positively assessed euro zone prospects. However he said its initial scheme was complicated as “a strong currency serves various economies, including weak ones. It is unprecedented in world history. It is clear that either the economies have to become stronger or they will have to stop using euro.”
Russia-EU summit
On December 21, 2012 Vladimir Putin participated in the Russia-EU summit in Brussels. Addressing a plenary meeting the Russian president expressed his attitude to the so-called Third Energy Package: “We believe it is an absolutely wrong and even uncivilized decision. If a document is adopted it has to cover all deals concluded after the adoption. But you adopted a document which covers everything concluded before – it brings chaos and undermines trust in joint work.”
After the summit Vladimir Putin, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, and President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy gave a joint press conference. Rompuy said “we have very constructively and frankly discussed all these issues. I want to thank the president of the Russian Federation for the efficient and constructive exchange of opinions.”
Dmitry Medvedev meets Frank Walter Steinmeier
On December 17 Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev met in Moscow Frank Walter Steinmeier, the leader of the German Social-Democratic Party faction in Bundestag. Five years earlier Medvedev and Steinmeier attended a gala startup of the Yuzhno-Russkoe oil and gas condensate field in Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district of Russia. The field offers the main resource for the Nord Stream gas pipeline and is the operational base of the joint venture of Gazprom, BASF and E. ON.
From the websites of the press services of the Russian president and government