Contracts for gas supplies to and transit across Belarus extended until 2021

Business

Release December 31, 2019, 22:00 A working meeting of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, with Vladimir Semashko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Federation, and Viktor Karankevich, Belarusian Minister of Energy, took place today in Moscow. The parties discussed in detail the issues related to cooperation in the gas sector from 2020 onward. Alexey Miller and Vladimir…

St. Petersburg Sees Just 2.5 Hours of Sunlight in December

another

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

Gazprom to continue supplying gas to Armenia on same terms in 2020

Business

Background Gazprom Armenia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, is focused on natural gas supplies to the Armenian market. In addition, the company transports, stores, distributes and sells natural gas, as well as upgrades and expands the gas transmission system and underground gas storage facilities in the Republic of Armenia. The contract between Gazprom Export and Gazprom Armenia for the supplies of up to 2.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per…

3 Laws That Take Effect on Jan. 1, 2020

another

Forget the past A law canceling more than 20,000 pieces of Soviet legislation becomes active, the Vedomosti business daily reported. On Sept. 11, 2019 Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an order saying that laws adopted in the U.S.S.R. should cease to be effective from the beginning of 2020. “We need to cancel the laws…

Authorities Raid Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses

another

Authorities raided homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in northern Russia as part of a criminal probe into extremism against the banned religious organization, investigators said in a statement Monday. Russia banned the Christian denomination known for door-to-door preaching, close Bible study and rejection of military service and blood transfusions in 2017. Rights groups have condemned the…

Britain Floated NATO Membership for Russia, Archives Reveal

another

Britain considered granting Russia partial membership in NATO 25 years ago, according to declassified National Archives documents cited by British media Tuesday. NATO, a U.S.-led Western military alliance created to provide collective security against the Soviet Union, suspended relations with Russia in response to Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Russia…

Miniature Miracles: Russian Painted Lacquer Boxes

Moscow

Painted lacquer boxes are one of Russia’s most typical crafts, found in rows on vendors’ tables next to the matryoshka dolls and wooden toys. You might think of them as another mass-produced souvenir for the tourists — but you’d be wrong. These boxes with miniature paintings of landscapes, fairy tales and scenes from Russian literature…

Russia, Ukraine Clinch Final Deal on Gas Transit to Europe

another

Russian and Ukrainian companies signed a final five-year agreement safeguarding Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine, Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday night. The deal, which came just 24 hours before the current agreement expires on Tuesday, averted a potential Russian gas-flow interruption to Europe and helped Moscow avoid…