Yearly Archives: 2019

Background In June 2018, the Gazprom Board of Directors approved the Company’s power generation strategy for 2018–2027. The document provides for, among other things, the diversification of Gazprom’s power business by entering promising foreign markets. At present, the Gazprom Energoholding Group, together with NIS a.d. Novi Sad (Gazprom Neft Group), is implementing a project for the construction of a combined cycle thermal power plant…

Russian Military Seeks Upper Hand With ‘Genetic Passport’ for Soldiers, Top Scientist Says

Russian soldiers of the future will be assigned service in specific military branches based on their hereditary predispositions detailed in so-called “genetic passports,” the country’s chief scientist has said. President Vladimir Putin decreed in March for all Russians to be assigned “genetic passports” by 2025 under the national chemical and biological security strategy. Scientists speculated…

Gazprom and Severstal update Scientific and Technical Cooperation Program

Release June 7, 2019, 15:30 Oleg Aksyutin, Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee, Head of Department at Gazprom, and Petr Mishnev, Technical Development & Quality Director of Severstal Management, today signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 an updated Scientific and Technical Cooperation Program. The ceremony took place in the presence of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee. The document,…

RusKhimAlyans and Government of Leningrad Region sign Agreement on social and economic cooperation

Release June 7, 2019, 15:25 Kirill Seleznev, Director General of RusKhimAlyans, and Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of the Leningrad Region, today signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 an Agreement on social and economic cooperation. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Konstantin Makhov, Chief Executive Officer of RusGazDobycha. In line with the…

Gazprom to continue promoting sailing in St. Petersburg

Release June 7, 2019, 15:20 Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Alexander Beglov, Acting Governor of St. Petersburg, and Vladimir Lyubomirov, President of the regional sports public organization St. Petersburg Yacht Club, today signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 a Cooperation Agreement in the area of physical education and sports. The Agreement was made due to the expiration of a similar trilateral…

Gazprom planning to build office complex in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Background The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 is being held at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 6 to 8. This year’s key topic is Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda. Cooperation between Gazprom and the Sakhalin Region is strategic. Within the state-run Eastern Gas Program, the Company is developing a major gas production center on the shelf of Sakhalin Island. In particular, commercial development…

Roadmap signed to expand use by Gazprom of products manufactured by Penza Region’s companies

Release June 7, 2019, 15:10 Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Ivan Belozertsev, Governor of the Penza Region, today signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 a Roadmap to expand the use of hi-tech products, including import-substituting ones, manufactured by the Penza Region’s companies in the interests of Gazprom. The document covers the period up to 2021. The Roadmap will contribute…

Agreements signed for increased use of natural gas in vehicles

Release June 7, 2019, 15:05 A series of agreements on the wider use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel was signed today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019. Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, signed an Agreement on the implementation of two investment projects in the region, namely the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex…

Gazprom broadening cooperation with domestic manufacturers of high-tech equipment

Release June 7, 2019, 15:00 A number of agreements relating to the manufacturing of cutting-edge high-technology equipment for Gazprom were signed today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019. Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Sergey Chemezov, Director General of the state-owned Rostec Corporation, signed a Cooperation Agreement. The document identifies the priority areas of interaction between the parties. The…

Metrology, standardization and certification agreements signed

Release June 7, 2019, 14:50 A number of cooperation agreements in the area of metrology, standardization and certification were signed today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019. Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, signed a Roadmap to introduce a Special National Primary Standard for the storage, reproduction and transfer of a flow…

Gazprom and VNG sign General Terms of Gas Supply

Release June 7, 2019, 14:45 Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Ulf Heitmueller, Chairman of the Executive Board of VNG, today signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 the General Terms of Gas Supply to VNG Handel & Vertrieb (a subsidiary of VNG). According to the document, Gazprom will supply up to 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year to VNG Handel &…

Gazprom and OMV set price for asset sale deal

Release June 7, 2019, 14:40 Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Rainer Seele, Chairman of the Executive Board of OMV, today signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 the Contract on the amendments to the Basic Agreement on Asset Sale. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, and Elisabeth Udolf-Strobl, Minister…

Gazprom and OMV expanding cooperation

Release June 7, 2019, 14:35 A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Elisabeth Udolf-Strobl, Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs of Austria, took place today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019. The meeting participants discussed relevant issues related to cooperation. The parties noted the continued and active growth in the Austrian imports of Russian gas…

Gazprom and CNPC discuss ongoing preparations for gas supplies to China via Power of Siberia

Background The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 is being held at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 6 to 8. This year’s key topic is Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda. Gazprom’s main partner in China is CNPC, a state-owned oil and gas company. On May 21, 2014, Gazprom and CNPC signed the 30-year Sales and Purchase Agreement for Russian gas to be supplied via the eastern…

Trump Says ‘Good Relations’ With Russia Still Possible After ‘Witch Hunt’

President Donald Trump has said the United States could improve relations with Russia, days after the end of a U.S. special counsel investigation. U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced his resignation last week — two years after being appointed to probe Russian interference in the 2016 election — saying the investigation was never going to…

ROSATOM Director General Alexey Likhachev challenges world leaders to implement human-centred skills solutions

St. Petersburg, 7th June 2019 – ROSATOM Director General Alexey Likhachev has issued an invitation to world leaders from politics, business and education to join a debate to urgently implement human-centred solutions that can help solve the widening global skills gap and worsening talent shortage. Around 6% of the world’s GDP has been lost due…

‘We Won’t Change Our Behavior,’ Kremlin Says to Britain

MoscowBy admin June 7, 2019

The Kremlin said on Friday that Britain was responsible for damaging its relations with Russia and rebuffed a call made by London for Moscow to change its behavior on the international stage, Russian news agencies reported. British Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokeswoman said on Thursday Britain could only have a better relationship with Russia if…

Moscow Sizzles in Record Temperatures

Sweltering summer temperatures came to Moscow this week, with the thermometer reaching a record high of 30 degrees Celsius on Thursday. Muscovites flocked to the city’s parks and fountains in search of any respite they could find. Here’s a look at Russia’s capital during a heat wave:

PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev Participates in RDIF and Russia 24 Teledebate “Investments Into Russia’s Future: How to Make National Projects Attractive to Investors” at SPIEF

St Petersburg – PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev participated in a teledebate entitled “Investments into Russia’s future: how to make national projects attractive to investors” that was organised by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Russia 24 TV channel at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (“SPIEF”). During the debate, RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev…

PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev Participates in RDIF and Russia 24 Teledebate “Investments Into Russia’s Future: How to Make National Projects Attractive to Investors” at SPIEF

PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev Takes Part in Panel Session ‘A Recipe for Global Competitiveness for Russian Industry’ at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum

St. Petersburg – PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev took part in a panel session titled ‘A Recipe for Global Competitiveness for Russian Industry’ at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (“SPIEF”). The debates were focused on successful cases of Russian companies in export markets and the mechanisms through which the state can support exports. Deputy Prime…

TVEL Fuel Company of ROSATOM and Hermith GmbH establish a joint venture for titanium production

During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, TVEL Fuel Company of ROSATOM and Hermith GmbH (Germany), a major European titanium supplier, have concluded an agreement aimed at establishing a joint venture for production of titanium alloys. The document has been signed by President of TVEL JSC Natalia Nikipelova and Director General of Hermith GmbH Alexey…

Russian Investigative Journalist Detained in Moscow on Drug Charges

A prominent journalist from the Meduza news website who investigates corruption has been detained in Moscow on charges of drug trafficking, the website reported on Friday. Police apprehended special correspondent Ivan Golunov in central Moscow on Thursday afternoon and retrieved a bag containing an unknown substance from his backpack, Meduza cited his lawyer as saying.…

‘Kinky Party’ Is Starting a Russian Sexual Revolution

It’s almost midnight on a Saturday night in a gated central Moscow courtyard and the party has just begun. A woman wearing nothing but a long silver cloak and a pair of stilettos walks past a queue of people waiting to check their bags. Her companion is dressed in a smart suit with an open…

PhosAgro and Infotech Baltika Sign Memorandum on Cooperation Concerning Fertilizer Transhipment at a Terminal Being Built in the Port of Murmansk

St. Petersburg – At the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, PhosAgro signed a memorandum of cooperation with Infotech Baltika concerning the construction of a specialised marine terminal for the transhipment of mineral fertilizers and apatite concentrate at the seaport of Murmansk. The document was signed by PhosAgro’s CEO, Andrey Guryev, and Infotech Baltika’s CEO, Alexander…

U.S. and Russia Blame Each Other for Near Collision in East China Sea

Russia and the United States blamed each other for a near collision between their warships in the East China Sea on Friday with both countries accusing one another of dangerous and unprofessional behavior. Russia’s Pacific Fleet said that the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, had come within just 50 meters (165 feet) of the Russian…

Russian Disinformation on YouTube Draws Ads, Lacks Warning Labels, Researchers Say

Fourteen Russia-backed YouTube channels spreading disinformation have been generating billions of views and millions of dollars in advertising revenue, according to researchers, and had not been labeled as state-sponsored, contrary to the world’s most popular streaming service’s policy. The channels, including news outlets NTV and Russia-24, carried false reports ranging from a U.S. politician covering…

Russia Will Send More Military Specialists to Venezuela If Needed – Reports

Russia is ready to send more military specialists to Venezuela if needed, Russia’s foreign ministry said according to the state-run RIA news agency. Another state news agency, TASS, quoted the ministry as saying Russia did not rule out increasing the number of its military personnel in Venezuela. Moscow has previously said that a full withdrawal…

Moscow Traffic Congestion Among World’s Worst, Study Says

Traffic congestion in Moscow is among the worst in the world with more than half of drivers’ travel time spent in gridlock, according to research by the Dutch navigation device maker TomTom. Research published earlier this year named Moscow the world capital of traffic jams in 2018, surpassing 2017 leader Los Angeles. Drivers in the…

Gas exports to Hungary grow 1.6-fold since early 2019

Release June 6, 2019, 19:05 A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, took place today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019. The meeting participants examined the current issues and prospects of their cooperation, putting a special focus on gas supplies. It was noted that Gazprom’s supplies to Hungary…

Alexey Miller and Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic review status of joint projects

MoscowBy admin June 6, 2019

Background The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 is being held at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 6 to 8. This year’s key topic is Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda. In 2018, Gazprom exported to Serbia 2.15 billion cubic meters of gas, a 1.2 per cent increase from 2017 (2.12 billion cubic meters). In June 2017, Gazprom and the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy signed the roadmap…

On This Day: Alexander Pushkin

Born into a noble Russian family, Alexander Pushkin was the son of Sergei Pushkin, a descendant of a family with Russian nobility tracing back to the 12th century, and Nadezhda Gannibal, a descendant of German and Scandinavian nobility. Pushkin’s maternal great-grandfather Abram Gannibal was an African page who was kidnapped, sent to Constantinople and later…

U.S. Proposed Second Crimea Referendum in 2014, Russia Says

The United States had proposed a second referendum for Crimea to join Russia shortly after Moscow annexed the peninsula in 2014, Russia’s foreign minister has said. Moscow says an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a March 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup…

NSR Public Council, established at the initiative of ROSATOM, holds a statutory meeting at SPIEF 2019

On June 6 on the margins of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019, a statutory meeting of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) Public Council was conducted in the mess hall of the nuclear icebreaker Arktika which is currently under construction at the Baltic Shipyard. The meeting was attended by representatives from executive and legislative…

Putin Spokesman’s Daughter: Homosexuality ‘Unnatural’

The daughter of President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has stirred controversy on social media for not sharing some of her followers’ concerns about homosexuality being punished by the death penalty in certain Muslim countries. Dmitry Peskov’s daughter Yelizaveta Peskova marked the end of Ramadan with an Instagram post Tuesday. There, one user asked if she was…

Russia’s MTS Signs 5G Deal With Chinese Telecom Giant Huawei, Reports Say

Russia’s top cellphone operator MTS has signed an agreement with Huawei to develop 5G technology as the Chinese telecom giant faces escalating pressure from the United States, news agencies reported. The 5G deal was one of several cooperation agreements signed after talks on Wednesday between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow.…

Russia’s Top Auditor Kudrin Blasts Corruption in Legal System

Russian economic growth is hampered by deep-seated corruption in the country’s legal system, the head of Russia’s auditing agency said Thursday. Audit Chamber head Alexei Kudrin told a St. Petersburg International Economic Forum panel that corruption in the Russian judiciary system goes back centuries, pointing to one of the classic Russian poet Alexander Pushkin’s works…

ROSATOM and VTB signed the agreement on the cooperation to implement Arctic projects

ROSATOM and VTB have concluded the agreement on the cooperation to implement Arctic projects. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Petersburg International Economic Forum. Deputy Director General and Director of Directorate of the Northern Sea Route Vyacheslav Ruksha signed the agreement for ROSATOM and Vice President and Chairman of the Board of…

Russian Doctor and Two Coaches Banned for Doping Still Active in Sport

Three years ago, Russian athletics coach Vladimir Mokhnev was banned for 10 years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, global sport’s over-arching judicial body, for giving prohibited performance-enhancing drugs to members of the national track team. Mokhnev, the court ruled, had violated international anti-doping rules. His name was taken off Russia’s national team roster…

Russian Troops Moved Toward Ukraine Border Ahead of MH17 Crash, New Reports Say

Newly discovered documents suggest that at least 170 Russian troops were deployed near the Ukrainian border shortly before Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down there five years ago, Russia’s investigative Novaya Gazeta newspaper said, supporting previous reports. MH17 was shot down in July 2014 over territory held by pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine,…

Gazprom and Shell review progress of joint projects

Background The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 is being held at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 6 to 8. This year’s key topic is Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda. Royal Dutch Shell is a British-Dutch oil and gas holding company focused on hydrocarbon production, processing and marketing in more than 70 countries. Nord Stream 2 is the construction project for a gas pipeline with…

Core equipment for third production train being shipped to Amur GPP

Release June 6, 2019, 13:50 A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Wolfgang Reitzle, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Linde, took place today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019. The meeting participants discussed the current progress and prospects of their cooperation, in particular the Amur Gas Processing Plant (GPP) construction project in which Linde’s equipment is used. It was…

ROSATOM and Murmansk Region signed an agreement on the “Smart City”

At the Petersburg International Economic Forum Acting Governor of Murmansk Region Andrey Chibis and Director General of Rusatom Infrastructure Solutions LLC (part of ROSATOM) Ksenia Sukhotina signed an agreement on implementation of joint initiatives regarding introduction of the “Smart City” digital solutions. Deputy Director General and Director for Development and International Business of ROSATOM Kirill…

Russia Says ‘Extremists’ in Sudan Must Be Subdued – Reports

Russia said on Thursday it opposed foreign intervention in Sudan and the authorities in Khartoum must subdue what it described as extremists, Russia’s state-run RIA news agency reported. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted as saying that Moscow favored a national dialogue about a transition period leading to new elections. “Naturally, in order to…

Putin’s July Visit to Pope Could Pave Way for Russia Trip

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Pope Francis next month, the Vatican said on Thursday, an encounter that could help pave the way for an historic papal trip to Russia. The Vatican said Putin, who will be on a state visit to Italy, will hold talks with the Argentinian-born pope on July 4. The meeting,…

Alexey Miller and Moldova’s President Igor Dodon discuss cooperation issues

Background The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 is being held at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 6 to 8. This year’s key topic is Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda. In 2018, Gazprom’s gas deliveries to the Republic of Moldova totaled 2.9 billion cubic meters of gas, an increase of 8.4 per cent against 2017 (2.7 billion cubic meters). The contracts between Gazprom and Moldovagaz for…

Gazprom and BASF discuss cooperation on gas production and Nord Stream 2 project

Release June 6, 2019, 12:05 A working meeting of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, with Hans-Ulrich Engel, Vice Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Wintershall Dea, and Mario Mehren, Chairman of the Executive Board of Wintershall Dea, took place today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019. На встрече были рассмотрены вопросы сотрудничества компаний.…

Russian Government Vows to Protect Yandex Against FSB Pressure

A top Russian official has said the government will do its best to defend the internet giant Yandex, which is reportedly under pressure from security services to hand over its encryption keys. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) had asked Yandex to hand over encryption keys for its Yandex.Pochta mail service and Yandex.Disk file hosting service,…

French demand for Russian natural gas growing further

Background The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 is being held at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 6 to 8. This year’s key topic is Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda. France’s ENGIE SA (prior to 2015 – GDF SUEZ) is focused on natural gas marketing, as well as power generation. ENGIE owns the largest gas transmission network in Europe and is the biggest UGS facility operator…

China’s Panda Diplomacy Puts a Smile on ‘Best Friend’ Putin’s Face

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented two pandas to Moscow’s zoo at a ceremony with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, in a gesture the Russian president described as a sign of deepening trust and respect between the two powers. Xi unveiled the pandas — Ru Yi and Ding Ding — after talks with Putin whom he called…

New Ukraine Leader Heralds ‘Death of Russian Imperialism,’ Accused of Plagiarism

Ukraine’s new president has predicted the end of “Russia’s imperial project” if Kiev joins the European Union, drawing allegations that he had plagiarized his predecessor’s words. Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration quoted him as saying “Ukraine in the EU would be the death of the Russian imperial project” during talks with top European official Donald Tusk. “Moreover,…

Kremlin Says D-Day Wasn’t Decisive in Ending World War II

BusinessBy admin June 5, 2019

Russia told the West on Wednesday the Normandy landings on D-Day in 1944 did not play a decisive role in ending World War II and that the Allied war effort should not be exaggerated. Moscow’s comments might irk war veterans in Britain where the 75th anniversary on Wednesday of the largest seaborne invasion in history was marked at…

Lyons Hall of Catherine Palace restored with support from Gazprom and ENGIE

Release June 5, 2019, 19:45 Photos The Lyons Hall of the Catherine Palace at the Tsarskoe Selo State Museum Preserve (Pushkin, St. Petersburg) was reopened today after a restoration carried out with the support from Gazprom and the ENGIE Foundation (France). The unveiling ceremony was attended by Olga Golodets, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Sylvie Bermann, Ambassador Extraordinary…

Revived Russian Volcano Could Cause ‘Pompeii-Like’ Destruction, Scientists Warn

BusinessBy admin June 5, 2019

An extinct volcano that has awoken in Far East Russia could unleash destruction not seen since the ancient Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed by volcanic eruption nearly 2,000 years ago, scientists warn. Geophysicists said in new research that increased seismicity and “magma intrusions” measured at the Bolshaya Udina volcano since late 2017 justify its…

Russia and China signed the contract for Russian-designed NPP construction on the new site

5th June 2019, Moscow – A general contract for Russian-designed power units No. 3 and No. 4 construction with VVER-1200 reactors at Xudapu nuclear power plant was signed on June 5 in Moscow in presence of heads of Russia and China. The official signing ceremony took place during President of China Xi Jinping state visit…

One in Four Russians Willing to Give Up Plastic Bags – Poll

BusinessBy admin June 5, 2019

Almost 40 percent of Russians would consider no longer using plastic bags, according to a state-funded survey published on World Environment Day. The UN’s World Environment Day takes place on June 5 every year to raise environmental awareness. Greenpeace estimates that more than 26 billion plastic bags are handed out annually in shops across Russia. A total…

Rosneft Allocates over 370 Billion Roubles for Environmental Activities in Five Years

Environment protection is one of the priorities for Rosneft. The Company has allocated more than 370 billion roubles for environmental activities over the past five years. In December 2018, the Company approved its public statement — “Rosneft: contributing to implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals”, confirming its commitment to high social and ecological standards.…

Russia’s FSB Is Interrogating Teens Over Essay Competition, NGO Warns

Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers are intimidating high schoolers who won a history essay competition, the Memorial human rights group has said. Memorial has organized the history essay-writing contest for high school students since 1999. The NGO was labeled a “foreign agent” in 2016 under a Russian law targeting organizations that take part in…

China, Russia Say They Will Upgrade Relations for New Era

China and Russia agreed on Wednesday to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. The decision was made at a meeting between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. news China’s Panda Diplomacy Puts a Smile on ‘Best Friend’ Putin’s Face Read more During…

Russia Proposes Slovakia Join Nord Stream 2 and Turkstream