Russia ‘Open’ to Return of Armenia-Held Land to Azerbaijan – Putin

Russia is open to Azerbaijan reclaiming seven areas surrounding the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh that Armenia has controlled for 26 years, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. Azerbaijani forces have been making gains against Armenian separatist fighters since the heaviest fighting since a 1994 ceasefire over the South Caucasus region erupted last month. The Armenia-controlled districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh,…

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Nagorno-Karabakh Briefing | Oct. 29

Fighting continued Thursday in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region after the third attempt at a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan — a U.S. brokered deal — fell apart within minutes of coming into effect earlier in the week. Oct. 29: What you need to know today The leader of Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh said Azerbaijani forces…

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Experts Fear Calvey Settlement Rewards Strong-Arm Tactics

The multimillion dollar settlement reached in the Baring Vostok civil case shows strong-arm tactics and criminalization of business disputes are still an effective ways to settle corporate conflicts in Russia, analysts told The Moscow Times. Warring parties in the most high-profile business dispute of recent years — between U.S. investor Michael Calvey’s Baring Vostok investment…

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Belarus Briefing | Oct. 29

Belarus has seen weekly mass protests against the disputed presidential re-election of Alexander Lukashenko for nearly three months. On Monday, exiled Belarusian opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called for a national strike after the deadline she set for Lukashenko to resign and free all political prisoners expired the previous day. Here’s more of the latest news…

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Gazprom to increase efficiency of its activities through introduction of digital technologies

October 29, 2020, 16:40 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information on the projects being designed and implemented for the widespread adoption of digital technologies and other technological solutions. It was highlighted that the introduction of digital technologies is an important tool to improve the effectiveness of the corporate governance and achieve the strategic goals of the Gazprom Group. Today, the Company is at the final stage…

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Required amount of gas totaling 72.3 billion cubic meters injected into Russian UGS facilities in preparations for winter

October 29, 2020, 16:30 Daily deliverability of the UGS facilities has been maintained at the record level of 843.3 million cubic meters. All 13 sets of planned preventive maintenance and repair operations were performed. The Gazprom Management Committee reviewed the operational readiness of the Unified Gas Supply System (UGSS) facilities for peak loads expected in late 2020 – early 2021, as well as the measures necessary to ensure uninterrupted gas…

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Disgruntled Russian PR Exec Behind Key Steele Dossier Claims – WSJ

A disgruntled Russian PR executive had provided some of the key unverified allegations for a controversial report at the heart of 2016 U.S. election meddling claims known as the Steele dossier, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. British counterintelligence specialist Christopher Steele’s report that leaked in 2017 alleged, among other things, that Russian security services…

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Libyan Government Agrees to Release Russians Accused of Meddling – Bloomberg

The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) has agreed to release Russian political operatives accused of vote meddling, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.  The agreement between Libya’s internationally recognized government and Moscow was made last week and the prisoners are expected to return to Russia in the coming days, Bloomberg cited unnamed sources close to the negotiations…

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Russian enterprises expanding capabilities for manufacturing of offshore production equipment

October 28, 2020, 09:55 The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information on expanding the agreement of cooperation in import substitution of equipment, components, and spare parts for subsea production complexes, entered into by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and Gazprom in order to ensure the preferential use of domestic equipment in the projects for the pre-development of the Kirinskoye and Yuzhno-Kirinskoye gas and…

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Gazprom facilitating development of gas exchange trading in Russia

October 28, 2020, 09:50 The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information on the development of the natural gas exchange trading system. It was noted that the participation of the Gazprom Group entities has been systemically important for the organized gas exchange trading activities at the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange (SPIMEX) since the launch of said trading in 2014. The Group offers the bulk…

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Gazprom stepping up cooperation with Russian manufacturers of gas-powered equipment

October 28, 2020, 09:45 The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information on the ongoing import substitution of products, equipment and technologies meant for the NGV market development. It was noted that the production and sale of natural gas as a vehicle fuel is among strategic activities of Gazprom in Russia. The Company is rapidly developing the CNG filling station network, consistently expands its own fleet of vehicles fueled by natural…

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Amur GPP construction project is 67.1 per cent complete

October 28, 2020, 09:40 The Gazprom Board of Directors expressed its approval of the Company’s ongoing work on its major investment projects. In the east of Russia, the systematic expansion of production capacities continues at the Chayandinskoye field in Yakutia. In 2020, it is planned to bring onstream 103 gas wells, a gas pre-treatment unit (GPTU-2), and a membrane unit for helium concentrate extraction. Moreover, capacity increase will be finished at the operating comprehensive gas treatment…

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Gazprom Board of Directors approves revised investment program and budget for 2020

October 28, 2020, 09:35 Gazprom’s overall amount of investments for 2020: RUB 922.489 billion. Gazprom’s borrowings for 2020: RUB 501.287 billion. The Gazprom Board of Directors endorsed the revised investment program and budget (financial plan) for 2020. As per the revised investment program for 2020, the overall amount of investments will stand at RUB 922.489 billion, which is RUB 182.235 billion less than was envisaged in the investment…

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Anti-Lukashenko Strike ‘Just the Beginning,’ Belarus Opposition Leader Says

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has called Monday’s general strike aimed at putting pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko a “collective success” and vowed to continue calling for his resignation.  Tikhanovskaya had given Lukashenko until Sunday to quit, halt violence against protesters and release political prisoners, warning he would otherwise face a general strike from Monday.…

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‘Very Nice’: Kazakhstan Adopts Borat’s Catchphrase for Tourism Drive

“Very nice!” Kazakhstan is adopting its fictional resident Borat Sagdiyev’s famous catchphrase as its new tourism slogan alongside the release of the comedy-slash-mockumentary’s sequel. The lean-in attitude marks a reversal from the confrontational stance the Central Asian country adopted upon the release of the first Borat movie in 2006.  Back then, Kazakh authorities banned the…

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Russia Seeks Accelerated WHO Registration for Virus Vaccine

Russia has applied to the World Health Organization for accelerated registration and prequalification of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the country’s sovereign wealth fund said on Tuesday. Russia announced in August it had registered the world’s first coronavirus vaccine, named Sputnik V after the Soviet-era satellite. On Tuesday, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which…

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Russian State TV Anchor Ignites Backlash With Anti-Mask Social Media Post

A prominent Russian news anchor has sparked backlash after publicly backing the anti-mask movement and questioning the dangers of Covid-19 in a viral Instagram comment published just hours before the Russian government reinstated a countrywide mask mandate.    In his original post, businessman Yan Yanovsky complained that most spectators at Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo’s recent performance at…

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New natural gas filling stations opened in Moscow

October 27, 2020, 11:30 Gazprom’s gas refueling network in the region has been expanded to seven facilities. Two stations of the network are the largest in Europe. Two more CNG filling stations will be opened this year. A ceremonial event celebrating the commissioning of two new infrastructure facilities for refueling motor vehicles with natural gas, eco-friendly vehicle fuel has taken place today in Moscow via…

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Russia Reinstates Mask Mandate, Restricts Nightlife to Stop Virus Spread

Russia has reinstated a nationwide mask mandate starting Wednesday amid a record-setting second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has announced. Russians will be required to wear masks in all crowded places, including public transport, taxis, parking lots and elevators, Rospotrebnadzor said Tuesday. Russia imposed a national mask mandate and other quarantine…

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Third Attempt at Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire Collapses Within Minutes

A third attempt at halting weeks of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh collapsed quickly on Monday with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading accusations of violating the U.S.-brokered ceasefire within minutes. As fighting over the disputed region enters its second month, international mediators are scrambling to bring a stop to frontline clashes and shelling of civilian areas that have…

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85% of Russian Coronavirus Vaccine Volunteers See No Side Effects – Developer

Around 85% of Russian volunteers who receive the country’s highly touted coronavirus Sputnik V vaccine report no side effects, according to the developer of the adenovirus-based shot.  The state-run Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology became the first in the world to register a Covid-19 vaccine in August before final clinical trials began the…

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Belarus Opposition Leader Says Nationwide Strike Underway

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said supporters launched Monday a nationwide strike after her deadline expired for strongman Alexander Lukashenko to step down. “Today the People’s Strike is beginning,” Tikhanovskaya said on her Telegram channel. “Employees of state factories and enterprises, transport workers and miners, teachers and students have gone on strike since this morning.” All…

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Transaction on debut issue of Gazprom’s perpetual Eurobonds closed

October 26, 2020, 17:30 The following information is not intended for use by Canadian investors or within the territory of Canada due to the sanction restrictions. For more information, see the Base Prospectus regarding Eurobonds dated October 6, 2020 . A transaction on placement of a debut issue of perpetual subordinated Eurobonds of Gazprom expressed in US dollars and euros has been closed today. The volume of investor demand has…

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