Iran's nuclear power plant to be linked to the national grid

Iranian atomic chief Fereydoun Abbasi Davani said that Bushehr nuclear power plant, built by Russia, will be linked to the national grid in late August, . The plant is expected to reach its full capacity of 1,000 megawatts in November or early December.

Russia lowers gas price for Belarus

The contract for saling of 50 percent of Belarusian natural gas transportation company Beltransgaz to Russian Gazprom includes clauses that limit the price of Russian gas exported to Belarus. According to declarations made by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on August 15, after a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Belarus and Russia, a descending rate is to be integrated in the gas pricing formula for Belarus beginning in 2012.

Bulgaria builds nuclear plant with Russia

Bulgaria is expected to submit an agreement draft to Russia’s Atomstroyexport for the construction of the Belene nuclear project.

Italy - Russia military cooperation

Italian defense company Augusta Westland is scheduled to begin producing AW139 helicopters in Russia as part of a joint venture with Russian Helicopters.

Russia and Belarus PM meet

Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich is expected to meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss new loans for Belarus.

Russia tries to revive nuclear talks with Iran

Russian National Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev went on Monday for talks with Iranian officials on the country's nuclear programme. His agenda includes meetings with his Iranian counterpart Saeed Jalili and other officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during a two-day stay.
Moscow intends to revive nuclear negotiations between Iran and major world powers known as the P5+1, the five UN Security Council permanent members plus Germany under a new "step-by-step" approach.
As a follow-up to Patrushev's visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi is to travel to Moscow this week to continue negotiations with Russia. Tehran has been hit by four rounds of UN sanctions over its programme of uranium enrichment, which Western powers suspect has a military dimension, despite Tehran's repeated denials. The United States and European Union have also imposed their own unilateral sanctions on Iranian banks, posing risks for foreign companies which deal with them.

Multinationals bribing Russian officials under investigation

Deere & Co., the world's largest farm equipment producer, entered the list of multinationals investigated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in its dealings with CIS countries. Russian officials seem to have benefited most from bribes paid by such companies for contracts.
Mercedes-Benz, Siemens and Hewlett-Packard are also among companies that have previousely faced investigations into their operations in Russia in recent years. Mercedes-Benz Russia paid a $27.26 million fine for conspiring to violate as well as violating the corruption act. Siemens confirmed bribing and paid $1.6 billion to settle the issue. The Hewlett-Packard investigation is ongoing.
The Securities and Exchange Commission avoided to provide details in the Deere & Co. case that is, for the moment, a non-public fact-finding inquiry aimed at clarifying if the company violated any federal securities laws does not mean that the commission has concluded that the company has broken the law.

The list of persons bribed by multinationals in Russia included officials from the Interior Ministry, Moscow government and several other municipalities.

Russian sanctions against Libya

The Russian President Dmitri Medvedev signed a decree enforcing the sanctions against the Libyan regime of Moammar Gaddafi adopted by the UN in March. Measures include interdictions on financial transactions with the Gaddafi regime.

Troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are still in control of the oil terminal and refinery of the strategic eastern port of Brega despite rebel advances, a spokesman for rebel forces said on Friday.[..

Syria triggers further reactions worldwide

The15 civilians killed in the city of Homs by Syrian forces on Wednesday in defiance of international calls for President Bashar al-Assad to end violence against protesters.
The U.S. Treasury Department has enforced new sanctions on Syria, in a drive to weaken the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian leader eventually recognized that several errors have been done by hil loyal forces, but gave no signs of policy change. European members of the Security Council on Wednesday threatened Syria with tougher U.N. action if the bloody crackdown on protesters continued. Russia has also urged Damascus to implement promised reforms as soon as possible. But veto powers Russia and China, backed by India, South Africa and Brazil, have strongly opposed the idea of slapping U.N. sanctions on Damascus, which Western diplomats say would be the logical next step for Syria.

Moscow retaliates on travel restrictions imposed by Washington

In a tit-for-tat action following Washington's decision to restrict travel of Russian officials implicated in the 2009 prison death of Hermitage lawyer Sergei Magnitsky the government of Russia prepared a retaliatory blacklist with US officials not accepted in the Russian Federation.

US rating downgrade hits Russia

Russian stocks followed international markets in a tailspin Monday after a U.S. credit downgrade stoked a huge equity sell-off and talk of a global economic slowdown.

Masked men in Russia attack architecture protectors

About 50 masked men attacked a group of about 15 architectural preservationists who tried to stop the demolition of a 19th-century building in downtown Moscow on Monday, activists said.

Russia delays commissioning the nuclear plant to Iran

Iran's first nuclear power station will not start working this month as planned, several parliamentarians were quoted as saying on Monday, blaming Russian builders for the latest delay in a project Tehran hopes will showcase its peaceful atomic aims.

Russia urges reconciliation in Syria

On 04.08.2011, Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian President,  urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on start reforms and reconcile with his opponents to avoid a "sad fate". On the same date, the EU member states agreed to further extend sanctions on Syria. The oil industry and banks were not targeted by the move.

Germany intends to ask the United Nations to send a special envoy to Syria to increase pressure on Damascus over its crackdown on civilian protesters.

In the mean time killings continued in Syria where government forces shot dead four protesters near Damascus and in Southern Syria.

Medvedev urges Georgia not to block Russia's WTO accession

Georgia was urged by the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev  to avoid blocking Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Russian leader considers that freeing the way towards Russia's entry into the WTO could help Georgia restore diplomatic relations with Moscow. Medvedev said Russia's chances of joining the WTO this year were high but it still faced political obstacles from Georgia, which has threatened to use its veto to block Russia's accession unless a dispute over customs controls is resolved.