The latest: Russia Defends Missile Deal With Iran

01.11.2006
Russia Defends Missile Deal With Iran
The Russian defense minister on Wednesday defended Moscow’s deal to supply air defense missiles to Iran, saying they were purely defensive weapons with a limited range.

01.11.2006
Draft UN Resolution on Iran Unacceptable, More Talks Needed — Russian FM
A draft UN Security Council resolution on Iran proposed by the European troika does not comply with agreements reached earlier, and Russia will press for more talks, the Foreign Minister has said.

01.11.2006
Russia’s Putin Declines to Meet Georgian FM
President Vladimir Putin has declined to meet Georgia’s foreign minister sent to Russia for the first high-level talks with giant neighbor in a bid to mend the two states’ chilly ties.

01.11.2006
Jewish Communities Promote Peace Between Russia and Japan
Despite of the sociological reports and poll results that predict decline in the number of “native residents” of the Jewish Autonomous Region in the Russian Far East, the community life in the regional capital Birobidjan is continuing to develop. Another proof of this fact was a recent visit to the region by a delegation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress headed by EAJC General Council member, Jewish Community of Japan President Daniel Turk.

01.11.2006
Poland Says Will Consider Russia’s Concerns about U.S. Missile Defense Deployment
Poland will take into account Russia’s concerns as it weighs whether to allow the U.S. to build a missile defense site on its territory, the country’s defense minister says.

01.11.2006
Belarus Opposition Party Leader Sentenced to 1.5 Years
Leader of an opposition youth movement in Belarus has been sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for failing to officially register it with state agencies.

01.11.2006
Russia, Georgia Foreign Ministers Meet to Discuss Diplomatic Relations Improvement
Georgia and Russia have held their first high-level talks since diplomatic relations collapsed after the arrest of four Russian military officers for spying in September.

01.11.2006
Russian Chemical Weapons Destruction Program Goes on According to Schedule — Official
Russia has already destroyed 13 percent of its 40,000 ton chemical weapons stores.

01.11.2006
British Court Sanctions Trial of Russian Hackers
A British judge has ruled that a case involving a UK company’s servers being hacked from Russia can be tried in the UK.

01.11.2006
Ousted Kyrgyz President’s Daughter Denies U.S. Corruption Charges
The daughter of ousted President Askar Akaev has denied as “rehashed fantasies” a recent U.S. media report that suggests Kyrgyzstan’s onetime ruling family oversaw a vast network of illegal assets that included many U.S.-based shell companies.

01.11.2006
Russian Heavyweight Champion Wins Court Case Against American Promoter
WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev has won a long smoldering promotonal dispute with his former promoter Joseph O’Donnell.

01.11.2006
Russia’s Spartak FC Take Metro to Get to Inter Match, Blame Game Loss on Traffic Jam
Spartak Moscow players almost missed the start of the Champions League match against Inter Milan after being stuck in traffic on their way to the Luzhniki Olympic stadium and had to use the Moscow underground to get to the arena.

01.11.2006
Russian Businessman Denies His Role in Arms Deliveries to Congo
A Russian businessman placed on the list of individuals allegedly involved in selling weapons to Congo has denied his role in deliveries after President George W. Bush said earlier this week he had ordered that assets be frozen of dissident general Laurent Nkunda and six other individuals, including Viktor Bout.

01.11.2006
State Agency Denies Russia Is Leading Arms Supplier to Developing Countries
The United States’ claims that Russia has become the world’s leading exporter of weapons to developing countries, leaving the U.S. and France behind, are not true, the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service said.

01.11.2006
Russian Companies Spend 7 Percent of Turnover on Bribes — Study
According to a report by an independent Russian think tank INDEM, corruption is still rampant in Russia forcing businessmen to part with 7 percent of theirturnover which they spend on bribes.

01.11.2006
Russian Aircraft Company Boss Arrested for Purchasing Faulty Aircraft Spares
Prosecutor-General’s Office of Moscow has arrested the Head of a Russian aircraft company on suspicion of delivering faulty aircraft spare parts.

01.11.2006
Woman Survives Being Locked Up in Barrel and Thrown Into Sea by Jealous Husband
A Russian banker sealed his wife in a barrel and threw her into the sea when the couple were on vacation on the Crimea Peninsula, Ukraine. Curiously, the wife, rescued by fishermen, forgave the man and he evaded criminal responsibility.

01.11.2006
North Korea Talks to Start This Year in China — Russia’s DM
The first round of restarted six-country talks with North Korea will take place this year and probably in China, Russia’s Defense minister has said.

01.11.2006
Nazi Action Banned in Moscow on National Unity Day
Moscow’s powerful Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said he had banned a march in the Russian capital planned by far-right groups on November 4 to prevent another show by neo-Nazi groups and racists.

01.11.2006
Russia Says Believes That Iran Nuclear Program Is Peaceful
Russia has said it believes Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful, and a political dialogue, not sanctions, must be used in talks with Tehran.