IZVESTIA
The main phase of the unique Mobility 2004 exercise was held at the Sergeyevsky range in the Maritime Territory (Russian Far East) on June 23. For the first time the Russian army trained in inter-theatre airlifting of permanent-readiness units, which worked in strange terrain. Vladimir Putin monitored the exercise. According to Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, it is the only way of improving the mobility and combat readiness of the Russian army. Foreign observers were not invited, though the world kept track of the exercise.
Military hardware and elite troops - the Northern Fleet Marines and the airborne units of the Pskov Division (Northwest Russia) were delivered on 50 aircraft from Western Russia to the Far East. The exercise involved about 200 armoured vehicles, nearly 400 other vehicles, 6 missile systems, 120 artillery guns, mine throwers and multiple-launch rocket systems, 8 air defence systems, 37 planes and about 3,000 troops.
"One of the main tasks of the exercise was to train in hostilities in strange terrain, which is very difficult, believe me," said Sergei Vasilyev, head of the press service of the Far Eastern Military District. "Another task was to improve the co-ordination of units of the Far Eastern Military District, the Pacific Fleet and mobile reserves, with practical use of the new manuals on hostilities."
Sergei Ivanov summed up the results of the exercise: "Exercises are very expensive, of course, but the mobility and combat ability of the army depend on them."
Japanese analysts think Mobility 2004 showed that Russia can snatch the strategic initiative and change the situation in its favour in any war theatre.
VREMYA NOVOSTEI
Using the favourable foreign economic situation, Russia continues to reduce its debts, regularly repaying foreign debts and pursuing an effective policy on the domestic debt market. Sergei Kolotukhin, director of the Finance Ministry'sdepartment of international financial organisations, state debts and state financial assets, said at the international economic conference organised by Renaissance Capital in Moscow that Russia's debts will be reduced to 17-18% of GDP by 2007. This will ensure its access to external and domestic markets "at acceptable prices and whenever necessary," said Kolotukhin.
So far, Russia's state debt is considerably larger: it was 31% of GDP at the beginning of the year. The Finance Ministry hopes to reduce it to 26.5% by the end of the year. On the other hand, it is considerably smaller than it was in the 1990s. In the 1998 crisis year, Russia's debts amounted to 145.6% of GDP. It should be noted that Russia has not taken foreign borrowings since 1998. It was too expensive immediately after the crisis and no longer necessary after 2000, as the country had enough resources to balance the budget and repay old debts.
KOMMERSANT
Stephan le Guevel, director of Peugeot branch in Russia, said its subsidiary Peugeot Rus Avto would begin centralised deliveries to Russia in September this year and to centralised import of spares by the end of the year. After that, all of the 11 importers of Peugeot will become official dealers for Peugeot Rus Avto. This year Peugeot plans to sell 20% more of its cars in Russia than last year and as many as 20,000 in 2006.
GAZETA
One of the most highly revered Orthodox relics, the wonderworking icon of Our Lady of Tikhvin, has returned to Russia after nearly 60 years in the USA. It is said to be the work of St Luke the Evangelist made during the Lady's lifetime. For four days upon its arrival from Chicago, the icon will be held in the Cathedral of the Saviour in Moscow, before going to St Petersburg. On July 9, it will arrive in the Tikhvin Monastery, where the icon was kept until 1924.
The wonderworking icon has been considered the patroness of Northwestern Russia. It appeared in 1383 outside the town of Tikhvin in the Novgorod Region. The monastery was closed down in 1924 and the wonderworking icon and other religious values were sent to Pskov. In November 1944, the icon was taken over by German troops that occupied the city and moved to Riga, Latvia. During a retreat in 1944, Germans forgot to take the icon along and Bishop John [Garklavs] of Riga, the future Archbishop of Chicago and Minneapolis, took Our Lady of Tikhvin to Bavaria and hence to the USA.
On his dying bed, he willed the icon to his adopted son Archpriest Sergei Garklavs, ordering him to return the holy relic to Russia after the reopening of the Tikhvin monastery. The restoration of the monastery began in 1995.
