(RIA Novosti does not bear any responsibility for the articles published in the Russian papers)
Vedomosti
www.vedomosti.ru
- Strategy: Socialism with a Market Face - Which economic system is forming in Russia? Is a market economy with predominating state ownership possible? Sergei Guriyev, rector of the Russian Economics School, Director of the Center for Economic and Financial Research, provides his comments.
- A dissolution party - Politicians volunteer to withdraw from the election campaign. After 11 years in politics, the Russian Party of Self-governing Workers has decided to dissolve, becoming Russia's eighth party to do so in 2005, the newspaper says. Party leader Levon Chakhmakhchyan, a member of the upper house of parliament, suggested party members join the Russian Party of Life. Party mergers will be gaining in popularity, experts said.
- Rosneft to pay for Yukos - Rosneft will pay Western banks under guarantees of Yuganskneftegaz, confiscated from oil company Yukos for tax debts, for its former owner. The state-run company is ready to pay $470 million for good relations with Western bankers on the eve of an initial public offering, experts think.
Izvestia
www.izvestia.ru
- US political analyst Stephen Schmidt: "Condoleezza Rice and Hilary Clinton may be running for president" - The outgoing year has been George Bush's worst. The US president's rating is at a record low. What is ahead for Mr. Bush, his administration and the ruling Republicans? Who could be president in 2008? Stephen Schmidt who leads a course in politics at Iowa State University answers these questions.
- Anatoly Ledovskikh, Director of the Federal Subsoil Management Agency: "We've got 16,000 unrecorded oil bores." Foreign investors could develop Russian mineral resources, but they will not be given access to strategic deposits. Ledovskikh elaborates on how deposits are sold, how many of them are opened in Russia and how long Russian oil and coal will last.
Kommersant
www.kommersant.ru
- Silver declassified - Russia's Central Bank has decided to make a contribution to the liberalization of the market of precious metals. The newspaper has learned that the Central Bank will soon address departments involved in a proposal to declassify information about the production and consumption of silver in Russia. Surprisingly, the Finance Ministry sent a similar appeal to the Interdepartmental Commission for the Protection of State Secrets two months ago.
- TV companies plugging into national network - Competition for becoming "the national channel of Russian regions", to be held in Moscow January 25, 2006, will be tough. According to the newspaper, several large media market players - STS Media, Ren-TV and the National TV Syndicate - will be competing for the ownership of a vast regional network. TV and radio broadcaster Peterburg is expected to win, some sources say.
- Aeroflot bids for Boeing - Major Russian air carrier Aeroflot, which had bid for the delivery of long haul aircraft, is now opting for Boeing aircraft, the newspaper says. The parties have yet to comment on the information. A spokesman for Aeroflot said Monday that a contract for the tender would be signed in March.
