MOSCOW, April 23 (RIA Novosti) Moscow, Washington unable to start over from scratch / President Medvedev to talk to nation online / EU energy market liberalization may kill off Gazprom's ambitions / Russian consumers become increasingly pessimistic
Kommersant
Moscow, Washington unable to start over from scratch
The NATO exercise in Georgia is the first mini-trap hindering the improvement of Russian-American relations. Like many other problems, it is a remnant of the past, and hinders the two countries in their intention to "push the reset button."
The alliance's logic is simple. After Georgia was not put on the Membership Action Plan (MAP) for subsequent admission to the alliance, the cancellation of the planned exercise would have looked like Georgia's betrayal and Moscow's victory.
The position of the Kremlin is also clear. A large military exercise in the region that was a war zone less than a year ago and whose political problems have so far not been settled will not improve the situation. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ordered a military attack at South Ossetia shortly after the U.S.-Georgian war games Immediate Response in July 2008.
The growing scandal means that Russian-U.S. relations have not been reset. A few friendly statements made in Moscow and Washington have not thawed mutual mistrust, and neither side has made concrete steps towards improving bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, they claim to be synchronizing watches and bringing their positions closer to each other.
The use of weather-related terms such as "chill" and "thaw" is becoming the key element in relations between Russia and NATO. It has had no practical results, and the moves they are making are symbolic.
The only practical element in their relations - the transit of troops and military cargo to Afghanistan - is not being discussed, although it depends wholly on bilateral agreements between Russia on the one side and Germany, Spain and the United States on the other side. The Brussels headquarters has no say in the matter.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Kommersant
President Medvedev to talk to nation online
President Dmitry Medvedev's Kremlin website video blog was officially opened on the popular LiveJournal blogging site on Wednesday. Internet users can now make comments and requests to the president online, in the newly created web community blog_medvedev, without registration on Kremlin.ru. Analysts largely approve of the president's move.
"It is certainly good that the president begins talking to the nation directly," said Alexei Malashenko from the Moscow Carnegie Center. "He is directly accessible to the more advanced part of the population, the Internet users. It is also the part that is bound to criticize him more than praise."
"The Internet is what provides real openness today. It is in fact a symbol of a developed civil society," the political analyst added.
The president's decision also looks like he has found an alternative to [Prime Minister] Vladimir Putin's televised sessions, Malashenko went on. At Medvedev's forum, unlike during a televised session, everything's possible, and uncomfortable questions cannot be filtered out, he noted.
Valery Khomyakov of the National Strategy Council sounded skeptical. He sees Medvedev's move to use the web as part of a carefully developed policy between the president and the prime minister. "The statements Medvedev makes reflect their shared and agreed position, including the interaction with Novaya Gazeta and the restoration of the human rights council," he said.
Mikhail Vinogradov, director of the Petersburg Politics foundation, said that the president would use the additional platform to draw people's attention to popular issues, which do not directly concern politics. This idea is indirectly confirmed by the fact that Medvedev responded to one of the comments left for him as early as Wednesday evening when he ordered Ryazan governor Oleg Kovalev to take care of a regional hospital, which was in a very poor state, according to a LiveJournal complaint.
Kommersant
EU energy market liberalization may kill off Gazprom's ambitions
The European Parliament yesterday approved a plan to liberalize the European energy market.
The implementation of the Third Energy Package may preclude Gazprom's attempts to access end consumers and control Europe's distribution networks. The Russian leadership will be unable to exchange gas for political influence in Europe.
The third package, proposed by the European Commission in 2007, stipulates "ownership unbundling," which implies that companies selling gas and electricity must not own transportation systems. This rule is applicable both for European companies and for firms from other countries working in the EU.
The package is to be implemented within three a half years.
So far it does not threaten the Nord Stream gas pipeline, because there is a special clause stating that the management of this expensive and important project need not be turned over to third parties.
However, Russia will not gain the amount of political influence it planned when it launched the project. In addition, the decision to liberalize the EU energy market will definitely boost projects aimed at replacing Russian gas supplies to Europe.
Poland has signed a 20-year contract on LNG supplies with Qatar, and Croatia yesterday announced a project to build an LNG terminal in the area where the South Stream was initially designed to go.
The liberalization plan will most likely disrupt the old system of gas trading based on long-term contracts. According to the new rules, consumers will be able to compare prices and replace their suppliers within three weeks.
Mikhail Korchemkin, head of the East European Gas Analysis consultancy, said: "Gas distribution companies will have to become more flexible in terms of prices and the quality of services. Victory will be assigned to those who offer a smaller margin."
The new system is to be applied first in Ukraine. When the management of its gas transportation system is turned over to a European operator, Gazprom will have to sell all its gas on the border with Ukraine, and will also have to forget about controlling its further movement.
Vedomosti
Russian consumers become increasingly pessimistic
Russian consumers have turned from daredevil optimists into the world's biggest pessimists, according to the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index, released yesterday.
The index, compiled twice a year, tracks spending habits and concerns among 25,420 Internet users across 50 countries. Respondents were surveyed between March 19 and April 2.
"In the past six months, the index has plummeted to a record low 77 points from 84 points," Nielsen said. Russia has seen the biggest fall, 75 points in April 2009 against 104 in October 2008, when Russia ranked among the 10 most optimistic countries.
Russians' wait-and-see mood in late 2008 has given way to disappointment and expectations of the worst, said Dwight Watson, managing director of Nielsen's Russian operations. Layoffs, ruble devaluation, and a slump in growth in many economic sectors make Russians recall the 1998 crisis.
Some 55% of the Russian respondents said their job opportunity was not very good, and 29% said now is a bad time for job hunting.
In this situation, 79% of Russians said they had cut their spending compared to last year.
The majority (65%) are saving on purchases of new clothes and out-of-home entertainment, 54% said they had cut spending on new computers, cell phones, etc., 53% are saving on new furniture and large home appliances, while 42% are saving on food.
The most popular way to cut expenses is to switch to cheaper grocery brands (44%) and cheaper brands of alcohol (33%).
The share of the respondents who said they had no free funds has grown to 7% from 2% in the past six months.
Producers are not surprised by the growing pessimism.
Musheg Mamikonyan, president of the Russian Meat Union, said the consumption of their expensive brands of pork and beef and products would plummet by 20% at the least.
Retail chains selling home appliances - Mir, Eldorado and Tekhnosila - think their market will shrink by a comparable amount.
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