TAMARA ROKHLINA SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS
Izvestia, November 17, 2000, p. 1
The trial of Tamara Rokhlina for the murder of her husband, General Lev Rokhlin, a Duma deputy and leader of the Movement in Support of the Army, ended on November 16. The Naro-Fominsk court found Rokhlina guilty.
A psychiatric examination declared Rokhlina to be sane. She has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment. The court rejected Rokhlina’s accounts of threats to her husband and her family. It also rejected the theory about the involvement of the Federal Security Service in the murder.
TRANS-VOLGA FEDERAL DISTRICT WORKS ON ITS LAWS
Izvestia, November 17, 2000, p. 2
A meeting to review progress on bringing regional laws into compliance with the federal Constitution and federal law was held in Saratov on November 16. The meeting was attended by Alexander Yevstifeev, deputy presidential envoy for the Trans-Volga federal district; Yevgeny Sidorenko, deputy Justice Minister, and representatives of all 15 regions which comprise this federal district. In August, 728 laws in the Trans-Volga federal district did not comply with federal law. To date, seven of the 15 regions have amended 90% of their laws.
CHUBAIS WANTS TO RAISE ELECTRICITY PRICES
Moskovsky Komsomolets, November 17, 2000, p. 3
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasianov is now considering a document which could impact everyone in Russia. This is the restructuring plan for RJES, the electricity monopoly, proposed by Anatoly Chubais. He intends to split RJES into several parts. It is planned that by 2005 about 15-20 companies will be selling electricity in Russia. Chubais’ plan has one very significant detail: in order to attract investment, he intends to increase tariffs by 80%.
THE FIGHT FOR THE MIR SPACE STATION IS OVER
Trud, November 17, 2000, p. 1
On November 16 the government decided to sink the Mir space station in the ocean. Most of the station will burn up in the atmosphere, but several components, such as jet engines and the hull, will plunge into in the southern Pacific. This operation will cost 700 million rubles. The station will be taken out of orbit on February 27-28, 2001.
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA TRY TO AGREE ON GAS SUPPLIES
Trud, November 17, 2000, p. 1
On November 17 Ukrainian Prime Minister Victor Yushenko arrives in Moscow. The main topic on his agenda is gas supplies. Kiev wants to sign an agreement on the purchase and transit of Russian gas. But it’s most unlikely that the Ukrainian prime minister will manage to reach agreement with the Russian government this time. Russia demands that Ukraine stop unauthorized siphoning of Russian gas. The situation is so serious that Russian representatives are talking of the possibility of appealing to international courts.
A COMMON RUBLE FOR TWO COUNTRIES
Rossyskaya Gazeta, November 17, 2000, p. 2
The Cabinet intends to submit to the president a proposal to sign an agreement between Russia and Belarus on introducing a common currency, and setting up a common issuing center.
The Russian ruble will be the common currency. According to this draft agreement the Russian government and the Central Bank will support Belarus in stabilizing its balance of payments, lending to the Belorussian National Bank in rubles or hard currency.
A common currency will be introduced on January 1, 2008 by a special agreement between Russia and Belarus.
