POCHINOK: TAX MINISTRY COLLECTS 22 BILLION RUBLES
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, June 29, 1999, p. 1
According to the data compiled as at June 28, 1999, the Russian Ministry for Taxation and Duties has brought 22 billion rubles worth of assorted taxes into government coffers, reported Minister Alexander Pochinok.
CRUELTY IN THE BARRACKS IN ELITE UNIT OF THE INTERNAL TROOPS
Moskovsky Komsomolets, June 29, 1999, p. 1
Command structures of the Rus special assignment detachment, an elite unit of the Main Command of the Internal Troops, are accused of closing their eyes to cruelty in the barracks.
An inspection in Rus resulted in instigation of a number of criminal proceedings the other day. Specifically, charges were laid against Captain Boikin, who had physically battered subordinates on more than one occasion. Apparently, the command had known all about his escapades, but preferred to keep all incidents under the lid.
The Military General Prosecutor’s Office uncovered instances of cruelty in the barracks in Rus, and informed the Internal Troops command. For the time being, command of the Rus detachment have got away with warnings.
KENDAL OF INTERPOL FEARS THAT RUSSIANS ARE COMING
Moskovsky Komsomolets, June 29, 1999, p. 2
Raymond Kendal, head of Interpol, has spent two days in Moscow, where he attended the first anti-drugs congress and discovered what new methods, if any, Russian law enforcement agencies had invented to combat this evil…
Question: What do you think has changed in Russia since your last visit here four years ago?
Answer: The problem here is that government and non-government structures frequently lack coordination. That is, as I see it. Actually, anti-drug measures by law enforcement agencies in Russia are at the highest possible level. Nevertheless, there is another side to the matter: rehabilitation of addicts. The social level, in other words, and this is where Russia faces serious problems.
We are all satisfied with the work of the Interpol National Central Bureau in Russia. Again, internal coordination is the only thing it lacks.
The National Central Bureau has almost 40 subsidiaries in Russian provinces these days. There are plans to open 23 more. What I mean to say is that there will be enough soon. That means that the overall situation is considerably better than it was four years ago…
Kendal does not think there are a lot of Russian criminals operating on the international level yet. Still, everything may change soon. Russian mafiosi have even less patience than their Italian counterparts, and their “tough” manners are already having an effect on international crime as the whole. Russian gangsters on the international market make up for their scarcity with cruelty.
Kendal: I fear our databases will soon be full of information on the Russian underworld…
GAZPROM ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET
Trud, June 29, 1999, p. 1
In his interview with “Die Welt”, Gazprom head Rem Vyakhirev emphasized the importance of cooperation with Ruhrgaz AG. To quote Vyakhirev: “Ruhrgaz is not just another foreign partner of ours, but the largest foreign shareholder as well.” Cooperation with the German company is strategic, the executive said.
Vyakhirev welcomes participation of other foreign companies in Gazprom, but objects to any haste regarding the sale of part of the state-owned shares.
The Russian gas colossus intends to build up its presence on the European fuel market. Vyakhirev maintains that the share of natural gas in the energy used in Europe will leap from 21% in 1997 to 27% in 2015.
ZYUGANOV WOULD HAVE LOST THE ELECTIONS
Izvestia, June 29, 1999, p. 1
Had presidential elections taken place last Sunday, Communist leader Gennadi Zyuganov would have surely made it to the second round, with 24% of votes. In the second round, however, he would have polled less than at least three other candidates (Luzhkov, Primakov, and Stepashin) and an equal number of votes with Yavlinsky.
The data was obtained in the course of an opinion poll conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center among 1,600 respondents in late June.
ON THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR’S OATH
Izvestia, June 29, 1999, p. 2
The Federation Council adopted an amendment to the law “On the Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation” on June 25 which specified the text of the oath the general prosecutor is supposed to take: “In carrying out the duties of general prosecutor of the Russian Federation, I swear to abide by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and acting legislation, to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals and the interests of the state and society protected by the law.”
The work on the text was fast. As a legislative initiative, Senators even moved to have the chairman of the Federation Council accept the oath of the general prosecutor. The move was voted for almost unanimously. Time will tell whether the Federation Council decides to get Skuratov to take the oath, or to await a new appointee. As far as we know at this point, the president does not intend to approach Senators with a third request to accept Skuratov’s resignation…
BORIS YELTSIN MEETS WITH MINISTER SERGEEV
ORT (Russian Public Television), News program, June 28, 1999, 12:00
Igor Sergeev: The first thing we discussed in detail was the state of affairs and prospects for our participation in the peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. I briefed the president on all significant matters. We dwelt on results of the strategic command exercise after that. The president wanted to know everything there was to know about it, said that such exercises were a must, and gave orders to make them a regular event. He also backed our initiatives within the framework of the decisions made by the presidents on unification of the Russian and Belarussian armed forces… The third item we discussed was financial problems and plans for 1999.
PRESIDENT YELTSIN RECEIVES GRADUATES FROM MILITARY SCHOOLS
ORT (Russian Public Television), News program, June 28, 1999, 15:00
President Yeltsin, Premier Stepashin, and Voloshin, Director of the Presidential Administration, have received graduates from military educational establishments. The audience took place in the Kremlin.
According to the president, Russia’s leaders are keeping military reforms in the country under their constant control. Slow as they might seem, the processes are moving in the correct direction, Yeltsin added.
Yeltsin: The contours of the new army of the Russian Federation, an army which meets all requirements of the 21st century, are becoming more and more visible.
Defense Minister Igor Sergeev: This is going to be an army which will be notable not for its numerical strength but for its skill and ability to repel all threats to the country. Officer corps remains the nucleus of the Armed Forces, which is why raising the prestige of the service is so important…
Yeltsin was quoted as saying that the Russian security ministries provided a reliable barrier against crime, terrorism, and foreign secret services.
TOP COMMAND SUMS UP RESULTS OF WEST’99 EXERCISES
Russian Television (RTR), “Vesti” program, June 28, 1999, 11:00
Results have been summed up for the West’99 large-scale exercises, organized by the defense minister himself. Five military districts and three fleets (Northern, Baltic, and Black Sea) were involved in repelling the attack of a potential enemy.
The naval part of the West’99 exercises is over. Their distinctive feature was close approximation of battle conditions with all geopolitical realities taken into account.
V. Popov, Commander of the Northern Fleet: The scenario had been worked out by the defense minister and the General Staff. I can give you only my personal opinion: as I see it, the scenario takes into consideration the events in Yugoslavia and everything that has taken place in the world. The results are… well, everything is all right. Even now, I mean without knowing the opinion of the defense minister and the commander-in-chief, I’m confident that the Northern Fleet is effective.
