COLONEL BUDANOV SCHEDULED FOR PSYCHIATRIC TESTS
Izvestia, July 26, 2000, p. 2
Colonel Budanov, who was accused this spring of murdering a Chechen girl, will be sent off for a psychiatric examination. Experts must determine if the colonel was temporarily insane at the time the crime was committed. The sentence of the court depends on the decision of the members of the expert commission.
This is the most important phase in Budanov’s case. If experts say he was temporarily not of sound mind, he will not be imprisoned for 15 years. The punishment in this case will be guided by item 107 of the Criminal Code: “imprisonment for three years”. In addition, he will be automatically amnestied.
Information about the time and place of the examination was not released: Budanov’s life is in danger because of threats from Chechen guerrillas.
PUTIN HAS NO OTHER OLIGARCHS
Izvestia, July 26, 2000, p. 3
The Presidential Administration has improved the structure of the Russian economy, by adding some representatives of a few industry sectors other than natural resources to the list of business leaders who will meet with Vladimir Putin this Friday. The government is hinting: the president will be meeting not with the oligarchs, but with business leaders and industrialists.
There are rumors that Boris Nemtsov suggested a few more business leaders should participate in the meeting, but his list was slightly cut back.
Our sources say that Anatoly Chubais, head of Russian Joint Energy Systems, will visit Finland on Friday morning, where he will meet with the Finnish president. No one is planning to cancel this meeting.
In addition to oligarchic veterans such as Vagit Alikperov, Rem Vyakhirev, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Vladimir Potanin, Mikhail Fridman, and Oleg Deripaska, there are a few business leaders on the list who are not considered to be oligarchs: Kakha Bendukidze, General Director of Joint Machine Building Plants; Vladimir Bogdanov, President of Surgutneftegaz; Dmitry Zimin, General Director of Vympelcom; Oleg Kisilev, Board Director of Impexbank; Vladimir Lisin (Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant); Alexei Mordashov (Severstal); Nikolai Pugin (Gorky Auto Works); Yevgeny Shwidler (Sibneft); David Yakobashvili (Wimm-Bill-Dann).
TO REGISTER OR NOT TO REGISTER
Tribuna, July 26, 2000, p. 2
No one intends to abolish temporary residency registration requirements in Moscow in the near future. This was confirmed by Georgy Poltavchenko, presidential envoy for the Central federal district, who only days ago zealously supported the idea of canceling Moscow’s harsh registration law, which conflicts with federal legislation. This information was also confirmed by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.
At the same time, Luzhkov put forward two contradictory arguments in favor of retaining “mandatory registration for all guests in the capital”. First, he said the decree on registration does not conflict with federal law or the Constitution. Secondly, he said that mandatory registration is a pioneering legislative initiative which ought to be supported by federal law.
After the statement of the presidential envoy, Yuri Luzhkov agreed to make adjustments to the registration system to perfect it.
ON ETERNAL FRIENDSHIP AND DEBTS
Nash Vek, July 26, 2000, p. 1
On Wednesday President Askar Akaev of Kyrgyzstan will arrive in Moscow. It is expected that the presidents of Russia and Kyrgyzstan will sign a treaty on eternal friendship between the two countries.
In addition, the presidents will sign an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the economic, educational and cultural spheres to 2009. The payment of Kyrgyzstan’s debt to Russia (about $200 million) will be the most delicate issue during the meeting.
The presidents will pay much attention to military-technical cooperation. In particular, the president of Kyrgyzstan will meet with Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeev and study Russian technical developments which are designed to defending the external border of Kyrgyzstan. It is not ruled out that the creation of an anti-terrorist center of the “Shanghai Five” in Bishkek will be discussed with the Russian military. The president of Kyrgyzstan plans to meet in Moscow with Boris Yeltsin.
Askar Akaev will stay in the Russian capital until July 28. He will then depart for Yekaterinburg, where he will participate in the opening of the Consulate of Kyrgyzstan and hold talks on economic cooperation with Governor Eduard Rossel.
THE "SEDOV" IS FREE
Komsomolskaya Pravda, July 26, 2000, p. 2
On Monday the supreme court of the French city of Brest lifted restrictions on the Russian sailing ship “Sedov”, which had been detained at the request of the Swiss company Noga. The court considers that the Murmansk Technical Institute, the owner of the sailing ship, is not responsible for the debts of the state. In addition, Noga has to pay $8,000 damages to the owner of the sailing ship and $38,000 to the organizers of the Brest 2000 regatta.
PRESIDENT THINKS WE DON’T NEED "SECURITY MONSTERS"
Rossiyskaya Gazeta, July 26, 2000, p. 1
The strengthening of national security in all respects is the main task of the Russian security ministries. They must work in close contact and cooperation. But their merger and the creation of a “super-system” is out of the question.
This was the main idea of a speech by President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with officers.
The president noted the importance of the “military strength factor” in a situation when certain forces are trying to reshape the world map. According to Putin, such attempts will be made under the guise of “humanitarian intervention”.
The president noted that international terrorism is a new threat to national security. But according to Putin, the main threat for Russia is a plan to change the strategic balance of power. In this connection, he appreciates the US-Russian communique on the ABM Treaty.
