The Economies Collide

The US and Russia are to begin formal economic talks at ministerial level, the US embassy in Moscow has said.

Increased investment and trade between the two nations has allowed their relationship to develop, it added.

This is despite several disagreements over issues including US plans for a missile defence shield.

The first dialogue - to include various US departments and agencies, Russian ministries and business communities is scheduled for spring in Washington.

Link to Article

The increased communication between the US and Russia over economic issues is a big deal. These talks can have a great positive impact on the relationship between the two countries. It can help to smooth over differences that we may have had in the past, and it shows the US's commitment to help other countries grow and prosper.

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Medvedev's Goals

Mr Medvedev, a first deputy prime minister, told lawyers it was "necessary to give state employees more thorough and better legal training". President Vladimir Putin has named Mr Medvedev as his preferred successor. The election will be held on 2 March.

Mr Medvedev has refused to take part in live TV debates with rival candidates. The BBC's Russia analyst Steven Eke says a powerful public relations machine has been set in motion to groom Mr Medvedev as the nation's next leader. He is also chairman of the state energy giant Gazprom.

Read the Full Story [Here]

With Medvedev now exceeding Putin with the people, he has announced some of his goals. He has lead on that their is no tension between Russia and the West. He has also insisted all of the political figures in Russia should get more training, and he is pushing for a huge leap of modernization. With Medvedev refusing to participate in debates, it seems he believes he is higher than all the other candidates.
Also since he is trying to modernize and keep much of Russia's plans secret, Russia may very well become a super power once more. The soviet Union only remained a super power because of its secrecy, and it seems that Medvedev would like to return to this state of secrecy and supremacy.

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Out with the Old, In with the New

Vladimir Putin’s framed photos have been put up on sale
in Russia. Prices on Putin’s framed photos have been cut due to forthcoming presidential election in the nation.

Putin’s persona, the Vladimir Putin brand, goes out of
fashion slowly but surely. Russians are developing a new political addiction – Dmitry Medvedev, Putin’s protégé, his official successor. The propaganda machine has been taking great efforts to promote the new brand across Russia. The new brand, Dmitry Medvedev, has thus been outshining his predecessor – Putin.

It is worthy of note that political factors are intertwined with economic ones. Germany’s Die Welt wrote, for example, that the production of vodka under trademark Putinka has been declining in Russia. Until recently, the brand has been brining the profit of 330 million euros a year.

Read the Full Story [Here]

Russia is now pushing Putin out and getting ready for Medvedev. Prices have dropped with everything that has to do with Putin and they are being replaced by Medvedev. There is no doubt that Russia will be just as supportive of thier new president as the old. But this raises the question, will Russia lose focus of Putin and soely focus on Medvedev? Will they pay any attention to Putin as Prime Minister? But more importantly will Putin allow himself to drift out of popularity, or will he struggle to stay in the spotlight? Only time will tell if he will go peacefully or if he will try to keep the people. The people may not listen to him as much as he had wanted.

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Dimitri is pretty much a guarantee

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Dmitry Medvedev, named by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month as his favoured successor, launched his personal Internet site on Wednesday.

Photographs on the Web site show Medvedev standing behind Putin, leaning in to listen as Putin speaks across a dinner table, walking without a necktie next to Putin and standing alone while petting a bunny rabbit.

Russia votes to replace Putin, constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third term, on March 2. Medvedev leads in all polls by an overwhelming majority and is expected to win outright in the first round.

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From the beginning Medvedev has been a favorite for the successor to Putin and this trend seems to be continuing. From this we can see the power that Putin holds over his people. By simply telling them Dimitri is the man for the job, they agree. From our point of view we might see Putin as restricting his people’s rights and maybe even oppressive, but in the eyes of the Russian people Putin is a god. So is it better to respect your leader and possibly live where your rights are abridged, or is it better to live where you are free but not respect your leader?

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Russian model dies defending her Porsche Cayenne from hijackers

Anna Loginova, a 29-year-old woman, a former model, the head of a private security firm, died trying to defend her Porsche Cayenne from a hijacker.



At night of January 27 Anna arrived on her prestigious car to Moscow’s Novomarinskaya Street to purchase a kitten from someone. The next moment a Russian-made car stopped near the silvery Porsche. A young dark-haired man stepped out of the car and ran towards Anna’s vehicle....

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Murder is a tragic event, when one human kills another most people agree that killing is in our human nature, but when one person over posessions that is not in our human nature.

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Russia Limits Election Monitors

Four hundred observers will be able to monitor the vote, election commission head Vladimir Churov announced. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE, will be restricted to just 70 observers.

The OSCE (the largest European monitoring group) sent almost 400 observers last time. The issue of foreign observers has become a source of friction between Russia and the West after Russian authorities cut the numbers right down for the parliamentary election last month.

This, along with delays to visas and restrictions on what could be said publicly about the conduct of the election, led the OSCE to abandon its mission to Russia.

Read the Full Story [Here]

Further cutting of the foriegn monitors will only increase Russia's headbutting with the Western world. Most foriegn monitors wonder if its even worth the hassel this time. There is not really a struggle in the elections. It is clear that Medvedev will win president and Putin will for Prime minister. So why go through all the trouble of Visa's and what not?

Other than the already known outcome, Only 70 foriegn monitors from OSCE can go. With Russia and the western world already exchanging harsh glances, I don't think Russia further limiting foriegn monitors would help relations. However since this is an election already won by Medvedev, then hopefully no serious hostile tension will be established over this.

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Affordable, Accessible, Attainable Uranium: Russia

The eighth and final batch of Russian nuclear fuel, which is necessary for the initial stage of operation of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, was delivered to its construction site, Itar-Tass quoted the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) as saying.

The shipment of 8.6 metric tons of uranium fuel completed Russia's promised nuclear fuel deliveries to the Bushehr power plant, which is located in southwestern Iran.

So far, all fuel necessary for the initial stage as well as all necessary equipment has been delivered to Iran, the AEOI said in a communique.

"The total amount of supplies has made up 82 tons of nuclear fuel enriched to 1.6-3.6 percent (235U)," said the communique.

"Supplies were made with adherence to all safety demands," it added.

Read Full Story...

As indicated in an earlier post Iran has been receiving shipments of Uranium from Russia. As of yesterday all of the necessary fuel to complete the power plant under construction has been delivered. It is still said that all safety requirements are being met and that the Uranium is strictly for the power plant, but only time will tell...

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Comments or Questions...

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Female smokers 'double in Russia'

Smoking rates have more than doubled in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, researchers say. The Bath University-led team said "aggressive targeting" of women by tobacco firms was behind the rise. Researchers monitoring 7,000 people over 11 years found 7% of women smoked in 1992, compared with 15% in 2003, the Tobacco Control journal reports. Manufacturer British American Tobacco said the increase was...

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In the U.S smoking is implemented to alleviate depression, if the smoking rate has increased then I believe that peoples depression in Russia has increased.

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Russia may ban entry of Indian farm products

Exports of bulk tea, coffee, rice, tobacco and sesame seeds to Russia have come under threat. The Russian authorities are reported to be considering a ban on imports of plant products from India on the basis of detection of kharpa beetle pest in an Indian consignment of sesame seeds that landed in Russia recently. The ban is reported to become effective January 28. The Russian authorities have apparently...

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India is currently a third world country, they do not have special externimators to kill these harmful disease that will kill many people.

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Assessment Complete

Russia Resumes Flight Runs

He said two Tu-160 bombers tested the missiles in neutral waters in the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France and Spain on Tuesday. The jets were tracked by British and Norwegian planes, the official said. The exercises come amid Russia's growing military assertiveness in recent years.

Russia has also recently resumed long-range patrols by its bomber aircraft. The practice was suspended after the collapse of the Soviet Union and was revived last August as part of a more assertive foreign policy pursued by President Vladimir Putin.

"The crews of two Tu-160 planes... are successfully carrying out exercises over the Atlantic and firing rockets," Col Alexander Drobyshevsky, an aide to Russia's air force commander, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. Read the Full Story [Here]

It appears that Russia is now complying more with international law. They did this flying in neutral airspace which is good considering almost ever move they make is closely watched. This implies that their economy may be improving giving them the money to fund these runs, and Russia's growing military leads us to believe that they want back their status as a super power.

I believe the UN should keep a close watch on how far Russia's military grows, because a Russia that is to powerful could result in war, panic, and another Soviet Union.

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Against New Iran Sanctions

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the draft agreed on Tuesday did not require tough new measures against Tehran. But it does call for countries to be vigilant in their trade with Iran, Mr Lavrov said. Diplomats said on Tuesday the draft agreed by the foreign ministers of the five permanent Security Council members and Germany would impose new sanctions.

Mr Lavrov stressed the draft resolution did not mention strict sanctions, but would call on "countries to be vigilant in developing trade, economic, transport and other relations with Iran so that these relations are not used to transfer illegal, banned materials that can be used in nuclear affairs".

"For as long as the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) has unresolved issues regarding Iran, these restrictions will remain in force," he said.

Read the full story [Here]

I find it extremely interesting that Russia is putting so much emphasis on the fact that no true sanctions are necessary, and only regulations on nuclear materials should be initiated. Russia has made it extremely evident that they disagree with any "sanction" on Iran, but they supposedly will support the move to stop the nuclear materials from entering Iran.

With all the protection from Russia i seriously doubt that the "regulations" will do much good. This will probably effect Iran very little if at all. With Russia protecting them, there are little peaceful things we can do.

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Alcohol-driven domestic crime on the rise in Russia

MOSCOW, January 24 (RIA Novosti) - Alcohol-driven domestic crime in Russia has leaped by one third in the past five years, the Interior Ministry's public order department said on...

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This shows the amount of effort the Russians are putting in, in order to eliminate drunk driving compared to the U.S whose domestic crime has most likely decreased by one third.

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Russia: Your one stop shop for nuclear fuel

Iran received a sixth shipment of nuclear fuel Thursday from Russia, destined for a power plant being constructed in the southern port of Bushehr, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The report said the 11-ton load of enriched uranium arrived in Iran and was transferred to the light-water Bushehr nuclear power plant on Thursday morning. The remainder of the fuel will arrive in two separate shipments in the coming weeks, it said.

Iran received the fifth shipment of nuclear fuel from Russia on Tuesday. The first shipment arrived on December 17 after months of dispute between the two countries, allegedly over delayed construction payments for the reactor.

Iran has said Bushehr, the country's first nuclear reactor, will begin operating in the summer of 2008, producing half its 1,000-megawatt capacity of electricity.

Russia's decision to ship nuclear fuel to Iran follows a US intelligence report released last month that concluded Tehran had stopped its nuclear weapons program in late 2003 and had not resumed it since. Iran says it never had a weapons programme.

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This report of Iran's reception of their nuclear material raises many questions. Why did they chose Russia to buy Uranium for, and is Iran really using it to make a power plant or are there other intentions. If it turns out that the power plant is a cover up it will mean much trouble for Iran and Russia alike.

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What was Stalin hiding...

Science fiction and spy movies in which characters take truth potions, youth elixirs and different pills that give them superb physical strength may not be absolutely fictitious. Secret laboratories of intelligence services develop various drugs capable of either destroying or upgrading any person. Russia is not an exception at this point.

Interpreter Stanislav Lekarev worked in a building adjacent to former NKVD prison in Moscow for several years. Horrific rumors envelop this building. One of them said that prisoners were used as guinea pigs there to test poisons on them. Lekarev also said that poisons and toxins from all over the world were collected and studied in that secret laboratory.

Even recipes of Ivan the Terrible’s healer (known as Doctor Elisey) were studied in the laboratory. It is known that graduated from the University of Cambridge with doctor’s degree. He made special poisons which could kill a human being at the time required by the monarch. Eventually it was the tsar himself who poisoned Elisey as he had become potentially dangerous.

Stalin also had a similar poisoner - Grigory Mairanovsky, who headed the secret laboratory in the above-mentioned building. His favorite poison was curarine which causes cardiac insufficiency. When Stalin died, Mairanovsky was accused of illegal possession of potent agents. He denied the charges and died of heart failure rather soon.

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This new news makes us wonder if these poisons are still common in today's administrations. If Stalin was hiding secret labs that produced poisons, what could Putin be hiding. It also raises questions about Stalin's death, was it natural or brought on by his own poisons?

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Dmitry Medvedev Continues To Grow

Dmitry Medvedev, the person who has already won the reputation of Russia’s next president after Vladimir Putin named him his successor, continues to win more and more popularity in Russia nationwide. The majority of those Russians who will go to the polls on March 2, 2008 say that they will vote for Medvedev.

Medvedev has already become a new political icon for many Russians across the nation. His rating has been growing by leaps and bounds recently. A poll conducted by Russia’s Public Opinion Research Center on January 19-22 among 1,600 Russians, showed that 82 percent of the polled would be ready to vote for Medvedev if election took place next Sunday.

Read the Full Story [Here]

With Medevedev growing just popular with Russians, there is no other option for a Russian president. Medvedev is closing in on 90% approval throughout Russia. He is becoming the new Putin. This is good for the legitimacy rate in Russia, mabe with a leader that is just as popular, Russia may get its foot back into the world scope. The elections are growing even closer, Medvedev will definantly win. The power will transition smoothly and Russia may become even more stable.

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Ex-Prime Minister Disqualified from Presidential Race

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Central Election Commission said on Thursday it had grounds to disqualify former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov from running as an independent in a March presidential election, news agencies reported.

Kasyanov was Putin's first prime minister but became a Kremlin critic after losing his job in 2004.

"The number of valid signatures (in support of Kasyanov) is less than two million, which is grounds for refusing the candidate's registration for the post of Russian president," said Commission secretary Nikolai Konkin, according to TASS news agency.

...

All independent candidates who want to run as candidates for the March 2 election must provide at least two million signatures in support of their bid. No more than 50,000 names may come from any one of Russia's 85 regions.

Read More...

From this article we can learn more about the requirements for getting a political office in Russia. Most people would find it a hard task to get over two million signatures with limited numbers per regions. This can almost be seen as a way Russia keeps new people from getting into power. This control will keep drastic changes from happening, and this has probably also helped Putin maintain his position.

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Russia’s Nickel giant on sale?

United Company Rusal co-owner and board chairman Viktor Vekselberg has made an offer to Norilsk Nickel president and co-owner Vladimir Potanin to swap his stake in Norilsk for Rusal shares and cash.

Vekselberg said he discussed the possibility of a share swap with Potanin before the New Year, but detailed negotiations are yet to take place.
Rusal purchased 25% of Norilsk Nickel in December.

• Norilsk nickel is a great investment, if Vekelburg ever wanted to sell his share he would make alot of money.

2 killed, 3 injured in blast and militant attack in south Russia

Two people were killed and three injured on Tuesday in a car bomb blast and a militant attack in Nazran, a city in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Ingushetia, a local police source said.
Late on Tuesday, unknown assailants fired shots at a minibus carrying eight federal officers. Four people were injured in the attack, and one of them died on his way to hospital.

Click here for full story:

• War is a powerful aspect of life it is implemented in order to settle others disputes in this case two people died, but in most cases thousands die.

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Russia's MaryKate and Ashley?

High School Student by Day, Top Fashion Designer by Evening: Profile of Kira Plastinia, a 15-Year-Old Russian Designer By day, Kira Plastinina is like most 15-year-old girls. She goes to a Moscow high school, albeit an elite Anglo-American school, and she has a messy locker. During study halls she gossips with her girlfriends about boys and homework and shopping and celebrities. At lunch she picks at the food in the cafeteria, "the only thing that's edible are the potatoes," she told ABC News.

click here for full story:

• It is simple astonishing that a girl so young could have so much fame, although Paris Hilton would not be an ideal role model for Kira, maybe Kira could be an ideal model for Paris.

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UK Council Closed in 2 Major Russian Cities

The British Council said it was suspending operations in the cities of St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, where its offices had been ordered to close by Russian officials.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Britain felt "anger and dismay" at Russia's actions.

"We saw similar actions during the Cold War, but frankly thought they had been put behind us," Miliband told lawmakers in the House of Commons.

He said Russia's actions "are reprehensible, not worthy of a great country, and contrary to the letter and spirit of the legal framework under which the British Council operates."

Click here to read the Full Story

The relationship between the UK and Russia is getting worse by the minute, and with the closing of British Council, it doesn't look like it's going to get better. The closing was brought on after Russian officials ordered the offices to close after disputes of intimidation on Russia's part and illegal operations on Britain's part. Though the actions of Russia will not soon be forgotten by Britain.

Russia Threatens British Council

The council is "deeply concerned" about its staff's safety after its employees were interviewed by security services and a director was detained by police.Mr Miliband said the Russian ambassador in London would meet the head of the diplomatic service over the issue.

"Any intimidation or questioning of officials is completely unacceptable." The British Council says it is "deeply concerned" for the safety of its staff, after its employees in Russia were called in for interviews with the FSB security service - and some were visited by Interior Ministry officials at their homes late on Tuesday......

Click to read the [Full Story]

With Russia increasing the tensions with Britain. If British Council members are in fear of being interrogated, how will they focus on their job? Britain is going to close these councils. Russia will not like the idea, but Britain has not taken the Russian's actions lightly. Britain will be keeping a close eye on Russia for some time. This may also cause more regulations in other British Councils.

Kosovo's Future

His UN envoy earlier said that world bodies would not recognize Kosovo if it declared unilateral independence.

The Serb province's ethnic Albanians are set to declare independence with conditional US and EU backing, despite opposition from Belgrade and Moscow. Talks on Kosovo's future, brokered by the EU, US and Russia, ended last year without agreement.

Kosovo has been run by the UN since 1999, when a US-led Nato bombing campaign drove out Serb forces accused of a brutal crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatism. Ethnic Albanians now form about 90% of the province's population.

"Any resolution on Kosovo must be approved by both sides," Mr Putin argued in an article published in the Bulgarian press to coincide with his visit
to the country.


[Read the Full Story]

Russia along with Britain hates the idea of Kosovo becoming independent. Russia refuses to give up some sort of say on whether they get independence. Russia only wants them to become independent under their conditions as well as all the other former Soviet states. Serbia is willing to keep them from being independent at all costs. Russia will block them out of the UN and refuse to recognize them as a sovereign state unless both Serbia and Russia agree on their independence.

The future seems dark for Kosovo. Russia and Serbia will never agree on Kosovo's independence. I don't think Russia wants another former soviet state to become independent. What will become of Kosovo? It will either be war, or they must have extreme patience.

Russia's proposed gas deal with Serbia would give Moscow greater energy control

BELGRADE, Serbia – Plans by OAO Gazprom to take over a Serbian state oil monopoly would tighten the Russian natural gas company's already strong grip on Europe's energy market.
The deal, which could be signed Friday, is raising concern in the European Union, which has sought in recent years to limit its energy dependence on Moscow.

The sale of Oil Industry of Serbia, or NIS, is being offered solely to state-run Gazprom and at a below-market price. In return, Russia would agree to route a significant portion of a planned gas pipeline through Serbia, which stands to benefit from the transit fees on supplies being shipped to westward points in Europe..........

Read full Article
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080114-1055-serbia-russia-gasdeal.html



This shows how hard Europe is working to conserve gas, compared to the U.S. While Europe has agreed to " route a significant portion of a planned gas pipeline through Serbia, which stands to benefit from the transit fees on supplies being shipped to westward points in Europe." All the United States is doing is making cars that take less fuel, which in comparison to Europe it does not meet standards.

Russia's Economic Freedom

Russia
Rank: 134
Regional Rank: 40 of 41

Quick Facts
Population: 143.1 million

GDP (PPP): $1.6 trillion6.4% growth in 2005 6.4% 5-yr. comp. ann. growth $10,845 per capita

Unemployment: 7.6%

Inflation (CPI): 12.7%

FDI (net inflow): $1.5 billion

Official Development Assistance: n/a

External Debt: $229.0 billion

Exports: $268.1 billion Primarily petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, civilian and military manufactures

Imports: $164.7 billion Primarily machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, sugar, semifinished metal products

From The Heritage Foundation

Russia's rank of 134 is out of 157 ranked countries. Some of the countries with less economic freedom than Russia include North Korea and Vietnam. To find out more about why Russia is ranked so low visit the Heritage Foundation's website.

(This one's not for the 3 posts a week)

Why skyscrapers may kill you...

Living in high-rise buildings is very dangerous and uncomfortable. The number of skyscrapers in world’s biggest cities, including Russia’s capital Moscow, has been rising steadily during the recent years. A 93-storeyed Federation Tower and an ambitious project called Moscow’s New Ring (stipulates the construction of over 200 30-storeyed buildings) are just a few of so-called high-rise plans of Moscow officials.

Experts say that such a large number of high-rise buildings in Moscow is absolutely unnecessary. First off, skyscrapers do not fit in the Moscow architecture style. “Moscow has its own unique image formed with Stalin-era buildings and other similar constructions. Newly-built skyscrapers do not blend with the architecture of Moscow,” a spokesman for the Russian Academy of Architecture, Mikhail Philippov told RBK daily...

Living in skyscrapers has its own negative peculiarities. A human being loses highly important ties with the ground at the height of the 8th floor. It is psychologically hard for a person not to see the ground, the yard and the people. That is why Europe uses the standard of only seven floors for apartment buildings.

Story from Pravda

It is interesting that many people in Russia are resisting modernization and growth of their large capitol city. Even though the city seems to be growing at a steady rate there appears to be opposition to this growth. The idea that skyscrapers are dangerous is an interesting idea. Skyscrapers have existed for nearly a hundred years now and every year new technologies are coming out to improve the structure and design, but Russia is still opposed.

Russian jets miss Berlin show

Russia's MiG aircraft company has said it will not send its planes to the prestigious Berlin airshow because it fears they may be impounded by creditors.
MiG planned to display its new two-seater MiG-29 fighter jet and a light multi-purpose IL-103 plane at the show starting on Monday.

But a statement from the company said that "as the German judicial bodies refused to provide protection from the possible impounding of these planes at the behest of the notorious Swiss firm Noga, MiG has been forced to restrict its participation in the exhibition".
Noga says the Russian Government owes it $63m after reneging on a barter deal, under which the Swiss company supplied food and other commodities in exchange for Russian oil.

The Russian government should be scared, if you do not pay your debt, you will pay the price.

Putin's Protege

The complete list of candidacies running for the position of the Russian president will finally be exposed before the end of this month. Experts say that neither former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov nor the leader of the Democratic Party of Russia, Andrei Bogdanov, will pass the registration. According to experts’ estimates, candidacies of only three parliamentary parties will fight for votes in March of 2008.

Putin’s protege, Dmitry Medvedev, who has already earned the reputation of Russia’s next president, already started to perform some of his would-be functions. Following Putin’s example, Medvedev attended a church on Christmas night for a standing service on December 7.

Candidates from three parliamentary parties were registered at the end of 2007. Two independent nominees, Mikhail Kasyanov and Andrei Bogdanov, launched their campaigns to collect two million signatures in their own support. The signatures will have to be submitted to the Central Election Commission not later than January 16, where they will be checked during the following ten days.

Andrei Bogdanov’s pre-election campaign experiences a shortage of funds. The law stipulates the maximum of 400 million rubles for election campaigns of presidential candidates. Bogdanov can boast of raising only ten percent of the required amount. A half of this money will be spent to collect signatures, which makes it obvious that Bogdanov will not be able to compete with other runners. “It is just honorable to be a presidential candidate in Russia. It is important to get registered so that our candidate would be mentioned in mass media as a serious politician,” an official spokesman for Andrei Bodganov’s election team said. . . . . . .

Read the full story [here]

The next election in Russia appears to already be over, with Dmitry Medvedev as president. Since Putin will be leaving office, he has passed the torch to his "political partner" Medvedev. The people have seen Medvedev already taking up sought after role of president by attending gatherings and other social events. No other candidate in Russia even comes close to the lead in poles that Medvedev currently holds . He seems to have the same ideas as Putin, and has the approval of the countries people from his former role of Prime Minister and from working closely with Putin for around 17yrs.

If anyone was hoping for change in Russia due to this election, that chance is very slim. With Putin becoming Prime Minister and Medvedev becoming the new president, everything the two have worked together to accomplish will only move forward.

Prime Minister Putin

Story from The Moscow Times

President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he would accept the post of primeminister if Dimitry Medvedev becomes president, and he promised not to divert any presidential authority to the primeminister's office.

Putin, 55, said he would not change the balance of power between the president and prime minister. Under the Constitution, the powers are strongly tilted to favor the president.

Medvedev, 42, sat stone-faced in the first row as Putin spoke about him. The two had entered the hall together, walking side by side past some 3,000 party officials and journalists. Medvedev, who took the floor after Putin, pledged to continue Putin's policies, saying they would advance Russia on the international stage.

It will be interesting to see if Putin actually keeps his promise. In this quote he has said that he won't adjust powers, but there has been talk in the past that he will adjust powers in his favor to continue his reign over The Russian Federation. As Prime Minister, Putin will remain in political office, but he will give up much power to the President if the constitution remains unchanged.

Helpful Suggestions and Constructive Criticisms

I will post stuff here to help you from time to time.

Sweet!!

Cool color scheme.