“My confidence is founded on the high degree of interest that companies from Silicon Valley have demonstrated in relation to the Russian project. I should say that Skolkovo was able to attract not only American companies. A number of high-tech companies from other countries also joined the project.”

In January 2010, the Russian government approved the federal target program designed to bring a new technology platform for the nuclear power industry based on fast reactors.

Russian political analysts believe that a new conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia is impossible. International affairs experts in Russia also believe that the reaction of the West constitutes the acknowledgement of Russia’s position on the situation in the Caucasus.

According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the slow pace of economic expansion in Russia will stand in the way of critical economic programs that the country’s government is intent on implementing.

The sales of new passenger vehicles and small commercial cars on the Russian market went up by 28 percent in the first eleven months of the year. The number of cars sold from January until November was 1 706 254. Sales were 189 902 in November.

According to Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev, the country will pursue the objective of achieving the status of a major exporter of food products to world markets. The government is ready to establish the necessary economic mechanisms.

The Russian federal subsurface agency Rosnedra is planning to auction off the rights to explore and mine diamonds in the northwest regions of the Sakha republic, according to the agency’s Yakutsk regional division. The auctions will be conducted on December 28, 2010.

The revenue of passenger air transportation carriers in Russia stood at USD 10.1 billion in 2009. Compound annual growth was 11.4 percent from 2005 to 2009. The volume of passenger transportation increased at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2 percent from 2005 to 2009.

Lukoil’s new model would need to take into account the company’s loss of a strategic investor, namely the U.S.-based ConocoPhillips. The head of Lukoil Mr. Vagit Alekperov said that the company’s management decided to acquire a sizeable percentage of its own shares of stock. 

Mr. Vadim Zhivov, who is now the director of the Russian uranium-mining company Atomredmetzoloto is expected to receive an appointment as the president of the Canadian company Uranium One. The companies are now finalizing an asset-swap transaction.

China’s power company Yangtze Power will acquire a significant stake of EuroSibEnergo, a subsidiary of En+. Group En+ controls the energy sector companies held by Basic Element, a company of Oleg Deripaska.

The new framework agreement between Russia and the European Union can be signed as early as in 2011, according to Kremlin officials. Sergei Prikhodko has suggested that it would be fully realistic to talk about completing the draft of the basic E.U.-Russia agreement in 2011.

Rosatom and officials from the United States Department of Energy have signed an executive agreement to work together in analyzing the methods of converting Russian experimental breeder reactors from highly-enriched uranium reactors to low-enriched uranium reactors.    

The government of Belarus would be prepared to conduct negotiations with American companies if it decides to reject the project plan proposed by Russia. At the same time, it is unclear if plans for cooperation will go forward in the aftermath of Belarusian presidential elections.

The Russian State Space Agency Roskosmos has agreed to sign a protocol with NASA in December to carry out joint space exploration programs. The new cooperation initiative was announced by the head of Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov.

The joint venture of GM and AvtoVAZ that has increased its production 50 percent by beginning second shift operations has announced a recall for 1 720 Chevrolet Nivas. The company now produces 200 vehicles per day. The identified defect is a faulty break fuel line.  

Norilsk Nickel increased its revenue from sales figure by 39 percent in the first three quarters under Russian accounting standards. The revenue totaled RUR 214.371 billion, according to the company’s performance statements.

Company Vysochaishy, operating under the brand name of GV Gold, experienced a slight decline in its net profit figure in the first nine months of 2010. The company registered a fall in net profits of 0.8 percent on a year-on-year basis to RUR 986.3 million.

The Severstal-controlled Canadian precious metals producer High River Gold registered a profit of C$ 25.8 (USD 25.5) million for the third quarter of 2010. The company’s net profit in the second quarter of the year was C$ 29.3 million, while its net loss in the third quarter of last year totaled C$ 4.6 million.

Russia’s Pharmsynthez is making plans to purchase European pharmaceutical companies. The company was expected to make the announcement as to the first transaction before the end of the year, according to the chairman of Pharmsynthez’s board.

In an interview with Larry King of CNN, the Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin said that he thinks the U.S. Defense Secretary Gates does not have a truthful picture of the state of democratic advances in Russia.

The head of the European Union on foreign affairs Catherine Ashton, as well as the representatives of the six countries that participated in negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program, conducted talks with the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. 

Larisa Makhova graduated from the Stroganov Moscow High Art-Industrial School, specializing in design. While still in school, she joined the Jewelry Stones student association and discovered how to work with metals, precious stones, and enamel.