Tracing the policy movements of Presidential power-handler Vladislav Surkov is rather like witnessing a three-point turn in a dark alley - as a piece in the Power Vertical points out today.  Whilst transparency is the last thing once can expect from the Kremlin's shadowy ideologue, his moves of late are dizzying analysts.  Brian Whitmore identifies some of Surkov's recent twists - from the motives for his alleged involvement in the Duma walkout - to the matter of his oscillating stance on liberalizing political structures to aid economic development.Whitmore quotes from a Stratfor.com analysis, which suggests that Surkov's maneuvring is underpinned by a familiar motive: power rivalry.  In a recently published four-part series titled "The Kremlin Wars," Stratfor.com offers up one possible answer.According to Stratfor, the Kremlin is divided into two roughly ...

In advance of a meeting with the heads of some of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, Putin has defended Russia's crisis management, reiterated a commitment to 'a liberal market economy' and emphasized that when the crisis has passed, the government will diminish its intervention in the economy.  The central bank has made an unexpected cut in its key re-financing rate to 10% from 10.5% as a result of dwindling industrial production.  Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina has apparently cautiously suggested that the country's GDP decline could be lower than the official forecast.  A Standard & Poor's analyst has said that Russia is already caught in the second wave of the financial crisis.  Sberbank will provide a loan to Rusal to help it pay back its debt to Alfa Group.  VEB may acquire a ...

Turkey and EU countries have signed a transit deal for Nabucco, but analysts are still wondering where the gas to fill the pipeline will come from.  In response to the many doubters, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said, 'I believe this pipeline is inevitable, not impossible'.  Turkey has announced its hopes that Russia and Qatar will export gas through Nabucco and, despite opposition from the US, argued that Iran should be involved.  According to the FT, Iraq has offered to supply enough gas to fill half the capacity of the proposed pipeline.  The $11 billion project may make a saving on construction as steel prices drop.  The Washington Post describes how Nabucco could potentially offset fears of 'midwinter blackmail' again on the part of Russia.  Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina has said that ...

Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina has said that Russia could enter the World Trade Organization by the end of the year, with support from the EU Trade Commissioner.  The Kremlin is hoping for cooperation with the Obama administration to secure its entry.  Could Sberbank be planning to sell its Opel stake?  The bank and Magna will extend a €500 million loan to the newly acquired car manufacturer.  Wal-Mart apparently has ambitious plans for the Russian retail market.  Victor Vekselberg has said the U.S. and European government's acquisitions of shares in large banks are politicizing the financial markets.  President Medvedev has warned against over-optimistic financial forecasts and argues that what is more important is 'how we will go out of the crisis'.  He will give a talk at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum under the ...

The ruble has reached its highest point so far in 2009 as attention turns to rising oil prices.  Economic Development Minister, Elvira Nabiullina, has said that the economy may contract by up to 8% this year.  Prime Minister Putin has expressed his disappointment that Telenor has not come to an agreement on expansion with Alfa Group. The Norwegian Prime Minister has also commented that a 'forced sale' of Telenor's stake in Vimpelcom 'should not be allowed to happen before this issue is reviewed by the Russian court system'.  Putin has agreed, stating, 'our task is to ensure work to resolve this dispute in a legal framework'.  The chairman of Norilsk Nickel has said that a merger of metal companies would be recommendable once the financial crisis has ended.  What does Russia want with Opel? Reuters ...

Economists are troubled by data showing that industrial output decreased by a record 16.9% year on year in April.  Wage arrears have however fallen for the first time in four months.  Goldman Sachs has said that GDP will contract more than originally predicted this year, at 7.5% annually.  Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina has presented a $23 billion plan for small and medium-sized businesses, hoping that they will account for one third of the country's GDP by 2012.  Polyus Gold has announced that candidates put forward by Suleiman Kerimov have won four board seats, while those proposed by Mikhail Prokhorov won three.  Shalva Chigirinsky is no longer a shareholder in Sibir Energy after businessman Ruslan Baisarov took over his stock.  Farimex products is, according to Telenor, behind a probe prompted by Ukraine's Anti-Monopoly Committee into ...

TODAY: Medvedev interview for Novaya Gazeta; North Korea should return to talks says Foreign Ministry; cluster munitions reportedly used in Georgia; Medvedev concerned about unemployment; transport spending to increaseUnlike his predecessor, President Dmitry Medvedev has granted an interview to Novaya Gazeta, in an apparent gesture of 'moral support' to the newspaper, which 'has suffered many losses' - two of its reporters murdered in three years.  Comments in the interview about 'democracy' and 'prosperity' seem to distinguish the Prime Minister from his ally Putin, reports the New York Times.  The Just Russia candidate in the Sochi election, Viktor Kurpitko, has been removed from the race, leaving the United Russia candidate and Boris Nemtsov as the forerunners. The New York Times reports upon an ...

Economic Development Minister, Elvira Nabiullina, has said that a reworked anti-crisis program will soon be submitted to the cabinet.  Russia announced a budgetary deficit of $1.5 billion in the first quarter.  Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, says that the world's financial systems will have to be radically overhauled in the wake of the crisis.  Banks' bad loans may increase fourfold to $70 billion this year.  Russian Railways is predicting losses of $1.48 billion in 2009 and will make 53,700 workers redundant.  The investment branch of Russian lender VTB has created an index for foreign investors to speculate on whether the ruble will fall.  Mobile Telesystems says Blackberries will go on sale in Russia within the next two weeks.  Meat firm Cherkizovo announced a 27% increase in net income, and is positive about prospects in 2009.  ...