TODAY: Medvedev denounces corruption as main problem in Russia, argues business mentality needs transformation, does not rule out standing at 2012 elections and hints at a possible U-turn on Iran.  NATO chief calls for closer cooperation with Russia; Medvedev suggests US was prime obstacle to WTO bid.  Military deal with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  CPJ report highlights neglect regarding unsolved journalist murders.'We are not used to saying 'we have a dream' in my country ... but this is my political vision':  Medvedev has promised to 'squeeze' corruption out of Russia with a reform program laid out at a Valdai debate club meeting.  The President also told the audience that the ...

Following the publishing of President Dmitry Medvedev's extended liberal thought piece, which at least one commentator said may as well have been penned by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the Kremlin convened a conference yesterday in Yaroslavl entitled "The Modern State and Global Security."According to the Reuters report, attendees from the state-approved opposition (Zhirinovsky can come, but Nemtsov can forget about it) spent the time discussing the social compassion of Joseph Stalin, berating American democracy, while a visiting Chinese scholar denounced the evils of separatism (hard to know if this was a shot at Russia's conduct in Georgia).  Even with the Prime Minister of Spain in attendence, the sideshows attracted the most attention.  The salient message to take home ...