Russia has invited Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to consider buying a stake in the Magadan 2 field operated by Rosnett in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. 

The Deputy Energy Minister of Ryussia Yury Sentyurin extended the invitation while speaking to reporters in New Delhi. Mr. Sennyurin said that the size of any possible stake was up for negotiation.

India which imports about 80 per cent of its oil needs is on the hunt for supplies to power its near two trillion dollar economy while Russia is keen to tap its vast offshore reserves.

India and Russia have decided to accelerate their economic ties and agreed to factor in New Delhi's liability concerns in their techno-commercial negotiations for units III and IV of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.

After talks with the visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in New Delhi on Monday, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters at a joint press conference that both the sides discussed the preparatory work for units III and IV.cost of electricty has risne because of delay...at the end societ as whole and people invidualy have tp pay for it.

Saying that a techno-commercial agreement is being negotiated, he expressed hope that a mutually satisfactory result will be arrived at.

Mr. Krishna was responding to a question on the progress on units III and IV of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, which is embroiled in differences over perceptions over India's civil nuclear liability.

Both Krishna and Rogozin agreed to step up trade and investment and shared the perception that the economic ties between the two countries are much below potential. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin co chaired the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission meeting on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC TEC) during which they also deliberated on these issues.The two leaders agreed that efforts have to be made to achieve the desired bilateral trade target of 20 billion US Dollars by 2015.

Ahead of his meeting, Rogozin had on Sunday said the cost of the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam atomic power plant would escalate if it is brought under the purview of India's civil nuclear liability law over which differences remained.

Differences in perception over the nuclear liability law have become a bone of contention between India and Russia in negotiations on units III and IV. The law makes foreign suppliers liable for compensation in the event of accident.

Russia argues that the civil nuclear liability law should not apply to these units as the agreement on them predates the 2010 civil liability law, and could be seen as grandfathered by the original 1988 agreement while India has clearly stated that making an exception for Russia will amount to diluting its law which will encourage the US and France to seek similar exemptions, which it cannot afford.

The estimated cost of units III and IV is 6.4 billion Dollars , of which 3.4 billion will be taken care of by Russian state credits.Rogozin has given an assurance that the reactors were safest in the world.

The visiting dignitary also asserted that it was important to understand the liability and responsibility of Indian and Russian governments in creating a favourable and stable investment climate as far mutual business was concerned.

A Russian court has freed one of the members of the all-female punk band Pussy Riot. 

1. अनुभवहीन युवक
2.  पंक रॉक संगीत

However, it has upheld the jail sentence for two others for an unsanctioned protest at a Moscow cathedral. 

The judge at the Moscow city court issued a suspended sentence for Yekaterina Samutsevich, saying she was thrown out of the cathedral by guards before she could take part in the performance.

But the judge upheld the two-year prison sentence of Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. All three women were convicted in August of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. They argued in court today their impromptua short musical passage that seems to have been made spontaneously without advance preparation performance was political in nature and not an attack on religion. 

The trio was arrested on the altar of Russia's most prominent Orthodox cathedral in January, after they called on the Virgin Mary to deliver them from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has dismissed the Russian proposal for a new United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria as pointless. She was speaking at the end of the Asia Pacific Summit at Vladivostok.

On Saturday the Russian Foreign Minister Sargey Lavrov said his country would push for the adoption of the Geneva Communique which calls for a cease fire and the formation of a transitional government.

 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says, the US administration wants to normalise trade relations with Russia. She said the government is working closely with the US Congress to get the necessary legislation passed.

Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Vladivostok, she said she welcomed Russia's commitment to playing a greater role in the Asia-Pacific region. She said there are, however, concerns in the US Congress about Moscow's support for Iran and Syria, as well as its broader human rights record.

Speaking at the summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao promised to maintain economic growth to support global recovery. Hu said China will pursue steady policies and seek to boost domestic demand. He said all countries in the region shared a responsibility to maintain peace and stability.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is hosting the summit, has expressed concern about the world economy, and particularly Europe's debt crisis. Putin said the recovery of the global economy is faltering and it is important to follow the fundamental principles of open markets and free trade.

 Russian President Vladimir Putin today urged Western and Arab powers to reassess their stance on Syria and ensure the security of its current leadership in any power transition process.

The Russian strongman also warned White House hopeful Mitt Romney about his hawkishयुद्धकारी approach to foreign policy and hinted strongly that he would prefer to see US President Barack Obama return for a second term.
hawkish congressman
- warlike policies
In a wide-ranging television interview released ahead of a weekend Asian summit in the Russian port of Vladivostok Mr. Putin spell out his first detailed view of Syria since Kofi Annan's resignation as crisis mediator.

The Kremlin chief bristled at the idea to get angry that Russia should for some reason bow to unrelenting Western pressure and cede its support for the leadership of Moscow's last big Arab world ally. having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.
Examples कँटीला 
- bristly shrubs
- burred fruits
- setaceous whiskers

Mr. Putin said, the most important thing is to end the violence and to force all the sides in the conflict to sit down at the negotiating table, determine the future and ensure the security of all the participants of the domestic political process.

Putin has previously rejected providing asylum to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and insisted that it still viewed either him or his representatives as an instrumental part of the negotiating process.

 Russia formally became a member of the World Trade Organisation today after 18 years of often  marked by strong resentment or cynicism  negotiations. Russia agreed to reduce import tariffs on goods, including food and cars and to relax controls on overseas companies entering its financial and telecom sectors. Russia will be the 156th member of the WTO.
WTO requires that any country that seeks to benefit from it must apply the same trade rules to all member countries. Russia negotiated for membership for 18 years, beginning when the WTO was called the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

n Russia, the anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny has been charged with embezzlement in a case which he has described as "strange and absurd". Federal investigators in Moscow brought charges over a timber deal in the Kirov region in which he was involved as an unofficial adviser three years ago. The case was previously investigated and dropped by regional prosecutors. Mr Navalny, who was also ordered not to leave the country, suggested the new charges were aimed at discrediting him. 

Supporters of the anti-corruption lawyer, who led mass protests in Moscow against Russian leader Vladimir Putin this winter, demonstrated outside the offices of the Investigative Committee (SK) in Moscow, where he was charged today. Mr Navalny faces between five and 10 years in prison if convicted.

A day after the double veto by Russia and China on a resolution on Syria , the UN security Council is expected to vote on a British resolution seeking to extend the mandate of its unarmed Observer Mission in Syria by 30 days. The 90 days mandate of the UNSMIS expires midnight tonight. A day ahead of the vote UN sent its top military official General Babacar Gaye to Damascus to take charge of the operations. 

AIR West Asia Correspondent says that the UN Supervisory Mission in Syria, UNSMIS was sent to monitor the ceasefire in the country as a part of six point Annan peace plan to end the violence. It has 300 unarmed military observers and 100 civilian staff . However it suspended its activities on June 16 due to escalation in violence and increased risk to the unarmed observers. 

The mission led by the Norwegian General Robert Mood has been criticized by the many western nations and the Syrian opposition of not being effective in its mandate. United States has said it is not in favour of extending the term of mission after the double veto by Russia and China last night. Now the only recourse left is to extend the mandate of the mission by another 30 days as a part of a British resolution. Russia had put up another resolution to extend the term of the mission by another 90 days but it couldn’t muster( इकट्ठा करना) the required support of nine members for the UN Security Council approval. If no decision is taken the UN Observer Mission in Syria would have to be disbanded. 

Indian sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik has won the ‘People's Choice' Gold Medal at the second World Sand Sculpture Championship in Moscow. The celebrated sand artist sculpted replica of the showman of the millenium, Raj Kapoor's face. Mr. Pattnaik's rendition( व्याख्या) of Raj Kapoor, was highly acclaimed by visitors, who voted him for the top prize. The iconic actor is seen as the symbol of Indo-Russian Friendship.

The theme of this year's championship was ‘World cinema'. The artists were required to give their vision of famous movies from famous directors with famous actors in their sand creations. Artists from 11 countries, including India, the United States, Russia, UK, Italy and the Czech Republic, took part in the championship.
He had earlier won the Berlin world championship for his sand sculpture on spreading awareness about global warming.

India and Russia have agreed to accelerate their efforts to achieve the 20 billion US Dollars trade target by 2015. The bilateral trade between the countries stood at 9 billion U S Dollars in 2011. Addressing a joint press conference with the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the trade figures for the first quarter of this year are encouraging but more efforts are need to be done. He said, during the Inter Governmental Commission meet, the focus was on economic aspects of relationship between the two contries.

Mr Krishna said, besides discussion on strategic sectors, both the sides also reviewed progress on some initiatives undertaken after Annual Summit in 2011 at Moscow. These include the joint drive to harness the benefits of modernisation and industrial cooperation by pooling in the vast human and scientific resources of the two countries. The External Affairs Minister said the first meeting of Joint Working Group set up in this connection will take place shortly.

Mr Dmitry offered Russian expertise in the field of energy, particularly atomic energy. He said India is experiencing tremendous industrial growth and energy is required for it. He said Moscow can provide safe and secure Nuclear Power Station. Mr Dmitry said, both the countries is now venturing in to the joint production instead of bilateral trade.

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister said that both the sides can cooperate in the field of knowledge, air and space technologies. Both countries can produce combat air crafts, multitask interceptors and helicoptors. The Russian leader asserted for more business to business contacts. He also advocated for easy VISA regime to enhance trade between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister was given a presentation about the missile's capabilities and recent achievements along with live demonstration of the mobile launcher. The two sides had formed the joint venture to produce the supersonic cruise missiles in 1998 and since then, all three wings of the Indian armed forces have ordered Brahmos.

Russia today urged all Syrian sides to stop hostilities simultaneously to end the 16-month crisis in the country. Ahead of UN-Arab League joint special envoy Kofi Annan's second visit to Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference that the Syrian sides should also synchronically withdraw heavy weaponry and armed forces from cities under the UN mission's control. 

Lavrov said the calls for Russia to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down are unrealistic, as the president still enjoys supports from a significant part of the Syrian people.

A UN report has said, major global companies consider India their third most favoured destination after China and the United States and investment inflows could increase by more than 20 per cent both this year and the next.

Releasing the UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2012, Mr. Nagesh Kumar, Chief Economist, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific said, Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into India leapt 30 per cent to nearly 32 billion dollar in 2011. He said, though held back by slow pace of reforms, it still remains a long way down the league table of FDI recipients. China drew 124 billion dollar last year, while Brazil attracted nearly 67 billion and Russia 53 billion dollar.

Some 179 global companies - from the manufacturing, services and primary sectors - were surveyed between February and May, on their favoured investment destinations for 2012 to 2014. Mr. Kumar said FDI growth seems to be keeping its momentum in 2012.

The Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin met the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Wst Bank city of Bethleham today. The two leaders held talks on the Middle East Peace Process.

Putin’s visit follwed his meeting with top Israeli leaders in Jerusalem yesterday where he discussed the way forward to restart the stalled peace talks.

Palestinians say the talks will be held only if Israel goes back to the borders in `1967 , freezes new settlements and releases detainees while Israel says talks will take place only without any pre condition. Russia is a member of the peacemaking Quartet, which also includes the United States, European Union and the United Nations to help revive the peace process in the Middle East.

Putin will wind up West Asia tour with a visit to Jordan where he will have a meeting with King Abdullah II.

India and Russia are to step up their bilateral trade to 20 billion dollars by 2015. Announcing this at St. Petersburg today, the two countries will double their trade from nine billion dollars in five years. He was addressing a group of political and business leaders from Russia and India at the third India-Russia Business Dialogue.

According to an official release says Sharma emphasised on the need for diversifying trade basket by having more value added products. He said it will help to boost two-way trade as the current profile of trade is dominated by commodities with large imports of iron, steel, fertilisers and oil from Russia. He also stressed on boosting two-way investments.

India and Russia are readying to hold their annual joint counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency army war game in August this year in Buryatia in southeast Russia. The exercise, to be called Indra-2012, will witness about 250 troops from each side matching their skills and understanding each other's standard operating procedures in exercises to eliminate terrorists and insurgents.

According to Army headquarters,the war game will take place at a training area in Buryatia, which falls under the Russian Army's Eastern Command.

The last Indra exercise was held in India's Uttarakhand state in October 2010, when about 250 troops from each side carried out manoeuvres in the garrison town of Chaubatia near hill resort Ranikhet.

Indian Army troops will get acquainted with Russian military equipment during exercise in the first stage, after which they will get to participate in joint tasks to get trained in standard operating procedures. Later, the two sides will carry out a synchronised counter-terrorism operations.

British foreign secretary William Hague has described the situation in Syria as similar to Bosnia in the 1990s, and refused to rule out the option of military intervention. Mr Hague said, Syria is on the edge of a collapse or of a sectarian civil war, and nothing can be ruled out. 

Mr. Hague urged Moscow to use its influence over Damascus to get the violence stopped. He said, he welcomed in principle, the Russian proposal for an international conference on Syria, but warned it must lead to a change and not just buy time for the regime to kill more people.

The Russian Strategic Rocket Forces, RVSN, has successfully test-fired a Topol RS-12M Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, ICBM, local media reported today.

Spokesman for the RVSN, Colonel Vadim Koval told reporters that the missile, launched yesterday from Kapustin Yar launch site in the southern Russian region of Astrakhan, hit the target in Sary Shagan range in Kazakhstan with required accuracy.

The RS-12M Topol is a single-warhead ICBM that entered service in 1985. The Russian military announced last year the service life of the Topol missile could be extended to 2019.

The 45-ton three-stage missile has a maximum range of 10,000 km and can carry a nuclear warhead with a yield of 550 kilotons

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has renewed calls for Russia to withdraw its forces from two breakaway republics of Georgia. Clinton made(issues) the call when she met with Georgian leaders today in the Black Sea resort of Batumi to discuss security and political issues. She said the United States remains steadfast in its support for her host's sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Mrs. Clinton said the US rejects Russia's occupation and militarisation of Georgian territory and calls on Russia to fulfill its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement, including withdrawal of its forces to pre-conflict positions and free access for humanitarian assistance. 

Russian troops remain in the provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which declared independence from Georgia after the brief 2008 war between Georgia and Russia.

Bangladesh and Russia on Monday signed two MOU’s as part of their co-operation to build Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant.

As per one of the MOU’s signed Russia will support Bangladesh in developing the entire range of human resources in nuclear power sector covering different tiers of managerial, technical and operational personnel, and eventually developing broad-based academic and training capabilities in Bangladesh.
The second Memorandum would pave way for establishing Information Centres in Bangladesh aimed at generating awareness among people, especially the younger generation, on various aspects of nuclear energy and nuclear power plants, including functioning, maintenance and safety measures in the nuclear plants.

Earlier last week, the Bangladesh parliament passed the country’sfirst Atomic Energy Control Bill-2012 which has provisions to set up the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority as part of its efforts to build the country’s first Nuclear power plant.

Bangladesh signed an agreement with Russia in November last year for the construction of the nation’s first Nuclear Power plant at Roopur with two Nuclear reactors of 1000 megawatt capacity each.