Approval of the Strategy for the Development of Civil Aviation Exports

The goal of the Strategy is to achieve a sustainable growth of exports of the aviation industry’s civilian products. The Strategy provides for comprehensive support for the Russian producers of aviation engines, component parts and instruments in securing orders and carrying out exports.

Reference

Submitted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in accordance with the priority project on International Cooperation and Industrial Exports (the project charter was approved at the meeting of the Presidential Council for Strategic Development and Priority Projects on 30 November 2016).

The Strategy for the Development of Civil Aviation Exports until 2025, hereinafter referred to as the Strategy has been approved by a signed directive.

The Strategy describes the current condition of exports in the aviation industry and determines key potential products, opportunities and priority markets for the export of aircraft and their spare parts.

The draft Strategy was elaborated in compliance with Federal Law No. 172-FZ of 28 June 2014 On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation and in accordance with the Concept for the Long-Term Socioeconomic Development of the Russian Federation until 2020 (approved by Government Directive №1662-r of 17 November 2008), government programmes On the Development of the Aviation Industry for 2013-2025, The Development of Industry and Increasing its Competitiveness, and The Development of Foreign Trade.

The goal of the Strategy is to ensure sustainable growth of exports of the Russian aviation industry’s civilian products.

The Strategy interprets the aviation industry as the totality of Russian organisations dealing with the designing, production testing, upgrading, maintenance and disposal of aviation equipment.

The key principles of the comprehensive development of exports of aviation industry products have been determined as follows:

 – support for the exports of aviation industry products must be aimed at developing exports as a whole rather than be limited to the support of aircraft manufacturing alone;

– support for the said products should be accessible both for integrated aviation industry organisations and manufacturers outside their framework, including private companies;

 – support must be rendered at all stages of the exported products’ lifecycle and priority must be given to the support of sales and aftersales service.

The Strategy provides for comprehensive support for the Russian producers of aviation engines, component parts and instruments in securing orders and carrying out their first deliveries of exports, including localisation requirements stipulated in the new aviation programmes as regards imported aircraft.

The tasks stated in the Strategy are as follows:

– providing assistance in overcoming barriers in new markets, including technical regulations and certification;

– raising the level of technological equipment and standards of work in aviation industry organisations;

 – supporting the promotion and enhancing the recognition of domestic products in foreign markets;

– building a ramified network of aftersales services and maintenance of domestic aircraft and their parts;

– prioritising the development of civilian aviation exports in integrated aviation industry organisations.




Submitting to the President of Russia the proposal to sign a supplementary protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters

Several provisions of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters have been supplemented with a special protocol to expand the scope of circumstances substantiating a request for mutual legal assistance as well as to simplify and expedite the procedure of mutual legal assistance in criminal cases. These additions are expected to increase the efficiency of international legal cooperation in criminal matters.

Reference

Submitted by the Russian Ministry of Justice.

Russian Federation is a party to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (hereinafter referred to as the “Convention”) and the Supplementary Protocol to the Convention (signed by Russia on 7 November 1996 and ratified by Federal Law No. 193-FZ of 25 October 1999).

The second supplementary protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (hereinafter the “Protocol”) was presented for signing on 18 November 2001, and came into effect on 1 February 2004.

The special protocol supplements several provisions of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters by expanding the scope of circumstances substantiating a request for mutual legal assistance as well as simplifying and expediting the procedure of mutual legal assistance in criminal cases. These additions are expected to increase the efficiency of international legal cooperation in criminal matters.

The Protocol has been ratified by 37 states.

A signed resolution formalised the decision to present to the President of Russia a proposal on signing the Protocol on behalf of the Russian Federation.

Under the federal law On the International Agreements of the Russian Federation, once signed, the Protocol is subject to ratification as it contains regulations different from those stipulated by Russian law.




18th Russian-Finnish Cultural Forum

Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipila at the forum’s opening ceremony.

18th Russian-Finnish Cultural Forum

The Russian-Finnish Cultural Forum has been held every year, alternatively in Finland and Russia, since 2000.

The main goal of the forum is to enhance the importance of culture in bilateral relations and support the development of regions of both countries.

The forum is attended by representatives of the parliaments, ministries of education, culture, foreign affairs and government agencies responsible for regional development, as well as members of creative unions, public organisations, and Russian and Finnish cultural institutions interested in promoting promising creative projects.

In 2017, the 18th Russian-Finnish Cultural Forum, “100 Images of Culture”, is taking place in St Petersburg on 21-23 September as part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Finland’s independence.

Excerpts from the transcript of the opening ceremony of the Russian-Finnish Cultural Forum 

18th Russian-Finnish Cultural Forum

Dmitry Medvedev: First of all, permit me to read out the Message of Greetings of President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation to the participants and guests of the 18th Russian-Finnish Cultural Forum:

“Dear friends,

“I cordially welcome you on the occasion of the opening of another Russian-Finnish Cultural Forum.

“This year the Forum is timed to coincide with the centenary of the independence of Finland, and its scale is larger than usual. Among its guests are representatives of government agencies, regional and local authorities, members of parliament, as well as representatives of culture and the arts, science and education.

“The extensive programme of the Forum confirms that Russian-Finnish cultural cooperation is on the rise. Active exchanges are taking place between cultural institutions, educational establishments, and non-governmental organisations. Festivals and tours of performing groups are held regularly, and useful joint educational projects are implemented.

“I expect that during the course of the discussions at the Forum new interesting ideas and initiatives will be put forward that seek to further expand bilateral cultural ties, and strengthen trust and mutual understanding between the peoples of Russia and Finland.

“I wish the participants in the Forum successful work and all the best.

“President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.”

During the past hundred years our countries have traversed a long path, which has not always been smooth. There were periods of very serious complications and periods of full-scale cooperation. Against the background of the post-war division of Europe, and indeed of the whole world, it was a unique example of neighbourliness, and we would like our relations to continue to be based on these same principles.

Our countries are close partners, and the peoples of our countries have great sympathy for each other.

This year a record number of Forum participants have come to St Petersburg.

This year also saw performances by the Bolshoi Theatre at the Savonlinna Festival, the Mariinsky Theatre at the summer musical festival in Mikkeli, the Russian Theatre Season in Helsinki, as well as Russian Film Week in the Finnish capital and Finnish film festivals in Russian regions.

Just recently, the Government submitted for ratification the decision on the status of the Finland House in St Petersburg. After the adoption of the corresponding laws, our Finnish friends will be able to call it truly their own house.  

Juha Sipila: The Cultural Forum is different from other events held in St Petersburg to mark the 100th anniversary of Finland, as it is being attended by an exceptional number of people involved in culture and the arts – 450.

There was an open search process for partners for 2,500 cultural projects. About 5,000 people were involved in this process. Talks are underway for some 140 cultural projects.

Young people are the future of the Cultural Forum, therefore, we must ensure that young participants and their projects gain more prominence in the forum in the future.

Every autumn, Finnish universities present their academic programmes in Moscow and St Petersburg at the popular Study in Finland events.

In St Petersburg, there are over 10 schools where Finnish is taught. It also taught at about 15 universities throughout Russia.

A large number of Russians or Russian-Finnish families live in Finland. Russian is taught in many Finnish schools. 

More to be posted soon…




Russian-Finnish talks

Dmitry Medvedev holds talks with Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipila.

Dmitry Medvedev’s conversation with Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipila

Conversation with Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipila

Excerpts from the transcript:

Dmitry Medvedev: It is a pleasure to meet with you again to discuss current bilateral relations, and of course international issues, as well as attend our cultural forum.

I hope that we will have productive talks today.

Juha Sipila: This is our third meeting. This time we meet as part of the centenary celebration of Finland’s independence.

We also have an opportunity to discuss a number of positive economic developments, such as growing exports, imports.




Approval of the federal targeted programme Development of Spaceports for the Period 2017-2025 to Support the Space Activities of the Russian Federation

The Programme is designed to support federal space policy by establishing fully functional ground-based space infrastructure to launch all types of domestic and prospective carrier rockets, as well as space apparatuses, in the interests of socioeconomic development, research, national defence and security, and international and commercial projects.

Reference

Submitted by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.

The foundations of the Russian Federation’s space policy to 2030 and beyond, approved by the Russian President on 19 April 2013, identify the key goals and priorities in this area. Among them are guaranteeing Russia’s access to space from its territory, contributing to the economic progress of the country by setting up and maintaining the necessary fleet of orbital space apparatuses, launch facilities, and ground-based space infrastructure to ensure the necessary quantity and quality of services in the interests of socioeconomic development and sustaining Russia’s leading position in manned space flight. To achieve that, the launch capabilities of Plesetsk and Vostochny spaceports need to be increased by creating new and upgrading existing ground-based space infrastructure.

The signed Resolution approves the federal targeted programme Development of Spaceports for the Period 2017-2025 to Support the Space Activities of the Russian Federation, hereinafter referred to as the Programme.

The Programme is designed to support state policy in the sphere of space activities by establishing fully functional ground-based space infrastructure to launch all types of domestic and prospective carrier rockets, as well as space apparatuses  in the interests of socioeconomic development, research, national defence and security, and the implementation of international and commercial projects.

 The Programme envisages, among other things:

– creating the research and technological capacity for prospective space complexes and systems, including the design of ground-based space infrastructure for rocket complexes of medium and super heavy classes currently being designed, a new generation piloted cargo ship, and technical preparations for space apparatuses based on transport and energy modules;

– establishing a heavy-class rocket complex for launching space apparatuses at the Vostochny cosmodrome, including those with dual purposes;

– upgrading technical facilities currently in use and creating new infrastructure facilities at the Plesetsk cosmodrome;

– building residential facilities with the necessary social and utilities infrastructure in the cities of Tsiolkovsky, Amur Region, and Mirny, Arkhangelsk Region.

The state contractor and coordinator of the Programme shall be Roscosmos State Corporation. The state customers of the Programme shall be Roscosmos State Corporation, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Defence and the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia.

The document was considered and approved at the meeting of the Russian Government on 13 September 2017.