Mironov: Russia respects any choice of Ukrainian citizens

Chairman of the Council of Federation Sergey Mironov stated that Russia will cooperate with any president Ukrainians choose.

“We respect any choice of Ukrainian citizens if it is legitimate, based on Constitution, - he said to journalists on Monday. – In any case, friendship, common roots and wish to live in peace will always unite our countries."

Speaker accuses government of sabotage

Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov has dubbed the government's claims about the impossibility of implementing the president's task of doubling the GDP as "sabotage".

"It is nothing than sabotage when the government bends no nerve to perform the task set by the president and moreover declares that it is beyond one's powers," Mr. Mironov said at a press conference in Moscow. "These are dangerous moods," he noted.

Media digest for the period December 18 - December 23

During the last week (period from 18.12.04 to 23.12.04) over 70 publications highlighting activity of the Chairman of the Council of Federation Sergey Mironov appeared in the RF, CIS and overseas mass media.

Subjects covered include: “Comments on the situation in Ukraine”, “The new social safety net legal security”, “Russian-Iranian cooperation in the field of nuclear energy”, “Session of the Council on supporting small and medium businesses”, “Session of the Council on agriculture and industry”, “Session of the Interim Commission on low-cost housing”.

Media coverage of the session of the Council on agriculture and industry

On December 21 Chairman of the Council of Federation Sergey Mironov moderated the session of the Council under the Chairman of the Council of Federation on agriculture and industry. The subject discussed was “About the existing legislation regulating the cooperative movement in Russia and suggestions on its improvement”.

Representatives of the Federation Council, directors of agricultural and industrial sectors, scientists took part in the discussion.

Regions prepare for the new social reform

The regular session of the standing commission for the new social safety net legal security took place on December 17 at the Council of the Russian Federation.

The commission was created with a purpose to thoroughly analyze readiness of the regions to secure the law on the welfare benefits monetisation.

Mironov: blaming Russian special services for poisonong Yushchenko is nonsense

Russian Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov believes that the version of the Russian special services' involvement in the alleged poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko is nonsense.

This version was forwarded by Boris Nemtsov in a recent interview.

"This is nonsense," Mr. Mironov told journalists.

The speaker criticized the statement of a U.S. senator that Yushchenko-led Ukraine may join NATO in 2007 already.

Iranian president calls opinion exchange between russia and iran on nuclear energy issues positive

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called the exchange of opinions between Russia and Iran on the issues of nuclear energy positive.

According to press service of the Iranian president, during a meeting with Russian Federation Council (upper chamber of the parliament) Speaker Sergei Mironov, who visited Iran on December 11-12, Mr. Khatami praised the Russian position, which supports the right of Iran to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and said "the exchange of opinions between Moscow and Tehran on the issues of nuclear energy is positive."

Sergei Mironov: no outside pressure will undermine Russia-Iran cooperation

No outside pressure will be able to undermine Russian-Iranian cooperation, believes Sergei Mironov, Speaker of the Federation Council, or Russia's upper house of parliament.

On Saturday, Mr. Mironov held talks in Tehran with Qolam-ali Hadad Adel, Chairman of the Majles (parliament). The senior Russian MP pointed out to his Iranian counterpart that one of the major premises for Russia's foreign policies is the development of good-neighborly and wide-ranging relations with Iran.

Sergei Mironov: Moscow highly assesses Iran's position on Chechnya

"Russia highly assesses Iran's principled position on the situation in Chechnya," Russian Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov said addressing the Iranian Majles (parliament) on Sunday.

"Iran's support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation has a positive influence on the present and future of Russian-Iranian relations. We assign priority to the fact that Iran resolutely condemns all forms of terrorism," Mr. Mironov stressed.

Sergei Mironov on Russian-Iranian common interests

"Moscow and Tehran have a high level of trust and understanding because our countries share a wide range of common national interests," Russian Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov said addressing the Iranian Majles (parliament) on Sunday.

"We come out for the development of confidential dialogue with Iran in many spheres, taking into account the complicated regional situation. Moscow believes that Russian-Iranian good-neighborly relations are highly important for the national security of both countries and stability in the region and in the world," Mr. Mironov said.

Iran hoping for Russian help with construction of its new nuclear power plant

Iran hopes Russia will help it in the construction of a new nuclear power plant, Sergei Mironov, Speaker of the Federation Council, or the upper Russian parliamentary house, said at a press conference following talks with senior Iranian government officials.

"As the Chairman of the Iranian Parliament pointed out during our talks, they [the Iranians] hope their next nuclear power plant, too, will be constructed by Russia," Mr. Mironov said.

The Speaker heads for the South

Tomorrow the Chairman of the Council of Federation Sergey Mironov sets off on a four-day trip to Iran and Kazakhstan.

In Tehran Sergey Mironov and the Iran officials will discuss the prospects of bilateral cooperation in the sphere of atomic energy.

Ambassador of Iran in Russia met with the Chairman of the Council of Federation.

On December 9 meeting of the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Russia Golyama Reza Shafei with the Chairman of the Council of Federation Sergey Mironov took place.

During the meeting the parties discussed issues of bilateral economic and political cooperation and the program of Sergey Mironov’s visit to Tegeran scheduled for December 11-12. According to the press-service of the Iran Embassy in Moscow, Chairman of the Council of Federation is invited to Iran by the Speaker of the Islamic Council Assembly (Medzhlis) of the Islamic Republic of Iran Golyam Ali Haddad Adel.

Common sense must overpower

Common sense must overpower.

That’s what the head of the Council of Federation Sergey Mironov said to the journalists, commenting on the situation in Ukraine. He believes in wisdom and common sense of Ukrainian politicians and regards the current events with discreet optimism as the citizens wait for the Supreme court decision, understanding the necessity to act within the legal regime.

Key Unit of the Economy

Mr. Sergey Mironov, the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, thinks that insufficient crediting is one of the most serious problems for the modern national economy. The distribution of financial resources among different regions of the country is very irregular. Regional enterprises and businessmen working outside the Central federal district and large Russian cities are often in bad need of financial resources.