Russia: Khabarovsk Territory Media Highlights 24-30 Sep 07

The following are highlights from Khabarovsk’s state-owned GTRK Dalnevostochnaya TV and municipal Guberniya TV news, the Far East supplement to Kommersant newspaper and Tikhookeanskaya Zvezda newspaper for the period 24-30 September 2007:

Political

On 25 September Tikhookeanskaya Zvezda wrote about the One Russia party’s regional conference. Khabarovsk Territory governor Viktor Ishayev, who is heading the party’s regional list of candidates for the State Duma December election, told the newspaper about One Russia’s tasks. The pro-Kremlin party’s deputies sitting for Khabarovsk Territory will continue catering to the needs of the region and lobbying for its interests, the report said. It also listed the territory’s economic achievements made over the recent years by Khabarovsk Territory, quoting Ishayev as saying that One Russia has contributed much to its steady progress. (Tikhookeanskaya Zvezda newspaper, Khabarovsk, 25 Sep 07 p 1)

Kommersant wrote on 26 September about the confrontation between the Union of Right Forces (SPS) party and the governor in Amur Region. Andrey Plutenko, the head of the SPS regional branch, said that Amur Region governor Nikolay Kolesov demanded that the party stop its election campaign and instructed him to get not more than four per cent of votes at the State Duma election, otherwise he will force him out of his post (Plutenko is the rector of Amursk State University). The SPS regional conference has adopted a letter to President Vladimir Putin asking him to sack Kolesov. (Far East supplement to Kommersant newspaper, Khabarovsk, 26 Sep 07 p 12)

The A Just Russia party’s top echelon has cancelled the results of the Khabarovsk Territory branch conference, including the adopted list of three top candidates, Kommersant reported on 26 September. The conference itself have been dismissed as illegitimate. A group of party members was planning to push through their list of candidates including Gennadiy Maltsev, a former deputy of Khabarovsk Territory duma, said Dmitriy Atroshchenko, the local party leader. Maltsev is notorious for his confrontation with the authorities of Khabarovsk Territory. The party’s federal leadership and personally Sergey Mironov changed the party list completely and several “conspirators” were expelled from the party. State Duma deputy Aleksandr Chuyev, Vladislav Achalov, a deputy defence minister in 1990-91, and Konstantin Zhukov, a deputy chairman of A Just Russia’s regional branch, currently head the party’s regional election troika.

Atroshchenko said that one of the expelled functionaries, Konstantin Skripnikov, was preparing a coup in the party. In his turn, Skripnikov said that nobody in the region knows the people now heading the A Just Russia list. “Thus, no-one will vote for the party in the State Duma election,” he added. (Far East supplement to Kommersant newspaper, Khabarovsk, 26 Sep 07 p 12)

Economic

The first assembled Superjet-100 was rolled out from a plant in Komsomolsk-na-Amure, Guberniya TV reported on 26 September. (affiliate to the Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company.) Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin, Minister of Industry and Energy Viktor Khristenko, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov, presidential envoy to the Far East Federal District Kamil Iskhakov, Khabarovsk Territory governor Viktor Ishayev as well as many foreign guests took part in this presentation. The report listed the advantages of Superjet-100, its technical specifications, adding that Superjet-100 is the first new airliner modern built in the country over the last 16 years.

“Today we have 73 confirmed orders and 39 options for the Superjet-100,” Ivanov was shown as saying. The designer of the Superjet-100, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, plans to sell 1,800 jets in the next 20 years. Dalavia Far East Airways will purchase the first six jets. Superjet-100 is to undergo flight tests this year. The deliveries of the aircraft are to begin in 2008. (Guberniya TV “Novosti” news, Khabarovsk, 1100 gmt 26 Sep 07)

Copper mines have been re-opened in Solnechnyy District, Khabarovsk Territory, GTRK Dalnevostochnaya TV reported on 25 September. The mines were shut down in mid 1990s and bought by Novosibirsk businessmen in 2002, as copper and tin prices are constantly on the rise. The tin mines will be back in operation soon; prospecting for other valuable metals is under way. Proved reserves of copper stand at 75,000 t, and those of tin ore at more than 150,000 t. There are very few mines like these in the world, the report said. (GTRK Dalnevostochnaya TV “Vesti Khabarovsk” news, Khabarovsk, 1040 gmt 25 Sep 07)

Energy

The laying of a foundation stone for a delayed coking unit has taken place at the Komsomolsk refinery, a Rosneft affiliate in Komsomolsk-na-Amure, GTRK Dalnevostochnaya TV reported on 26 September. The report named this event a sign of the times for the Russian economy. Rosneft is said to invest more than 180m dollars into the project. The president of Rosneft president Sergey Bogdanchikov said that it might be possible to take the Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline to Komsomolsk-na-Amure. From there, the pipeline will run to a terminal in the port of Vanino. (GTRK Dalnevostochnaya TV “Vesti Khabarovsk” news, Khabarovsk, 1040 gmt 26 Sep 07)

(Editorial note: The Komsomolsk refinery is currently undergoing a major expansion and modernization programme due to be completed in 2011, Rosneft’s website says.)

Environment

Guberniya TV reported on the progress of the Tungus water intake project near Khabarovsk on 28 September. First wells have already been bored and several kilometres of pipelines laid. The report also named certain difficulties in the project’s implementation (the pipeline will run to Khabarovsk along the bottom of the Amur River). The Tungus subterranean water deposit will be put into operations in three years and Khabarovsk will start receiving 100,000 cu.m. of pure water daily. (Guberniya TV “Novosti” news, Khabarovsk, 1100 gmt 28 Sep 07)

(Editorial note: People in Khabarovsk pay special attention to this project due to the chronic pollution of the Amur River.)

Originally published by Khabarovsk Territory media highlights, in Russian 30 Sep 07.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.