Windows to Russia!

Russian News From Russia: July 16th, 2009!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:09:00 PDT

Auchan to push ahead with Russian expansion:
Leading international retailer, France based Auchan, says it is not planning to pare its Russian expansion plans with another 6 stores to open this year. RT spoke with Board Member of Auchan Russia, Ludovic Holinier.

New Bulava missile test results in failure - Russian military:
A scheduled test of Russia's new Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on July 15 was a failure, the Defense Ministry's press service said on Thursday.

What the Russian papers say:
MOSCOW, July 16 (RIA Novosti)Russia tells OSCE not to mix Stalinism with Nazism / CSTO force could be deployed in south Kyrgyzstan / Georgia to withdraw from CIS this August / Stroytransgaz could sell stake in Algerian project to Rosneft

President Medvedev defends his European security proposal:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday described as a mistake the attempts to detect "foul play" in Russia's proposals for a new European security treaty.

Strasbourg court orders Russia to compensate Chechen family:
The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday ordered Russia to pay 50,000 euros ($70,200) in compensation to the relatives of a Chechen who was abducted in 2003.

Medvedev says Russia not jealous of Nabucco:
Russia is not jealous of the Nabucco natural gas pipeline project, President Dmitry Medvedev said at a joint news conference after talks with the German leader on Thursday.

Miss Moscow beauty pageant crowns winner:
Yelena Obraztsova, 25, took the crown at the Miss Moscow 2009 beauty pageant on July 15, beating fellow contestants who included school and university students, as well as graduates.

Russia air carrier hopes to win U.S. military cargo transit tender:
The Volga-Dnepr Group, Russia's largest heavy air freight carrier, is planning to take part in the transit of U.S. military supplies to Afghanistan, the company said on Thursday.

Human rights activist’s murderers will be found – Medvedev:
The murder of Russian human rights activist, Natalya Estemirova, cast a shadow over the Russian-German talks. However, President Dmitry Medvedev said he is sure the murderers will be found.

Fines and plastic bullets await Georgian protesters:
Protesting against the ruling political regime in Georgia has become harder as the country’s parliament has adopted new legislation imposing tougher penalties and stronger bans on rallies.

ROAR: Medvedev reaches out to Muslims:
The Russian president has promised Muslim leaders to assist in developing Islamic education and building a mosque in Sochi and asked them to help in fighting extremism.

Trip To American Embassy in Moscow, Russia!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:07:00 PDT

Hello,

Today I had business at the American Embassy in Moscow, Russia. I was really looking forward to meeting and talking to a bunch of Americans. I was looking forward to seeing the Marines at the guard post station. (The sign said Marine Guard Post!) I was excited about talking to Americans and seeing some people that maybe had direct news from America...

Oops - I was wrong! (The Americans had disappeared.)

The two guards out front were, Russian. The guard inside the Marine Guard Post was, Russian. The first person that I met to ask directions in the building was - you guessed it - Russian. The young lady who took all my information was, Russian. I sat all alone for a half hour in a special waiting room and everyone (5 people) that came into the room to ask a question to me was, Russian. The young guy who called me into a meeting with someone of importance was - you guessed it - Russian. The person of importance was - A Winner Jackpot - an American!

How do I know for sure? Well I am that sort of guy who asks dumb questions like: Are you Russian or an American? This became a quest to see if I could find a born and raised American. (Other than me)

When I did find such individual he was no more informative than I. He had actually been in Russia a year longer than me (4 years) and said that he only follows sports from home anymore.

I will say though that everyone was very professional and polite. I had no problems and got done what I was there to do.

So after my communication and quest session was over, I packed up my papers and left through the Marine-less Guard Post... :)

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

PS: I asked about the non Marines at the guard post, when they had a big sign that exclaimed it as such. I was told that they really do have Marines on the compound but they had other things to do...

To give credit due: The guards at the Consulate entrance were American. The Consulate entrance was packed with Russians getting paperwork done and such. The Embassy end was just little ol me... (maybe that is where all the Marines are!)

New Flat in Moscow Area in Russia!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:48:00 PDT

New Flat in Russia! This is some pictures of our new place in the Moscow Area of Russia. Moscow Area means not in Moscow City but in surrounding area. To travel to Moscow now we use a surface train, not a metro or subway anymore. So have a look at some of the pictures. But do not expect much as of now. We are still moving and have lots to do yet...

Below - Svetlana in the kitchen...

Below - The front hall...

Below - A bedroom is starting to take shape...

Below - The front hall the other way...

Below - The bathroom area... (cast iron tub)

Below - The front steel door from the inside...

Below - A look out the kitchen window...

I have big plans to beautify the front door by insulating and covering with a wood veneer to make it look like a real wood door. I do not like the normal door that Russians put up. Big vinyl covered, padded doors that cost a fortune. The door you see in the picture is what Russia applies as standard eguipment when building a new flat. So I am going to make the door beautiful. (I hope)

We have to get the rest of our stuff this Saturday moved in and then Boza the dog, gets to see his new home - Boza has not been told yet! :)

That is it for now...

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Medvedev Goes to South Ossetia: What is his Message to America?

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:26:00 PDT

President of Russia Medvedev made a strong statement a week after Obama showed up and gave his disaster of a speech of change and what Russia needs to do! (Oops, I realize that Western press ranked Obam's speech right up there with the 10 commandments of the bible for importance, but it really showed a lack of forethought.)

Medvedev gives his answer by going to South Ossetia: Russia supports South Ossetia and and will not change her mind. This meeting was to have been a Putin event but in lieu of Obama's lackluster attempt at a speech in Russia. Medvedev made a surprise visit and sent waves of shock through out Georgia. Sassy the president of Georgia came out of his hole and proclaimed that Medvedev was really a bad dude for doing that. :)

“The political meaning of the visit was to demonstrate the firmness of Russia’s positions in the strategically important region,” said Oksana Goncharenko, expert at the Center of Political Conjuncture of Russia. It was also said that “Georgia will not have territorial integrity even if Obama says this 25 times,” by Markedonov, Head of Department at the Institute of Political and Military Analysis.

Obama repeated numerous times about what Russia should change: Maybe Medvedev is telling Obama to look at America first and make changes before he spouts off about other countries and their problems.

Obama, Russia does not heed Washington's Antics!

Is that what Medvedev is saying?

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

PS: Sideline issue that contributes to whole picture:
Obama forgot (again) the most important part of visiting a foreign country. Learn ahead of time what is proper etiquette. That will create a better relationship than all the words in the world. Actions speak louder than words! Obama's actions told Russians that they were not important enough.

When Obama and wife visited Medvedev's for dinner, Medvedev and wife had gifts for the Obama's. The Obama's brought nothing not even flowers. (Flowers in Russia are very important, so important you can find flowers for sale on every corner - literally)

In Russia the guest never forgets to bring a gift for the host. NEVER!

(Obama's advisers should and do know this, as well as Obama should know this)

In Russia evening meals are never turned down if invited. These meals are important political and business meetings as well as a cultural event for special guests. Obama turned down such meals to go out on the town with his wife...

That was a no, no... Obama was here on business not a vacation!

Oops!

Moving to New Flat in Russia and 20,000 Other Things at the Same Time!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:39:00 PDT

Hello,

I was drinking that wonderful cup of coffee and thinking about the hectic schedule that Svet and I have.

Svet and I are moving to a new flat (Link). By this Saturday we should be done and then all we have to do is unpack. :)

The problem is that I also have to make a trip to Ukraine to get a new visa. I was to have gotten a work visa but Russia has virtually shut down their work visa program due to keeping jobs protected for Russians. That is fine and I understand, but it was not conveyed to us until a day late and dollar short. So that means I am taking a fast train to Kiev, Ukraine on Tuesday of next week (21st of July) to get out of Dodge (Moscow) so to speak by the 22nd of July.

So once again I get to spend a week at my home away from home away from home, Kiev! I always enjoy Kiev, Ukraine and it allows me to see what changes are happening in Ukraine.

So we have to rent a truck to move (car stolen and destroyed), order an invitation and telex it to the Russian consulate in Kiev, get train tickets to Kiev and back, get reservations for my hotel and what ever else I am not thinking of right now....

So that means that I may not be as prompt on posting articles to Windows to Russia! I will try but sometimes life gets in the way...

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Windows out of Russia: Capitalism Has it Destroyed the Real America?

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:03:00 PDT

Today lets have a look from the - Windows out of Russia!

Unemployment in the US has reached almost 10%, The 2009 budget is already plus 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) in the hole with plenty of time to sink deeper. With the jobless rate going to reach much higher levels the debt level is going to reach new heights this year. No job no money to pay taxes... (It is a viscous circle!)

Yet while the country is being crushed under a burden of debt, "the nation’s capital seems to be doing just fine with its traffic jams, packed restaurants and busy people rushing in all directions. Some even think that Washington hasn't noticed how much the rest of country is suffering." (Link - Watch the video by Russia Today.)

Washington DC is one the main benefactor of bailout money. So while the people of America are losing their jobs and houses at the fastest pace in know history. Washington DC our nations capital seems to be rock and rolling. Maybe the bailout money should have been sent to the people first and not to the politicians!

Here is a couple of quotes for you to stew over:

“In the Soviet Union, capitalism triumphed over communism. In America, capitalism triumphed over democracy.” by Fran Lebowitz

Or this one:

“It is impossible for capitalism to survive, primarily because the system of capitalism needs some blood to suck. Capitalism used to be like an eagle, but now it's more like a vulture. It used to be strong enough to go and suck anybody's blood whether they were strong or not. But now it has become more cowardly, like the vulture, and it can only suck the blood of the helpless. As the nations of the world free themselves, the capitalism has less victims, less to suck, and it becomes weaker and weaker. It's only a matter of time in my opinion before it will collapse completely.” by Malcolm X

Many great men have made statements about capitalism and these thoughts seem to be coming true...

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Vladimir Kramnik, a Russian Grand Master gets into the Guinness Book of World Records!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:16:00 PDT

What do you get, when you win the chess tournament at Dortmund for the ninth time?

You get a spot in the - Guinness Book of World Records.

Vladimir Kramnik, a Russian grand master, is getting his name in the world record book after accomplishing the near impossible.

Congratulations Vladimir Kramnik...

Windows to Russia!

comments always welcome.

Recipe From Russia: A Simple Delicious Pelmeni Recipe!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:36:00 PDT

I Russia when I get not feeling very good it is Svet's turn to cook. She makes two things that she considers get well food. 1st food is Chicken noodle soup and the 2nd is Pelmeni. Pelmeni is a traditional Russian food that dates back a long time ago. I can attest to the fact that they are delicious. Today we will talk about making Pelmeni:

Simple Pelmeni recipe:

Ingredients:

Dough:
3 cups sifted flour,
1 tsp. salt,
3 egg yolks, (no egg whites)
1/2 cup water.

Filling:
1 lb. high quality ground beef. (low fat and raw)
1 lg. well chopped onion, (minced)
salt & pepper to taste,
1/4 cup of ice.

Lets start:

Make dough: Toss all dough ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Cover with a clean cotton cloth and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before use. (important)

Make filling:
Take all filling ingredients and put in a mixing bowl. Blend well and add ice toward the end. Mix very thoroughly.

Lets put them together:
Roll out dough and roll it thin as a dime. (otherwise little thicker than paper thin, if possible) cut into about 3 inch circles using a round cookie cutter or I use a tin can of the correct size. Place circle of dough to the side and scoop about 1 tsp. of filling onto one side of the circle and fold other side over the top of the filling. Then crimp it shut with pinches of your fingers.. Repeat this until all dough is used up. (They are kinda half moon shaped.)

Freeze:
Place Pelmeni in freezer on a flat pan not touching each other and freeze until solid. (This is a must do before cooking step.)

Cooking:
Place 10 - 15 frozen Pelmeni into a pot of salted boiling water. When the Pelmeni floats it is ready to serve. (Do not forget the most important ingredient sour cream on top of them! :))

Yummy!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russian News From Russia: July 14th, 2009!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:14:00 PDT

Russian boxer Nikolai Valuev records rap track with Chelsea star:
Russian boxing giant Nikolai Valuev has recorded a hip-hop track with a member of the Moscow-based pop group Chelsea, Russian media said on Tuesday.

Senior militant killed in special operation in south Russia:
A senior militant was killed in a special operation in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Daghestan on Tuesday, a deputy interior minister said.

Second Mars-500 flight simulation experiment to end in Moscow:
A 105-day experiment to simulate a flight to Mars will be concluded on Tuesday at the Institute of Medical and Biological Studies in Moscow.

Two nuclear submarines delivered to Zvezda plant for scrapping:
The Transshelf semi-submersible open dock vessel has delivered two decommissioned Victor III class nuclear submarines from a Russian Pacific Fleet base in Kamchatka to the Zvezda shipyard in the town of Bolshoi Kamen in Russia’s Far East for scrapping.

Russian military confirms test-launch of Sineva ballistic missile:
Russia has successfully test-launched a Sineva sea-based ballistic missile, a source in the Defense Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.

President Dmitry Medvedev visits South Ossetia:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in South Ossetia on Monday on his first visit to the former Georgian republic, recognized as independent by Russia last August.

Three militants, one officer killed in Daghestan:
Three militants and a special unit officer were killed in an operation in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Daghestan on Tuesday, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

Nagorny Karabakh deserves international recognition - president:
The international community should recognize Nagorny Karabakh as an independent state, the president of the disputed region said Monday in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti.

Russian Cabinet favors moderate economic development scenario:
The Russian government approved on Monday three economic development scenarios for 2010-12, accepting the moderate scenario as the basis for budget forecasts for the next three years.

Israel, Palestinians must settle conflict alone:
Israelis and Palestinians do not need any outside help to end their conflict, which will be resolved only if the two sides are left alone, a Russian expert on the Middle East said on Monday.

Without Russia, Europe has no reliable source of gas:
"There has been no change on the gas supply market." In the past few months, this phrase has brought for the EU, Ukraine and Russia more anxiety than calm, because no change means that the question over the supply of Russian natural gas to the EU this coming winter has not been settled.

President of Russia: Goes to South Ossetia and says Hi!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:15:00 PDT

July 13, 2009,
Tskhinval

Beginning of Meeting with President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity

PRESIDENT OF SOUTH OSSETIA EDUARD KOKOITY: Mr President,

We are very happy to welcome you here, to South Ossetia. The people of South Ossetia are grateful to you for your support, for the recognition of our state sovereignty and, as you already heard from the Ossetian elders, we are grateful and appreciative to you for saving our nation from physical extermination.

Today, our entire republic and all of our people are celebrating your arrival. Thank you very much. We welcome you.

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Thank you.

I am really grateful for inviting me to visit your newly born nation, your new state – South Ossetia – which emerged as a result of difficult and dramatic events, and which was indeed supported by the Russian people in the hardest moments. I feel that today’s first brief working visit by the President of the Russian Federation will lay the foundation for our future contacts and for our friendship.

Our nations not only share a great common history, but have also developed a solid regulatory framework for a common future. I am referring to several treaties between the Russian Federation and South Ossetia.

We have launched a number of projects aimed to restore the economy and social services of your republic, and we will certainly progress with their implementation as there is still a great deal to be done. And you should show me where your greatest priorities lie for our efforts to be focused there.

We must maintain our defense cooperation, as we have a corresponding treaty.

Thus, I think that during today’s talks and my brief visit to South Ossetia, we will be able to discuss bilateral contacts, to review general matters, to explore ways to develop our relations, as these, I am sure, are the tasks for us to address.

I would like to thank you once again for your invitation.

Come to Russia - You May Not Want to Go Home!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:49:00 PDT

I awoke this morning to a slew of e-mails and comments. That is nothing new but today one of them caused me to stop and think. This was a comment from someone who has never commented before and is an American who married a Russian.

So as I was drinking my morning cup of coffee, I decided to write a post about this comment that appeared last night...

Ж Р Эшли

I have to agree with you totally on the Russian/American comparison, I was sent to Russian(Svetogorsk) in 2007 for a 6 months contract, needless to say I didn't want to leave after that so I stayed an additional 6 months, got engaged, married in St Petersburg. Since then we have moved back to the states (1 year ago) and EVERYDAY since then I have looked and searched the web for any and all jobs that I could find there. For once in my life, I felt as though I had finally found my "Home" so as you can imagine, I have been sad, depressed, restless....etc since that time. I never experienced life until that time I spent a year there, I miss it daily, I think of the Terimok stands, the honey beer, the beauty of the city and the surrounding country side; FYI Vyborg is a great city if you go check out the restaurant called Respect it is near the castle. Well anyway, all this makes me take a deep breath, and a long sigh comes behind it. One day I will be back, but this time I hope for good. Paka Paka

I have let the comment be the post. When I receive a comment or e-mail like this. I realize that I am not alone with the way I feel about Russia. I can print this one because they left it as a comment. I would never print the e-mails sent to me in private. I have hundreds of very good e-mails from people who want to get back to Russia after traveling here, because they found that when they came to Russia: "Russia captured a piece of their heart!"

Thank you

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russian News From Russia: July 10th, 2009!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:15:00 PDT

News From Russia:

India to assemble Russian “flying tanks”:
In July India is to begin assembly of Russia's main battle tank, the T-90. Up to now the country has bought only fully assembled tanks, but now it will build them with parts supplied by Russia.

Georgian opposition plans to expand protests:
Georgia's opposition has announced plans to extend protests against President Mikheil Saakashvili across the South Caucasus state, an opposition leader said on Thursday.

Chief suspect in Ingush president assassination attempt named:
The assassination attempt on the President of Ingushetia was organized by the leader of a militant group Magomed Yevloev, the Chechen republic’s Interior Minister has said.

Did nano-thermite take down the WTC?:
Could the most audacious terrorist attack in history be a “sophisticated masterpiece of demolition”?

What the Russian papers say:
MOSCOW, July 9 (RIA Novosti) Russia, U.S. see the 'reset' differently / Japan views Russian desire to mend relations as sign of weakness / Moscow patriarchy to participate in lawmaking / Duties on GPS devices may increase 10 times

Fifth anniversary of jouranalist's murder:
Russian American journalist Paul Klebnikov remembered five years after he was shot in Moscow. The case remains unsolved, but new hopes emerged as U.S. and Russian authorities agreed to cooperate.

Russian Air Force denies spy drone missions over Georgia:
Russia's Air Force chief dismissed on Thursday Georgian claims that Russia was spying on its territory using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Russian chess legends Karpov, Kasparov to clash in Spain:
Russian chess legends Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov are to renew their rivalry in a showdown in Valencia in late September.

First Thai Orthodox priest ordained in Moscow:
Father Daniil, born Danay Vanna, has completed his studies in the seminary. Soon he will be heading to Thailand where he is to become the country’s first Thai Orthodox priest.

G8 leaders support Russia-U.S. agreement on arms reduction:
Participants in the G8 summit in Italy have unanimously backed recent Russian and U.S. agreements to conclude a new strategic arms reduction deal by the end of the year, a Russian deputy foreign minister said on Thursday.

PACE move to deny Russia vote causes surprise in Moscow:
Moscow is confused over an initiative by some PACE members to try and deny Russia the right to vote during assembly sessions, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Russia's broad monetary base up 5.4% in June - Central Bank:
Russia's broadly defined monetary base expanded 5.4% to 4.968 trillion rubles ($155.25 bln) as of July 1 from 4.712 trillion rubles ($147.25 bln) on June 1, the Central Bank reported on Thursday.

Moscow wants OSCE to look into Russian-language issue in Ukraine:
Moscow hopes that the OSCE's High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek will look into issues relating to the use of the Russian language in Ukraine, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Windows to Russia: Comment Demons!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:20:00 PDT

Windows to Russia has had comment issues for a good week (OK... A lot longer). We have tried any and everything called a comment device, to get a system that looked good and would work across the board in all browsers.

We hope that we have succeeded this time. We have installed Disqus - We have used Opera (latest build), IE6, IE7, IE8, Flock, Firefox 1.5, Firefox 2, Firefox 3, Firefox 3.5, K-meleon, Google Chrome and Safari. They all work!

We have not lost any comments and I will try to enter as many as I can from the last week to get back up to date. That is about 200 comments. In all I have 6543 comments in a back up file that I really do not know how to intricate back into a new system.

I have in mind to start a comment section in the side bar widget to the left and put all comments in to a post system. At least they are not lost.

I am not going to talk good about Disqus yet because everything else has failed so far. Just today with Disqus I had 10 times that the Disqus site would not load. That is not a great start...

Thanks everyone for being patient and not yelling at us too loud.

Kyle and Svet

comments always welcome. :)

PS: If Disqus works out I will post a Yippy Yi article...

Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama at Russian-American Business Summit

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:07:00 PDT

July 8, 2009,
Moscow, Russia

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to begin by welcoming everyone here. We are running a little bit late, but let me assure you, this is because we were working, as the President of the Russian Federation and the President of the United States do not meet that often.

Furthermore, President Obama has had a very busy day, and even this meeting with business leaders is not the last item on his agenda today.

It is my pleasure to make a few remarks. I will begin by saying that just recently, about a month ago, I met with many of the people present here today at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. I am certain that some good discussions were held there, and I’m sure that the discussions here today will also lead to practical results.

I think that nearly all the issues we needed to discuss have been brought up, but still I feel that it is my duty to make a few general remarks.

I would like to say that the United States of America is our nation’s long-standing and promising partner, a partner with whom we have many plans that have not yet been implemented. Even the difficulties that have existed between our states in the past and the affects of the crisis have not decreased the desire of our businesspeople to work on joint projects, which is wonderful.

Last year, as you recall, we had exceptional results in trade turnover between our two countries, although I would like to emphasis again that those figures could have been even higher. This year, we have had somewhat of a slowdown, but we can ensure that this slowdown is not extreme, so that cooperation between our nations accelerates in a variety of areas.

During our first meeting in London, the President and I made a joint statement that highlighted the need for new momentum in our trade and economic relations, expressing our unified stance that business leaders from both countries should use every opportunity to generate economic activity. The fact that so many businesspeople are present here today and that our business community is so widely represented serves as direct evidence of those opportunities.

I must mention that in terms of cooperation, at some moment the Russian and U.S. business communities were well ahead of the official organizations, especially in few recent years. Over the last several days, we have tried to fill in those gaps, and yesterday, as you know, we created the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission. The Commission addresses a variety of issues in cooperation, first and foremost through working groups that will work under the guidance of the ministers present here today. I think it is very good that the working group on developing trade, economic, investment, and business relations will be headed by Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke.

Yesterday, we devoted a lot of time to discussing economics, though perhaps not as much as issues of global development and nuclear disarmament. Still, we had a productive discussion, and we feel that it is important to maintain positive attitudes within the business communities in our countries.

We also discussed some fairly practical issues. President Obama asked me whether Russia will be joining the World Trade Organization. You already provided Russia’s answer at this forum. I would like to state again, on behalf of our nation, that we will be joining the World Trade Organization. And we will do this with consideration of the progress that has been made in recent years.

The format may change, and we may need some additional agreements, but we do not want to lose any of the ground that we have gained in the last few years. The road turned out to be long and difficult, and quite frankly, we are a little tired of it, as we have been waiting for sixteen years. But we will hope that some reformatting will allow us to come to an arrangement as quickly as possible.

Investment is very important, and we fully welcome the diversification of American investments in our country. In addition to investing in the oil and gas sector where they already have some presence, we would very much like for our American partners to invest in other sectors as well: traditional Russian industries, as well as the high-tech sector. One of our topics of discussion was environmentally clean projects and a green economy. I feel that in this regard, we have some excellent opportunities to cooperate, and after this visit, President Obama and I will continue discussing these issues at the G8 summit in Italy.

I must also mention another positive event that took place today: the launch of a joint venture between VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation and the Boeing Company. This is a very good project.

Yesterday, I was talking to President Obama about the possibility of building cooperation in new directions in the transport sector; in particular, I brought up the idea of creating a large transport airplane. This was just an example, and it does not mean that we should definitely focus on this sector, but there are multiple possibilities of this kind, and they represent areas where we can work together.

American companies have a lot of potential. I know that the John Deere company has plans to begin production of agricultural equipment, and a factory is already being built in Kaluga. Indeed, this company was one of the first to supply tractors to our nation in pre-revolutionary times, and then during the Soviet era.

We have other examples of investment cooperation. Fifty years have passed since Don Kendall treated Nikita Khrushchev to some Pepsi-Cola, and we have been drinking it for nearly forty years. This may be a rather basic example, but it, too, demonstrates the possibilities for normal cooperation, which we are seeing more of, and soon there will be new production facilities launched Russia.

Why am I bringing this up? Because during a difficult period in Russian-U.S. relations, we began to pay less attention to some truly positive examples of Russian-American business dialogue and existing large-scale joint projects. But in fact, we should consider this to be our responsibility. Thus, the new formats of cooperation, the new initiatives, and the new administrative mechanisms that Mr President and I created yesterday will surely help.

So I would like to invite all our American colleagues to engage in broad cooperation with Russian businesses. I hope that my colleagues, who are present today, have already said the same thing. I am certain that by having stronger, more stable business contacts, it will become easier for us to discuss all other issues, including the most complicated issues in international affairs and in our bilateral relations. Thus, we sincerely hope that your dialogue will be successful.

Thank you for inviting us.

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BARACK OBAMA: Good afternoon. It is a great privilege to join all of you today with President Medvedev. From our first meeting at the G20 summit in London to our discussions here in Moscow, President Medvedev's leadership has been critical to new progress in U.S-Russian relations. And the fact that he has experience in business, in the private sector, makes him an invaluable ally in our efforts to improve the commercial ties between our two countries.

I want to thank our ambassador, John Beryle, for all the work that he does here in Moscow. And I want to thank all the organizations that helped to bring us here today: the U.S.-Russia Business Council, the American Chamber of Commerce in Moscow, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Business Russia, and so many others.

All of you are part of a long line of commerce and trade between our peoples. Russia and the U.S. first established diplomatic relations more than 200 years ago. But before we ever exchanged ambassadors, we exchanged goods. Along the way you gave us a pretty good deal on Alaska. Even during a long Cold War, trade endured - American grains, Russian raw materials. And in recent years, Russian-American trade surged.

So I want to thank all of you for your outstanding ideas on how our two countries can deepen these ties even further, with new trade and investments that will create new jobs and prosperity for people in our countries. This was a key message of the speech that I just delivered this morning at the New Economic School, where you've got some of the most talented young people in Russia studying business and economics, recognizing that the future of Russia is intimately wrapped up with commerce.

Now, I've called for a "reset" in relations between Russia and the United States, but this can't just be a matter of two presidents - it has to go deeper. It has to be between our people. It has to be more than just security or dismantling weapons. It has to be about our common prosperity - the jobs we create, the innovation we unleash, the industries that we build.

And that's why I made it very clear: America seeks a prosperous Russia that partners with us on a broad range of issues. We want Russia to be selling us goods and we want Russia to be buying goods from us. And that's why we've created a U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission to explore new opportunities for partnership.

Now, many of you here are part of this important work, and I want to thank you. And I also want to thank our commission co-chairs for their leadership, and I am confident that they are going to do an outstanding job - our Minister Nabiullina and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. They both bring a long track record of forging trade relationships and creating jobs in the 21st century - in agriculture, in health, in energy, science and technology.

Our commission reflects a fundamental truth of the global economy, and that is that prosperity is shared. When Russia buys aircraft from U.S. aerospace companies, that sustains jobs in America. When an American soda company opens a new bottling plant outside of Moscow, that creates jobs for Russians. When our economies grow more intertwined, all of us can make progress.

But if the opportunities of our global economy are shared, so are the risks. Reckless speculation of bankers in one country reverberates on the floor of the Moscow Stock Exchange. A contracting global economy and shrinking trade means closed factories and lost jobs from North America to northern Russia.

So our fortunes are linked, and yet so much potential remains untapped. I said that we have made progress, but consider this: Total trade between our countries is just $36 billion. Our trade - America's trade with Russia is only about 1 percent of all our trade with the world - 1 percent - a percent that's virtually unchanged since the Cold War. And that $36 billion is about the same as our trade with Thailand, a country with less than half the population of Russia. Surely we can do better.

In fact, Russia and the United States are natural economic partners: between us, we're a market of some 440 million consumers, including Russia's growing middle class. There's Russia's skilled workers, vast scientific establishment, and natural resources. On the other hand, there's American leadership in high-tech, manufacturing, agriculture and capital. So we need to make it easier for American companies to invest in Russia and make it easier for Russian companies to invest in the United States.

There are so many opportunities for cooperation, some of which have already been mentioned. But in order to achieve this better future, we're going to have to do some work, and some of the areas where our governments are going to have to do work have already been mentioned. We have to promote transparency, accountability, rule of law on which investments and economic growth depend. And so I welcome very much President Medvedev's initiatives to promote the rule of law and ensure a mature and effective legal system as a condition for sustained economic growth.

We also have to work on bureaucracy. The small example that was just mentioned I'm sure is costing millions, billions, cumulatively over time, of lost opportunities and spent person hours - unnecessarily because we simply haven't updated our laws. Russian and American collaboration could unleash opportunities and prosperity across a whole range of endeavors: from agriculture to aerospace, from green construction to clean energy, from transportation to telecommunications - if we seize this moment, if we work together.

Now, government can promote this cooperation. We can help to get out of the way. And we will. But ultimately, individual entrepreneurs and businesses have to advance the agenda. And I commend you for being here to do precisely that, because entrepreneurship and innovation are among the greatest forces in human history when it comes to progress and prosperity. It's our workers, it's our people, it's our ideas, who are the greatest engines of economic resource. It will be with their skills and talent that ultimately will determine the fate of nations in the 21st century, not simply the bountiful natural resources that both America and Russia share.

I'm told there's a Russian proverb that says, "Every seed knows its time." So today, I hope that we've planted a seed - a seed of new cooperation and new commerce. And now we must do the work of seeing that that seed grows into a relationship that advances prosperity for our peoples.

So thank you very much for gathering in that spirit. Thank you for your commitment to progress. We need to grow this economy, and we're going to be able to do it faster and more effectively if we're doing it together. Thank you very much.
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Recipe From Russia: Selyodka pod Shuboy (Dressed Herring) recipe!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:06:00 PDT

Selyodka pod Shuboy (Dressed Herring) recipe: (that means "Herring under fur coat") This is a very traditional Russian food and can be found at any and all occasions. Russians adore this salad and you will also when you make it and try it for the first time.

So lets make some Selyodka pod Shuboy:

Ingredients:

2 ea thick salted herrings

5 ea potatoes (peeled)

4 ea carrots (peeled)

4 ea beets

5 ea eggs (hard boiled)

400 gr mayonnaise (mayo, not miracle whip)

1 onion (diced and only for those who like onion)

2 - 3 raw fresh garlic toes (peeled and chopped)

Cooking:

Boil vegetables until they are ready ( You can boil all vegetables in the same pan. Do not boil onion and garlic).

Boil the eggs hard.

Peel skin from herrings, cut them along the spine. Take all bones away. Cut herring meat into small cube size pieces and always check for bones. (Some chop the meat very fine to make sure bones are gone.)

Making:

Take a large dish.

layer the herring meat evenly on the bottom of the dish.

If you like onion, you can put little pieces of onion on or in the the herring. This is also where you layer the garlic on or in the herring.

Then spread mayonnaise evenly (thin layer).

Grate potatoes and use all of them to make the next layer.

Then spread mayonnaise evenly (thin layer).

Then grate carrots and make next layer.

Then spread mayonnaise evenly (thin layer).

Then grate only 4 of the eggs and make next layer.

Then spread mayonnaise evenly (thin layer).

Then grate all the beets and make next layer.

Spread rest of mayonnaise (thick) on the beets and grate the last hard boiled egg on top of the whole dish for a decorative touch.

This salad must look like a layer cake.

Put the dish in the fridge for an hour or more to chill before eating.

Time to eat this tasty Russian dish - Yummy!

Notes:

I also like to sprinkle fresh herbs and grasses on top also for decoration and flavor...

Some boil veggies with skins on and then peel and some peel then boil...

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Obama Had His Eyes Opened About Putin and Russia!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PDT

After meeting with Vladimir Putin, US President Barack Obama changed his mind about the Russian prime minister, says Putin’s press attaché, Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov spoke exclusively to RT following the meeting. The meeting was only to be 1 hour and after it got going it became a meeting of reality that lasted 2 and a half hours.

The Western press is playing this meeting down. At one point they had a heated argument and most Russian's know how that went, because they know Putin.

Obama has had an awakening and became aware of a Russia that he did not realize existed. :)

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

July 7th, 2009: Beginning of Conversation Between Medvedev and Obama!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:30:00 PDT

July 7, 2009,
The Kremlin, Moscow

Beginning of Conversation with President of the United States Barack Obama

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: This morning, I recalled some of the things we discussed yesterday, and I came to the conclusion that our time was not spent in vain. Today was much easier for me, because over the course of five hours, you attended a large number of meetings, and I even had a chance to see some of them. I really enjoyed your speech at the New Economic School, where you provided a systemic outline of Russia-U.S. cooperation and your views on global developments. We will also have an opportunity to talk to the business people today. That means that this visit has been very substantial in every respect, and has covered all elements of Russian-U.S. cooperation: foreign policy, bilateral relations, the economy and the humanitarian sector. This is very good.

The two of us are getting prepared to go to Italy, where we will continue our discussions.

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BARACK OBAMA: We had a very good day today, building off the very productive meetings yesterday. I had a good conversation with the Prime Minister, and I think that his approach to these issues is very similar to yours, and I think that we have the potential of doing some very important business together.

And seeing the young people today receive their diplomas was very encouraging. I saw your young finance minister there, and economic advisor there. And I think that you’ve got a lot of very talented young people who I think are going to be doing great things for Russia.

So, I continue to thank you for your extraordinary hospitality. I’m looking forward to having a chance to meet some additional officials during lunch, and then I think the business meeting this afternoon will be very productive because I think both Russia and the United States have an interest in expanding our commercial relationship, so I thank you for the suggestion of bringing these business leaders together.

DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Thank you.

Obama Had No Hoopla in Moscow, Russia! (But the veggies were a hit)

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:32:00 PDT

Obama got a taste of Russian life and attitudes. It is not the same as America. Lets have a small look at some of the complaints... :)

In the Western Press there was attitudes about how the Russians and Eastern press seemed to make Obama have a lack of conspicuousness... (Link)

The Western press could not get over the lack of hoopla when they got off the jet in Moscow and felt that the treatment was just like any tourist. Also heaven forbid they were whisked away and in 15 minutes were at the Kremlin, with not a single adorning crowd member to wave at them...

The Western press was deeply disappointed that Michelle Obama did not get the same treatment as she did in England. They said that Russians could care less about Michelle Obama's fashion style (you know how important that is!) and the only thing the Russians cared about was how wonderful Michelle Obama's garden was... (Link)

Quote "There was virtually no interest here -- in Russian headlines or interviews since the first lady's arrival -- in the coral-hued coat and Narciso Rodriguez dress that Obama had on as she stepped off Air Force One into an unseasonably cold July afternoon, and which she later wore, with flats, to the Kremlin, where her husband laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Afterward, she and daughters Malia and Sasha toured the historic site, which sits alongside Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral. There were curious onlookers as the family's motorcade snaked through the streets, but no cheering or waving throngs." (OMG - How dare those Russians!)

The Western press said that when Obama was photographed he was photographed in the background at times behind Medvedev. They could not understand the fact that Obama was treated this way... (Link)

Then the Western press said, when the two presidents shook hands with some Russian's, the Russian's only shook Medvedev's hand most of the time.... (Could it be that Medvedev is the Russian president?)

I could go on and on and on and on and on... :)

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

PS: By the way the Russian press reported opposite of the Western press on this issue and really feel that they gave a good homey feel to the Obamas about Russia! (Russians respected the Obama's privacy and that is a priority.)

Strange how thoughts of what is appropriate are different...

Russian News From Russia: July 7th, 2009!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:02:00 PDT

Russian Far East border guards free illegally caught crabs:
Border guards on Russia's Far East island of Sakhalin have released into the sea over 26 metric tons of live crabs from two vessels earlier detained for poaching, a border guard spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Putin meets Obama for the first time:
U.S. President Barack Obama began his first meeting with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday morning at the Russian prime minister's country residence outside Moscow.

LUKoil considering building refinery in U.S.:
Russia's largest privately-owned oil producer LUKoil is considering building a refinery in the United States jointly with its shareholder and strategic partner ConocoPhillips, a business paper reported on Tuesday.

Tokyo overtakes Moscow as priciest city for expats:
Tokyo has overtaken Moscow to become the world's most expensive city for expatriates, according to a survey by an HR and financial consultancy.

Russia's row with Japan over disputed islands escalates:
Russia's upper house of parliament has called Japan's renewed claims on the Kuril islands an "insult to the Russian people," and called for the visa-free travel regime between the islands and Japan to be ended.

Senior police official wounded in S. Russia attack:
A top forensic expert at Ingushetia's Interior Ministry received head injuries when his vehicle was attacked Tuesday morning, an investigator in the Russian southern republic said.

Obamas dine with Medvedevs:
The Obamas have dinner with the Medvedevs at their Gorki residence.

Better trust yields first results - expert about Obama's visit:
The Russian and U.S. presidents outlined a set of trust-building measures that could serve as the basis for a better relationship. There were no breakthroughs, but progress was tangible.

Gentle approach to sensitive issues - expert about Obama's visit:
U.S. plans for a missile defense system in Europe were on the agenda during Medvedev-Obama talks in Moscow. U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev tip-toed around U.S. plans for missile defense in Europe.

Obama says Medvedev-Putin tandem effective:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin effectively work together, U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday.

Medvedev says U.S. missile shield must balance others' interests:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Monday it is necessary to link any resolution of the U.S. plans for missile defense in Europe with other countries' interests.

Russia, U.S. sign deal on military transit to Afghanistan:
Russia and the United States signed on Monday an agreement on military transit, both overland and by air, via Russian territory to Afghanistan.

The Obamas have dinner with the Medvedevs at their Gorki residence.

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:01:00 PDT

This is a very good video and it shows the two couples meeting for dinner at Medvedev's home in Moscow, Russia!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Press Statements following Russian-American Talks

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:47:00 PDT

July 6, 2009,
The Kremlin, Moscow

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues,

We have just completed our negotiations with the U.S. President. The first visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to Russia was a very busy one. The first day showed that we managed to discuss all the items of our agenda, and it was a very big one.

I would like from the outset to say that there was a very useful and very open business-like conversation. This, no doubt, was a meeting that has been expected, both in this country and the United States of America, and on which not only the future of our two countries depends but also, to a large extent, the trends of world development.

I would like to emphasize again one thing. The first day of negotiations, our meetings one-on-one and in an expanded format were very open and sincere. And this is extremely important. We have agreed that we will continue to communicate in this mode further on. In reality, for our relations, it is very important and it is not a simple job, because the backlog of problems is quite impressive. But we have enough of mutual wish and will and the principled positions that we have always held and still hold, to discuss these problems in a business-like manner and to achieve mutually beneficial results.

I would like to emphasize that each of our countries understand its role in its own way, but at the same time we realize our role and responsibility for the situation in this world - especially in a period when the level of globalization has reached such dimensions and such parameters that the decisions we make very often determine the situation in general. And such powerful states as the United States of America and the Russian Federation have special responsibility for everything that is happening on our planet.

We have many points of convergence, many mutual interests, and global and economic ones and a variety of other interests. But our desire to discuss these subjects was mutual and this is also one of very important results of our meeting since the work we are doing requires goodwill, mutual respect, and honest understanding of each other's position.

We also came to the conclusion that Russian-American relations and the level achieved today do not correspond to their potential, to the other possibilities of our countries. And the important thing is that the level that we have today does not correspond to the need of the current age, and without active development of our relations on the foreign affairs agenda, in trade and economic, scientific, educational and cultural spheres we will not be able to build the road to the 21st century.

We have spent several hours in very busy negotiations, very specific, and at the same we dwelled on the questions of philosophy of our cooperation. I am grateful to the President of the United States for the understanding he showed on the principles that we put forward and our attention to the proposals made by the American side. So despite of the fact that in several hours we cannot remove the burden of all the problems, we have agreed that we will go forward without stopping; that we will make the decisions that are needed for the development of relations between our two countries.

We have discussed quite specific problems, and I would like to share some of them with you. We, of course, discussed international subjects. We spoke about such difficult problems as the process of Middle East settlement. We agreed to continue our work, taking into account the visits we had in the Middle East recently, and the plans that we discussed ahead of major events. We discussed the possibility of holding Moscow conference on the Middle East.

We spoke about a very important subject that requires utmost coordination of our activities. This is the problem of Afghanistan. Without our joint work in that area, we would not be able to achieve success in that area, and on that score we have agreed on a special statement.

Our relations will be also consolidated by our links in the humanitarian field, in the field of science. This has to be done by all means, and we'll be dealing with this after this meeting in a very persistent way.

Now, a few specific results of our negotiations. You are aware of them. We have agreed on a very important subject, the new agreement of strategic offensive arms. This is a basic element of our mutual security. The work was very intensive, and I must admit that our teams, our delegations, worked on this subject in a very fruitful way. They have showed reasonable compromise, and I would like to thank everyone who took part in these negotiations or is going to take part in them.

A result of this is that we have reached not only mutual understanding of how we should move forward, but also to the basic levels on which we will advance our cooperation in this area. We agreed on the levels of carriers and warheads, meaning that this is a very concrete subject.

The Mutual Understanding we have just signed with the President of the United States says that our two countries can have from 500 to 1,100 carriers of strategic arms, and from 1,500 to 1,675 warheads. These are the new parameters within which our dialogue will be going on and where we hope to achieve final agreement that will be part of the new treaty.

We have agreed also that the offensive and defensive systems of both countries should be considered together. We have adopted a joint statement on ABM. And this is also an important result of our work, even taking into account that we have divergences on a number of items. Nevertheless, we managed to approve a joint document.

We have discussed measures of cooperation in the nuclear field and the most important is that we will continue our cooperation in every area, and a lot depends on our countries. We have signed an agreement on military transit to Afghanistan. We decided to create a presidential commission on cooperation, which will be coordinating relations among various agencies of the United States and the Russian Federation, respectively, in all priority areas, including economic and military areas.

In the military area, these questions will be dealt by the chiefs of General Staff that have just signed the document, General Makarov and [Admiral] Mullen.

Soon all these documents will be published and you will be able to familiarize yourself with them. On the whole, by characterizing our first day of work and the results of negotiations that we have had, I would like to say that I view them as a first but very important step in the process of improving full-scale cooperation between our two countries, which should go to the benefit of both states. And if both states benefit by it, that means everybody will benefit by it.

I would like to emphasize in conclusion that our country would like to reach such a level of cooperation with the United States which would be realistically worthy of the 21st century, which will ensure international peace and security. This is in our interests, and we are grateful to our American colleagues for the joint work we have done. It is true that the solution of many world problems depends on the joint will of the United States and Russia.

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BARACK OBAMA: Good afternoon, everybody, and I want to thank President Medvedev and the Russian people for their hospitality. Michelle and I and our children are pleased to be here in Moscow, and to be here so early in my administration.

We've just concluded a very productive meeting. As President Medvedev just indicated, the President and I agreed that the relationship between Russia and the United States has suffered from a sense of drift. We resolved to reset U.S.-Russian relations, so that we can cooperate more effectively in areas of common interest. Today, after less than six months of collaboration, we've done exactly that by taking concrete steps forward on a range of issues, while paving the way for more progress in the future. And I think it's particularly notable that we've addressed the top priorities - these are not second-tier issues, they are fundamental to the security and the prosperity of both countries.

First, we've taken important steps forward to increase nuclear security and to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

This starts with the reduction of our own nuclear arsenals. As the world's two leading nuclear powers, the United States and Russia must lead by example, and that's what we're doing here today. We have signed a Joint Understanding for a follow-on treaty to the START agreement that will reduce our nuclear warheads and delivery systems by up to a third from our current treaty limitations. This legally binding treaty will be completed this year.

We've also agreed on a joint statement on nuclear security cooperation that will help us achieve the goal of securing all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years - progress that we can build upon later this week at the G8 summit. Together, these are important steps forward in implementing the agenda that I laid out in Prague.

As we keep our commitments, so we must ensure that other nations keep theirs. To that end, we had constructive discussions about North Korea and Iran. North Korea has abandoned its own commitments and violated international law. And that's why I'm pleased that Russia joined us in passing a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for strong steps to block North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program.

Iran also poses a serious challenge through its failure to live up to international obligations. This is not just a problem for the United States. It raises the prospect of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, which would endanger global security, while Iran's ballistic missile program could also pose a threat to the broader region. That's why I'm pleased that we've agreed on a joint statement on cooperation on missile defence, and a joint threat assessment of the ballistic missile challenges of the 21st century, including those posed by Iran and North Korea.

Second, we have taken important steps forward to strengthen our security through greater cooperation.

President Medvedev and I agreed upon the need to combat the threat of violent extremism, particularly from al Qaeda. And today, we've signed an agreement that will allow the transit of lethal military equipment through Russia to Afghanistan. This is a substantial contribution by Russia to our international effort, and it will save the United States time and resources in giving our troops the support that they need.

Thanks to Admiral Mullen and his Russian counterpart, we've also agreed to resume military-to-military cooperation between the United States and Russia. This provides a framework for improved cooperation and interoperability between our armed forces, so that we can better address the threats that we face - from terrorism to privacy. We've also agreed to restore a Joint Commission on Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, which will allow our governments to cooperate in our unwavering commitment to our missing servicemen and women.

And third, we've taken important steps forward to broaden our cooperation on a full range of issues that affect the security and prosperity of our people.

President Medvedev and I are creating a U.S.-Russian Bilateral Presidential Commission to serve as a new foundation for this cooperation. Too often, the United States and Russia only communicate on a narrow range of issues, or let old habits within our bureaucracy stand in the way of progress. And that's why this commission will include working groups on development and the economy; energy and the environment; nuclear energy and security; arms control and international security; defence, foreign policy and counterterrorism; preventing and handling emergencies; civil society; science and technology; space; health; education; and culture. And this work will be coordinated by Secretary Clinton and Minister Lavrov, and Secretary Clinton will travel to Russia this fall to carry this effort forward.

Just to give you one example of this cooperation, is the new Memorandum of Understanding on health. We've learned - most recently with the H1N1 virus - that a disease that emerges anywhere can pose a risk to people everywhere. That's why our Department of Health and Human Services will cooperate with its Russian counterparts to combat infectious, chronic, and non-communicable diseases, while promoting prevention and global health.

Finally, I'm pleased that Russia has taken the important step of lifting some restrictions on imports of U.S. livestock. The cost of these restrictions to American business is over $1.3 billion, and we've now made important progress towards restoring that commerce.

I won't pretend that the United States and Russia agree on every issue. As President Medvedev indicated, we've had some frank discussions, and there are areas where we still disagree. For instance, we had a frank discussion on Russia - on Georgia, and I reiterated my firm belief that Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. Yet even as we work through our disagreements on Georgia's borders, we do agree that no one has an interest in renewed military conflict. And going forward, we must speak candidly to resolve these differences peacefully and constructively.

President Medvedev and I are committed to leaving behind the suspicion and the rivalry of the past so that we can advance the interests that we hold in common. Today, we've made meaningful progress in demonstrating through deeds and words what a more constructive U.S.-Russian relationship can look like in the 21st century. Tomorrow, I look forward to broadening this effort to include business, civil society, and a dialogue among the American and Russian people.

I believe that all of us have an interest in forging a future in which the United States and Russia partner effectively on behalf of our security and prosperity. That's the purpose of resetting our relations, that is the progress we made today, and I once again want to thank President Medvedev and his entire team for being such wonderful hosts and working so effectively with our teams. Thank you.

To be continued.

The Kremlin, Moscow Talks were held between Dmitry Medvedev and President of the United States Barack Obama in Russia!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:59:00 PDT

Following the talks, the two presidents signed a package of documents regarding anti-missile defense, further reduction of strategic offensive arms, military cooperation, and nuclear cooperation.

In particular, the presidents signed the Joint Understanding on Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.

An intergovernmental agreement was signed regarding the transport of weapons, military hardware, defense materials, and personnel through Russian territory, to aid US armed forces in their efforts to assure security, stability, and restoration in Afghanistan.

The two sides signed a framework document on building cooperation between Russian and U.S. armed forces, as well as a memorandum affirming a working plan for improving military cooperation between the two nations’ armed forces in 2009.

A decision was made to create a U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission to provide better structure to their bilateral relationship. This new coordinating mechanism for building bilateral cooperation will replace the existing Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission.

A memorandum was signed between Russia and the United States’ health ministries, and the sides exchanged notes on the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on Prisoners of War and Missing in Action.

Following the talks, Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama held a joint press conference.

Joint Statement by President Barack Obama of the United States of America and President Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Cooperation

JOINT STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BARACK OBAMA AND PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION D. A. MEDVEDEV CONCERNING AFGHANISTAN

Joint Statement by Dmitry A. Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, and Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, on Missile Defense Issues

FACT SHEET: The Joint Understanding for the START Follow-on Treaty

FACT SHEET: U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission

Opening Statement of Presidents Obama and Medvedev!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Picture of a Lifetime! Obama and Medvedev!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:34:00 PDT

Obama came to Moscow Russia Today and it looks like they called each other to coordinate their suits! They really look like tough - rough leaders don't they? :)

Thanks to my wife for sending me this picture...

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

A Saturday Stroll in Moscow, Russia!

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:17:00 PDT

Svet and I ate at McDonald's Saturday. We were walking out and I spotted this sign about McDonald's is hiring. The sign says that you can start at 18,000 rubles per month and up (full time). 18,000 rubles is about $580 per month. That is a high rate of pay for many Russians.

From what I see, McDonald's is busier than ever and they are having labor issues. (They can not get help) The recession has not hurt McDonald's in Russia...

Next picture we took was from a bus station. When I saw this advertisement conglomeration - I started to laugh and Svet thought I was going crazy. I could not help myself when I saw all the little ad notes stuck all over the fence and then to have a typical high class Moscow, Russia toilet System in the picture to boot. It just does not get any better than that...

Well, OK you had to be there! :)

OK, if that was not funny to you, lets get serious: How about a full fledged "Aston Martin". I asked Svet if I could have one and she just looked at me like I was stupid or something....

But hey the car is a serious stuff! As this is seriously cool also... A Tram Depot!

This was just a nice walk in downtown Moscow, Russia. Wish you all were here!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Beginning of Meeting with President of the United States Barack Obama

peppy200@gmail.com (Kyle and Svet Keeton) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:00:00 PDT

July 6, 2009,
The Kremlin, Moscow

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Mr. President, Barak, distinguished members of the American delegation,

On this occasion I would like to welcome you in the Kremlin, and it is our expectation that during the deliberations we will have today and tomorrow we will have a full-fledged discussion of the relations between our two countries, closing some of the pages of the past and opening some of the pages of the future.

Among those difficult questions our countries are tackling together, are those pertaining to economy, security and strategic offensive elements, and it is my hope that it will be possible for us to tackle successfully these problems jointly.

So once again I would like to welcome you all and to wish you success.

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BARACK OBAMA: Thank you. Well, let me just thank President Medvedev and his entire delegation for the extraordinary hospitality. We are confident that we can continue to build off the excellent discussions that we had in London. And that on the whole host of issues including security issues, economic issues, energy issues, environmental issues that the United States and Russia have more in common that they have differences. And that if we work hard during these next few days, that we can make extraordinary progress that will benefit the people of both countries.

So we are very much looking forward to our meetings. And again I want to thank not only you, Mr President, but the people of Russia for hosting us today. We are very glad to be in Moscow.

DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Even the weather favours such an intercourse between us since it is going to be chilly outside and it is better to work inside.

BARACK OBAMA: We might as well be inside today. Although the last time I was here in Moscow it was 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

More to come---