tass--2020-12-18--Press review: Takeaways from Putin’s annual presser and White House eyes peacemaker role

Izvestia : Putin focuses on post-COVID recovery , relations with CIS , West , during annual press conference Around 70 % of Russia ’ s budget is not based on oil and gas revenues , the country will reach the pre-pandemic level by the end of 2021 , a lockdown is not planned , and neither is any government reshuffling , these were among some of the most important statements made by President Vladimir Putin at his annual year-end press conference .
In roughly four and a half hours , Putin managed to answer 68 questions , the overwhelming majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to the pandemic and its consequences .
The emphasis was placed on the domestic agenda and even international topics in one way or another were reduced to Russia or the post-Soviet space , Izvestia writes .
Experts noted the state 's course for social support .
`` Digitalization is worth noting , which today has begun to develop as a mechanism for interaction with the state , '' Chairperson of the Commission on Social Policy , Labor Relations , Cooperation with Trade Unions and Veterans Support Natalya Pochinok told Izvestia .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s financial system is safe and sound , as evidenced by banks ’ profits .
In 2020 , it amounted to 1.3 trillion rubles ( $ 17.75 bln ) .
The decline in the country 's GDP in 2020 was 3.6 % , which less than almost all leading European countries , and even the United States , Putin stressed .
At the same time , economists , interviewed by the newspaper , pointed to several positive trends despite the pandemic .
As for the Russian vaccine against COVID-19 , Putin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against coronavirus due to his age .
The Russian leader , however , promised that he would be vaccinated as soon as possible .
The question about the situation around Alexey Navalny was raised several times .
Putin said he believes that if someone wanted to poison the blogger , then `` probably they would have finished '' the job .
In the actions of the opposition figure , he saw political machinations and just more of the same attention-seeking antics .
The topic of international relations was focused on Belarus , Nagorno-Karabakh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the steps by the Ukrainian leadership to resolve the conflict in Donbass , Putin noted that Russia will not only continue , but will bolster its support for Donbass .
As for Nagorno-Karabakh , Putin said that the situation there erupted not as a result of outside interference .
At the same time , First Deputy Head of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov told Izvestia that the war was terminated with Russian mediation .
`` Now Russian peacekeepers are stationed there , and it is clear that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was talking about whether to recognize Karabakh or not , or whether to condemn the military actions or not , we acted and helped to stop the bloodshed , '' he stressed .
Speaking about a `` new arms race '' , the president made it clear that this race has been going on for a long time - since the US withdrew from the ABM Treaty in 2002 .
The only arms control agreement that is still in effect is the New START Treaty , and even that , according to Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow is ready for a dialogue on this topic with the new US administration , Putin concluded .
Nezavisimaya Gazeta : White House plans to reconcile Armenia and Azerbaijan while bypassing Russia Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper considered the presence of the Russian Armed Forces in the zone of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict to be a destabilizing factor .
According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta , this statement indicates that Washington is seeking to play a more active role in the Karabakh settlement .
However , Washington 's capabilities in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position of the outgoing White House administration , the newspaper writes .
The incoming Biden administration ’ s policy course on Karabakh is not yet clear .
The Democrat did not offer any of his own ways to resolve the conflict .
That said , the confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan was not among the most important topics of his election campaign .
On the other hand , Trump and his team still do not recognize the legitimacy of Biden 's victory in the election and are trying to delay the transfer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much as possible .
Meanwhile , the `` destabilizing '' Russian military presence in the region , as Clarke put it , will soon increase .
The Press Service of Armenia ’ s Ministry of Defense reported that Russian border guards will soon appear on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border , where transport links are going to be set up between the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan and the rest of this country .
Vedomosti : US embarks on sanctions offensive against Turkey over its purchase of Russia ’ s S-400s Washington took the unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally by blackballing Head of the Presidency of Defense Industries ( SSB ) Ismail Demir and three other leaders of this organization to penalize Turkey for its acquisition of Russia ’ s S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems .
These sanctions have a very deep and symbolic meaning , Vedomosti writes .
The SSB is a powerful and privileged organization directly subordinate to President Erdogan of Turkey .
Therefore , according to the newspaper , the US sanctions are essentially directed against the Turkish head of state personally .
This is an ominous signal that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sanctions offensive against the Turkish defense industry .
Washington ’ s sanctions , even symbolic ones , can cause significant damage to the SSB .
The defense industry of Turkey , which has been created over the past three decades is highly dependent on foreign licenses , technologies , systems and components .
Even a looming American or European embargo can paralyze virtually all major Turkish military projects , according to the newspaper .
As a result , America ’ s current anti-Turkish actions put the Turkish defense industry at a fork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Until very recently , its main focus was integrating into the Western defense-industrial `` ecosystem '' .
However , now Turkey faces the prospect of a complete collapse of the entire former defense-industrial orientation .
The alternative for the Turkish defense industry is obvious , it would have to reorient towards cooperating with non-Western players .
The US restrictive measures strike against Turkey and Erdogan widens the window of opportunity for Moscow .
Rosoboronexport already has a stable presence on the Turkish defense market , Vedomosti noted .
The main sports proceedings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be interpreted in different ways , including a victory for Russia , Kommersant writes .
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ( CAS ) , through its verdict , confirmed the legality of the package of super-strict sanctions from the World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA ) imposed on Russia due to manipulations with the database of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory .
However , their validity period has been cut in half - from four to two years .
During this period , Russian athletes will have to take part in all major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World Cup , under a neutral status .
At the same time , the provisions concerning this status have been softened : the word `` Russia '' and the colors of the national flag are allowed on the uniform of athletes .
Chairman of the supervisory board of RUSADA Alexander Ivlev said that the organization ’ s decision of not accepting the claims of WADA was absolutely correct , they managed to answer them with rather straightforward and specific arguments .
RUSADA , in its statement after the results of the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , the possibility of Russian officials being present at the Olympic Games , including the Russian president .
According to RUSADA , the key victory was that CAS `` did not limit '' clean Russian athletes in their right to participate on a common basis in the Olympic and Paralympic Games , as well as in the world championships , as required by WADA .
President of the Russian Olympic Committee Stanislav Pozdnyakov highlighted the same topic , commenting on the verdict .
In his opinion , the `` most important result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that `` CAS did not support WADA on the issue of collective responsibility measures and did not begin to introduce additional requirements for the admission of athletes . ''
Meanwhile , the International Olympic Committee responded to the completion of the process by stating that it will carefully examine the CAS decision and its implications for the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics and that it will work with international sports federations to form a coherent approach for its implementation .
Vedomosti : Bank of Russia may not reduce key rate until mid-2021 Rising prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow the Bank of Russia to lower the key rate to a new minimum , Vedomosti writes .
Analysts are completely unanimous in believing that it will remain at the level of 4.25 % .
Further rate cuts are also not expected soon .
The current figure may remain unchanged at least until mid-2021 .
`` The only argument in favor of lowering the rate right now is the stabilization of the situation in the foreign exchange market , but this calm may be short-term , and this is not the main factor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at , '' Head of analytical research at Alfa-Bank Natalia Orlova told the newspaper .
`` The main thing is that the inflation forecast for 2020 at the level of 3.9-4.2 % , which the Bank of Russia updated only in October , will be significantly exceeded .
Most likely , by the end of the year inflation will be 4.5-4.7 % , '' she predicted .
The current figure will remain unchanged at least until mid-2021 , Head of the personal brokerage department at BCS World of Investments Sergey Kuchin noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lower the rate .
If the current trend continues , the consumer price index may reach 5 % year-on-year at the end of January - February , '' he said .
In the absence of external shocks , Russia will be able to avoid further inflation growth , so that the Bank of Russia will not have to raise the rate , according to Head of the Trade Operations Department at the Russian Stock Market at Freedom Finance Georgy Vaschenko .
A positive scenario is more likely , in which the oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrel in Q1 , and inflation will begin to decline as foreign trade and the domestic market grow .
`` The trade balance will rise above $ 10 bln a month .
The Finance Ministry will buy currency for reserves .
Then , perhaps , there will be a window open at the end of the first quarter to reduce the rate to 4 % .
But so far it is impossible to furnish a confident forecast , '' he told Vedomosti .
TASS is not responsible for the material quoted in these @ @

Izvestia: Putin focuses on post-COVID recovery, relations with CIS, West, during annual press conference Around 70% of Russia’s budget is not based on oil and gas revenues, the country will reach the pre-pandemic level by the end of 2021, a lockdown is not planned, and neither is any government reshuffling, these were among some of the most important statements made by President Vladimir Putin at his annual year-end press conference. In roughly four and a half hours, Putin managed to answer 68 questions, the overwhelming majority of them in one way or another related to the pandemic and its consequences. The emphasis was placed on the domestic agenda and even international topics in one way or another were reduced to Russia or the post-Soviet space, Izvestia writes. Experts noted the state's course for social support. "Digitalization is worth noting, which today has begun to develop as a mechanism for interaction with the state," Chairperson of the Commission on Social Policy, Labor Relations, Cooperation with Trade Unions and Veterans Support Natalya Pochinok told Izvestia.
Read also Key points from Vladimir Putin's annual news conference
The head of state also noted that Russia’s financial system is safe and sound, as evidenced by banks’ profits. In 2020, it amounted to 1.3 trillion rubles ($17.75 bln). The decline in the country's GDP in 2020 was 3.6%, which less than almost all leading European countries, and even the United States, Putin stressed. At the same time, economists, interviewed by the newspaper, pointed to several positive trends despite the pandemic. As for the Russian vaccine against COVID-19, Putin said that he had not yet been vaccinated against coronavirus due to his age. The Russian leader, however, promised that he would be vaccinated as soon as possible. The question about the situation around Alexey Navalny was raised several times. Putin said he believes that if someone wanted to poison the blogger, then "probably they would have finished" the job. In the actions of the opposition figure, he saw political machinations and just more of the same attention-seeking antics. The topic of international relations was focused on Belarus, Nagorno-Karabakh, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan. Touching on the steps by the Ukrainian leadership to resolve the conflict in Donbass, Putin noted that Russia will not only continue, but will bolster its support for Donbass. As for Nagorno-Karabakh, Putin said that the situation there erupted not as a result of outside interference. At the same time, First Deputy Head of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov told Izvestia that the war was terminated with Russian mediation. "Now Russian peacekeepers are stationed there, and it is clear that they are making a real contribution. While everyone was talking about whether to recognize Karabakh or not, or whether to condemn the military actions or not, we acted and helped to stop the bloodshed," he stressed. Speaking about a "new arms race", the president made it clear that this race has been going on for a long time - since the US withdrew from the ABM Treaty in 2002. The only arms control agreement that is still in effect is the New START Treaty, and even that, according to Putin, will end in February 2021. Moscow is ready for a dialogue on this topic with the new US administration, Putin concluded. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: White House plans to reconcile Armenia and Azerbaijan while bypassing Russia Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper considered the presence of the Russian Armed Forces in the zone of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict to be a destabilizing factor. According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, this statement indicates that Washington is seeking to play a more active role in the Karabakh settlement. However, Washington's capabilities in this area are limited.
Cooper represents the position of the outgoing White House administration, the newspaper writes. The incoming Biden administration’s policy course on Karabakh is not yet clear. The Democrat did not offer any of his own ways to resolve the conflict. That said, the confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan was not among the most important topics of his election campaign. On the other hand, Trump and his team still do not recognize the legitimacy of Biden's victory in the election and are trying to delay the transfer of affairs to the incoming White House administration as much as possible. Meanwhile, the "destabilizing" Russian military presence in the region, as Clarke put it, will soon increase. The Press Service of Armenia’s Ministry of Defense reported that Russian border guards will soon appear on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, where transport links are going to be set up between the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan and the rest of this country. Vedomosti: US embarks on sanctions offensive against Turkey over its purchase of Russia’s S-400s Washington took the unprecedented step of imposing sanctions on its NATO ally by blackballing Head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Ismail Demir and three other leaders of this organization to penalize Turkey for its acquisition of Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. These sanctions have a very deep and symbolic meaning, Vedomosti writes. The SSB is a powerful and privileged organization directly subordinate to President Erdogan of Turkey. Therefore, according to the newspaper, the US sanctions are essentially directed against the Turkish head of state personally. This is an ominous signal that the United States is ready to launch a sanctions offensive against the Turkish defense industry. Washington’s sanctions, even symbolic ones, can cause significant damage to the SSB. The defense industry of Turkey, which has been created over the past three decades is highly dependent on foreign licenses, technologies, systems and components. Even a looming American or European embargo can paralyze virtually all major Turkish military projects, according to the newspaper. As a result, America’s current anti-Turkish actions put the Turkish defense industry at a fork in the road for further development. Until very recently, its main focus was integrating into the Western defense-industrial "ecosystem". However, now Turkey faces the prospect of a complete collapse of the entire former defense-industrial orientation. The alternative for the Turkish defense industry is obvious, it would have to reorient towards cooperating with non-Western players. The US restrictive measures strike against Turkey and Erdogan widens the window of opportunity for Moscow. Rosoboronexport already has a stable presence on the Turkish defense market, Vedomosti noted. Kommersant: CAS relaxes sanctions against Russian sports The main sports proceedings of the year ended with an outcome that can be interpreted in different ways, including a victory for Russia, Kommersant writes. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), through its verdict, confirmed the legality of the package of super-strict sanctions from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) imposed on Russia due to manipulations with the database of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory. However, their validity period has been cut in half - from four to two years. During this period, Russian athletes will have to take part in all major competitions, including the two Olympics and the World Cup, under a neutral status. At the same time, the provisions concerning this status have been softened: the word "Russia" and the colors of the national flag are allowed on the uniform of athletes.
Read also US may use Rodchenkov Act to squash unwanted sports rivals, warns Russian diplomat


tass--2020-12-18--Moscow reports 6,937 daily COVID-19 cases

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Another 6,937 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Moscow in the past 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ cases have been recorded in the Russian capital since the start of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ reporters on Friday .
A day earlier , Moscow reported 6,711 COVID-19 cases .
According @ @ @ @ @ the growth rate stands at 1 % .
Meanwhile , 5,821 patients were discharged in @ @ @ @ @ past 24 hours , and 72 fatalities were recorded .
To date , 557,028 patients @ @ @ @ @ have died .
Currently , 154,907 people in the capital continue treatment .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Another 6,937 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Moscow in the past 24 hours. In total, 722,178 cases have been recorded in the Russian capital since the start of the pandemic, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Friday.
A day earlier, Moscow reported 6,711 COVID-19 cases. According to the crisis center, the growth rate stands at 1%.
Meanwhile, 5,821 patients were discharged in Moscow after treatment in the past 24 hours, and 72 fatalities were recorded.
To date, 557,028 patients have recovered and 10,243 people have died. Currently, 154,907 people in the capital continue treatment.


tass--2020-12-18--Bumerang-platform armored vehicles to enter state trials in 2021

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
The state trials of the newest K-16 armored personnel carrier and K-17 wheeled combat vehicle built on the upcoming Bumerang platform will begin in 2021 , says CEO of the Military Industrial Company ( VPK ) Alexander Krasovitsky .
`` Previously , the APC and the combat vehicle , built on the Bumerang platform , successfully passed the preliminary trials .
After the trials , we implemented a number of the customer ’ s demands , upgraded the vehicles , and produced new units with all changes taken into consideration .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , planned for the spring next year , '' Krasovitsky said .
In April this year , VPK told TASS that the refined machines will have a larger body with better buoyancy .
The new body will make it possible to comfortably accommodate the troops in full gear .
Bumerang is an upcoming unified wheeled platform , used in the K-17 armored combat vehicle , first displayed at the Victory Parade in 2015 , as well as in the K-16 armored personnel carrier .
The baseline K-17 variant is equipped with the Epokha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a twin 7.62-mm machinegun , as well as Kornet anti-tank missiles .
The K-16 APC features a combat module with a 12.7-mm machinegun .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The state trials of the newest K-16 armored personnel carrier and K-17 wheeled combat vehicle built on the upcoming Bumerang platform will begin in 2021, says CEO of the Military Industrial Company (VPK) Alexander Krasovitsky.
"Previously, the APC and the combat vehicle, built on the Bumerang platform, successfully passed the preliminary trials. After the trials, we implemented a number of the customer’s demands, upgraded the vehicles, and produced new units with all changes taken into consideration. Now, the machines are ready for state trials, planned for the spring next year," Krasovitsky said.
In April this year, VPK told TASS that the refined machines will have a larger body with better buoyancy. The new body will make it possible to comfortably accommodate the troops in full gear.
Bumerang is an upcoming unified wheeled platform, used in the K-17 armored combat vehicle, first displayed at the Victory Parade in 2015, as well as in the K-16 armored personnel carrier. The baseline K-17 variant is equipped with the Epokha combat module, featuring a 30-mm autocannon and a twin 7.62-mm machinegun, as well as Kornet anti-tank missiles. The K-16 APC features a combat module with a 12.7-mm machinegun.


tass--2020-12-18--Russian Energy Ministry expects global gas demand to rise in coming 25-30 years

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Global gas demand will not decline in coming 25-30 years , it will @ @ @ @ @ small carbon footprint , Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin told a forum on Friday @ @ @ @ @ fact that gas has the smallest carbon footprint we do not expect a decline in @ @ @ @ @ years .
We project it only to rise , '' he said .
The demand @ @ @ @ @ satisfied by liquified natural gas ( LNG ) .
`` The LNG market is projected @ @ @ @ @ tonnes in coming 15-17 years .
That means that the gas market is not fully @ @ @ @ @ it will be moving towards that , '' Sorokin said , adding that sharpening of @ @ @ @ @ the market .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Global gas demand will not decline in coming 25-30 years, it will only rise due to a small carbon footprint, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin told a forum on Friday.
"Due to the fact that gas has the smallest carbon footprint we do not expect a decline in gas consumption in coming 25-30 years. We project it only to rise," he said.
The demand is largely expected to be satisfied by liquified natural gas (LNG).
"The LNG market is projected to grow by 200 mln tonnes in coming 15-17 years. That means that the gas market is not fully global so far, though it will be moving towards that," Sorokin said, adding that sharpening of competition is also expected on the market.


tass--2020-12-18--Russia registers 28,552 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Russia over the past 24 hours has increased by 28,552 , bringing the total to 2,791,220 , the anti-coronavirus crisis center told journalists on Friday .
Over 27,000 COVID-19 infections detected in Russia in 24 hours According to the crisis center , since the beginning of the pandemic 1.9 % of Russia ’ s population have been infected .
The lowest daily growth rates were registered in the Nenets Autonomous Region ( 0.5 % ) , the Republic of Tuva , the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mari El ( 0.6 % each ) .
Some 3,757 new cases over the past 24 hours have been detected in St. Petersburg , 1,485 - in the Moscow Region , 503 - in the Nizhny Novgorod Region , 402 - in the Sverdlovsk Region and 393 - in the Arkhangelsk Region .
In all , currently 512,825 patients continue treatment in Russia .
Russia ’ s coronavirus recoveries grew by 26,093 in the past 24 hours .
A total of 2,228,633 people have recovered by now , the anti-coronavirus crisis center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crisis center , recoveries have reached 79.8 % of the total number of infected individuals .
Another 3,050 patients were discharged in St. Petersburg , 1,109 in the Moscow Region , 497 in the Khabarovsk Region , 453 in the Krasnoyarsk Region and 432 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region .
In the past 24 hours , 611 people died from COVID-19 versus 587 one day ago , bringing the total death toll to 49,762 , according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center .
The relative lethality of the disease remains at 1.78 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past 24 hours , 84 patients died in St. Petersburg , 34 - in the Moscow Region , 24 - in the Rostov Region , 21 - in the Voronezh Region and 17 - in the Perm Region .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Russia over the past 24 hours has increased by 28,552, bringing the total to 2,791,220, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told journalists on Friday.
Over 27,000 COVID-19 infections detected in Russia in 24 hours
According to the crisis center, since the beginning of the pandemic 1.9% of Russia’s population have been infected.
The lowest daily growth rates were registered in the Nenets Autonomous Region (0.5%), the Republic of Tuva, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region and the Republic of Mari El (0.6% each).
Some 3,757 new cases over the past 24 hours have been detected in St. Petersburg, 1,485 - in the Moscow Region, 503 - in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 402 - in the Sverdlovsk Region and 393 - in the Arkhangelsk Region.
In all, currently 512,825 patients continue treatment in Russia.
Recoveries
Russia’s coronavirus recoveries grew by 26,093 in the past 24 hours. A total of 2,228,633 people have recovered by now, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Friday.
According to the crisis center, recoveries have reached 79.8% of the total number of infected individuals.
Another 3,050 patients were discharged in St. Petersburg, 1,109 in the Moscow Region, 497 in the Khabarovsk Region, 453 in the Krasnoyarsk Region and 432 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.
Fatalities
In the past 24 hours, 611 people died from COVID-19 versus 587 one day ago, bringing the total death toll to 49,762, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center.
The relative lethality of the disease remains at 1.78%, according to the statistics.
In the past 24 hours, 84 patients died in St. Petersburg, 34 - in the Moscow Region, 24 - in the Rostov Region, 21 - in the Voronezh Region and 17 - in the Perm Region.


tass--2020-12-18--‘Going around in circles’: Diplomat says US pushing ‘unacceptable’ terms on New START deal

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
The United States , while proposing to hold meetings on the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms , also known as the New START Treaty , put forward conditions for extending the deal that are unacceptable for Moscow , Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told TASS on Friday commenting on remarks by US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea .
`` Our colleagues in Washington say that they offered to meet us five times to finalize the deal , and we tell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrangement proposed by [ Russian ] President [ Vladimir ] Putin 25 times and handed over our proposals in writing .
Instead of accepting this simple and clear arrangement , they pressed for additional conditions that are unacceptable for us , '' he explained .
According to Ryabkov , `` if and when the US retracts its additional conditions , an agreement can be reached fairly quickly . ''
`` As long as there is no such understanding , there are no grounds for a face-to-face meeting either , since there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debating over the same arguments .
However , we are open to dialogue , that ’ s for sure .
In this case , we see yet another attempt by the American side to shift the responsibility for its own inability to negotiate onto others , '' the Russian senior diplomat stressed .
Billingslea earlier said that the Russian Foreign Ministry had rejected US proposals for meetings on the extension of the New START deal .
He thus commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s remarks at his annual press conference that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prolonging the treaty with Washington but is awaiting a response from its US partners .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The United States, while proposing to hold meetings on the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, also known as the New START Treaty, put forward conditions for extending the deal that are unacceptable for Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told TASS on Friday commenting on remarks by US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea.
"Our colleagues in Washington say that they offered to meet us five times to finalize the deal, and we tell them that we offered to agree on the arrangement proposed by [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin 25 times and handed over our proposals in writing. Instead of accepting this simple and clear arrangement, they pressed for additional conditions that are unacceptable for us," he explained.
According to Ryabkov, "if and when the US retracts its additional conditions, an agreement can be reached fairly quickly."
"As long as there is no such understanding, there are no grounds for a face-to-face meeting either, since there is no point in going around in circles and debating over the same arguments. However, we are open to dialogue, that’s for sure. In this case, we see yet another attempt by the American side to shift the responsibility for its own inability to negotiate onto others," the Russian senior diplomat stressed.
Billingslea earlier said that the Russian Foreign Ministry had rejected US proposals for meetings on the extension of the New START deal. He thus commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks at his annual press conference that Moscow is ready to continue dialogue on prolonging the treaty with Washington but is awaiting a response from its US partners.


tass--2020-12-18--Over 30,000 volunteers join Russian Armed Forces in 2020

`` By the end of 2020 , the number of volunteer servicemen increased by 30,000 people , this category is @ @ @ @ @ The number of volunteers exceeds the number of conscripts by 1.8 times , '' Pankov @ @ @ @ @ Deputy Defense Minister , volunteer servicemen fully cover the sergeant roster , submarine crews , @ @ @ @ @ peacekeeping units , special forces , the majority of drivers and snipers , as well @ @ @ @ @ and maintenance positions .
`` Our final goal is to fill about 500,000 positions of @ @ @ @ @ with professional servicemen .
Overall , over the last eight years , this category of @ @ @ @ @ times , '' Pankov added .

"By the end of 2020, the number of volunteer servicemen increased by 30,000 people, this category is now the most numerous. The number of volunteers exceeds the number of conscripts by 1.8 times," Pankov said.
According to the Deputy Defense Minister, volunteer servicemen fully cover the sergeant roster, submarine crews, long-range surface ship crews, peacekeeping units, special forces, the majority of drivers and snipers, as well as a number of repair and maintenance positions.
"Our final goal is to fill about 500,000 positions of soldiers, sergeants and ensigns with professional servicemen. Overall, over the last eight years, this category of servicemen increased by over two times," Pankov added.


tass--2020-12-18--Sukhoi, MiG to account for 10% of global fighter jet market in 2021-2025, forecast says

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Combat jets of Russia ’ s Sukhoi and MiG enterprises will account for 10 % of the global fighter jet market in 2021-2025 , the Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine said in its forecast .
According to the survey , obtained by TASS , the global fighter jet market is estimated at $ 162.6 billion in 2021-2025 .
Sukhoi will account for 9 % of it ( $ 15.2 billion ) , while MiG will have 1 % ( $ 2.1 billion ) .
Sukhoi will be in the top three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makers , after Boeing with 10 % ( $ 16.4 billion ) and Lockheed Martin with 48 % ( $ 77.8 billion ) .
In 2021-2025 , Sukhoi is expected to produce 218 fighter jets , which is 11 % of global fighter jet production .
MiG is expected to manufacture 43 aircraft ( 2 % ) .
The magazine also included the Su-35 fighter jet into its list of most notable combat jets in 2021-2025 .
In its survey of the military transport plane industry , the magazine said Russian aircraft maker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such planes on the global market in 2021-2025 .
According to the Aviation Week & Space Technology , Ilyushin will manufacture 69 military transport planes in the reported period .
It will be fourth in the list of the world ’ s biggest transport aircraft makers , after Boeing ( 88 planes or 15 % ) , Airbus ( 99 planes or 17 % ) and Lockheed Martin ( 127 planes or 21 % ) .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Combat jets of Russia’s Sukhoi and MiG enterprises will account for 10% of the global fighter jet market in 2021-2025, the Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine said in its forecast.
According to the survey, obtained by TASS, the global fighter jet market is estimated at $162.6 billion in 2021-2025. Sukhoi will account for 9% of it ($15.2 billion), while MiG will have 1% ($2.1 billion).
Sukhoi will be in the top three of the world’s biggest fighter aircraft makers, after Boeing with 10% ($16.4 billion) and Lockheed Martin with 48% ($77.8 billion).
In 2021-2025, Sukhoi is expected to produce 218 fighter jets, which is 11% of global fighter jet production. MiG is expected to manufacture 43 aircraft (2%).
The magazine also included the Su-35 fighter jet into its list of most notable combat jets in 2021-2025.
Military transport sector
In its survey of the military transport plane industry, the magazine said Russian aircraft maker Ilyushin would produce 12% of all such planes on the global market in 2021-2025.
According to the Aviation Week & Space Technology, Ilyushin will manufacture 69 military transport planes in the reported period. It will be fourth in the list of the world’s biggest transport aircraft makers, after Boeing (88 planes or 15%), Airbus (99 planes or 17%) and Lockheed Martin (127 planes or 21%).


tass--2020-12-18--Only three countries having air service with Russia correspond to epidemiological criteria

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Russia has resumed air service with 16 countries so far , but only three of them fully correspond to epidemiological requirements , Russia ’ s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing ( Rospotrebnadzor ) said on Friday .
Russia halted regular passenger flights with other countries in late March due to the pandemic .
Since summer , it has partially resumed flights to 16 countries .
In order to have air service with Russia resumed , a country ’ s coronavirus infection rate should not exceed 40 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , average daily growth in new cases for the past two weeks should remain below 1 % , and the Rt value ( the average number of people that one person with COVID-19 is expected to infect ) should be less than 1 .
`` As of December 13 , only the Seychelles , Tanzania and Ethiopia fully meet the requirements .
Two out of the three requirements are met in Kyrgyzstan , Egypt , Cuba and the Maldives , one out of three - in the United Kingdom , United Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan , '' Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement .
`` None of the three requirements is met in the Republic of Belarus , Kazakhstan , Turkey and Switzerland , '' the watchdog said .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russia has resumed air service with 16 countries so far, but only three of them fully correspond to epidemiological requirements, Russia’s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) said on Friday.
Russia halted regular passenger flights with other countries in late March due to the pandemic. Since summer, it has partially resumed flights to 16 countries. In order to have air service with Russia resumed, a country’s coronavirus infection rate should not exceed 40 cases per 100,000 people in the past two weeks, average daily growth in new cases for the past two weeks should remain below 1%, and the Rt value (the average number of people that one person with COVID-19 is expected to infect) should be less than 1.
"As of December 13, only the Seychelles, Tanzania and Ethiopia fully meet the requirements. Two out of the three requirements are met in Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Cuba and the Maldives, one out of three - in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Serbia, Japan," Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement.
"None of the three requirements is met in the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Switzerland," the watchdog said.


tass--2020-12-18--New platform highlights ties between Singapore and China's Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao

GUANGZHOU , China , Dec. 17 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ Nanfang Media Group and Singapore Press Holdings ' Chinese Media Group ( CMG ) jointly launched a webpage named 'Explore GBA ' on zaobao.com , an influential news website in southeast Asia , on December 16th .
Being one of the biggest media groups based in Guangdong and the biggest Chinese media group in Singapore , the two partnering organisations will make use of their resources to bring insights into China 's highly-anticipated economic plan , the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ( GBA ) , and provide information on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic development , culture and people 's livelihood .
The webpage is also expected to perform as a platform to bring together the enterprises and individuals that contributed to connections between Singapore and the GBA .
It will focus on individual stories that showcase the latest and diverse possibilities for partnership between GBA and Southeast-Asian countries .
`` Explore GBA '' is a step forward for the partnership between Nanfang Media Group and CMG .
Since 2018 , the two media groups have been working to facilitate communication and information exchanges between Singapore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapidly-developing provinces in China .
In addition , an online seminar was held as the 'Explore GBA ' webpage unveiled , where enterprises and professionals were invited to share their experience of doing business in the GBA and the new opportunities they have found since the Covid-19 pandemic .
It 's been learned that another online seminar on the topic of digital economy is scheduled for early 2021 .
More information about the event will be available on the 'Explore GBA ' webpage :

GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Nanfang Media Group and Singapore Press Holdings' Chinese Media Group (CMG) jointly launched a webpage named 'Explore GBA' on zaobao.com, an influential news website in southeast Asia, on December 16th.
Being one of the biggest media groups based in Guangdong and the biggest Chinese media group in Singapore, the two partnering organisations will make use of their resources to bring insights into China's highly-anticipated economic plan, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and provide information on the Area's advantageous policies, industrial and economic development, culture and people's livelihood.
The webpage is also expected to perform as a platform to bring together the enterprises and individuals that contributed to connections between Singapore and the GBA. It will focus on individual stories that showcase the latest and diverse possibilities for partnership between GBA and Southeast-Asian countries.
"Explore GBA" is a step forward for the partnership between Nanfang Media Group and CMG. Since 2018, the two media groups have been working to facilitate communication and information exchanges between Singapore and Guangdong, one of the most rapidly-developing provinces in China.
In addition, an online seminar was held as the 'Explore GBA' webpage unveiled, where enterprises and professionals were invited to share their experience of doing business in the GBA and the new opportunities they have found since the Covid-19 pandemic.
It's been learned that another online seminar on the topic of digital economy is scheduled for early 2021. More information about the event will be available on the 'Explore GBA' webpage:
https://www.zaobao.com/special/report/supplement/greater-bay-area
CONTACT: Yin Juewen, +86-02087397887, 1178564152@qq.com
Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1387179/video.mp4


tass--2020-12-18--Vostochny space center to carry out first fully commercial launch on Friday

The Fregat booster and the satellites are expected to separate from the rocket approximately ten minutes after the launch .
MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
The first fully commercial launch from the Vostochny space center in Russia ’ s Far East will take place on Friday , when a Soyuz-2.1b rocket with 38 OneWeb satellites will blast off at approximately 15:26 Moscow time .
The satellites will separate from the booster in nine stages , four spacecraft at a time .
The overall mission time is estimated at 3 hours 51 minutes and 40 seconds , the launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An An-124-100 transport plane brought OneWeb satellites from the United States to the Far Eastern Russian city of Blagoveshchensk in November .
Subsequently , the satellites were transported to the lauch facility by Vostochny space center specialists .
Friday ’ s launch will be the first and only one from Vostochny this year .
OneWeb reported in November that the blastoff was scheduled for December 17 .
However , Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin later wrote on his Facebook page that it will take place one day later .
France ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian launches in the interests of OneWeb , said in September it would launch 16 Soyuz rockets from three space centers ( Kourou in French Guiana , Baikonur in Kazakhstan and Vostochny ) starting from the end of 2020 till 2022 .
Between 34 and 36 satellites are to be orbited during one launch .
At the moment , OneWeb has 74 satellites in low stationary orbits and plans to launch hundreds of others .
It plans to start providing commercial services in late 2021 , first of all to customers in Arctic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , northern Europe , Greenland , Iceland and Canada .
The launch from Vostochny was initially scheduled for April .
However , the British company had to declare bankruptcy and reorganization in March after failing to raise about $ 2 billion from a group of investors , including Japan ’ s SoftBank .
In April , OneWeb asked the British government for a 500-million-pound ( $ 645 million ) loan within the framework of a wider $ 2.2 billion package of financing from private investors .
London refused , but in July made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to establish control over it .
It is expected that the British government and India ’ s Bharti Global company will spend $ 500 million dollars each to acquire stakes in OneWeb .

The Fregat booster and the satellites are expected to separate from the rocket approximately ten minutes after the launch.
MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The first fully commercial launch from the Vostochny space center in Russia’s Far East will take place on Friday, when a Soyuz-2.1b rocket with 38 OneWeb satellites will blast off at approximately 15:26 Moscow time.
The satellites will separate from the booster in nine stages, four spacecraft at a time. The overall mission time is estimated at 3 hours 51 minutes and 40 seconds, the launch’s operator, Arianespace, said.
An An-124-100 transport plane brought OneWeb satellites from the United States to the Far Eastern Russian city of Blagoveshchensk in November. Subsequently, the satellites were transported to the lauch facility by Vostochny space center specialists.
Friday’s launch will be the first and only one from Vostochny this year. OneWeb reported in November that the blastoff was scheduled for December 17. However, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin later wrote on his Facebook page that it will take place one day later.
France’s Arianspace, which is the customer of Russian launches in the interests of OneWeb, said in September it would launch 16 Soyuz rockets from three space centers (Kourou in French Guiana, Baikonur in Kazakhstan and Vostochny) starting from the end of 2020 till 2022. Between 34 and 36 satellites are to be orbited during one launch.
At the moment, OneWeb has 74 satellites in low stationary orbits and plans to launch hundreds of others. It plans to start providing commercial services in late 2021, first of all to customers in Arctic seas, the United Kingdom, Alaska, northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland and Canada.
The launch from Vostochny was initially scheduled for April. However, the British company had to declare bankruptcy and reorganization in March after failing to raise about $2 billion from a group of investors, including Japan’s SoftBank.
In April, OneWeb asked the British government for a 500-million-pound ($645 million) loan within the framework of a wider $2.2 billion package of financing from private investors. London refused, but in July made a decision to invest into the company to establish control over it. It is expected that the British government and India’s Bharti Global company will spend $500 million dollars each to acquire stakes in OneWeb.


tass--2020-12-18--Fines worth $315,000 imposed on Russians who failed to pass COVID test after foreign trip

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Fines worth more than 23 million rubles ( about $ 315,000 ) in @ @ @ @ @ who failed to pass COVID-19 testing after returning from a foreign trip , or notify @ @ @ @ @ in time , the press service of Russia ’ s sanitary watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on @ @ @ @ @ , fines worth more than 23 million rubles in total were imposed on Russian citizens @ @ @ @ @ failed to pass COVID-19 testing in time , '' the statement says .
All Russians @ @ @ @ @ from abroad are to fill a special form on the portal of state services prior @ @ @ @ @ flight .
Moreover , within three days after arriving to the country , Russian citizens @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus test and upload the result to the state services portal .
They are to @ @ @ @ @ test is ready .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Fines worth more than 23 million rubles (about $315,000) in total were imposed on Russians who failed to pass COVID-19 testing after returning from a foreign trip, or notify the authorities about the result in time, the press service of Russia’s sanitary watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Friday.
"At present, fines worth more than 23 million rubles in total were imposed on Russian citizens who returned from abroad and failed to pass COVID-19 testing in time," the statement says.
All Russians who arrive to the country from abroad are to fill a special form on the portal of state services prior to their registration to the flight. Moreover, within three days after arriving to the country, Russian citizens are to undergo a novel coronavirus test and upload the result to the state services portal. They are to remain in self-isolation until the test is ready.


tass--2020-12-18--Russia to complete trials of next-generation armored vehicle in summer 2021

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
State trials of Russia ’ s latest armored vehicle , Atlet , will begin in the spring of 2021 and continue until late summer , Military Industrial Company CEO Alexander Krasovitsky told TASS on Friday .
`` By now , Altet has fully completed preliminary trials and is about to enter state trials .
They will begin in the spring of 2021 and will continue until late summer of the same year , '' he said .
Russian Army Commander-in-Chief Army General Oleg Salyukov told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on December 9 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
The next-generation Atlet armored vehicles have been developed by Military Industrial Company on order from Russia ’ s Defense Ministry as part of the Atlet R & D work .
The Atlet armored vehicle was unveiled to the public at the Army-2019 international arms exhibition outside Moscow in June last year .
The Atlet vehicles feature a 4x4 wheeled platform and are designated to carry personnel and military cargoes providing the required level of protection , as well as to tow trailers and mount armament , military and special hardware .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are equipped with anti-trauma seats for all crewmembers and with the air conditioning system .
The armored vehicles ’ ballistic protection in its basic configuration corresponds to the 2nd level by general technical standards .
As compared to the Tigr armored vehicle produced by Military Industrial Company , the Atlet features an increased lifting capacity of up to 1,600 kg and anti-mine resistance enhanced threefold , a more powerful YaMZ-5347-24 Russian-made diesel engine with a maximum capacity of 240 hp .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. State trials of Russia’s latest armored vehicle, Atlet, will begin in the spring of 2021 and continue until late summer, Military Industrial Company CEO Alexander Krasovitsky told TASS on Friday.
"By now, Altet has fully completed preliminary trials and is about to enter state trials. They will begin in the spring of 2021 and will continue until late summer of the same year," he said.
Russian Army Commander-in-Chief Army General Oleg Salyukov told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on December 9 that Atlet state trials will be completed next year.
The next-generation Atlet armored vehicles have been developed by Military Industrial Company on order from Russia’s Defense Ministry as part of the Atlet R&D work. The Atlet armored vehicle was unveiled to the public at the Army-2019 international arms exhibition outside Moscow in June last year.
The Atlet vehicles feature a 4x4 wheeled platform and are designated to carry personnel and military cargoes providing the required level of protection, as well as to tow trailers and mount armament, military and special hardware.
In their standard configuration, the vehicles are equipped with anti-trauma seats for all crewmembers and with the air conditioning system. The armored vehicles’ ballistic protection in its basic configuration corresponds to the 2nd level by general technical standards.
As compared to the Tigr armored vehicle produced by Military Industrial Company, the Atlet features an increased lifting capacity of up to 1,600 kg and anti-mine resistance enhanced threefold, a more powerful YaMZ-5347-24 Russian-made diesel engine with a maximum capacity of 240 hp.


tass--2020-12-18--Russia’s S-400 systems in Turkey threaten US personnel, Pompeo tells Turkish counterpart

WASHINGTON , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
In a phone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu , US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said the S-400 air defense systems that Turkey had purchased from Russia threaten the security of US personnel , Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Cale Brown said in a statement .
Commenting on a phone conversation between the top diplomats of the United States and Turkey earlier this week , the spokesperson said : `` Secretary Pompeo made clear to Foreign Minister Cavusoglu that Turkey ’ s purchase of the S-400 system endangers the security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows Russian access to the Turkish armed forces and defense industry . ''
According to the statement , Pompeo called upon his Turkish counterpart `` to resolve the S-400 issue in a manner consistent with our decades-long history of defense-sector cooperation . ''
The US secretary of state also urged Ankara to re-commit itself to its NATO obligations to purchase NATO-interoperable weaponry .
At the same time , the US top diplomat assured that the goal of Washington ’ s sanctions was to prevent Russia from receiving `` substantial revenue . ''
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capabilities or combat readiness of Turkey , he added .
On December 14 , the US authorities imposed restrictions on Turkey ’ s Defense Industries Directorate , its chief and three other Turkish citizens - Mustafa Alper Deniz , Serhat Gencoglu , and Faruk Yigit under the Countering America ’ s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act .
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said the restrictions were a clear message to the effect the United States will use the CAATSA to the full extent and `` will not tolerate significant transactions with Russia 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract with Ankara on the delivery of the S-400 systems in 2017 .
Turkey became the first NATO country to purchase these systems from Russia , drawing a negative reaction from the United States and NATO in general .
In particular , Washington said that `` Turkey ’ s decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible . ''
On December 7 , head of the Rostec State Corporation Sergei Chemezov said the first S-400 contract with Turkey had been fully executed , all components @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey and Russia had received full payment .
Turkey became the first NATO member to purchase those systems from Russia .
The S-400 Triumf ( NATO reporting name : SA-21 Growler ) is the most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system that went into service in 2007 .
It is designed to destroy aircraft , cruise and ballistic missiles , including medium-range ones , and can also be used against ground objectives .
The S-400 system can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 35 km @

WASHINGTON, December 18. /TASS/. In a phone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said the S-400 air defense systems that Turkey had purchased from Russia threaten the security of US personnel, Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Cale Brown said in a statement.
Commenting on a phone conversation between the top diplomats of the United States and Turkey earlier this week, the spokesperson said: "Secretary Pompeo made clear to Foreign Minister Cavusoglu that Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 system endangers the security of U.S. personnel and military technology and allows Russian access to the Turkish armed forces and defense industry."
According to the statement, Pompeo called upon his Turkish counterpart "to resolve the S-400 issue in a manner consistent with our decades-long history of defense-sector cooperation."
The US secretary of state also urged Ankara to re-commit itself to its NATO obligations to purchase NATO-interoperable weaponry.
At the same time, the US top diplomat assured that the goal of Washington’s sanctions was to prevent Russia from receiving "substantial revenue." They were not intended to undermine the military capabilities or combat readiness of Turkey, he added.
On December 14, the US authorities imposed restrictions on Turkey’s Defense Industries Directorate, its chief and three other Turkish citizens - Mustafa Alper Deniz, Serhat Gencoglu, and Faruk Yigit under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said the restrictions were a clear message to the effect the United States will use the CAATSA to the full extent and "will not tolerate significant transactions with Russia's defense sector."
Moscow signed a contract with Ankara on the delivery of the S-400 systems in 2017. Turkey became the first NATO country to purchase these systems from Russia, drawing a negative reaction from the United States and NATO in general. In particular, Washington said that "Turkey’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible."
On December 7, head of the Rostec State Corporation Sergei Chemezov said the first S-400 contract with Turkey had been fully executed, all components of the systems had been delivered to Turkey and Russia had received full payment. Turkey became the first NATO member to purchase those systems from Russia.
The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range ones, and can also be used against ground objectives. The S-400 system can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 35 km.


tass--2020-12-18--US Nuclear Security Administration unaffected by cyberattack - Energy Department

WASHINGTON , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
The US National Nuclear Security Administration was not affected by a recent cyberattack on the US Department of Energy ( DOE ) , spokesperson Shaylyn Hynes said .
In a statement received by TASS she said the department was responding to the cyber incident related to the Solar Winds compromise in coordination with its federal and industry partners .
`` The investigation is ongoing and the response to this incident is happening in real time .
At this point , the investigation has found that the malware has been isolated to business networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission essential national security functions of the Department , including the National Nuclear Security Administration ( NNSA ) , '' the spokesperson said .
`` When DOE identified vulnerable software , immediate action was taken to mitigate the risk , and all software identified as being vulnerable to this attack was disconnected from the DOE network , '' she added .
Earlier , the US Department of Commerce confirmed to TASS that the computer network of its agency called the National Telecommunications and Information Administration ( NTIA ) had been hacked .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident .
According to a Reuters report , the US intelligence community suspects that those who attacked the NTIA and also the Department of the Treasury might have used the same technique against other US government agencies .
The situation is so serious that , according to the news agency , an urgent meeting of the National Security Council was held at the White House .
The Washington Post quotes sources as saying hackers working for the Russian government were behind the attack , which also targeted the US Department of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back up its claims , though .
So far , the US authorities have not officially confirmed US media claims of Russian involvement .
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed US accusations Russian hackers were behind those cyberattacks , and called upon the US authorities to stop to `` groundlessly blame Russians . ''
In his words , it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who invited the American side to agree and conclude an agreement on cooperation in the field of cybersecurity .
`` This would let both countries cooperate and resist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so on and so forth , '' he added .

WASHINGTON, December 18. /TASS/. The US National Nuclear Security Administration was not affected by a recent cyberattack on the US Department of Energy (DOE), spokesperson Shaylyn Hynes said.
In a statement received by TASS she said the department was responding to the cyber incident related to the Solar Winds compromise in coordination with its federal and industry partners.
"The investigation is ongoing and the response to this incident is happening in real time. At this point, the investigation has found that the malware has been isolated to business networks only, and has not impacted the mission essential national security functions of the Department, including the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)," the spokesperson said.
"When DOE identified vulnerable software, immediate action was taken to mitigate the risk, and all software identified as being vulnerable to this attack was disconnected from the DOE network," she added.
Earlier, the US Department of Commerce confirmed to TASS that the computer network of its agency called the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) had been hacked. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing into the incident. According to a Reuters report, the US intelligence community suspects that those who attacked the NTIA and also the Department of the Treasury might have used the same technique against other US government agencies. The situation is so serious that, according to the news agency, an urgent meeting of the National Security Council was held at the White House.
The Washington Post quotes sources as saying hackers working for the Russian government were behind the attack, which also targeted the US Department of State. The newspaper provided no evidence to back up its claims, though.
So far, the US authorities have not officially confirmed US media claims of Russian involvement.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed US accusations Russian hackers were behind those cyberattacks, and called upon the US authorities to stop to "groundlessly blame Russians." In his words, it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who invited the American side to agree and conclude an agreement on cooperation in the field of cybersecurity. "This would let both countries cooperate and resist cybercrimes and attempts at cyber blackmail and so on and so forth," he added.


tass--2020-12-18--Leaders of ex-Soviet states to discuss anti-coronavirus effort during online summit

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
The Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States ( @ @ @ @ @ a videoconference on Friday to discuss a wide range of issues , including anti-coronavirus efforts @ @ @ @ @ said .
The leaders plan to discuss current state and prospects for developing cooperation within @ @ @ @ @ , trade and economic , social and cultural spheres .
They are also expected to @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus infection and exchange opinions on topical international and regional matters .
`` Following @ @ @ @ @ will approve an updated Concept for the CIS future development and adopt joint statements on @ @ @ @ @ UN , on cooperation in the area of maintaining international information security , and a @ @ @ @ @ '' the Kremlin said .
During his annual press conference on Thursday , Russian President @ @ @ @ @ will be timely and useful .
`` My colleagues and me will discuss what tasks @ @ @ @ @ matter of priority , '' he said .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will convene via a videoconference on Friday to discuss a wide range of issues, including anti-coronavirus efforts, the Kremlin press service said.
The leaders plan to discuss current state and prospects for developing cooperation within the CIS in the political, trade and economic, social and cultural spheres. They are also expected to discuss joint efforts to counter the coronavirus infection and exchange opinions on topical international and regional matters.
"Following the meeting, its participants will approve an updated Concept for the CIS future development and adopt joint statements on the 75th anniversary of the UN, on cooperation in the area of maintaining international information security, and a number of other documents," the Kremlin said.
During his annual press conference on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the event will be timely and useful. "My colleagues and me will discuss what tasks we should solve as a matter of priority," he said.


tass--2020-12-18--Turkish military convoy enters southern districts of Idlib — news portal

BEIRUT , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
More than 30 Turkish armored vehicles and military trucks crossed the Turkish-Syrian border @ @ @ @ @ southern districts of the Idlib governorate , the El Nashra news portal reported .
According @ @ @ @ @ servicemen were deployed at positions around observation posts in the mountainous Jabal al-Zawiya area , @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier , Turkish servicmen deployed in the nearby Aleppo and Hama governorates also arrived @ @ @ @ @ observation posts there were surrounded by the Syrian government forces , who liberated several towns @ @ @ @ @ de-escalation zone in January .
Idlib is the only Syrian region that has been controlled @ @ @ @ @ 2012 .
A northern de-escalation zone was set up in Idlib in 2017 to give @ @ @ @ @ to surrender arms in Eastern Ghouta and Syria ’ s southern regions .
The Turkish @ @ @ @ @ its observation posts on the governorate ’ s territory .

BEIRUT, December 18. /TASS/. More than 30 Turkish armored vehicles and military trucks crossed the Turkish-Syrian border on Thursday and headed to southern districts of the Idlib governorate, the El Nashra news portal reported.
According to the portal, Turkish servicemen were deployed at positions around observation posts in the mountainous Jabal al-Zawiya area, controlled by the Syrian opposition. Earlier, Turkish servicmen deployed in the nearby Aleppo and Hama governorates also arrived to the area. Their observation posts there were surrounded by the Syrian government forces, who liberated several towns in the northwest of the de-escalation zone in January.
Idlib is the only Syrian region that has been controlled by illegal armed groups since 2012. A northern de-escalation zone was set up in Idlib in 2017 to give shelter to militants who refused to surrender arms in Eastern Ghouta and Syria’s southern regions. The Turkish armed forces have set up its observation posts on the governorate’s territory.


tass--2020-12-19--FDA greenlights Moderna coronavirus vaccine use

WASHINGTON , December 19 .
/TASS/ .
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Friday a request made by Moderna to register its coronavirus vaccine in a streamlined fashion in emergency conditions , the agency said in a statement .
`` Today , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization ( EUA ) for the second vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ) .
The emergency use authorization allows the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and older , '' the statement reads .
Earlier , BioNTech and Pfizer obtained a similar approval .
FDA head Stephen Hahn noted , `` With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of COVID-19 , the FDA has taken another crucial step in the fight against this global pandemic that is causing vast numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States each day . ''
`` Congratulations , the Moderna vaccine is now available ! ''
US President Donald Trump said via Twitter on the occasion .
Earlier on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Moderna-produced vaccine would start immediately .

WASHINGTON, December 19. /TASS/. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Friday a request made by Moderna to register its coronavirus vaccine in a streamlined fashion in emergency conditions, the agency said in a statement.
"Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the second vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The emergency use authorization allows the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. for use in individuals 18 years of age and older," the statement reads. Earlier, BioNTech and Pfizer obtained a similar approval.
FDA head Stephen Hahn noted, "With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of COVID-19, the FDA has taken another crucial step in the fight against this global pandemic that is causing vast numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States each day." "Congratulations, the Moderna vaccine is now available!" US President Donald Trump said via Twitter on the occasion. Earlier on Friday, Trump noted that supplies of the Moderna-produced vaccine would start immediately.


tass--2020-12-19--Trump signs bill limiting Chinese company stock listings

WASHINGTON , December 19 .
/TASS/ .
US President Donald Trump has signed the bill which particularly aims to block @ @ @ @ @ , the White House said in a statement .
`` On Friday , December 18 @ @ @ @ @ signed into law < … > the ‘ Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act ’ , @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the bill , foreign businesses should be audited by US regulators .
@ @ @ @ @ discriminatory and says that it seeks to create obstacles for Chinese companies ’ listings on @ @ @ @ @ by Washington can push Chinese companies from the US market and can affect interests of @ @ @ @ @ .

WASHINGTON, December 19. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has signed the bill which particularly aims to block Chinese companies from US exchanges, the White House said in a statement.
"On Friday, December 18, 2020, the President signed into law <…> the ‘Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act’," the White House noted. According to the bill, foreign businesses should be audited by US regulators.
Beijing slams this bill as discriminatory and says that it seeks to create obstacles for Chinese companies’ listings on US exchanges. Such measures by Washington can push Chinese companies from the US market and can affect interests of US investors, China says.


tass--2020-12-19--Man opens fire at police officers trying to detain him in Moscow Region - source

MOSCOW , December 19 .
/TASS/ .
A man suspected of selling drugs has opened fire at police officers in @ @ @ @ @ Yegoryevsk as they tried to detain him for questioning , a law enforcement source told @ @ @ @ @ , two police officers tried to detain a man suspected of selling drugs .
He @ @ @ @ @ away from them , took out a pistol and started shooting at the police officers @ @ @ @ @ .
According to him , one of the bullets struck the handcuffs of a police @ @ @ @ @ cause any harm .
`` In the end , the criminal committed suicide , '' @ @ @ @ @ Moscow Region police office said that it was checking the report of the Yegoryevsk shooting @

MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. A man suspected of selling drugs has opened fire at police officers in the Moscow Region’s Yegoryevsk as they tried to detain him for questioning, a law enforcement source told TASS.
"In Yegoryevsk, two police officers tried to detain a man suspected of selling drugs. He <…> started running away from them, took out a pistol and started shooting at the police officers," the source said. According to him, one of the bullets struck the handcuffs of a police officer but didn’t cause any harm. "In the end, the criminal committed suicide," the source added.
The Moscow Region police office said that it was checking the report of the Yegoryevsk shooting.


tass--2020-12-19--US indicts Russian national Sabirov who was added to Commerce blacklist earlier

WASHINGTON , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
The US Justice Department has indicted Russian national Ilias Sabirov who was earlier @ @ @ @ @ , the Justice Department said in a statement .
Apart from Sabirov , two Bulgarian @ @ @ @ @ as well .
According to the US officials , all three `` used Bulgarian company @ @ @ @ @ ( MTIG ) to receive controlled items from the U.S. and send them to Russia @ @ @ @ @ export control law , the goods could not be shipped to Russia without the permission @ @ @ @ @ '' the statement reads .
The hearing will be held in Austin , Texas .
@ @ @ @ @ violation of US export control laws and the other one is linked to money laundering @ @ @ @ @ procure sensitive radiation-hardened circuits from the U.S. and ship those components to Russia through Bulgaria @ @ @ @ @ .

WASHINGTON, December 18. /TASS/. The US Justice Department has indicted Russian national Ilias Sabirov who was earlier blacklisted by the Commerce Department, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Apart from Sabirov, two Bulgarian citizens were blacklisted and indicted as well. According to the US officials, all three "used Bulgarian company Multi Technology Integration Group EEOD (MTIG) to receive controlled items from the U.S. and send them to Russia." "Under U.S. export control law, the goods could not be shipped to Russia without the permission of the U.S. government," the statement reads. The hearing will be held in Austin, Texas.
Two charges are tied to violation of US export control laws and the other one is linked to money laundering "in a scheme to procure sensitive radiation-hardened circuits from the U.S. and ship those components to Russia through Bulgaria without required licenses.".


tass--2020-12-19--Ambassador calls on Russian tourists in Turkey to take care due to pandemic

ANKARA , December 19 .
/TASS/ .
Russian tourists need to take care in Turkey due to the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ Alexei Yerkhov told the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Friday .
`` According to preliminary estimates @ @ @ @ @ Russian tourists visited Turkey this year , some of them contracted the coronavirus and some @ @ @ @ @ from the disease .
This is why people need to take care , '' he @ @ @ @ @ that Turkey had eased coronavirus restrictions for tourists .
`` Special measures have been taken @ @ @ @ @ .
However , I think that it ’ s not a reason for our tourists @ @ @ @ @ envoy added .
Turkey reported its first coronavirus case on March 10 .
The country @ @ @ @ @ than 1.96 mln cases , over 1.72 mln recovereies and 17,364 deaths .

ANKARA, December 19. /TASS/. Russian tourists need to take care in Turkey due to the coronavirus pandemic, Russian Ambassador to Ankara Alexei Yerkhov told the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Friday.
"According to preliminary estimates, up to two million Russian tourists visited Turkey this year, some of them contracted the coronavirus and some even died, unfortunately, from the disease. This is why people need to take care," he pointed out.
Yerkhov noted that Turkey had eased coronavirus restrictions for tourists. "Special measures have been taken to boost the tourism industry. However, I think that it’s not a reason for our tourists to relax," the envoy added.
Turkey reported its first coronavirus case on March 10. The country has so far recorded more than 1.96 mln cases, over 1.72 mln recovereies and 17,364 deaths.


tass--2020-12-19--74 more coronavirus patients die in Moscow in past day

MOSCOW , December 19 .
/TASS/ .
Seventy-four more coronavirus patients died in Moscow during the past day , with @ @ @ @ @ exceeding 10,300 , the city ’ s anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Friday .
`` @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia have died in Moscow , '' it said , adding the overall number of @ @ @ @ @ reached 10,317 .
The center once again warned that in case of any symptoms of @ @ @ @ @ necessary to stay at home , call a doctor and not indulge in self-treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ Russian regions in terms of confirmed coronavirus cases .
As of today , Moscow has @ @ @ @ @ , including 6,937 during the past day , and 557,028 recoveries .

MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Seventy-four more coronavirus patients died in Moscow during the past day, with the overall number of fatalities exceeding 10,300, the city’s anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Friday.
"Seventy-four coronavirus-positive patients diagnosed with pneumonia have died in Moscow," it said, adding the overall number of coronavirus-related deaths in Moscow has reached 10,317.
The center once again warned that in case of any symptoms of a respiratory disease it is necessary to stay at home, call a doctor and not indulge in self-treatment.
Moscow tops the list of Russian regions in terms of confirmed coronavirus cases. As of today, Moscow has reported 722,178 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 6,937 during the past day, and 557,028 recoveries.


tass--2020-12-18--Six launches under OneWeb program from Vostochny spaceport planned for 2021

VOSTOCHNY SPACEPORT /Amur region/ , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s state space corporation Roscosmos plans to make about six launches of the British OneWeb communications satellites from the Vostochny spaceport in the Far Eastern Amur region , Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin told journalists on Friday .
`` Vostochny ’ s workload next year will be much bigger : there will be OneWeb launches ( about six , or , probably , more ) , a lunar mission , '' he noted .
According to the Roscosmos CEO , four launches under this program were initially scheduled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was suspended amid the novel coronavirus pandemic .
`` Only one bunch of 36 spacecraft was delivered by the yearend .
We launched them today .
But these launches will be brought forward to 2021 , '' he said , adding that further launches from Vostochny are planned for late February .
The first six OneWeb satellites were launched by a Soyuz-ST carriers rocket from the Kourou space center in French Guiana on February 28 , 2019 and put in orbit on the same day .
Two more launched were carried out this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 34 satellites on February 7 , and 34 satellites more on March 21 .
In all , the company plans to deploy about 600 satellites .
The first launch of OneWeb satellites from the Vostochny spaceport was initially scheduled for April but the British company had to lodge a petition in bankruptcy for reorganization in the United States in March when it had failed to receive about two billion US dollars from investors .
In July , the British government passed a decision to invest in its authorized capital to have control over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November .
Under the updated agreement with Arianespace , a French operator , 16 Russia Soyuz carrier rockets are to be launched from Kourou , Vostochny and Baikonur in 2020-2022 to put in orbit from 34 to 36 satellites at a time .

VOSTOCHNY SPACEPORT /Amur region/, December 18. /TASS/. Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos plans to make about six launches of the British OneWeb communications satellites from the Vostochny spaceport in the Far Eastern Amur region, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin told journalists on Friday.
"Vostochny’s workload next year will be much bigger: there will be OneWeb launches (about six, or, probably, more), a lunar mission," he noted.
According to the Roscosmos CEO, four launches under this program were initially scheduled for this year but the production of spacecraft was suspended amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. "Only one bunch of 36 spacecraft was delivered by the yearend. We launched them today. But these launches will be brought forward to 2021," he said, adding that further launches from Vostochny are planned for late February.
The first six OneWeb satellites were launched by a Soyuz-ST carriers rocket from the Kourou space center in French Guiana on February 28, 2019 and put in orbit on the same day. Two more launched were carried out this year from the Baikonur space center: 34 satellites on February 7, and 34 satellites more on March 21. In all, the company plans to deploy about 600 satellites.
The first launch of OneWeb satellites from the Vostochny spaceport was initially scheduled for April but the British company had to lodge a petition in bankruptcy for reorganization in the United States in March when it had failed to receive about two billion US dollars from investors. In July, the British government passed a decision to invest in its authorized capital to have control over OneWeb. The company acquisition was over in November.
Under the updated agreement with Arianespace, a French operator, 16 Russia Soyuz carrier rockets are to be launched from Kourou, Vostochny and Baikonur in 2020-2022 to put in orbit from 34 to 36 satellites at a time.


tass--2020-12-18--Russian officer dies during demining works in Nagorno-Karabakh

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
A Russian officer died during demining works near Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh , the @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
`` During demining works at a road section near the settlement of Shusha @ @ @ @ @ explosive device went off .
As a result of the blast , an officer of @ @ @ @ @ received a deadly wound , '' the ministry said .
According to the ministry , @ @ @ @ @ offered to his family .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. A Russian officer died during demining works near Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian defense ministry said on Friday.
"During demining works at a road section near the settlement of Shusha on December 17, an explosive device went off. As a result of the blast, an officer of the International Mine Action Center received a deadly wound," the ministry said.
According to the ministry, all possible assistance will be offered to his family.


tass--2020-12-18--Bulgaria’s move to expel Russian diplomat stems from idea of Russian threat, says senator

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Bulgaria ’ s decision to expel another Russian diplomat is based on NATO @ @ @ @ @ the Russian threat , '' Chairman of the Russian Federation Council ( the upper house @ @ @ @ @ Committee Konstantin Kosachev told reporters on Friday .
`` Bulgaria ’ s NATO sponsors chose @ @ @ @ @ idea of ‘ the Russian threat , ’ as well as the ambitions and interests @ @ @ @ @ is an unfortunate role for any country , unless it is willing to sacrifice its @ @ @ @ @ allied obligations , '' the senator pointed out .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Bulgaria’s decision to expel another Russian diplomat is based on NATO’s idea of "the Russian threat," Chairman of the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev told reporters on Friday.
"Bulgaria’s NATO sponsors chose the country to convey their idea of ‘the Russian threat,’ as well as the ambitions and interests of other powers, which is an unfortunate role for any country, unless it is willing to sacrifice its sovereignty to honor its misplaced allied obligations," the senator pointed out.


tass--2020-12-18--Pandemic proved importance of cooperation within CIS, says expert

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Regional cooperation among the CIS nations has proved to be essential amid the coronavirus pandemic as it reduces dependence on global risks , Ivan Safranchuk , a research fellow at the Institute for International Studies of the MIGMO University and an expert of the Valdai international discussion club , told TASS on Friday .
According to the expert , cooperation within the Commonwealth of Independent States can not be called an obsolete format as it is still highly needed despite the fact that it was believed in the 2000 ’ s that such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pandemic has demonstrated that regional cooperation in the post-Soviet space is essential .
The rules of the game in regional cooperation are agreed by all the participants and it reduces their dependence on global risks but does not strip them of a possibility to use the positive aspects of globalization , '' he said .
He noted that amid the coronavirus pandemic the CIS nations were faced with forced isolation as most of ties with the global economy were interrupted .
`` This was a negative experience as the development of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processes of globalization .
This year ’ s experience of isolation proved once again that participation in globalization from individual positions is difficult for medium-sized and small countries , '' Safranchuk said , adding that apart from that a country may be cut off from foreign market by political decisions as well .
`` In such unexpected situations like , for instance , a pandemic , when countries take decisions untypical for a globalized world , the possibility to take part in decision-making becomes especially important , '' he said , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional level .
`` It might be expedient to take part in globalization via regional coalitions or regional providers who have a significant share in the global market , '' he stressed .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Regional cooperation among the CIS nations has proved to be essential amid the coronavirus pandemic as it reduces dependence on global risks, Ivan Safranchuk, a research fellow at the Institute for International Studies of the MIGMO University and an expert of the Valdai international discussion club, told TASS on Friday.
According to the expert, cooperation within the Commonwealth of Independent States cannot be called an obsolete format as it is still highly needed despite the fact that it was believed in the 2000’s that such cooperation was not close enough.
"The pandemic has demonstrated that regional cooperation in the post-Soviet space is essential. The rules of the game in regional cooperation are agreed by all the participants and it reduces their dependence on global risks but does not strip them of a possibility to use the positive aspects of globalization," he said.
He noted that amid the coronavirus pandemic the CIS nations were faced with forced isolation as most of ties with the global economy were interrupted. "This was a negative experience as the development of the entire post-Soviet space is linked with the processes of globalization. This year’s experience of isolation proved once again that participation in globalization from individual positions is difficult for medium-sized and small countries," Safranchuk said, adding that apart from that a country may be cut off from foreign market by political decisions as well.
"In such unexpected situations like, for instance, a pandemic, when countries take decisions untypical for a globalized world, the possibility to take part in decision-making becomes especially important," he said, adding that it can be done only at a regional level.
"It might be expedient to take part in globalization via regional coalitions or regional providers who have a significant share in the global market," he stressed.


tass--2020-12-18--Russia always open for dialogue but Ukraine not interested in it, says Lavrov

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Russia is always open for a serious dialogue with Ukraine but Kiev is not interested in it , Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday commenting on his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba ’ s words about the lack of contact between them .
`` If my Ukrainian colleague wants to discuss seriously concrete matters concerning the implementation of the Minsk accords , the Paris Normandy-format summit agreements or our bilateral relation with Ukraine , we are always open for such dialogue .
Regrettably , we see no such intentions so far , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Kuleba had requested a telephone conversation in early September to discuss an incident at the contact line in Donbass .
`` Indeed , he requested a telephone conversation with me in early September , when I was visiting Syria .
He wanted to discuss an incident at the contact line in Donbass .
As far as I know , this matter was raised at a Contact Group meeting a couple of days later , '' he said .
`` I think that on such topics Kiev should better contact directly Donbass , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Measures , rather than try to politicize the situation and settle things via Moscow ’ s , Berlin ’ s and Paris ’ mediation , '' he stressed .
In an interview with the Novoye Vremya radio station on Thursday , the Ukrainian foreign minister said he regretted that he had no contacts with Lavrov .
He said he had asked the Russian side to organize talks with his Russian counterpart to discuss aggravation of the situation in Donbass but the talks were never held .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russia is always open for a serious dialogue with Ukraine but Kiev is not interested in it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday commenting on his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba’s words about the lack of contact between them.
"If my Ukrainian colleague wants to discuss seriously concrete matters concerning the implementation of the Minsk accords, the Paris Normandy-format summit agreements or our bilateral relation with Ukraine, we are always open for such dialogue. Regrettably, we see no such intentions so far," he said.
Lavrov also said that Kuleba had requested a telephone conversation in early September to discuss an incident at the contact line in Donbass. "Indeed, he requested a telephone conversation with me in early September, when I was visiting Syria. He wanted to discuss an incident at the contact line in Donbass. As far as I know, this matter was raised at a Contact Group meeting a couple of days later," he said.
"I think that on such topics Kiev should better contact directly Donbass, as envisaged by the Minsk Package of Measures, rather than try to politicize the situation and settle things via Moscow’s, Berlin’s and Paris’ mediation," he stressed.
In an interview with the Novoye Vremya radio station on Thursday, the Ukrainian foreign minister said he regretted that he had no contacts with Lavrov. He said he had asked the Russian side to organize talks with his Russian counterpart to discuss aggravation of the situation in Donbass but the talks were never held.


tass--2020-12-18--Over 75 mln people diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide, reports Johns Hopkins University

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Over 75 mln people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide , the US-based @ @ @ @ @ ) informed on Friday .
According to the JHU , a total of 75,084,964 COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ the world .
Meanwhile , 1,665,008 people have died and 42,464,023 have recovered .
The @ @ @ @ @ cases ( 17,214,177 ) and 310,792 coronavirus-related deaths .
India documents 9,979,447 COVID-19 cases , @ @ @ @ @ .
Brazil comes in third with 7,110,434 COVID-19 cases , 184,827 deaths and 6,301,023 recovered @ @ @ @ @ in the world on the amount of recorded COVID-19 cases .
According to the federal @ @ @ @ @ has documented 2,791,220 cases of COVID-19 , 2,228,633 patients have recovered and 49,762 have died @

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Over 75 mln people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide, the US-based Johns Hopkins University (JHU) informed on Friday.
According to the JHU, a total of 75,084,964 COVID-19 cases have been documented in the world. Meanwhile, 1,665,008 people have died and 42,464,023 have recovered. The US ranks first on COVID-19 cases (17,214,177) and 310,792 coronavirus-related deaths. India documents 9,979,447 COVID-19 cases, 144,789 deaths and 9,520,827 recoveries. Brazil comes in third with 7,110,434 COVID-19 cases, 184,827 deaths and 6,301,023 recovered patients.
Russia ranks fourth in the world on the amount of recorded COVID-19 cases. According to the federal anti-coronavirus crisis center, Russia has documented 2,791,220 cases of COVID-19, 2,228,633 patients have recovered and 49,762 have died.


tass--2020-12-18--Senior Russian diplomat, Syrian foreign minister discuss situation within OPCW

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Syrian top diplomat Faisal Mekdad have @ @ @ @ @ the situation within the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) , @ @ @ @ @ in a statement on Friday .
`` The parties discussed the situation within the OPCW @ @ @ @ @ result of the destructive policy pursued by a group of Western countries - has turned @ @ @ @ @ implementation of political designs that Russia and Syria can not accept , '' the statement @ @ @ @ @ touched upon a number of issues on the current agenda , which concern arms control @ @ @ @ @ of mass destruction , '' the ministry added .
Ryabkov and Mekdad confirmed their determination @ @ @ @ @ international platforms .
The Syrian foreign minister , who is currently on a working visit @ @ @ @ @ a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Syrian top diplomat Faisal Mekdad have held a meeting to discuss the situation within the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
"The parties discussed the situation within the OPCW, which - as a result of the destructive policy pursued by a group of Western countries - has turned into a tool for the implementation of political designs that Russia and Syria cannot accept," the statement reads. "They also touched upon a number of issues on the current agenda, which concern arms control and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," the ministry added.
Ryabkov and Mekdad confirmed their determination to maintain effective cooperation on international platforms.
The Syrian foreign minister, who is currently on a working visit to Moscow, earlier held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.


tass--2020-12-18--Macron who was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier says he is generally feeling well

PARIS , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
French President Emmanuel Macron has informed on Friday that despite having contracted COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ , but is working at a slower pace .
The video address of the French @ @ @ @ @ Twitter .
`` I have the same symptoms as on Thursday : fatigue , headache @ @ @ @ @ he said .
On Thursday , Macron was diagnosed with COVID-19 .
He quarantined himself @ @ @ @ @ Lanterne in Versailles .

PARIS, December 18. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron has informed on Friday that despite having contracted COVID-19, he is feeling well, but is working at a slower pace. The video address of the French leader was published on his Twitter.
"I have the same symptoms as on Thursday: fatigue, headache, dry cough," he said.
On Thursday, Macron was diagnosed with COVID-19. He quarantined himself at his residence in La Lanterne in Versailles.


tass--2020-12-18--Russia, Germany to hold talks on joint production of Russian anti-coronavirus vaccines

MOSCOW , December 18 .
/TASS/ .
Russia and Germany will soon hold talks on possible joint production of Russian anti-coronavirus vaccines , the press service of the Russian health ministry said on Friday after Minister Mikhail Murashko ’ s telephone conversation with his German counterpart , Jens Spahn .
`` As was agreed , Russian and German experts will soon hold working talks to try to find production facilities for the joint production of Russian vaccines , '' it said .
According to the press service , Murashko informed his German counterpart about the efficiency of Russian vaccines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about vaccinated persons .
`` Jens Spahn , in turn , expressed readiness for cooperation with the Russian health ministry to involve German companies in joint production of Russian vaccines , '' the ministry said .
Two domestically-developed anti-coronavirus vaccines have been registered in Russia .
One of them , Sputnik V , was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry , the other one , Epivaccorona , was developed by the Vector Center .
Another one , developed by the Chumakov Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences , is expected to be registered soon .
Orders for more than 1.2 billion Sputnik V doses have come from more than 50 countries .
The vaccine for exports will be manufactured by international partners of the Russian Direct Investment Fund in India , Brazil , China , South Korea , and other countries .

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russia and Germany will soon hold talks on possible joint production of Russian anti-coronavirus vaccines, the press service of the Russian health ministry said on Friday after Minister Mikhail Murashko’s telephone conversation with his German counterpart, Jens Spahn.
"As was agreed, Russian and German experts will soon hold working talks to try to find production facilities for the joint production of Russian vaccines," it said.
According to the press service, Murashko informed his German counterpart about the efficiency of Russian vaccines and told about a specialized online platform offering information about vaccinated persons.
"Jens Spahn, in turn, expressed readiness for cooperation with the Russian health ministry to involve German companies in joint production of Russian vaccines," the ministry said.
Two domestically-developed anti-coronavirus vaccines have been registered in Russia. One of them, Sputnik V, was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry, the other one, Epivaccorona, was developed by the Vector Center. Another one, developed by the Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is expected to be registered soon.
Orders for more than 1.2 billion Sputnik V doses have come from more than 50 countries. The vaccine for exports will be manufactured by international partners of the Russian Direct Investment Fund in India, Brazil, China, South Korea, and other countries.