Russia’s Medvedev expected to clinch major new gas deal with Azerbaijan

September 26th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called on Iran to allow immediate inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the Islamic republic's second uranium enrichment facility, Russian media reported Saturday. Medvedev said the announcement by Iran of a second facility had created difficulties for the international community in the row over Tehran's nuclear capabilities.

September 15th, 2009 Medvedev not ruling out run in 2012MOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says he hasn't ruled out running for a second term in 2012. Questions about whether he will run have swirled since his predecessor and mentor Vladimir Putin indicated last week that he was also interested in running for another term.

September 15th, 2009 Reports: Medvedev wants to meet US 'dissidents'MOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says he would like to meet with "dissidents" when he visits the U.S. next week. Russian news agencies quote him as telling a group of visiting foreign experts that "I believe there are dissidents in the United States." ITAR-Tass quotes him as saying: "Let them tell me what problems the United States has.

September 14th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a speech at a global security conference attended by European heads of government Monday again called for a modern international security pact. "No one should hide problems behind an 'iron curtain'," Medvedev said at the opening of the first international Modern and Global Security Conference being held in Yaroslavl, some 300 km north-east of Moscow.

July 20th, 2009 Russia eases restrictions on rights groups, NGOsMOSCOW — The Kremlin says President Dmitry Medvedev has signed legislation easing restrictions on human rights groups and other non-governmental organizations. The legislation is one of the few palpable signs of change in the Kremlin's treatment of independent organizations since Medvedev succeeded Vladimir Putin as president last year.

July 14th, 2009 Azerbaijani blogger arrests prompts backlashBAKU, Azerbaijan — Two opposition bloggers are being held by authorities in Azerbaijan in a case protested by Western nations and international journalism advocates. A court last week ordered two months of pretrial detention for Adnan Hadzhizade and Emin Milli, who were charged with hooliganism after what authorities called a fight with several men in a Baku cafe.

July 7th, 2009 Putin says Obama meeting went wellMOSCOW — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says his first meeting with President Barack Obama went "very well." The former Russian president called the two-hour meeting "substantive, informative and collaborative." Putin told reporters he and Obama "covered the issues from previous years" and found "many positives" and "many points in common." Obama also had good things to say about their meeting Tuesday, and said he found Putin's views similar to those of Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev. Before heading to Russia, Obama had described Putin as still having a confrontational Cold War mentality, while the younger Medvedev seemed to understand that it was time for a new approach to U.S.-Russia relations.

July 6th, 2009 Medvedev: "Reasonable compromise" with US on nukesMOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says a preliminary deal with the U.S. to reduce stockpiled nuclear weapons is a "reasonable compromise" on the crucial issue.

July 6th, 2009 Obama trusts Medvedev to follow throughMOSCOW — President Barack Obama says he trusts Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (dih-MEE'-tree med-VYEH'-dyev) to follow through on the agreements the two leaders have announced at their summit in Moscow. The agreements include a preliminary deal to reduce both nations' stockpiles of nuclear warheads.

June 26th, 2009 Gazprom: Deals near with AzerbaijanMOSCOW — Gazprom, the world's largest natural gas producer, said Friday it hoped to sign key deals in Azerbaijan next week, raising the possibility that Russia will secure Azeri gas to feed pipelines to Europe. "We enjoy good relations with Azerbaijan," chief executive Alexei Miller said at a shareholders' meeting at the company's Moscow headquarters.

June 24th, 2009 Gazprom sales weak, but European demand recoveringMOSCOW — Russian gas monopoly Gazprom expects sales to drop by about 40 percent this year despite increased consumption in Europe in recent months, deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev said Wednesday. Gazprom's exports to Europe in the first half of the year will total 60 billion cubic meters, 26 percent less than initially planned, said Medvedev, who is foreign operations chief for the state-controlled behemoth.

May 1st, 2009 Officials: Arrest in Azerbaijan bloodbathBAKU, Azerbaijan — Police in Azerbaijan have arrested a former neighbor of the gunman who killed 12 people and committed suicide at an oil industry academy, prosecutors said Friday, but they did not reveal how they suspect former neighbor was linked to the shooting. Hundreds of people placed red roses, carnations and other flowers outside the building to commemorate the victims.

April 19th, 2009 VORONEZH - Russia's envoy to NATO has dubbed the alliance's exercises due in Georgia in early May 'insanity'. The Cooperative Longbow 09/Cooperative Lancer 09 command-and-staff exercise, led by the Western military bloc, will be held from May 6 to June 1 in Georgia, and will not feature light or heavy weaponry.

January 16th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev Saturday said the Moscow summit aimed at ending the gas dispute between Moscow and Kiev was useful. Medvedev told a press conference after the summit that he wanted Russian gas supplies to Europe to resume within the next few days.

December 29th, 2008 MOSCOW - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Tuesday expressed hope that Russia-US ties will improve under the leadership of Barack Obama and called on the president-elect to launch a joint effort to deal with global problems. In a seasonal message to Obama released by the Kremlin press service, Medvedev said Russia and the US had accumulated valuable experience in cooperating on international problems.