Healthy Eating? New drive for bet- ter living impacts organic food market


Not Exactly Las Vegas


The nascent legal gam- bling industry


P.06 Distributed with P.02


Ballet and Blini in Beirut


Kremlin re-examines Middle East policy


P.03


This pull-out is produced and published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) and did not involve the news or editorial departments of The Washington Post Wednesday, June 23, 2010


Foreign Relations President Dmitry Medvedev kicks off U.S. tour with Silicon Valley visit Technology Reset? CHINE NOUVELLE_SIPA/FOTOBANK


President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit is the first in modern history that is not focused on geopolitical issues, but rather on economic and technological ones.


VALERY VOLKOV SPECIAL TO RUSSIA NOW


It is unusual for Medvedev to make the nation’s capital his sec- ond stop on a trip. His first stop this week is San Francisco, and more precisely, Silicon Valley. Medvedev is to meet with lead- ing American entrepreneurs in- terested in opening or expand- ing business with Russia. And for the first time in this relationship, we may see a focus on techno- logical cooperation rather than investment in oil and gas. His travel plans reflect the es-


sence of his main agenda, name- ly innovative and technological breakthroughs for the Russian economy and reduced depen- dence on fossil fuel, in order to catch up with the developed world.


There are no significant ob-


stacles for such an agenda. First, the current U.S. administration declares a “pragmatic” approach in world affairs. This means it is no longer a priority to irritate Moscow over sensitive issues such as human rights or demo- cratic values, which were among the favorite topics of the previ- ous administration. Second, Obama’s administration pays less attention to the post-Soviet neighbors. Russia has visibly im- proved its relationship with


Ukraine since pro-Russian Victor Yanukovich won the presidency, and Russia has toned down ten- sions over Georgia—partly be- cause the Obama administration is not so keen to support each step taken by the “Rose democ- racy” state. A change in focus on these is-


sues has helped the United States create a more workable relation- ship with Russia and eliminate the excessive passion that char- acterized the previous decade. As a result, the two sides signed


the new treaty on strategic arms control, which was important for the Obama administration since it prioritized non-proliferation and nuclear weapons reduction. In May, Obama returned to Con- gress an agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation, one that had been removed by the Bush ad- ministration after the Georgian events in August 2008. But the greatest evidence for


this approach was demonstrat- ed very recently when the Unit- ed Nations Security Council voted for a new resolution en- acting tougher sanctions against Iran, which the United States had long discussed with China and Russia. Russia may now expect some-


thing in return and, considering Medvedev’s agenda, this might be an appeal for better econom- ic cooperation, particularly in technologies. The problem is that Washing-


ton may be indifferent to such cooperation. The impact of the Russian economy on the United


Avoiding the worst: Presi- dents Barack Obama and Dmitry Med- vedev upon signing the START nu- clear reduc- tion treaty earlier this year in Prague.


States is so small, compared with that of Europe, China or some Latin America countries, that it garners very little attention. Furthermore, some data re-


garding the business environ- ment in Russia looks disappoint- ing. According to the Global Competitiveness Report, Russia’s Global Competitiveness Index is ranked 63 out of 134. Corrup- tion is deemed as “the most problematic factor for doing busi- ness” with Russia (the most prob- lematic topic for the United States is “access to financing”). Recently, Russia has been pay-


ing considerable attention to the world practices of transforming “old-fashioned” economies into innovative ones—which is why Medvedev’s trip starts in Califor- nia. Yet not everyone in Russia recognizes that it took decades for the United States (or other countries such as India or Brazil) to create remarkable innovative clusters. Silicon Valley is not a building


or a workshop that provides ad- vanced technologies under Obama’s plan or congressional approval. Rather, hundreds of companies, some fledgling, some


mature, are part of an infrastruc- ture focused on innovation. This infrastructure also involves mu- tual trust among economic agents and confidence in their future. In the United States, it’s not


the president who is responsible for the business activity and suc- cess. That is why it will be diffi- cult for the Russian counterparts to compel American entrepre- neurs to expand business with Russia—even if Medvedev is able to bring Obama on board.


READ MORE ON PAGES 4-5


Afghan Drugs Top International Agenda


Society Russian and U.S. negotiators iron out specifics of upcoming bilateral adoption treaty Saving Foreign Adoption


Negotiaters met in Washington last week to advance the bilateral adoption treaty, offering new hope for foreign adoptions.


ANNA REDYUKHINA SPECIAL TO RUSSIA NOW


American adoptive parents play with their Russian-born daughter in Moscow.


American and Russian negoti- ating teams met in Washing- ton, D.C., last week to advance the bilateral adoption treaty be- tween the two countries, offer- ing new hope and momentum to a process fraught with diffi- culties. Foreign adoptions of Russian children by Americans had been in peril in recent months as a recent case of ap-


parent abandonment once again revealed gaps in the sys- tem.


Both countries agree there is


a need for stricter enforcement of post-adoption inspection, agency licensing and accredi- tation, and the creation of a joint oversight body. Negotiations were slated to put an end to independent adoptions from unaccredited groups. U.S. foreign adoptions of Rus-


sian children were extremely vulnerable to being shut down in recent months: Russian gov- ernment officials threatened to cease adoptions by all foreign- ers. The ongoing adoption cases


were put on hold by the Rus- sian courts following the Krem- lin’s representative announcing de facto suspension to the press. The international adoption com- munity was bewildered by the suspension, yet concerned with the lack of regulation in the in- ternational adoption laws. Russian officials confirmed


there is no imminent morato- rium on foreign adoptions from Russia. Still, such proposals exist in the Duma, or Russian parlia- ment, should the United States seem to be stalling on the bi- lateral agreement.


CONTINUED ON PAGE 3


Following a major international conference on stanching drug traffic across borders, Russia is pushing for a policy of crop eradication in Af- ghanistan, the primary source of heroin. The narcotic causes a staggering 30 to 40 thousand deaths a year in Russia. “Before our eyes, a new global agenda is un- folding; the narcotics threat is a challenge to humanity,” Viktor Ivanov, the head of Russia’s anti-narcotics service, said earlier this month. “The priority is the liquidation of Afghan nar- cotic production,” he added. NATO is widely criticized for refusing to eradicate poppy crops with the help of defoliants. The Western coali- tion is worried that eradication would antago- nize Afghan farmers.


See the full article and


an interview with Viktor Ivanov at russianow.washingtonpost.com


NEWS IN BRIEF Visas to Attract Foreigners


Companies hiring foreign specialists in Russia will no longer have to maintain quotas for work per- mits and visas or obtain corporate permits to hire foreigners, according to a law recently signed by President Dmitry Medvedev. The simplifica- tion will only apply to employees of Russian com- panies, or branches of a foreign company, and who earn at least $60,000 annually. With the new laws in place, Russia will, accord- ing to auditing firm Ernst & Young, “go from having one of the least welcoming to one of the most positive immigration systems in the world for top talent.”


New Legislation to Re- lease Ill Suspects


PHOTOXPRESS


The Federal Prison Service has drafted legisla- tion to allow judges to grant freedom to sus- pects awaiting trial who are seriously ill. The move comes after two recent high-profile cases in which suspects died after being denied med- ical treatment in detention. However, critics say the law may be difficult to enforce. Judges are already facing accusations that they are ignor- ing a directive from President Dmitry Medve- dev: Those accused of economic crimes should not await trial in detention. The legislation in- cludes a list of 40 health conditions that quali- fy a suspect to await trail without detention, including tuberculosis, advanced AIDS and can- cer, head of detention facilities Vladislav Tsat- urov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta.


IN THIS ISSUE OPINION


DRAWING BY DMITRY DIVIN Literature New Russian writers under 25


Young Authors’ Bold New Perspective


A new generation of Russian fiction writers, free of the specter of a Soviet past, find excitement in the here and now. A new collection introduces them to Western readers.


NORA FITZGERALD RUSSIA NOW


Victor Pelevin, Dmitry Bykov and Maria Galina are among the best-known literary giants of the last generation of writers born during the Soviet Union. But they are no longer the story. Russian readers are discover-


ing their younger siblings, the writers born during perestroika or after. Now in their twenties, this breed never lived in the U.S.S.R., and are regarded as a clean slate for Russian fiction. A first-time collection of their work, “Squaring the Circle,” published by the Russian house GLAS, in- troduces these emerging artists to English-language readers. “These writers don’t have to


fight the Soviet past,” said long- time GLAS editor Natasha Pero- va. Some critics suggest these writers are freer than their elders. They know that anything is pos-


sible, both the grimmest of fates and the greatest of opportuni- ties.


“Those [who grew up in So-


viet times] are always trying to analyze their experiences against a backdrop—such as how it was possible that such atrocities could have happened,” Perova said. The fevered soul searching of


the Soviet and post-Soviet writ- er has been replaced with a look outward—but it is not yet clear what these writers make of what they see.


CONTINUED ON PAGE 6


Competitors participate in the Wild West Festival, an immitation of early American frontier life, in Mozhaisk, outside Moscow.


COWBOYS A LA RUSSE


Road Rage


Drivers Wage War on Contro- versial Blue-Light Cars TURN TO PAGE 4


REFLECTIONS


Hi-tech Reset How realistic is Medvedev’s plan to build a Silicon Valley?


TURN TO PAGE 5


PHOTOXPRESS


PHOTOXPRESS


KONSTANTIN CHALABOV_RIA NOVOSTI PHOTOXPRESS PHOTOXPRESS


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