11.06.2008 Russia. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, during their meeting in the Kremlin. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)
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President and PM Divided Arms Markets
// Dmitry Medvedev reshuffled Commission on military and technical cooperation
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev assumed the post of the Commission on military and technical cooperation Chairman, leaving the position of his Deputy for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. It’s not ruled out that the President and Prime Minister will divide arms markets between them. Experts opine that this separation of functions will allow Russia to sell arms even to opposing parties in the same conflict.
With his decree of June 11, President Dmitry Medvedev adopted a new make-up of the Commission on military and technical cooperation of Russia with foreign states. Traditionally, Russia’s President is the Chairman of the Commission, with the Prime Minister being his Deputy. Also, the Commission includes the Head of the presidential Administration, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the defense industry, Chiefs of the Federal Security Service, Foreign Intelligence Service and Federal Service for military and technical cooperation, Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister and Industry Minister. Actually President Medvedev’s decree had purely technical ends – adopting a new make-up of the commission due to the changes in the government of the country. This time only one new member – Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov – was incorporated in the Commission. Besides, Sergey Chemezov, who changed the post of the “Rosoboronexport” Chief with the position of the state corporation “Russian Technologies” Head, remained in the Commission. Interestingly, “Rosoboronexport” is now affiliate of the “Russian Technologies”, which justifies Mr Chemezov’s presence in the Commission.
It need be added that the functions of the Commission’s Chief and his Deputy may get redistributed. So far the post of the Deputy has been quite formal: During the eight years of his presidency Mr Putin held the sessions of the Commission, and Mikhail Kasyanov, Mikhail Fradkov and Victor Zubkov were only present there. Now, according to the source of Kommersant with the Russian government, the President and the Prime Minister may redistribute the functions in the sphere of military and technical cooperation. “It’s not ruled out that the division will be made even at the geographical level,” the official specified. “The President will be in charge of a certain number of states, and the Prime Minister – of the rest of the countries.” When making a choice, Vladimir Putin’s former contacts will be taken into consideration. For example, the negotiations about military supplies to Venezuela, Libya and Algeria may be left for Mr Putin – he concluded big contracts with them when being president. Dmitry Medvedev is likely to get the two key buyers of Russian arms – India and China – and new countries, which haven’t engaged in active military and technical cooperation with Moscow yet. Anyway, during Mr Medvedev’s visit to Beijing arms purchases were discussed. Perhaps, those talks brought about the resumption of the contract on supplies of 34 Ilyushin Il-76 airlifters and 4 Il-78MK tankers to China. The contract was frozen in March, 2006 because the price wasn’t settled. Now, according to unofficial information, China claimed ready to start negotiations about overhauling the contract terms.
Besides, the geographical separation of the responsibility for arms exports between Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin, in the view of experts, will allow promoting arms even to opposing parties in the same conflict. “Geographical peculiarities have always existed, and Russia used to supply arms to the opposing parties in the Ethiopia and Eritrea conflict, for example,” Rouslan Poukhov, Director of the Center for Strategy and Technology Analysis, explained to Kommersant. “Arms were delivered via two different state agents. Now there is a single company of that kind – “Rosoboronexport”. And the redistribution of markets could solve the problem.” It need be said that, according to the expert, Dmitry Medvedev is unlikely to actively engage in military and technical cooperation in the near future. “In this sphere political risks are too high, and the money you can get – too little. However, in the future President Medvedev may take full control of this branch,” Mr Poukhov means. So far Vladimir Putin may retain the functions of the head of the military and technical cooperation.
Konstantin Lantratov
All the Article in Russian as of June 16, 2008
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