RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Feb 18th, 2009
TODAY: Medvedev courting Japan; Lavrov courting Egypt; Iran courting air defense systems. Moscow Mayor speaks out against Kremlin, United Russia tries negative campaigning ahead of assembly elections; Supreme Court head resigns after son accused of accepting bribe.
President Dmitry Medvedev and his Japanese counterpart attended the unveiling of a liquefied natural gas plant that will boost exports to Asia and the US, and used the occasion to call on Russia and Japan to consider expanding trade ties. The two presidents also discussed ending a territory dispute over the energy rich island of Sakhalin. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is in Cairo looking to set up a strategic partnership with Egypt. Iran’s defense minister apparently wants to convince Russia to sell air defense systems to his country to ‘help repel possible Israeli and US air strikes’.