May 30, 2008 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 30, 2008

300508.jpgTODAY: Kremlin posts letters on corruption message; Putin fêted in France, hopes to conclude EU-Russia talks this year, dismisses human rights concerns; prestigious Russian newspaper could be evicted from its offices.In the latest sign the Kremlin is focusing its message on the issue of corruption, its web site has posted excerpts from letters written by Russians complaining about the problem and proposing solutions.” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s trip to France this week saw him “fêted as a head of state”. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said his country was “determined” to use its EU presidency in the second half of the year to conclude EU-Russia agreement talks. Putin also dined with President Nicholas Sarkozy, causing many observers to see the trip as an upstaging of Dmitry Medvedev, portraying Putin as Russia’s “true leader”. “French presidents do not normally receive visiting prime ministers.” Addressing this week’s human rights concerns by Amnesty International, Putin said, “Concerns about the lack of human rights in Russia are strongly exaggerated”.