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federal government sources. With a 90% disapproval rating, the long-overdue, but hugely unpopular reform threatens to cause mass discontent and country-wide protests. Reportedly some of the compensatory measures being considered include reducing the retirement age hike for women to five years instead of eight, and the introduction of pre-pension age benefits, according to the sources that hope that "everything is left as it is".
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled Russia must pay almost €2.5mn to Moldovan farmers who lost access to their lands outside the Kamenka-Tiraspol highway on the left bank of the Dniester in Moldova’s pro-Russian separatist republic Transnistria. In addition, Russia must pay court costs of €20,000. The ruling is important because it generally holds Russia accountable for the deeds of the separatist regime in Transnistria.
European Union ambassadors will add six Russian entities to the asset freeze and travel ban list over their involvement in the construction of the 19km Kerch Bridge from mainland southern Russia to the annexed Crimean Peninsula, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said on June 18 citing unnamed EU officials. The Kerch Bridge was opened in May, with a four-lane highway already operational and two railway lines still under construction. Russian bridge-builder Mostotrest was the main contractor for the $4bn bridge. The company had its IFRS net profit decline by 40% year-on-year to RUB3.1bn, while revenues increased by 19% to RUB208bn.
The bill that mandates sanctions on the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany was introduced to the US Congress by the senator John Barrasso on June 18. The summit between the US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki brought no clarity on the US position on Nord Stream 2 that competes with US supplies of LNG to Europe and is seen as an energy security threat by some EU members.
Moscow-based Eurasian Economic Commission is launching an anti-dumping investigation against Ukraine and China for galvanized rolled steel products . The complaint to the executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union was filed by three Russian steelmakers: Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works, Novolipetsk Steel, and Severstal. The main Ukrainian target is the nation’s largest producer of galvanized steel, Metinvest’s Mariupol Iron and Steel Works, or MMK. On a separate front, Russia is raising costs of steel exports from Mariupol by restricting shipping on the Sea of Azov.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Bureau decided on June 29 to draft an urgent resolution enabling Russia’s return to the assembly’s work , the eurointegration.com.ua news site reported that day. In particular, the bureau asked the assembly’s procedures committee to urgently prepare a resolution by October to change the assembly’s rules and procedures that would enable Russia’s return. Recall, the Russian delegation has refused to participate in PACE’s work since 2016 - and pay dues to the Council of Europe since 2017 - after its activity was restricted by sanctions applied in relation to Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory. Russia refuses to pay dues until the rules and procedures are amended to forbid sanctions, a proposal that has been supported by Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland.
10 RUSSIA Country Report August 2018 www.intellinews.com