Page 20 - bne IntelliNews Russia Country report May 2017

importing". Meanwhile, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Russian economy increased last year by 62% to $19bn (€17.6bn) against the 13% decline globally to $1.52 trillion, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in February.
Dmitry Popkov, editor-in-chief of the Ton-M newspaper in the southern Russian town of Minusinsk, was found shot dead in a public bathhouse near his home, Sreda 24 news outlet reported on May 25. Popkov, 42, died after receiving several gunshot wounds, reports said. Including him, two journalists were killed and three jailed in Russia since the start of the year in apparent connection to their work, according to Reporters Without Borders. Nikolai Andrushchenko, a 73-year old reporter for St Petersburg-based newspaper Novy Peterburg died in April after being beaten by unknown attackers. Published under the slogan "We write what other people stay silent about", Ton-M reported on corruption among officials and police, and had already faced government pressure and police raids, the Khakasiya news agency reported.
The US Department of Treasury introduced new sanctions against three Russian companies and one individual as part of sanctions against suppliers of North Korea’s Nuclear and Weapons Proliferation Programmes , it said in a press release on June 1. Despite the hoped rapprochement between US President Donald Trump and the Kremlin, illustrated by the recent " very, very good " visit of top Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov to Washington, broad US sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014 for its actions in Ukraine remain in place. The new sanctions target Independent Oil and Gas Company (NNK), its sales subsidiary, Moscow-registered Ardis-Bearings, and Russian national Igor Minchurin, who is allegedly connected to Ardis-Bearings and the Korea Tangun Trading Corporation. Those entities allegedly supplied over $1mn worth of oil products to North Korea and could have been involved in schemes of circumventing sanctions against the country, the US Treasury argues. In March, the US State Department sanctioned 30 individuals and entities from 10 countries, mostly Chinese and Russian, for transferring military technology to Iran, North Korea and Syria.
2.8 Polls & Sociology
Eight out ten (80%) Russians expect Putin to run for president in 2018 , according to the survey by the Public Opinion Foundation. At the same time 9% believe that Putin will not run for president again, and another 12% don't know, reports Vedomosti .
If the President refuses to participate in the elections, 46% of Russians said they will be disappointed, 35% don't really care and 14% say that would be a good thing.
The share of Russians who believe that Putin is coping with the responsibilities of the president now better than during his first two terms rose to 42% up from 16% in 2013.
A third (33%) of respondents said Putin was better suited to be president now than when he took office in 2000, with 42% saying there was no change. Another 16% said he was worse.
20 RUSSIA Country Report May 2017 www.intellinews.com