Vnesheconombank, France's CDC sign cooperation agreement.

MOSCOW, June 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's state corporation Bank for
Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank), and the French
state development bank CDC signed a framework agreement on cooperation in
Paris on Friday.
The document declares the contracting parties' intention to develop
cooperation, mutual exchanges of practical experience and theoretical
models of investment in various fields, Prime-Tass reports.
Vnesheconombank's press-service said the agreement is aimed at
establishing relations of partnership for the purpose of advancing
Russian-French trading and economic ties. The two sides expressed the
certainty that the just-signed agreement would contribute to better
tapping the potential of bilateral economic interaction.
The CDC bank was established in 1816. It is subordinate to the French
parliament. The CDC is one of the founders of the Long-Term Investors'
Club, of which Vnesheconombank is a member.

.Kosachyov against supplies of S-300 to Iran in context of sanctions.

MOSCOW, June 12 (Itar-Tass) -- The chairman of the State Duma's
international affairs committee, Konstantin Kosachyov, is against the
contract for the supply of S-300 air defense launchers to Iran in the
context of the new sanctions.
"In the current situation I am against that contract, the more so,
since the very same resolution (of the UN Security Council) urges
vigilance and restraint in relation to all other armaments. May the
Iranians first comply with their obligations under the Nuclear Arms
Non-Proliferation Treaty. That would be only fair," Kosachyov said in his
internet-blog.
He acknowledges that in the context of the fourth resolution on Iran
by the UN Security council the S-300 affair is "not very comfortable for
us."
"On one hand we have not violated anything, and we are not violating
anything. On the other hand, going ahead with the supplies as if nothing
has been happening would be tantamount to entering into confrontation with
real partners and violating the spirit of the resolution," Kosachyov said.
"It is to be hoped that the spirit in this particular case will gain an
upper hand over materialistic matters and mercantile interests will not
prevail."

.State Duma empowers FSB to issue warnings to individuals.

MOSCOW, June 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's State Duma on Friday voted in
the first reading for a bill allowing the federal security service FSB to
issue warnings to individuals of the impermissibility of their actions.
Only the faction of the ruling United Russia party voted for the bill.
All others opposed it. Under the initiative developed by the Russian
government FSB agents will be able to "issue an official warning to an
individual about the impermissibility of actions that bring about the
emergence of causes and create conditions for committing crimes : if there
are no reasons for indictment on criminal charges."
The existing law on the FSB is complemented with an article that
describes "the use of special pre-emptive measures by FSB offices. Among
them there will be "the issue of requests for the elimination of causes
and conditions facilitating the realization of threats to the security of
the Russian Federation, declaration of an official warning about the
impermissibility of actions that bring about the emergence of causes and
create conditions for crimes" the FSB is empowered to investigate.
The bill also establishes sanctions for refusal to obey legal demands
or instructions from FSB agents or the creation of hindrances to them in
performing their duties. Individuals may be punishable with a fine of 500
rubles to 1,000 rubles or an administrative arrest for up to fifteen days,
and officials, with a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 rubles, and legal entities,
with a fine of 10,000 to 50,000 rubles.
Earlier, the chairman of the State Duma's security committee, Vladimir
Vasiliev, told Itar-Tass in an interview that as the work on the bill
proceeds, it will be decided how exactly the FSB will go about the
business of 'prevention' and the issue of the aforesaid warnings.
"The warning in question is a message to an individual to the effect
that he or she has fallen within the range of the FSB's attention and that
the person's actions may eventually result in a criminal offence," the
legislator said.
At the same time Vasiliev promised that "we shall finalize that issue
by the second reading."
"We shall find a formula that would not infringe the rights of
citizens," Vasiliev promised. "Each person will have the right to ignore
the invitation to such a briefing or come and listen to what will be said
only to make no changes to one's behavior. Or there will be the right to
ignore the invitation but change one's behavior. Such possibilities will
be reserved in the law at the FSB's request," Vasiliev said.

-0-str