Russia Background• Population-138,082,178 (July 2012 est.)– Russian 79.8%, – Tatar 3.8%, – Ukrainian 2%, – Bashkir 1.2%, – Chuvash 1.1%, other or unspecified 12.1% (2002

census)

“in a nutshell..”• Russia has shifted its post-Soviet democratic

ambitions in favour of a centralized semi-authoritarian state in which the leadership seeks to legitimize its rule through managed national elections, populist appeals by former President PUTIN, and continued economic growth. Russia has severely disabled a Chechen rebel movement, although violence still occurs throughout the North Caucasus.

Russian Government website

Some Key Russia’s Priorities

• Supporting Pensioners and Low-Income Families• Healthy Lifestyle• Space Industry Development and GLONASS• Struggle against drought/ Battling wildfires • Promoting Sports and Culture • Integrating Russia into Global Economy • Innovation-Based Economy• Developing Defence Industry • Agricultural Development• Supporting Small and Medium Business Labour

Market• Regional Development

a substantial vote against Putin would accelerate the changes that Russia needs: a modernised economy, a genuine civil society, a proper legal code and a more credible assault on corruption.

Health• Russia has more physicians, hospitals, and

health care workers than almost any other country in the world on a per capita basis

• After Putin became president in 2000, there was significant growth in spending for public healthcare

• Putin announced a large large-scale health-care reform in 2011 and pledged to allocate more than 300 billion rubles ($10 billion) in the next few years to improve health care in the country

GM crops?

• Growing GM plants is banned in Russia. • however, that GM foods are allowed in certain cases, eg

feed in the cattle-breeding industry, plus maize, potato, rice and sugar beet.

• GM levels in Russian food remain low, for now anyway-0.4% of food products tested positive for GM (Under Russian law, if the GM percentage in a product is less than 0.9pc, the producer is entitled to mark it as a GM-free product)

• It appears that the low presence of GM food in Russia can be attributed to food standards legislation, anti-GM campaigns and less-than-accepting public opinion.

Nuclear Power

• Russia is moving steadily forward with plans for much expanded role of nuclear energy, nearly doubling output by 2020.

• Efficiency of nuclear generation in Russia has increased dramatically since the mid 1990s.

• Exports of nuclear goods and services are a major Russian policy and economic objective.

• Russia is a world leader in fast neutron reactor technology.

Energy• 16%• 18%• 17%

•48%

Energy• Russia is rich in natural energy resources. • It has the largest known natural gas reserves of any state on earth,

along with the second largest coal reserves, and the eighth largest oil reserves.

• fourth largest electricity producer after the USA, China, and Japan.• Russia exports 70% of oil produced, about 7 million of 10.12 million

barrels (1,609,000 m3) a day (2010), the largest net oil export of any country, as well as a major supply to the European Union. The entire Middle East, in comparison, exports 20 million barrels (3,200,000 m3) daily.

• increase in energy efficiency, reducing impact on the environment, • sustainable development• energy development and technological development, as well as

improved effectiveness and competitiveness.

• The petroleum industry in Russia is one of the largest in the world. Russia has the largest reserves, and is the largest exporter, of natural gas.

• It has the second largest coal reserves, the eighth largest oil reserves, and is the largest producer of oil.

• It is the third largest energy user• Russia is the largest oil producer in the world, producing

an average of 9.93 million barrels (1,579,000 m3) of oil per day in 2009 for a total of 494.2 million tons.

• produces 12% of the world's oil and has a same share in global oil exports

Improve ties with Europe and USA

Modernise infrastructureMore liberal economyMore trade

Priorities-continued

• Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics• Science and Education• Healthcare • Strategic Initiatives Agency

approximately 1.8 times the size of the US

largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavourably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture

Key Facts• 11th largest economy by nominal GDP • 5th largest nominal military budget. • one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states• possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass

destruction.• “A Great Power” and a permanent member of the United

Nations Security Council, a member of the G8, G20, the Council of Europe, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Eurasian Economic Community, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and is the leading member of the Commonwealth of Independent States.