[Airbornelawyer]

From the RFE/RL Newsline:

Russia

• MINISTER PLEDGES BOOST IN NEW WEAPONS SPENDING...
  Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in Moscow on 15 December that the "state defense order" in 2006 will amount to $8.27 billion, up $1.88 billion for this year, Interfax reported. He argued that "this will allow the spending of 70 percent of the funds on the procurement of new armaments and military hardware, or comprehensive upgrades" of current hardware.

• ...AS ARMS EXPORTS ALSO RISE
  Mikhail Dmitriev, who heads the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service, said in Moscow on 15 December that Russia is steadily increasing its arms sales abroad, Interfax reported. "A very important positive result of this year's work, or, in fact, of all the work we have done over the past five years, is the rapid growth of our portfolio of orders over the past several months," he said. Dmitriev added that "only recently, the figure [for export orders] stood at $15 billion. Now we are approaching $20 billion, with more room for growth in the future." He predicted that actual deliveries will reach $6 billion in 2007. Dmitriev said that India and China account for 70 percent of all sales, adding that "we have made progress [in attracting customers] in the Middle East and North Africa, [and] the situation in Latin America is also changing in our favor."

Transcaucasia And Central Asia

• GEORGIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE CONSIDERS BILL SEEKING WITHDRAWAL FROM CIS
  The Georgian parliamentary Committee for Foreign Relations began consideration on 15 December of a draft resolution submitted by the opposition Democratic Front faction calling for Georgia's withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Civil Georgia reported. Committee for Foreign Relations Chairman Kote Gabashvili stated that "even if we want to stay in the CIS, it is impossible," explaining that it would be impossible "to be a NATO member state and stay in the CIS simultaneously." The committee then adopted a resolution instructing the Economy Ministry to submit a study on the possible economic repercussions from a withdrawal from the CIS. The Georgian Foreign Ministry was also instructed to submit information studying the implications of a pullout on bilateral trade and tax agreements with CIS member states.

• NATO ENVOY OFFERS FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR RUSSIAN MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM GEORGIA
  In comments during a Russian radio interview on 14 December, NATO Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Robert Simmons stated that NATO can partially finance the process of the pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia, Civil Georgia reported. The NATO envoy explained that "since the agreement on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia already exists, we can cover a part of the withdrawal expenses." According to the terms of the 30 May joint declaration signed by the Russian and Georgian foreign ministers, Russia has pledged to remove its two remaining bases in Georgia by 2008. Although Simmons also noted that Georgia is the only country in the region which has officially expressed a willingness to join NATO, he said "this will take some time." That statement follows a similar disclaimer in late November by NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer warning that although NATO's "door is open," Georgia still has "a long way to go" in meeting NATO standards.

Eastern Europe

• MINSK POLICE TO VISIT HOMES IN SANTA SUITS
  Police in Minsk will soon launch a holiday season campaign to improve their tough image by making random early evening visits to homes dressed "in an unexpected costume" (typically, Father Christmas and a female assistant), dpa reported on 15 December, citing Interfax. The program is called "Who's There? It's the Policeman Santa Claus!" and will run from 19-23 December. The callers will ask "security related" questions and award gifts for correct answers, according to the police. One goal of the project is to "raise the level of security-consciousness among Minsk citizens," and home owners "will have the opportunity to place their residences in police registers from the comfort of their own sofas." The police announcement concluded that "a visit from 'Santa in a police uniform' will be a special holiday for any little Minsk residents in the house." The police and security forces in Belarus are not known for having a cuddly image.

Southwestern Asia And The Middle East

• BOSNIAN SERBS TO DONATE WEAPONS TO AFGHANISTAN
  Republika Srpska Defense Minister Milovan Stankovic has proposed to donate surplus weapons to Afghanistan, the Banja Luka daily "Nezavisne Novine" reported on 15 December. If the proposal is accepted by Bosnian Serb authorities, the Afghan government would receive thousands of automatic rifles and several hundred machine guns. The surplus weapons were to destroyed, Stankovic said. According to a report the United States proposed that the Bosnian Serb forces send their surplus weapons to Afghanistan.