LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Russian Federation
built 213 days ago
The conflict in the republic of Chechnya, between Russian Federation forces and Chechen rebels, is characterized by low-level, attritional warfare, with civilians all too often caught in the cross fire. While fighting continues to destabilize neighboring Ingushetia and the nearby republic of Dagestan, authorities are pushing for Chechen refugees to return home. At the same time, the Chechen conflict has all but disappeared from the international political agenda.
Source:
The Working Party on the accession of the Russian Federation was established on 16June1993. The latest revision of the draft Report of the Working Party was circulated in October2004. Bilateral market access negotiations on goods and services are ongoing. The 30th formal meeting of the Working Party took place in March2006.
Source:
Since October 1999, Russia has occupied parts of the Republic of Chechnya, where separatists have sought independence from the Russian Federation since 1994. The current President, Vladimir Putin, was elected in March 2001, largely on promises of more economic reforms and a tough position on Chechnya. A referendum in Chechnya in March 2003 overwhelmingly approved election laws and a Constitution which provide the republic with some autonomy within the Russian Federation, but no independence. Though a final draft report by international observers declared the referendum fair, the Russian human rights group Memorial called the poll illegitimate.
Source:
Founded upon multilateralism, the Russian Federation has developed a firm non-confrontational foreign policy, supporting sanctions when deemed appropriate by the international community. Indeed, Russia champions the scrupulous solving of world problems on the basis of multilateral cooperation, the supremacy of international law, and the stronger central role of the UN. It is proven that the complex and multifaceted nature of world issues requires a comprehensive plan that combines enforcement with political, diplomatic, and economic action and humanitarian aid. Sanctions, whether economic or diplomatic sanctions or a form of arms embargo, are in complete accordance with the UN Charter, and the Russian Federation maintains that a multilateral approach to sanctions is one of the many ways to handle international conflicts and problems.
Source:
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Russian Federation gained an average of 31,800 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual reforestation rate of 0.00%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change decreased by 400.5% to 0.01% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Russian Federation lost 0.0% of its forest cover, or around 160,000 hectares. Russian Federation lost 13,744,000 hectares—0—of its primary forest cover during that time. Deforestation rates of primary cover have increased 5.7% since the close of the 1990s.
Source:
Stillwater Mining Company is the only U.S. producer of palladium and platinum and is the largest primary producer of platinum group metals outside of the Republic of South Africa and the Russian Federation. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWC. Information on Stillwater Mining can be found at its Website: http://www.stillwatermining.com.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Russian Federation