EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The recent gas crisis showcased Russia's new "public diplomacy" in the use of public relations companies and the style of its EU ambassador. But the Kremlin-Gazprom brand has its competitors and remains tricky to sell. The Kremlin hired Brussels-based PR firm GPlus back in 2006 to update media relations. Russia's gas monopoly, Gazprom, signed a separate deal for media handling and government advocacy in 2007. The annual contracts, due for renewal in spring and autumn, cover GPlus work in Brussels and Paris as well as subcontracts with consultancies Dimap in Berlin and Reti in Rome. Russian Prime Minister Putin showing his casual side GPlus says its pro-Russia lobbying with EU institutions is worth less than €200,000 a year. Competitors estimate the contracts are worth €3 million to €5 million a year in total in fees alone, excluding expenses for hiring venues for press conferences or lunches with contacts. GPlus specialises in hiring former EU officials and eminent journalists. Gregor Kreuzhuber, who leads the Gazprom account, was previously European Commission industry spokesman. Peter Witt, a senior advisor for both clients, is a retired German deputy ambassador to the EU. Angus Roxburgh covered the war in Chechnya for the BBC.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The recent gas crisis showcased Russia's new "public diplomacy" in the use of public relations companies and the style of its EU ambassador. But the Kremlin-Gazprom brand has its competitors and remains tricky to sell.
The Kremlin hired Brussels-based PR firm GPlus back in 2006 to update media relations. Russia's gas monopoly, Gazprom, signed a separate deal for media handling and government advocacy in 2007. The annual contracts, due for renewal in spring and autumn, cover GPlus work in Brussels and Paris as well as subcontracts with consultancies Dimap in Berlin and Reti in Rome.
Russian Prime Minister Putin showing his casual side
GPlus says its pro-Russia lobbying with EU institutions is worth less than €200,000 a year. Competitors estimate the contracts are worth €3 million to €5 million a year in total in fees alone, excluding expenses for hiring venues for press conferences or lunches with contacts.
GPlus specialises in hiring former EU officials and eminent journalists. Gregor Kreuzhuber, who leads the Gazprom account, was previously European Commission industry spokesman. Peter Witt, a senior advisor for both clients, is a retired German deputy ambassador to the EU. Angus Roxburgh covered the war in Chechnya for the BBC.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - An EU-Russia meeting designed to improve post-gas crisis ties went wrong on Friday (6 January), when European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso clashed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin over human rights. A visibly angry Mr Putin during a press conference in Moscow censured the commission chief for having discussed "legal matters" with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a bilateral meeting in his absence earlier the same day. Mr Barroso: the Moscow talks were intended to mend fences "We need to discuss the full range of problems - both in Russia and in Europe - in order to be able to solve them," Mr Putin said, accusing EU states of themselves mistreating Russian ethnic minorities, prisoners and migrants. "In [EU] public opinion there is some concern regarding some recent events that happened in Russia. Namely, the murder of some journalists and some rights activists," Mr Barroso replied in bullish tones. "Human rights and rule of law are much more important than diplomacy between two states."
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - An EU-Russia meeting designed to improve post-gas crisis ties went wrong on Friday (6 January), when European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso clashed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin over human rights.
A visibly angry Mr Putin during a press conference in Moscow censured the commission chief for having discussed "legal matters" with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a bilateral meeting in his absence earlier the same day.
Mr Barroso: the Moscow talks were intended to mend fences
"We need to discuss the full range of problems - both in Russia and in Europe - in order to be able to solve them," Mr Putin said, accusing EU states of themselves mistreating Russian ethnic minorities, prisoners and migrants.
"In [EU] public opinion there is some concern regarding some recent events that happened in Russia. Namely, the murder of some journalists and some rights activists," Mr Barroso replied in bullish tones. "Human rights and rule of law are much more important than diplomacy between two states."
What did he think he was trying to achieve ? Seriously was he drunk ? you can behave like a prick in front of tin pot potentates, but pissing off the the guy who has his hand on your gas-tap in the name of "improving" relations is pretty dumb. keep to the Fen Causeway
But pray, remind me, is it the individual or cumulative benefits of America's hand on the tap of irreplaceable HP and Apple computers, extraordinary rendition, Google and eBay, toxic tranch'd investments, Microsoft and Hollywood movies, the continuous blowback of her constant Geneva Protocol violations and a bloated NATO that you would miss? Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
We are dependent upon russia for a substantial portion of our energy, so a certain amount of public making nice is compulsory. Public dressing downs are the stuff of diplomatic nightmares and suggest a level of contempt and indifference that does not represent our actual trade relationship. keep to the Fen Causeway
Allowing Putin's regime to fall would help not only the Russian people but also the world's poisoned economic climate. The downfall of a regime that has trampled on moral values for a decade would signal change. Last June, when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin was invited to open this year's World Economic Forum confab of business and political leaders in Davos, he surely expected to be speaking from a position of strength. Seven months later oil prices have plunged, the Russian stock market has collapsed, and the ruble is in free fall. Instead of reasoned discourse, what the audience got on Jan. 28 was bluster, blame, and a cry for help.
Allowing Putin's regime to fall would help not only the Russian people but also the world's poisoned economic climate. The downfall of a regime that has trampled on moral values for a decade would signal change.
Last June, when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin was invited to open this year's World Economic Forum confab of business and political leaders in Davos, he surely expected to be speaking from a position of strength. Seven months later oil prices have plunged, the Russian stock market has collapsed, and the ruble is in free fall. Instead of reasoned discourse, what the audience got on Jan. 28 was bluster, blame, and a cry for help.
Allowing Garry Kasparov's agenda to fail would help not only the Russian people but also the world's poisoned political climate. The downfall of an agenda that has trampled on our intelligence for years would signal change. Last year, when chess champion and Russian version of Ahmed Chalabi staged his own arrest for political theater, he surely expected to be speaking from a position of strength. Months later the US economy has collapsed, Russian Federation has exposed the US-backed government in Georgia for the fools they are, and Kyrgyzstan is closing US airbases in return for Russian aid. Instead of reasoned discourse, what the audience got was bluster, blame, and a cry for help from Kasparov.
Last year, when chess champion and Russian version of Ahmed Chalabi staged his own arrest for political theater, he surely expected to be speaking from a position of strength. Months later the US economy has collapsed, Russian Federation has exposed the US-backed government in Georgia for the fools they are, and Kyrgyzstan is closing US airbases in return for Russian aid. Instead of reasoned discourse, what the audience got was bluster, blame, and a cry for help from Kasparov.
