Russia

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: The Russian government has approved directives to extend the contract of Chief Executive Officer of Russian oil major Rosneft Igor Sechin for five more years, the Cabinet’s press service said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: Palestine is eager to continue talks with Israel based on the principle of two states, Palestinian Ambassador to Moscow Abdel Hafiz Nofal told TASS on Wednesday, commenting on the Palestinian president’s decision to pull out of all agreements with Israel and the US.

"We are eager to continue the negotiations with the Israelis with the principle of two-state solution," he said.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: As many as 47 coronavirus vaccines are in the works in Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said, addressing the Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) on Wednesday.

"Detecting the coronavirus infection is an important aspect of these activities. A total of 47 vaccines are in the works on 14 platforms. We do expect that some of them will produce tangible results," she said. Golikova added that 3.1 bln rubles ($43 mln) had been allocated from the federal budget for the development of coronavirus testing systems and vaccines.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: The Russian Ministry of Agriculture keeps the forecast for exports of agricultural produce in the amount of $25 bln in 2020, Minister Dmitry Patrushev said on Wednesday.

"We have already supplied products worth $9.4 bln overseas in this year. This is $1.5 bln more than as of the like date of the last year. The target for 2020 is $25 bln," the minister said.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin believes that the situation with the spread of the coronavirus in the country has been gradually stabilizing, especially in Moscow.

"In the past three days there was the lowest growth in the number of the novel coronavirus infection cases and today it is below 3% for the first time. Today is also the first day when the number of those discharged after recovering exceeds the number of new cases," Mishustin told a board meeting of the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: The price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia on the global oil market may start again when prices return to the level of $50-55 a barrel, Department Director of S&P Global Ratings in Russia Alexander Gryaznov said on Wednesday.

"Some kind of a pause has been taken in this war. It is disadvantageous for both players, Saudi Arabia and Russia, to continue the price war in this situation," the expert said. "However, when the price returns to $50-55 [per barrel], I would not exclude that the struggle for markets will continue," he added.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: The effectiveness of blood plasma from patients who have already recovered from the coronavirus infection to be used to treat those who are ill with the infection will be determined during additional research, World Health Organization Representative to the Russian Federation Melita Vujnovic told TASS.

"The value of blood plasma in treatment of the COVID-19 could be determined only in randomized clinical testing," Vujnovic said. "As far as I know, there are observation reports and information on small series of cases. Further research is needed."

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: The Polish leadership demonstrates absence of strategic vision as it continues viewing Russia as the main threat, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook on Wednesday.

In this regard, the diplomat drew attention to the comment Nobel Peace Prize laureate, former Polish President Lech Walesa made in an interview with TASS about Poland’s new national security strategy, in which Russia was named as the main threat.

MOSCOW, May 19 (NNN-TASS) – The World Health Organisation (WHO) should not be used as a puck to settle political accounts, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said Tuesday.

“WHO should not become a puck to be passed back and forth, pursuing goals other than those of building most efficient international cooperation against the pandemic,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying.

MOSCOW, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) should not be used as a puck to settle political accounts, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Tuesday.

"The WHO should not become a puck to be passed back and forth pursuing goals other than those of building most efficient international cooperation against the pandemic," TASS news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying at a meeting with Russian lawmakers.