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Russian Stocks Advance 15 Percent in 2021 As High Oil Prices Outweighed Political Risk
Russia’s dollar-denominated stock index rose about 15 percent this year as high oil prices outweighed growing political risk.
The RTS Index rallied as much as 38 percent in 2021, touching a 10-year high of 1,900 in October, lifted by oil prices, which gained by more than half this year as global economies reopened.
Oil is Russia’s biggest export, while oil companies account for a significant percentage of the RTS index.
However, Russian stocks pulled back about 15 percent from their October highs to close the year just shy of 1,600 following a Russian military buildup on the border of Ukraine that sparked fears of an invasion.
The United States and Europe have warned Russia it faces massive economic sanctions if it invades Ukraine, spooking some investors.
Russia’s stock market was also impacted late in the year by U.S. Federal Reserve comments that it could raise interest rates in 2022.
U.S. rate increases make riskier assets like emerging market stocks and bonds less attractive.
Russia’s ruble closed the year nearly flat at around 75 to the dollar.
The ruble strengthened to 69 in October on high oil prices, but retreated along with Russian stocks amid the Kremlin’s growing standoff with the West.
Nonetheless, Russia’s stock market and currency performed better than some of their emerging market peers.
Turkey’s lira is set to end the year down about 43 percent.
Meanwhile, the broader emerging market index is on track to close about 4.5 percent lower due in large part to China’s crackdown on its largest tech companies.
However, the RTS Index’s advance still trails the U.S. benchmark S&P 500, which is on pace to close the year 25 percent higher.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Biden To Speak With Ukraine's President On January 2 As U.S. Seeks To Defuse Crisis
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden will hold another call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on January 2 as the United States seeks to defuse a crisis sparked by Russia’s military buildup.
During the call with Zelenskiy, Biden intends to "reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity" in the face of Russian aggression," a White House official said on December 31 in announcing the date of the call.
The two leaders will also discuss U.S. preparations for talks with Russia next month aimed at de-escalating the situation in the region, the official said.
The upcoming call with Zelenskiy is the latest in a flurry of White House diplomacy to address the Kremlin military threat and comes on the heels of talks between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 30. Biden last spoke to Zelenskiy three weeks ago.
Russia has amassed about 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine as it makes demands for sweeping security guarantees from the United States and NATO.
In particular, Moscow wants NATO to deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries and roll back military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Biden administration and NATO have repeatedly said that the alliance has an open-door policy and that no country should have a veto over the alliance aspirations of another country.
Zelenskiy has also shown no signs of backing away from his call for NATO membership. His ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, reiterated Ukraine’s aspiration to join the Western military alliance in an interview with RFE/RL due to air January 1.
Putin has said he would ponder various options if the West fails to meet Moscow’s demands for security guarantees.
Biden warned Putin during their call on December 30 that the United States and its allies would impose severe sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine.
The Biden administration has been in close contact with allies to demonstrate a united front ahead of talks next month with Russia.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Canadian and Italian counterparts on December 31 to coordinate their policies aimed at deterring Russia from attacking Ukraine.
Blinken also spoke with NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg about the upcoming NATO-Russia Council talks.
During their call on December 30, Biden and Putin set the groundwork for three sets of upcoming talks aimed at diffusing the crisis. The State Department said earlier in the week that Biden would speak with Zelenskiy following his call with Putin.
The Biden administration has repeatedly said it would not discuss Ukraine's security without consulting Kyiv.
U.S. and Russian officials will meet January 9-10 in Geneva to discuss arms control and the mounting tensions over Ukraine under their bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue.
That will be followed by a separate meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels on January 12.
Another meeting will be held in Vienna a day later within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which includes the United States, its European allies, Ukraine, and Russia.
- By RFE/RL
Kosovo Expels Russian Official Due To 'Harmful Activity'
Kosovo has ordered the expulsion of a Russian diplomat and member of the United Nations mission in the Balkan country on national security grounds
The Kosovar foreign minister, Donika Gervalla-Schwarz, made the announcement in a December 31 post on Facebook.
“At the request of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Albin Kurti, today I issued the decision to declare a Russian UNMIK official in Kosovo persona non grata because of his harmful activity,” she said.
Gervalla-Schwarz said she has notified law enforcement to implement the decision. She did not name the Russian diplomat, nor did she state what the individual allegedly did to deserve expulsion.
UNMIK stands for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, which was set up in 1999 to provide an interim administration for the region when it was still formally part of Serbia.
Following Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, the tasks of the UN mission shifted to the promotion of security, stability, and respect for human rights in Kosovo.
Russia, which has close ties to Serbia, does not recognize Kosovo as an independent country.
Kosovo is seeking to join both the European Union and NATO, something Russia opposes.
Kosovo in October kicked out two Russian diplomats for "destabilizing" activities.
Gervalla-Schwarz reiterated Kosovo’s ambition to join NATO and the EU and said the country remains committed to battling Russian influence, “which aims to undermine the achievements of Kosovo.”
In New Year's Greetings, Putin Praises Russian Solidarity, As Navalny Urges Optimism
In his traditional televised New Year’s greeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Russians had “encountered colossal challenges” in 2021 but had overcome them through “solidarity.”
Putin’s six-minute recorded speech was broadcast on December 31, just as midnight approached in the easternmost of Russia’s 11 time zones. According to the TASS state news agency, it was the longest such address Putin has given.
Without discussing specifics, Putin said Moscow “firmly” defended its interests in 2021, a year marked by a harsh crackdown on civil society and the political opposition in Russia and by heightened tensions with the West amid a buildup of Russian forces near the border with Ukraine.
Putin expressed condolences to those who had lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic, which killed at least 87,527 Russians in November.
He said that the government’s main goal “is to improve the well-being and the quality of life of the citizenry.”
“The solution of these tasks will make Russia even stronger,” Putin said.
Former President Dmitry Medvedev posted a similar New Year's greeting that also emphasized that “we remain strong because we are unified.”
“Our people have shown many times that they know how to love, to sympathize, to help, and even to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others,” Medvedev said. “This experience has made us stronger.”
Imprisoned Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny posted on Instagram a New Year’s greeting in which he called on Russians to “remain optimists, no matter what.”
Navalny was arrested in January immediately upon his return to Russia after weeks of medical treatment in Germany following a near-fatal nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on Federal Security Service (FSB) agents acting on Putin’s behest.
He is serving a 2 1/2-year prison sentence that he says was retribution for his political activity.
With reporting by TASS
Chechen Government Names Kadyrov A 'Distinguished Human Rights Defender'
The head of the North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, long accused of grave human rights abuses, has been named “distinguished human rights defenders” by the regional human rights ombudsman.
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Ombudsman Nurdi Nukhazhiyev, at a ceremony in Grozny on December 30 that was not attended by Kadyrov, said the Kadyrov family had made an “enormous contribution…to securing human rights and strengthening the state.”
A video of the ceremony was posted on the Internet by Grozny state television.
In addition to Kadyrov, the medals were awarded to his father, former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, and his mother, Aimani Kadyrova.
Akhmad Kadyrov was president of Chechnya from 2003 until his assassination in May 2004.
Earlier in the month, Kadyrov’s daughter, Aishat Kadyrova, who serves as Chechnya’s culture minister, was awarded the medal For the Defense of Human Rights.
Russian and international human rights monitors have for years accused Ramzan Kadyrov of overseeing grave human rights abuses including abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings, and the persecution of the LGBT community.
- By RFE/RL
Venice Commission Repeats Criticism Of Russia's 'Foreign Agent' Laws After Memorial Closure
The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe has repeated its “very strong criticism” of Russia’s laws on so-called “foreign agents” and “undesirable organizations” in the wake of a December 28 Russian Supreme Court decision ordering the closure of the venerable Memorial International nongovernmental organization.
The commission’s statement on December 30 criticized the “vague and overly broad terminology” of the laws, adding that “the penalty of liquidation of an NGO should be reserved as a last resort measure for extreme cases of serious violations threatening democracy.”
The Venice Commission noted that the recommendations in its three previous opinions on the Russian legislation “have not been followed up,” adding that “it becomes even more urgent that they should.”
Rights monitors inside Russia and abroad have accused the government of President Vladimir Putin of using the “foreign agent” laws, and laws ostensibly aimed at combatting extremism, to stifle dissent and persecute political opponents.
After the Russian Supreme Court decision on liquidating Memorial International, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the government to suspend implementation of the decision pending the resolution of a case contesting the “foreign agent” laws brought by a group of Russian NGOs, including Memorial.
Russia Sets Another Monthly Record For COVID-Related Deaths
Russia recorded its highest monthly death toll from COVID-19 in November, the state statistics agency Rosstat reported on December 30.
The number of deaths during the month was 87,527, breaking a record set in October and bringing the overall number of virus-linked deaths between April 2020 and October 2021 to nearly 626,000.
According to Rosstat, 71,187 of the 87,527 deaths were caused directly by confirmed COVID-19. The number of deaths likely caused by the virus but not confirmed by a test was 8,939.
In 1,477 cases, the virus significantly exacerbated fatal complications of other diseases and in 5,924 cases people tested positive for the virus but died of other causes.
The surge came amid low vaccination rates and poor compliance with coronavirus restrictions. Although Russia approved a domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine -- Sputnik V -- months before most of the world, just 51 percent of Russia’s nearly 146 million people have been fully vaccinated.
Russia in recent months has faced record numbers of infections and deaths as the delta variant spread. The situation improved over the past few weeks, but the authorities are now bracing for a new wave of infection caused by the omicron variant.
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, who heads the state coronavirus task force, said Russia’s overall mortality rate grew by 17 percent in November over the same month last year, a growth she said was due to COVID-19.
The task force held its final meeting of 2021 on December 30 and Golikova said the number of coronavirus infections is declining.
The overall number of deaths reported by Rosstat is more than twice the toll reported by Russia’s state coronavirus task force. Russian officials have attributed the difference to the fact that the task force only includes deaths for which COVID-19 was the main cause and uses data from medical facilities.
Rosstat uses broader criteria for counting deaths linked to the virus and takes its numbers from civil registry offices where registering a death is finalized.
With reporting by AP
- By RFE/RL
Russia Allows Domestic Pharmaceutical To Continue Producing U.S. Company's COVID-19 Drug
The Russian government has extended a decree to allow a domestic pharmaceutical company to produce a generic version of a U.S. biotech company’s COVID-19 drug without consent.
The government on December 30 approved the extension for one year of a decree originally issued last year to grant Russian drugmaker Pharmasyntez permission to produce and sell the antiviral drug remdesivir, citing the need to protect its citizens.
Pharmasyntez asked the Kremlin to allow it to produce a generic version of remdesivir in November 2020 without consent from Gilead Sciences, which holds the patent. Russia granted the license a month later. The U.S. company filed suit challenging the decision, but the Russia's Supreme Court in May rejected its claim.
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The governmental decree published on December 30 also said Pharmasyntez must pay compensation to the drug's patent holder but did not specify an amount.
Gilead Sciences did not respond to an e-mail from RFE/RL requesting comment on the decision.
Remdesivir, originally developed to treat hepatitis C, has been approved in the United States and dozens of countries to help treat COVID-19.
A World Health Organization (WHO) panel in November 2020, however, advised against using it. The WHO cited a study showing that it “appeared to have little or no effect on 28-day mortality or the in-hospital course of COVID-19 among hospitalized patients.”
Gilead argued in court that it had repeatedly expressed its ability to supply the drug to Russia and that the government decree was issued only to save money.
Pharmasyntez has registered Remdeform for a maximum price of 7,400 rubles ($100), while Gilead had offered a rate nearly four times higher.
The government contested in court that it had no option but to issue the compulsory license to expedite COVID-19 treatment and that at the time Gilead had not sent an application to reduce the cost of the drug in line with laws on the maximum selling prices for vital and essential medicines.
The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service also argued that Gilead discriminated against Russia by allowed its drug to be produced by seven manufacturers in other countries at sale prices of less than $100.
Before asking for permission from the government, Pharmasynthez had asked Gilead for permission to produce the drug but was denied.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
'Serious, Substantive': Biden, Putin Agree To Intensify Diplomacy Amid Ukraine Tensions
U.S. President Joe Biden has urged his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to de-escalate simmering tensions in a phone call aimed at intensifying diplomacy amid a buildup of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine and the Kremlin’s demands for sweeping security guarantees.
During a 50-minute call on December 30, the two leaders held a “serious and substantive” exchange to set the groundwork for three sets of upcoming talks early next month, a senior Biden administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters, told reporters.
U.S. and Russian officials will meet January 9-10 in Geneva to discuss arms control and mounting tensions over Ukraine under their bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue. Then a separate meeting of the Russia-NATO Council will be held in Brussels on January 12, followed a day later by a meeting in Vienna within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which includes the United States, its European allies, Ukraine, and Russia.
“Biden very much saw this call as setting the conditions for…pragmatic, results-oriented diplomacy” at the upcoming meetings, the senior U.S. official said.
A Kremlin readout of the call posted on December 31 said that Biden told Putin the United States has no intention of introducing offensive weaponry on Ukrainian territory.
The United States has delivered more than $2.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine since 2014, including lethal weapons to help government forces battle Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Putin told Biden that the introduction of “massive” sanctions against Russia by the United States in the event of an escalation in Ukraine could threaten “a complete breakdown of Russian-American relations,” the Kremlin’s account said.
Russia earlier this month laid out sweeping demands for security guarantees from NATO as it amassed some 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, triggering fears of an invasion and a flurry of diplomacy, including another call between the two leaders on December 7.
Russia is seeking legal guarantees that NATO will not accept new members on its border, including Ukraine and Georgia. It also wants NATO to halt military drills near its borders and roll back military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe.
Putin last week called on the West to “immediately” give Russia those guarantees. The Biden administration has said that some Russian demands are “unacceptable,” and that each country has the sovereign right to choose its own security arrangements. But Washington has also signaled that discussing other Russian proposals -- including those on arms control, deconfliction of military forces, and the conflict in eastern Ukraine -- could yield results.
“Both leaders acknowledged that there were likely to be areas where we could make meaningful progress as well as areas where agreements may be impossible, and that the upcoming talks would determine more precisely the contours of each of those categories,” the senior U.S. official said.
During the call, Biden also reiterated that any invasion of Ukraine would be met with crushing economic sanctions from the United States and its partners as well as a greater NATO presence in Central and Eastern Europe.
Putin told Biden that any sanctions would be a “colossal mistake” that would lead to a “total severance of relations” between Russia and the United States, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Overall, Ushakov said Russia was satisfied with the phone conversation and the prospects for further diplomacy early next year, which he said centered on security guarantees that Moscow wants from the West.
The Eurasia Group, a U.S.-based political risk consultancy, said in a note to clients that the Russia-initiated call underscores the pressure Putin is applying for a quick start to negotiations. However, they warned talks would be slow and "face significant obstacles."
Nonetheless, the call was an opportunity for Putin “to air his grievances, to influence the forthcoming series of bilateral, U.S.-Russia, and OSCE meetings in the second week of January, and, just as important, to shape the Russian news cycle...to demonstrate that he took Russian concerns straight to the U.S. president,” Yuval Weber, an expert on Russian military and political strategy at Texas A&M's Bush School in Washington, D.C., told RFE/RL following the call.
Russia invaded and annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backs separatists in eastern Ukraine fighting a nearly eight-year war against Kyiv's forces.
Peace talks to end the fighting have stalled as Moscow and Kyiv disagree over the interpretation of the framework signed in 2015 known as the Minsk agreements. Germany and France are mediating those talks.
U.S. officials have emphasized that no decisions about Europe’s security architecture would be made without agreement from Ukraine and European allies.
"We have heard very clearly from our partner, and we hear constantly that all issues related to Ukraine will be resolved together with Ukraine," including its NATO membership aspirations, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service in an interview to be aired on January 1 .
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ahead of Biden's call with Putin to reiterate Washington’s “unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," the State Department said.
Biden plans to speak with Zelenskiy soon after the call with Putin.
Weber said Ukraine’s membership in NATO or a bilateral military alliance between the United States and Ukraine “is either many years away or purely fantastical, so it's both easy for Biden to say it won't happen and gleefully be accepted by the Russian side as a concession.”
John Herbst, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said Putin had sought another phone call “to build on the momentum” he perceived coming out of his last discussion with Biden on December 7.
Putin “still believes he can get a concession or two out of us,” Herbst said, adding that just holding the call itself is a “kind of concession” to the Russian leader.
Herbst said he doesn’t expect Russia to invade Ukraine.
“I think he's looking again to use this crisis -- which he created -- to see if there's some wiggle room, either from the U.S. or from Germany and France in terms of the Minsk talks or from Ukraine,” said Herbst, who is now an analyst at the Washington-based Atlantic Council.
Belarus Declares Social Media Page Of Rights Organization 'Extremist'
Belarus has declared a social media account of one of its oldest rights organizations “extremist” as the government of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues its crackdown on dissent.
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Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
A Belarusian court in Homel, a town 300 kilometers southeast of the capital, Minsk, ruled on December 30 that material published by Vyasna on its Telegram channel is extremist.
Vyasna, which was founded in 1996, documented Lukashenka’s brutal crackdown on the opposition following the disputed August 2020 presidential election, publishing data on the thousands of detentions as well as cases of torture.
Vyasna did not escape the postelection repression, with seven members of the organization currently behind bars.
The December 30 ruling opens the door to prosecuting subscribers of the channel as well.
Over the past year, Lukashenka’s government has declared about 300 Internet sites and online channels -- the majority run by the opposition -- as “extremist” as he seeks to quash any challenge to his 27-year rule.
Tens of thousands of Belarusian citizens took to the streets last year to demand Lukashenka step down following what the election, which they claim was rigged.
Belarus earlier this month added RFE/RL's Belarus Service, known locally as Radio Svaboda, to its registry of extremist organizations.
Armenia Lifts Ban On Import Of Turkish Goods
YEREVAN -- The Armenian government has lifted a ban on the import of Turkish goods that was imposed over Ankara's backing of Azerbaijan in last year’s war with Armenia.
"A decision was made not to extend the embargo on the import of Turkish goods into the country," the Economy Ministry said on Facebook.
The decision takes effect on January 1.
The ban was imposed on December 31, 2020, for six months and was extended for another six months in June. It was set to expire on December 31.
More than two weeks ago, the Economy Ministry told RFE/RL that a draft decision was being developed to extend the ban for another six months, but it never made it onto the government's agenda.
The government’s last cabinet meeting of the year took place on December 30, and the Economy Ministry issued a statement afterward in which it said that as a result of interdepartmental discussions it was decided not to extend the embargo on Turkish goods.
The lifting of the ban is expected to create more favorable conditions for the export of Armenian goods.
According to the ministry, the ban has had both positive and negative economic consequences.
“We have received many statements and requests to lift the ban on the import of Turkish goods,” the ministry said in a statement.
In autumn 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a six-week war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The conflict claimed more than 6,500 lives and ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire under which Armenian forces ceded territories to Azerbaijan that they had controlled for decades.
Earlier this month, Turkey and Armenia appointed special envoys on mending relations.
Two Pussy Riot Members, Two RFE/RL Journalists Added To Russia's 'Foreign Agents' List
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Veronika Nikulshina, two members of the Pussy Riot protest group, have been added to Russia's controversial "foreign agents" list, which is used by the government to label what it says are foreign-funded organizations that are engaged in political activity, as well as people linked to them.
The Justice Ministry said in a statement on December 30 that two journalists connected to RFE/RL -- Yelena Vladykina and Ivan Belyaev -- were also placed on the "foreign agents" list in an update that added a total of eight people. With the update, the list now comprises 111 entities and individuals.
"This decision was made on the basis of documents received from authorized government bodies. In particular, according to the information received, these persons systematically distribute materials to an indefinite circle of persons, while receiving foreign funding," the ministry said in the statement.
Vladykina is a journalist with North.Realities, of RFE/RL's Russian Service, while Belyaev is a social media editor for RFE/RL's Russian Service.
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said the Kremlin's "assault on the truth" would not succeed.
"This targeting of more @RFERL journalists from @SvobodaRadio and @severrealii will not deter us from our mission of providing objective information to Russian audiences," Fly said on Twitter.
He also issued a statement saying the addition of two more RFE/RL journalists to the foreign agents lists brings to 18 the number of Russian citizens working for RFE/RL "who have been falsely labeled in this way."
Yaroslavl filmmaker Andrei Alekseev; Marat Gelman, a former deputy director of Channel One and former member of the Public Chamber of Russia; Taisiya Bekbulatova, editor in chief of the magazine Kholod; and Viktor Shenderovich, a columnist for The New Times, were also added to the list.
The Pussy Riot performance-art collective came to prominence after some of its member were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for a stunt in which they burst into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral and sang a "punk prayer" against Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister and campaigning for his return to the presidency at the time.
In another protest, Pussy Riot members -- including Nikulshina -- interrupted the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow between France and Croatia by running onto the field wearing fake police uniforms.
The "foreign agents" laws require those designated to register with the authorities and label their content with an intrusive disclaimer, with criminal fines for not doing so.
The designation also restricts other media from citing a "foreign agent" organization without including a disclaimer.
The "foreign agents" label has led to several NGOs, media organizations, and other groups to shut down as they lose revenues from advertisers.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. Concerned Over Iran's Rocket Launch, Linking It To Ballistic-Missile Development
The United States voiced concern on December 30 over Iran's new space launch, saying such activities use technology that can help further its ballistic-missile program.
"The United States remains concerned with Iran's development of space launch vehicles, which pose a significant proliferation concern," a State Department spokesperson said after Iran announced it had launched a rocket carrying three satellites.
The space launch vehicles "incorporate technologies that are virtually identical to, and interchangeable with, those used in ballistic missiles, including longer-range systems," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said the launch violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which backed the 2015 nuclear deal and called on Iran not to carry out work on ballistic missiles with the potential to carry nuclear warheads.
Earlier on December 30, Defense Ministry spokesman Ahmad Hosseini said the rocket used was an Iranian Simorgh (Phoenix) rocket and that the payload reached an altitude of 470 kilometers.
It was unclear whether any objects had successfully entered Earth’s orbit.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted Hosseini as saying the launch was a “space research mission.”
He said the "performance of the space center and the performance of the satellite carrier were satisfactory."
State television showed footage of the rocket launching from the Imam Khomeini Spaceport near the northern city of Semnan.
The reported launch comes amid difficult negotiations in Vienna between Tehran and world powers over reviving the nuclear deal aimed at restricting Iran's nuclear program. That deal has been under threat since the United States withdrew from it and reimposed sanctions against Iran in 2018.
One reason the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump gave for withdrawing from the agreement was concern that it did not restrict Iran’s strategic missile program.
Iran has said that it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons and that its rocket tests do not have military objectives.
European delegates to the talks for weeks have warned that they are close to collapsing. In a joint statement on December 28, they said: “We are clear that we are nearing the point where Iran’s escalation of its nuclear program will have completely hollowed out” the 2015 agreement.
Iran's chief negotiator at the talks, Ali Bagheri, said on December 30 that the talks had seen some progress.
"Some written changes on the lifting of sanctions were established between the two parties and relatively satisfactory progress has been made over the first days of the eighth round of negotiations," Bagheri said in a video published by Tasnim.
Negotiations to restore the agreement began earlier this year but were put on hold in June as the Islamic republic held its presidential election, which brought an ultraconservative government led by President Ebrahim Raisi to power. They resumed in late November, and the latest round got under way on December 27.
The nuclear deal offered Iran relief from sanctions that have weighed heavily on its economy. Bagheri said on December 30 that the discussions had recently focused mainly on the lifting of sanctions.
"We hope that after a few days of pause, more serious work will continue on the question of lifting sanctions," he continued.
Talks are due to resume on January 3.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Georgian Ex-President Returned To Prison, Prompting Concern From His Lawyers
TBILISI -- Lawyers for former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili have expressed concerns about his health following his transfer overnight from a military hospital in Gori to a prison in Rustavi.
"I do not know how extreme the situation is following his transportation," defense lawyer Nika Gvaramia told journalists on December 30. "I have to see if the prisoner is alive."
Gvaramia claimed Saakashvili had been "abducted" and that his defense team and relatives had no information about his condition.
Defense lawyers were hoping to meet with Saakashvili at Rustavi prison No. 12 on December 30.
Georgia's prison service on December 30 confirmed that "convict Mikheil Saakashvili is in prison No. 12."
A parliament deputy from the ruling Georgian Dream party, David Sergeyenko, told journalists that Saakashvili had been released from the hospital after doctors determined his health had "stabilized."
Saakashvili had been scheduled to be transferred on December 27, but that move was postponed after he reportedly fainted upon being told of the order. A representative of Georgian rights ombudsman Nino Lomdzharia visited Saakashvili in the Gori hospital on December 28.
Saakashvili, 54, has been in custody since October 1, when he was detained shortly after returning to Georgia from self-imposed exile. He is serving a six-year sentence after being convicted in absentia of abuse of office.
He was transferred to the Gori Military Hospital on November 19 after a 50-day hunger strike to protest his convictions, saying they were politically motivated.
He and his supporters have complained that he has been mistreated and "tortured" while in custody.
On December 18, an independent medical team examined him and ruled that his health had been seriously compromised "as a result of torture, ill-treatment, inadequate medical care, and a prolonged hunger strike."
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on December 28 called on the Georgian authorities to treat Saakashvili, who has Ukrainian citizenship, "with respect," adding that he needs additional medical treatment.
Saakashvili served as Georgia’s president from 2004 until 2013.
With reporting by AFP
- By RFE/RL
Iran's Soccer Federation Supports National Star Over Israeli Flag Criticism
Iran's soccer association chief has backed former national team captain Mehdi Mahdavikia after he faced criticism from ultraconservatives for wearing a jersey bearing an Israeli flag during a friendly game coached by an Israeli.
"He is one of the greats of Iranian football" and "a symbol of pride for the Islamic Republic of Iran," Secretary-General Hassan Kamranifar said in a statement published by the official state news agency IRNA on December 29.
Government media and ultraconservative lawmakers attacked Mahdavikia after he wore a jersey bearing the flags of all FIFA member countries, including Israel, during a special friendly match in Qatar on December 17.
The match brought together former soccer players from around the world. Israel's i24 News reported that one of the teams was coached by Israeli Avram Grant, prompting three Algerian players to withdraw from the match.
Iran does not recognize arch-foe Israel and prohibits athletes from competing against Israelis.
Mahdavikia "must apologize to the Iranian people for his act and must stand trial because he has betrayed the Iranian nation," lawmaker Bijan Nobaveh-Vatan said, according to the Fars news agency.
Fars described the friendly match as "a game in line with the occupying regime" aimed at normalizing relations with Israel.
However, Kamranifar said Mahdavikia participated in the game at the invitation of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and everything was approved by the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
He said the federation had no role but had examined the case and found Mahdavikia had handled the situation with "vigilance," despite some "false and sometimes unjustified prejudices and attacks" against him.
Mahdavikia, 44, has spent much of his career in Germany, most notably Hamburg SV.
He was named coach of Iran's under-23 team in July.
"Many Iranians leave but Mahdavikia, who lives in Germany, came on his own and took the helm of the national team with few facilities and a low salary. We appreciate such acts and the federation is behind the greats of football," Kamranifar said.
The 2003 Asian Player of the Year served as captain of the national team from 2006 to 2009. He is particularly known for having scored a goal in Iran's 2-1 victory over the United States in the 1998 World Cup.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, IRNA, i24 News, The Jerusalem Post, and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Russia, Belarus Announce Plans For More Joint Military Drills
Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka's proposal to hold another round of joint military drills.
Putin, who met with Lukashenka in St. Petersburg on December 29, said the military exercises would be held in February or March in Belarus.
The announcement comes amid a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine that has raised Western fears of an invasion. Some officials in Ukraine have voiced concern that Russia may also attack its northern flank from Belarusian territory.
Russia denies intending to attack Ukraine, instead accusing Kyiv and NATO of provocations.
Russia regularly conducts military drills with Belarus, the last large-scale one being a war game in September involving 200,000 troops.
Lukashenka has leaned on ally Russia for support amid rising tensions with the West over his crackdown on the country's pro-democracy movement in the wake of a disputed presidential election in August 2020.
Meanwhile, Moscow has staunchly backed Lukashenka in the face of Western sanctions against his regime. Minsk has responded to the pressure by flying in migrants from the Middle East and funneling them to the EU's eastern borders in what Brussels says is a form of "hybrid warfare."
The December 29 meeting is just the latest in a series between the two leaders since last year's election that has seen the countries deepen a union agreement envisaging close political, economic, and military ties.
In recent weeks, Moscow has repeatedly sent nuclear-capable bombers on patrol over Belarus. On December 28, Russian and Belarusian fighter jets jointly patrolled Belarus's air space.
Last month, Lukashenka said that his country would be willing to host Russian nuclear weapons if NATO moves similar U.S. equipment from Germany to Eastern Europe.
In an interview on November 30, Lukashenka also recognized for the first time Moscow-occupied Crimea as part of Russia, adding that he planned to visit the Ukrainian peninsula with Putin.
Earlier last month, Putin and Lukashenka approved a joint military doctrine along with a series of agreements on integration programs focused mainly on economic and regulatory issues.
The documents deepen integration as part of a decades-old plan to create a union state, but there has been less movement on issues surrounding political integration.
- By RFE/RL
Nord Stream 2 Operator, Gazprom Say New Pipeline Ready To Deliver Gas
The operator of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany said it has filled the new pipeline with natural gas and is ready to begin deliveries.
"As of December 29, the gas-in procedure for the second string of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been completed," operating company Nord Stream 2 AG said in a statement quoted by AFP.
"This pressure is sufficient to start gas transportation in the future," the Switzerland-based company added.
The new pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea, consists of two parallel strings capable of transporting a total of 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year.
Nord Stream 2 AG said in a statement in early October that the first string of the pipeline would be gradually filled to build inventory and pressure.
The new pipeline was completed in September after years of controversy but has not yet received regulatory approval from Germany. The regulator has said the approval process is likely to drag into the second half of 2022.
The pipeline is controlled by Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned gas giant. Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller also said on December 29 that the second line of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline had been filled with gas and that the link is ready for gas exports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a government meeting that Miller attended that the addition of the pipeline will help stabilize prices on European markets.
"As soon as they decide to start work, large volumes -- additional volumes -- of Russian gas will immediately begin to flow to Europe," Putin told the meeting. "It would undoubtedly impact prices on the spot market, and consumers in the countries that use the Russian gas will immediately feel it.”
Western countries have for weeks accused Russia of limiting gas deliveries to put pressure on Europe to complete the regulatory process amid tensions over Ukraine.
Putin and Gazprom have rejected the accusations and say Nord Stream 2 is a purely commercial project.
The Baltic Sea pipeline has been controversial for years. Germany says it needs the natural gas to help its transition away from coal and nuclear energy, while critics say the project will increase Europe's dependence on Russian gas and could be used to apply political pressure.
Poland and Ukraine have been particularly vocal in their opposition, with Ukraine saying it will deprive it of transit fees. The United States has also opposed it, and some U.S. lawmakers have suggested sanctions targeting Nord Stream 2 to counter any new Russian military move against Ukraine.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and TASS
North Macedonia's President Asks Kovachevski To Form New Government
SKOPJE -- The president of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, has handed Social Democratic Union (SDSM) leader Dimitar Kovachevski a mandate to form a new government.
Kovachevski, the new leader of the ruling SDSM, received the mandate after the SDSM announced that it had secured a majority in parliament. He is expected to be the party's nominee to become the next prime minister.
"From today, I am starting to form a new team with people who must respond to the serious challenges that await us from the beginning of the new year," Kovachevski said on December 29. "The new government will have a clear goal -- to provide security, a better life, and a bright future for our citizens."
He said his personal commitment would be to restore trust in the country's politics and institutions.
Kovachevski, 47, a former deputy finance minister, will have 20 days to submit the composition of the new government to parliament for ratification.
The SDSM has allied with a small ethnic Albanian party to create a new coalition with 64 seats in the 120-member parliament.
Kovachevski succeeded Zoran Zaev as the president of the SDSM after Zaev resigned as party leader on November 27. He announced the move after a poor showing by the SDSM in local elections in October. Last month, he stepped down as head of the party.
During an address to parliament on December 22, Pendarovski praised Zaev's resignation as a democratically minded act that he performed even though his party was in power.
Zaev served as prime minister from May 2017 to January 2020 and again since August 2020. He oversaw the resolution of his country's long-standing dispute with Greece over the name "Macedonia," paving the way to advance its European Union accession bid.
However, Bulgaria objects to that because of disputes over history and linguistics. Kovachevski has promised to invite Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov for talks in a bid to ease tensions over the name.
Zaev also secured North Macedonia's membership in NATO in March 2020.
The conservative opposition on December 29 renewed its calls for early national legislative elections. North Macedonia is currently expected to hold elections in 2024.
With reporting by AP and dpa
- By RFE/RL
Biden, Putin To Hold Call As Tensions Simmer Over Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is "convinced" there can be effective dialogue between Washington and Moscow ahead of talks with U.S. President Joe Biden amid rising tensions over a buildup of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine and the Kremlin's demands for sweeping security guarantees from NATO.
The two leaders are set to hold a phone call on December 30 to "discuss a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia," according to White House National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne.
According to a Kremlin readout of Putin's holiday messages to world leaders, released on December 30, the Russian president said he was "convinced that...we can move forward and establish an effective Russian-American dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of each other's national interests."
The December 30 phone call comes as U.S. and Russian officials prepare to meet on January 10 in Geneva to discuss arms control and mounting tensions over Ukraine.
Putin, who initiated the call, according to the Kremlin, has been pressing Biden to attend the talks in person, though the White House has so far rejected such a meeting.
That meeting may be followed by separate talks between Russia and NATO on January 12, while Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which includes the United States and its European allies, will meet on January 13.
Biden will tell Putin the United States is "prepared for diplomacy and for a diplomatic path forward," a senior administration official told reporters. "But we are also prepared to respond if Russia advances with a further invasion of Ukraine," Biden will tell Putin, the official said.
It will be the second call between the two leaders in December, with Biden earlier this month warning his counterpart of "severe consequences" if Russian troops were to attack Ukraine.
Since the last call between the leaders, the Kremlin has publicly issued a list of demands that are almost certain to be rejected by the United States and its allies.
They include a call for NATO to commit to not accepting new member states that were once part of the Soviet Union, such as Ukraine and Georgia. Among other demands, Moscow wants NATO to halt military drills near its borders and roll back military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe.
However, U.S. officials say there may be room to negotiate some of the other proposals that fall under the arms-control agenda between Washington and Moscow.
In an interview broadcast on Russian state TV on December 26, Putin said that he would consider various options if the West failed to meet his demands.
Russia's response "could be diverse," he said, adding it would depend on proposals offered by his military commanders.
The Biden administration has dismissed some of Russia's demands as "unacceptable," standing firm in the position that countries such as Ukraine have the right to choose their own foreign and security policy.
However, the U.S. administration has said it is willing to engage in diplomacy with Russia and plans to use the upcoming talks to lay out its concerns over the Kremlin's actions.
Russia has amassed about 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine in what Western capitals worry could be a prelude to an invasion.
Russia denies it intends to launch an invasion, instead accusing Ukraine and NATO of provocations. Russia invaded and annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backs separatists in eastern Ukraine fighting a nearly eight-year war against Kyiv's forces.
The military buildup has sparked a flurry of transatlantic diplomacy this month, as Biden and top administration officials seek to coordinate policy with European allies and Ukraine, including the threat of severe economic sanctions if Russia were to invade Ukraine.
Further Russian aggression against Ukraine could also be met by bolstering NATO forces on the alliance's eastern flank, something the Kremlin wants to avoid.
U.S. officials have emphasized that no decisions about Europe's security architecture will be made without agreement from Ukraine and European allies.
"We have heard very clearly from our partner, and we hear constantly that all issues related to Ukraine will be resolved together with Ukraine, all issues regarding our Euro-Atlantic choice, our desire to become a member of the EU, our desire to become a member of NATO will be decided solely between us and the countries of the alliance, for example, if we are talking about NATO," Ukraine's ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service in an interview to be aired on January 1 .
Horne said the administration continues to consult and coordinate with European allies and partners "on a common approach" to Russia's military buildup.
Earlier on December 29, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Blinken reiterated Washington's "unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's borders," the State Department said in a statement.
Biden plans to speak with Zelenskiy soon after the call with Putin, but no date has been set, the senior administration official told media.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Journalists In Azerbaijan Protest Draft Media Law
A group of journalists gathered outside Azerbaijan's parliament in Baku on December 28 to protest a new media law that they say will further limit independent journalism in the country. Police prevented the protesters from displaying their signs. The proposed law, which sets up a database for media organizations and requires journalists to be registered with the state, is expected to be adopted on December 30.
Russian Protesters Condemn Closure Of Memorial Rights Center
Dozens of protesters chanted "Shame!" outside the Moscow City Court building on December 29 after a verdict ordered the closure of the Memorial Human Rights Center. According to prosecutors, the rights watchdog group violated Russia's draconian "foreign agent" law and its activities were destabilizing the country. The Memorial Human Rights Center is an offspring of Memorial, an organization whose work was also suspended on December 28 by Russia's Supreme Court.
Three Navalny Associates Released After Questioning, Fate Of Two Others Unknown
Three of the five associates of imprisoned Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny who were detained by police in raids across the country on December 28 have been released.
The five former directors of headquarters for Navalny's network of regional campaign groups were detained and interrogated in relation to possibly abusing their official position in the organization of an extremist group, infringing on the rights of citizens, or both.
Each charge, if applied, would carry a possible prison sentence.
Vadim Ostanin, who headed the Navalny movement's office in the southern Siberian city of Barnaul, was released on the morning of December 29 after questioning, according to OVD-Info, a nonprofit that monitors police arrests nationwide. His case relating to possible violations on each count remains open, according to OVD-Info.
Vadim Butakov, who headed Navalny's office in the northwestern city of Arkhangelsk, was reportedly released on December 28 after being questioned in relation to possible crimes relating to participation in the activities of an NGO that infringes on the rights of citizens.
If charged, Butakov could face up to four years in prison.
Andrei Gorodetsky, the regional coordinator in the southwestern Saratov region, was also questioned and released on December 28. He could face charges relating to abuse of his official position to create or participate in an extremist group, which is punishable by prison.
The fate of two others detained on December 28 for questioning -- Zakhar Sarapulov, who headed Navalny's headquarters in the eastern city of Irkutsk, and Ksenia Fadeyeva, coordinator of the office in the southern Siberian city of Tomsk -- are unknown.
Tomsk's TV2 information agency earlier reported that Fadeyeva, a member of Tomsk's city council, was likely to be transferred to Moscow for interrogation by the federal Investigative Committee.
She is reportedly being interrogated on suspicion of abusing her official position and infringing on the rights of citizens.
Sarapulov was being questioned in relation to abuse of his official position and was reportedly being detained for a period of 48 hours.
Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation and his political movement were declared extremist organizations by the Russian authorities in June and disbanded.
In November, a criminal case was opened against the head of Team Navalny's Ufa regional office, Lilia Chanysheva, who was charged with the creation and management of an extremist community.
Chanysheva was ordered last week to remain in pretrial detention until April 9, 2022.
Navalny himself has been in prison since February, after he was arrested the month prior upon returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been undergoing treatment for a near-fatal poisoning with a Novichok-type nerve agent that he says was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin has denied any role in Navalny's poisoning.
Several of the opposition leader and Kremlin critic's associates have been charged with establishing an extremist group. Many of his close associates, including lawyer Lyubov Sobol, have fled the country amid pressure from the Russian authorities.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Current Time, TV2, Irkutsk Insider, and OVD-Info
Nine Bosnian Serbs Charged With Wartime Murder Of Almost 100 Muslims
SARAJEVO -- The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia-Herzegovina says it has filed an indictment against nine Bosnian Serbs over the killing of about 100 Muslim Bosniaks just after the start of the Bosnian War in 1992, the latest in a series of war crimes charges laid in the country.
A statement from the Prosecutor's Office on December 29 said the nine, former members and commanders of the Bosnian Serb wartime army, were allegedly involved the 1992 killings of dozens of women, seniors, and children between the ages of 2 years old to 15 years old in the Serb-dominated Nevesinje area in southeastern Bosnia.
"The remains of 49 people have been found, while the remains of 47 victims are still being searched for," the statement said, noting the accused were arrested on December 16.
It added that seven families were among those killed in the violence.
The announcement comes amid a series of arrests for war crimes by the Investigation and Protection Agency of Bosnia-Herzegovina (SIPA).
Bosnia's declaration of independence in 1992 helped spark the 1992-95 conflict that left almost 100,000 people dead and displaced more than 2 million.
As part of a campaign of intimidation and ethnic cleansing during the war, thousands of women and girls were subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence by military and paramilitary groups.
The indictment has been forwarded to the State Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina for confirmation, the Prosecutor's Office statement said.
Russia Launches Compulsory Medical Exams For Foreigners
A controversial new law requiring foreigners in Russia to undergo health checks every three months, including for sexually transmitted diseases, has gone into effect.
As of December 29, nearly all foreigners in the country must pass medical exams for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, and COVID-19, among other diseases.
Their blood will also be tested for the presence of illegal drugs, and they must submit fingerprints and other biometric data. Some will be subjected to X-rays and CT scans.
Those who refuse to comply could have their work permits revoked, while Belarusian citizens, children under the age of 6, and diplomats are among those exempt from the new requirements.
The foreign business community has warned that the new measures could prompt an exodus of managers and other business representatives.
In mid-December, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down such concerns and offered assurances that President Vladimir Putin "is in favor of creating the most comfortable conditions for foreign businesses here -- for investors and foreign specialists."
The Health Ministry has also suggested that the health checks would not actually have to be completed every three months, despite wording stating otherwise.
Critics also warn that the new measures will allow the Russian government to expand its data collection on foreigners and could negatively affect the country's hundreds of thousands of migrant workers.
Based on reporting by dpa, The Moscow Times, and AFP
Russia Dismisses Another High-Ranking Prison Official Amid Abuse Scandal
The deputy director of Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) has been dismissed in the latest firing of senior officials amid a growing prison-abuse scandal.
Anatoly Yakunin, who has worked in the FSIN since 2019 and was appointed its deputy director in August 2020, was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin on December 28.
No reason was given for the dismissal of Yakunin, who previously served in the Interior Ministry. But the Russian rights group Gulagu.net, which has been publishing videos of torture and sexual assault that took place in Russian prisons, suggested Yakunin was pushed out at the suggestion of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Yakunin's brings to six the number of senior prison officials who have been relieved of their duties since Gulagu.net began publishing videos of prisoner abuse in penitentiary facilities across the country.
Aleksandr Kalashnikov, who was the FSIN's director, is the highest-ranking official to have lost his job amid the scandal, which has resulted in a slew of criminal investigations into prisoner abuse. Kalashnikov, an FSB general, was replaced by Arkady Gostov, who previously served as the deputy head of the Interior Ministry.
Putin acknowledged during his annual news conference on December 23 that prisoner abuse is a problem in Russia.
The long-standing issue has received more exposure after the website Gulagu.net in October began publishing excerpts from a large batch of videos it received documenting prisoner abuse.
The first batch of videos, which showed sexual abuse at an FSIN medical facility in Saratov, led to the resignation of the FSIN's director and several prison officials in the southwestern city.
The whistle-blower site has also published videos of abuse that took place in the Krasnoyarsk region from 2016-19, as well as in the territories of Transbaikal and Primorsk.
After Gulagu.net published a second batch of videos in November, the organization's founder, Vladimir Osechkin, was added to the Interior Ministry's most wanted list. Osechkin, who currently lives in France, has said the videos were provided by a former Saratov prison inmate and IT expert, Belarusian national Syarhey Savelyeu.
Savelyeu fled to France in October, where he applied for political asylum.
Russia issued an arrest warrant, accusing Savelyeu of "illegal access to digital information." But on November 11, prosecutors withdrew the charges and stopped the probe against him.
In a recent interview with RFE/RL's Russian Service, Savelyeu said he was "astonished" by the number of Russian officials who were aware of the torture going on in prison facilities.
"A huge number of state bodies support and 'protect' [the abuse], create a shield around this torture conveyor -- so long as it continues to function," he said.
Savelyeu was arrested on drug charges while visiting the southern Russian region of Krasnodar in 2015 and served time at a prison in Saratov, in Russia's Volga region.
The 31-year-old has said he was asked to help operate the prison's local computer network, including uploading videos and distributing them to prison staff. He secretly copied the videos of abuse to a flash drive and turned it over to Gulag.net shortly after his release in February.
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