A new Russian national security strategy will be adopted in February, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev confirms. The new strategy, which will cover the period until 2020, includes a high level of focus on the energy potentials of the Arctic.

The Russian government has allocated an additional 43,7 billion RUB (1 billion EUR) to the regions in a bid to stagger problems with increasing unemployment.

The ruble fell to a record low against the euro as Russia devalued the currency for the 12th time in seven weeks. The Russian government said it expects the first budget deficit in a decade.

In its third crisis meeting this month, the Murmansk regional administration discussed enhanced control over the region’s metallurgy and mining industry, which is under serious threat by the aggravating economic crisis.

The Russian government has published a list of 295 companies which are to be entitled to state crisis aid. Among them are a number of key enterprises in Northwest Russia.

In order to strengthen its presence on the archipelago Svalbard, Russia plans to open a scientific station in the old mining village of Pyramiden.

The situation in Murmansk Oblast is not all bad. That was the conclusion after a meeting between Murmansk Oblast governor Yury Yevdokimov, town and municipality mayors and directors of leading enterprises in the region.

A new government bill proposes to significantly expand the definition of treason. Critics say that the law is directed against NGOs and the political opposition.

Next year’s budget for Murmansk town will be tough and aimed only at securing top-priority expenses like social security and wages for workers in the public sector. The Murmansk town council deputies have approved a budget with a 9,03 percent deficit.

Following the example of the federal presidency and the State Duma, also regional governors and legislative assemblies now want to extend their terms in office.

It will take two-three years to complete negotiations with the EU over a new partnership agreement, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aleksandr Grushko said yesterday.

The Russian State Duma plans to make significant amendments to the federal Customs law. The goal is to simplify custom procedures and speed up the export trade. In the North, a similar project for the Russian-Norwegian border is underway.

The Russian government yesterday proposed to grant 100 billion RUB of compensation to the federal subjects for reduced tax revenues in 2009. That might not be enough, however, as the regions next year could get their revenues cut with as much as 800 billion RUB. An expert fears that several regions might eventually refuse to transfer taxes to Moscow in order to protect their regional economies.

Nina Varlamova, the mayor of the town Kandalaksha in Russia's northern Murmansk Region was stabbed to death on Tuesday evening. She was the third Russian mayor to be killed in less than a month.

Russian industrial production in November shrunk by 8,7 percent and is predicted to fall another 19 percent in December. Meanwhile, also imports are dropping quickly and unemployment is on the rise. Russia might be on the verge of a serious economic crisis.

The Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma, which will broaden the definition of treason. That could create new trouble for Russian NGOs.

A rational state protectionism will help Russian companies keep their positions on the world market in the period of financial instability, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov believes.

Russian regions will in 2009 have to cut spending with an average of 20 percent. That will hurt both planned investment projects and social obligations. In the Republic of Karelia, the governor expect the regional economy to shrink with 30 percent next year.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on implementation of the project “Development of Murmansk Transport Hub”. The decree entitles involved federal bodies to buy or expropriate land plots.

The introduction of visa-free travel between Russia and the EU would be a “brilliant project”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a briefing today.