GOVERNMENT PRESENTS UNITED FRONT ON MONOPOLIES.

Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin on May 6 presented recently named fuel and energy minister Boris Nemtsov to leading officials at the ministry. (Interfax, May 6) Chernomyrdin said that "everything we do is aimed at strengthening the existing energy system, one of the most complete in the world." Nemtsov told the meeting that proposals will be introduced to lower the tax burden on oil companies, and to help them establish a presence on world markets. Nemtsov reiterated in an interview that it is not his intention to break up the unified energy system, but said that state control over the operations of the monopolies should be strengthened. (Izvestia, 6 May)

Historian Champions Medieval Novgorod as Model for Russia’s Democratic Development.