Rosneft oil giant chief Igor Sechin on Times Most Influential listApril 18, 2013 - 19:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Vladimir Putin failed on Thursday, April 18 to make Time's 2013 list of the world’s top 100 most influential people, but the magazine found a place for his close ally, the head of the Rosneft oil company, Igor Sechin, RIA Novosti said. "Informally, Sechin leads the Kremlin faction known as the siloviki, or 'people of force,' made up of former security agents,” wrote opposition politician Vladimir Milov for Time. “So far, no one can match their influence – and Sechin’s appetite for control makes him the group’s inevitable leader.” Sechin, 52, was placed in the list’s “Titans” section, topped by US rapper Jay Z. “In March, Rosneft, the state energy behemoth where Sechin serves as president, completed the largest acquisition in Russian history, purchasing a controlling share of the British-Russian venture TNK-BP and becoming the world’s largest publicly traded oil producer,” Milov added. Alleged former KGB spy Sechin was the only Russian on the list, which consisted of what Time called people whose “ideas spark dialogue and dissent and sometimes even revolution.” Putin was also left off the list last year, which saw the inclusion of opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |