Abstract: The goal of this research is the examination of the actual and potential risks of using cryptocurrency in criminal activities, including for laundering money obtained illegally, financing of terrorism, and determination of the acceptable methods of counteracting unlawful acts. In the course of this study, the author analyzes the documents of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) pertinent to regulation of the sphere of virtual assets (since 2013 and up to the new revision of Recommendation 15 and Glossary adopted by FATF in October 2018; as well as the preliminary version of requirements for the representatives of cryptocurrency sector announced by FATF in February 2019); examines the models of legal regulation of cryptocurrency sector aimed at counteracting money laundering and terrorism financing in a number of foreign countries, Russian law enforcement practice on criminal offences related to the use of cryptocurrency, and the position of expert community with regards to determination of the legal status of cryptocurrencies as a subject of criminal violation. The main conclusions lie in the development of proposals on amending the current anti-legalization legislation aimed at the establishment of vigilant control over cryptocurrency circulation for counteracting money laundering and financing of terrorism in the Russian Federation. The author endorses an opinion on the need for licensing the activity of service providers regarding the exchange, transfer and storage of cryptocurrencies, and establishing responsibility of the indicated organizations for conducting verification of identity of cryptocurrency holders and their transactions; as well as points at the possible ways of collection and verification of identity information.

Keywords: KYC, cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency operations, terrorist financing, risk-based approach, AML, FATF, identification, licensing, virtual currency

Abstract:   The subject of this research is the work of population biobanks as an important element in the mechanism of ensuring national and biological security of the Russian Federation. The author analyzes the Russian legislation regulating the work of biobanks. Particular attention is given to the examination of international experience pertinent to functionality of population banks, as well as ethical-legal aspects of implementation of the technologies using human genome. The need is substantiated for considering the existing experience of cooperation between the scholars and representatives of indigenous population for finding the most optimal regime of their interaction. Based on the research results, the author proposes a set of measures that allow developing the most optimal model of cooperation between the scholars and indigenous population within the framework of the activity of population banks, which would contribute to increasing in trust of the indigenous population to biobanks, improvement of functionality of healthcare system alongside the quality of providing medical aid, development of genetic engineering, and therefore, strengthening of national and biological security of the Russian Federation.  

Keywords: ethical aspects, population, health, genetic information, biological safety, national security, population biobank, legal status, genetic technology, information

Abstract: The subject of this research is the concept of national security as a continuing maintenance of the historical strategy for development of the nation, which is a self-reproducing autopoietic system. Such systems are characterized by self-reproduction of their own elements. Special attention is turned to the national culture (a set of knowledge, ideologies, and values) that is an ideological part of the integral socioeconomic system. The author substantiates the holistic nature of nation, in which ideological part must intrinsically correspond to materialistic part, ensuring its functionality in its ecological niche. The article examines the dilemma between the requirement to preserve culture as a part of national security policy, and the requirement of its continuous development for maintaining competitiveness of the nation in the context of development of the global. Research methodology is based on the concept of ideomaterial polysystems – the systems, part of which is ideological, and part materialistic. The holistic character of these systems is emphasized. The main conclusion lies in the thesis on the role of ideological part of national state (culture) in its maintenance and development; as well as about ideomaterial essence of nation, polysystematicity of the national state, need to create a subsystem for managing cultural development, possibility of pilot testing of the ideological innovations at the regional level.

Keywords: national security, evolution, holism, polysystems, ideomaterial systems, autopoietic systems, region, complexity, development, paradigm

Abstract: The Republic of India has close historical ties with Southeast Asia. Back in 1960’s, some of the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) considered India a strategic partner and potential guarantor of security. The subject of this research is the cooperation between India and ASEAN countries in the area of defense. Research on the development of cooperation between the Republic and the Association appears to be extremely relevant, since the relations between the countries are the key element of foreign policy and the main vector of New Delhi policy (“Look East” and later “Act East”). The topic is appealing to scientists as it allows analyzing the factors that influenced the bilateral relations, as well as determining the possible obstacles in their development. India’s approach to ASEAN is motivate not only by purely economic interests, but also foreign policy. First and foremost, with regards to ASEAN countries, the Republic intends to become dominant power in northeastern part of Indian Ocean (particularly in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea), as well as play an important strategic role in Southeast Asia and Pacific Rim. The Republic of India has good relations in the area of defense only with Singapore and Vietnam, while its cooperation with other state, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand remain on a relatively basic level.

Keywords: Singapore, Vietnam, Strait of Malacca, Andaman Sea, Bay of Bengal, Look East, Act East, security, ASEAN, India

Abstract: This article analyzes the results of comparative sociological study – the “European Social Survey”. The goal lies in determination of the level of concern of the Russian citizens with the various aspects of country’s energy security, in comparison with assessments of the residents of other European states. Energy security is viewed as a crucial component of national security. The author substantiates the need for using sociological methods for studying this topic; as well as examines the peculiarities of assessment given by Russia’s population to sustainability and reliability of energy supply, affordability of energy, dependence of national electric power on fossil fuel, etc. For collecting raw sociological information, the author applied the method of personal in-home interview; age of the respondents is 15 years and above. Factor and correlation analysis were used in the course of this study. The author observes contradictions between the declared as a component of energy security sustainability alongside reliability of population’s energy supply and significant concern of the Russian citizens with the aforementioned aspects of energy security. The conducted correlation analysis demonstrates that the smaller is the locality, the greater is population’s concern with sustainability and reliability of energy supply. Among the European countries, Russia marks the highest level of population’s concern with possible power cut or power outage due to technical failures. It is determined that the source of population’s concern is the financial affordability of electric power. The author pursues correlation between the financial affordability with financial situation of the surveyed families. It is stated that unlike the residents of the majority of countries taking part in the project, the Russians do not see the dependence of national electric power on fossil fuel as a problem.

Keywords: the fuel and energy complex, the electric power industry, the energy resources, the power supply, the energy supply, the national security, the energy security, threats to energy security, energetic policy, sociological survey