BarentsObserver: Another modernized nuclear submarine to be launched in 2010

BarentsObserver: Another modernized nuclear submarine to be launched in 2010

The Russian Northern Fleet’s strategic nuclear Delta-IV class submarine K-407 “Novomoskovsk” will be launched after in November after modernization at the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk.

After a two years long modernization which has prolonged the submarine’s lifetime with approximately ten years, “Novomoskovsk” will be launched in November, news agency ARMS-TASS reports.

This is the sixth nuclear submarine of the Delta-IV class to be modernized at Zvezdochka in course of the last eleven years. Earlier this year, the submarine “Karelia” was put back in service in the Northern Fleet after five years of modernization, as BarentsObserver reported.

“Novomoskovsk” was constructed at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvnisk, Arkhangelsk Oblast, and delivered to the fleet in 1990. In August 1991 it became the world's first submarine to successfully launch an all-missile salvo, launching 16 ballistic missiles of total weight of almost 700 tons at an interval of several seconds.

In 1996 the submarine conducted the first commercial space launch in the history of the Russian Navy when it launched a carrier rocket with two German scientific micro-satellites while submerged in the Barents Sea.

“Novomoskovsk” is 167 meters long and has a submerged displacement of 18,200 tons and a surface displacement of 11,700 tons. It is powered by two nuclear reactors with a total power of 180 MW. The submarine’s immersion depth is 400 m; its surface speed is 14 knots, and its underwater speed is 24 knots. It carries a crew of 135. Armaments include 16 ballistic missiles of the “Sineva” class and four 533-mm torpedo tubes with18 torpedoes, according to Wikipedia.

Sify: Russia says ship resumes sailing off Japan

Posted By Qalinle Hussein On March 21, 2010 @ 1:57 am In Somaliland | 18 Comments

The delegation which consists of investors and journalists is in the country for a four-day visit and are expected to meet with different Somaliland ministers and the president.

The delegation will travel to number of locations where they will examine investment-related opportunities in a bid to strengthen bilateral economic and commercial relations in the region.

According to sources the Russians want to renew their relations with the nations of the Horn of Africa under new foreign policy dubbed ‘Horn of Africa initiative’, similar to that one of the days of the Soviet Union. They added that Somaliland was the first of number of countries the Russians want to develop ties with in the region.

They will visit port of Berbera, where they will meet President Dahir Rayale. Berbera’s 12-metre deep-water facility was constructed in 1964 by Russian engineers at a cost of $5.6 million. They have also constructed the longest run way in the region in the 70s.

The reports added that the Russians want to invest in oil exploration and other infrastructures.

In the final-leg of their visit, the Russian delegation have been invited for a dinner at Mansor Hotel where they will meet with former Somali students who studied in the Soviet Union.

Last week, the Russian navy operating the coast of Somalia, turned over seven suspected pirates to Somaliland authorities in the Sanag region.

Somalilandpress, 21 March 2010

Bloomberg; Rusal Says Guinea’s Court of Appeal Sends Case to Arbitration

By Joshua Fellman

March 22 (Bloomberg) -- United Co. Rusal said today the Court of Appeal in the Republic of Guinea granted its appeal against a lower court motion, ruling that the nation’s courts don’t have jurisdiction over a disputed share sale and referring the case to the International Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

Last Updated: March 22, 2010 01:52 EDT

Itar-Tass: Russian, Syrian ministers sign cultural cooperation program

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14939528

21.03.2010, 19.21

BEIRUT, March 21 (Itar-Tass) -- The culture ministers of Syria and Russia signed a cultural cooperation program for the period of 2010-2012 in Damascus on Sunday.

Alexander Avdeyev and Riyad Nasan Agha lauded the document and the large potential Russia and Syria had in culture. The ministers announced the Days of Russian Culture in Syria in 2011 and the Days of Syrian Culture in Russia in 2012.

Russian culture institutes will enlarge the number of admitted Syrian students, Avdeyev said. Agha said that more than 40,000 graduates of Soviet and Russian universities were living in modern Syria. “Many of these graduates hold high-raking positions and contribute in mutual understanding and rapprochement with Russia,” he said. “In fact, these graduates are Russian culture ambassadors in Syria.”

The upcoming national years will be very festive, the ministers said.

Πηγή: Express.gr  22/03/10-09:56

Greece has decided to be present with all its force in Russia's tourist exhibitions and activerly promote its decision to facilitate as much as possible the issuing of multiple entry and long duration visas for Russian citizens, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos, who visited Moscow's MITT-2010 tourist exhibition on Friday.

    "More and more Russian tourists are deciding to combine their holidays with cultural events and visits to monuments and archaeological sites, a fact that serves our strategy and the combination of our ministry's two directions, that must not only be achieved at leadership level, but in the entire pyramid of actions," Geroulanos told Greek correspondents in Moscow, summing up his initial assessments on his contacts with tourist agencies.

    Earlier, Geroulanos met with his Russian counterpart, Aleksandr Avdeyev, who showed special interest in the European Europeana digitalisation programmes, in which Greece leads in experiences, planning the extension of relevant cooperation with Microsoft as well.

    Gereoulanos said that the Russian side also found interesting the carrying out of the merger between the culture and tourism ministries, as well as the possibility of developing cooperation between the two countries in the sector of sport and the hosting of Russian teams during the period of their preparation.

    The Culture and Tourism minister also visited the famous Puskin Visual Arts Museum and met with its director Irina Antonova who, among other things, remembered with emotion her cooperation and meetings with late actress Melina Merkouri and expressed the desire to host some exhibition or even some excellent examples of classical sculpture art.