Russian upper house ratifies Norway border deal

Russian upper house ratifies Norway border deal

11:20 30/03/2011

Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday approved a maritime border delimitation agreement with Norway.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg brought a long-standing dispute over dividing the Barents Sea and part of the Arctic Ocean to an end last year by signing an agreement that paved the way for oil and gas exploration in the lucrative region.

It was approved by the lower house on Monday, despite stiff Communist opposition.

With billions of barrels of oil lying under the Arctic seabed, the region has become a bone of contention for the surrounding countries.

Russia is at loggerheads with Canada over a resource-rich underwater mountain range, the Lomonosov Ridge, with each claiming that it is an extension of their country's continental shelf.

MOSCOW, March 30 (RIA Novosti)

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=16101240

30.03.2011, 12.08

ASTANA, March 30 (Itar-Tass) -- Kazakhstan’s national nuclear company, Kazatomprom, will buy before the yearend a share of one of Russia’ major companies – an enrichment plant in Novouralsk, Head of Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko said on Wednesday following the signing in Astana of a new intergovernmental programme on cooperation in peaceful use of nuclear energy.

In Russia’s Angarsk there is a joint venture of the kind – the first in the world centre to enrich uranium was organised at the initiative of presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan, Kiriyenko said.

“The centre is working, and new countries are joining it,” he said. “Since December of past year, the centre has the first in the world supply of low enriched uranium, which provides a stable international infrastructure for new countries developing nuclear energy.”

The new programme of cooperation between the two countries is aimed at further development of such projects.

“We do not stop our cooperation in enriching uranium,” he said. The centre in Angarsk is a project, which “rather provides the system of non-proliferation in the world,” and the two countries have more “big commercial plans.”

“We have agreed to organise a commercial joint venture, where Kazatom buys a stake of Russia’s producer – the enriching plant in Novouralsk,” Kiriyenko said. “Realisation of this plan complies fully with the schedule.”

The project is due to be finalised before the yearend, he said, and then “a big commercial enterprise enriching uranium will start working fully in Russia’s territory.”

Kazatom’s Head, Vladimir Shkolnik, confirmed also that the company “plans to finalise the deal by the yearend.”

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30.03.2011, 10.10
ASTANA, March 30. Itar-Tass. The Director-General of the Russian state corporation Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, and Vice Minister of Industry and Trade of Kazakhstan Duisenbai Turganov signed Wednesday a new comprehensive program for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear power. According to the head of Rosatom, the program - the second stage of the two countries' cooperation in this field.
According to Kiriyenko, a section of the new program provides for the joint development of techno-economic framework and the drafting of a possible construction of nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. "We reiterate that we are ready to assist in establishing the first such station," - he said.
In this case, Kiriyenko said that the final decision in this matter would be taken only when the construction of the station will benefit from an economic point of view. "Nuclear power no one wants to tick and should always be determined by the needs and expediency," - he said.
According to the head of Rosatom, the signing of a document or program on cooperation / in the presence of heads of government of Kazakhstan Karim Masimov "fundamentally important." "It means that we are fully satisfied with the cooperation that went on last years on the initiative of our two presidents, and carrying out their solutions, have formed a plan of further activities, which allows both the nuclear industry in Kazakhstan, and Russia's nuclear industry to strengthen its position in the global nuclear energy. "

Head of the Caucasus Department of the Russian FM: “D. Medvedev is involved in NK issue himself”

Andrey Kelin, the head of the Caucasus Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia has gave a big interview to the radio-station “Russian voice” about the situation in Caucasus and Russian role in it.

Among other issues, Russian diplomat touched upon KN issue as well.

Answering to the reporter’s question whether it was possible NK “frozen” conflict became “warmer” once, Mr. Kelin said:

“This is a question which makes all of us be troubled with. At first Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani leaders are disturbed with it. As all of us can see, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is involved in the case himself,” the speaker noted.

“And us we can see, D. Medvedev has held already six meetings and other are planned as well. And Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov makes the preparations for each meting as himself, as he is the guarantor for this idea. I speak about the principles of the issue settlement now.

Madrid principles were accepted then and they have been changed a lot since that time. But we now just follow the way which OSCE MG co-chairs offered. The fist formula was created by them. Then our leaders try to concentrate them and we must note they work productively enough. Really hours are spent to clear up a little detail. But this work is really necessary. It must be fulfilled for sure,” the politician underlined.

/Times.am/

http://news.am/eng/news/53300.html

March 30, 2011 | 11:53

Head of the Caucasus Muslims may not participate in Inter-religious Council of the CIS states which will be held in Armenia.

“No invitation has been addressed to Allahshukur Pashazade to attend the meeting either from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill II, or the state, which will host this meeting,” Caucasus Muslim Office International Relations Department head Mugaddes Payizov told Azerbaijani Trend news agency.

Earlier Allahshukur Pashazade stated he considers possible his meeting with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. Speaking at the March 18 meeting with Azerbaijanis of Vladikavkaz, Pashazade said religious activists should meet and hold discussions.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=16100760

30.03.2011, 09.50

MOSCOW, March 30 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev “issued a decree appointing Col. of Police Zhaudat Yusupovich Akhmetkhanov as Interior Minister of the Russian Republic of Karachai-Cherkessia, relieving him from the previous post; Col. of Police Sergei Valentinovich Vasilyev as Interior Minister of the Russian Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, relieving him from the previous post,” the presidential press service reported on Wednesday.

09:28

http://www.interfax.com/news.asp

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30.03.2011, 01.19

MOSCOW, March 29 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will chair a session of the commission on modernizing the economy in Magnitogorks on Wednesday. The session will deal with engineer training problems.

Over the past month, Medvedev focused on matters concerning the training of technical personnel and held several conferences and meetings. The Commission is to sum up the results of that work at Wednesday's session which will be its 22nd one.

The main report at the session is to be made by Minister of Education and Science Andrei Fursenko, and a co-report by Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Khristenko. Yuri Bodyayev, executive director of the open joint-stock company "Magnitogorsk Integrated Metallurgical Mill, and Valery Kolokoltsev, Rector of Magnitogorsk State Technical University.