Russia 100419 Basic Political Developments

http://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/news/2010/04/19/995904

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Prime-TASS
19/04/2010, 08:39
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has instructed the Ministry of Transport to arrange transportation of passengers, who, because of the volcanic eruption can not use planes from Europe to Russia and back by train and bus services. "We must organize people to leave, those who want a European country other modes of transport - rail, bus, - said the head of the cabinet. He spent the eve of a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Sport, Youth and Tourism. Putin added that some time ago, bus routes have been very popular, for example, from Warsaw, Prague and Berlin.
Transport Minister Igor Levitin said the company "Russian Railways" has organized additional coaches on European routes, thus able to move for about a thousand people. "Prepared for about 40 buses in Kaliningrad, and if the flights will be delayed another 3-4 days, we will arrange removal and a half thousand people from Kaliningrad, roughly the same number - in Estonia and Finland", - noted the Minister. He stressed that also actively intervenes ferries in Scandinavia.

Utro.ru: A cloud of volcanic ash had reached the Yenisei

http://www.utro.ru/news/2010/04/19/888763.shtml

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regions.ru | 08:41:08
        A cloud of ash, which threw the Icelandic volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl, reached the Yenisei River and is now spreading east of the river Eniysey. On this day, April 19, said Rosgidromettsentr. "In Siberia, the eastern border of the volcanic clouds will move east of the Yenisei River and continue to spread eastward. The southern boundary of the Siberian volcanic clouds will move more north to 60 degrees north latitude. The zone free of volcanic clouds in Western Siberia, broaden," - stated in the department.
        A cloud of volcanic ash, which was formed on the night of the eruption on April 14, violated air traffic throughout Europe. Experts believe that the ashes will be spread further around four days.

RIA: Computer virus traps over 2,000 tourists on Russian-Chinese border

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100419/158646482.html
09:5619/04/2010

Over 2,000 Russian tourists were stranded in the Chinese town of Heihe on the Russian-Chinese border after a computer virus paralyzed the border's electronic pass entry system, a transportation company official said on Monday.

"According to the Chinese officials, at the customs office in Heihe, a computer virus caused computer systems to shut down on Sunday. Because of this, border crossing was closed until Monday morning," the spokesman said, adding that many of the Russian tourists were forced to spend the night in hotels.

The virus was deleted during the night and the border crossing will be operating normally again on Monday.

VLADIVOSTOK, April 19 (RIA Novosti) 

RIA: Uzbek president heads to Moscow for talks with Medvedev

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100419/158645177.html
06:2419/04/2010

Uzbek President Islam Karimov will pay a two-day official visit to Russia, which will begin on Monday, an Uzbek presidential spokesman has said.

During his stay in Moscow, Karimov will discuss the broadening of bilateral relations with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, as well as a number of regional and international issues.

"The signing of a range of bilateral documents intended to strengthen cooperation between the two states in various spheres is expected to take place during the talks," the spokesman said.

Russia and Uzbekistan, along with other former Soviet republics of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), described by Russia's national security strategy as "a key mechanism for countering regional military challenges and threats.

MOSCOW, April 19 (RIA Novosti)

RFE/RL: Sarkisian, Medvedev To Meet In Moscow

http://www.rferl.org/content/Sarkisian_Medvedev_To_Meet_In_Moscow/2017024.html
April 18, 2010

YEREVAN -- Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian will visit Moscow this week for talks with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.

A one-sentence statement issued by the presidential press office did not specify which issues will be on the agenda of the "short working visit" scheduled for April 20. The Kremlin also gave no details in a separate statement about the trip.

Sarkisian, who is currently on vacation in an undisclosed European country, will fly to the Russian capital just one week after his talks in Washington with U.S. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The talks focused on how to salvage the Turkish-Armenian normalization protocols signed last October. Sarkisian also reportedly discussed with Obama and Clinton international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that are spearheaded by the United States, Russia, and France.

The discussions took place on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit hosted by Obama. Medvedev and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also participated in the summit. Lavrov was shown talking to Sarkisian in one of the photographs of the Washington trip released by the Armenian presidential press office.

Medvedev and Sarkisian last met near Moscow three months ago. The two men praised their countries' common geopolitical interests in the South Caucasus.

Meeting with Erdogan earlier in January, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly urged Ankara to stop linking the implementation of the Turkish-Armenian protocols to resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

April 18, 2010 23:18

Vesti.ru: Ryabkov: Russia calls for diplomatic solution to Iranian nuclear issue

http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=353950&cid=5

Russia's position on Iran and its nuclear issue in recent times has not undergone any changes and remains the same. It boils down to, to continue efforts to find political and diplomatic solution to this problem. , Said Sunday in an exclusive interview with Itar-Tass Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov.
However, he said, in the absence of changes in the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, given the fact that Iran has started work on uranium enrichment to the level of 19,75 percent, given the structure of the new Iranian nuclear facilities to Ford, as outlined in the recent IAEA reports , this whole set of factors can make international sanctions against Iran inevitable. "Nevertheless, we continue to believe that the sanctions - this is one of the most inefficient means," - said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
"We see that in Iran in recent years the development of uranium enrichment technology and nuclear technology as such. That does not mean that Iran has denied any rights. Iran has been and remains a full member of the NPT and has the right to develop such technologies. But there Another aspect of this situation, in which the development of Iran's nuclear program to the world community there is some concern. This is a growing concern highlighted in a number of UN Security Council resolutions and IAEA Board of Governors. We are confident that the implementation of full implementation of these resolutions will help restore confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, which is the purpose of our efforts, "- said the Russian diplomat.
Sergei Ryabkov positively assessed the results of which ended on Sunday in Tehran International Conference on Disarmament and Nonproliferation, where he headed the Russian delegation. "This forum has become for us one more opportunity to bring to the attention of our partners, Russia's stance on issues such as nonproliferation, nuclear disarmament, peaceful uses of atomic energy", - said Sergei Ryabkov. Statement by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that Iran is planning in April next year to organize a second similar conference, shows the seriousness of Iran's intentions to continue in this direction, a Russian diplomat.
Asked about the mounting in recent Iranian-American opposition to the nuclear issue, Sergei Ryabkov said that he considered it more correct to argue, and try to work together to restore the confidence of the international community to the Iranian nuclear program, its peaceful purposes, ITAR-TASS.