PM to participate in conf on operation of emergencies system.

MOSCOW, January 20 (Itar-Tass) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will
participate in the All-Russian conference on summing up results of
operation of the Joint State System for Warning and Overcoming
Emergencies, reported the government press service.

The main task of the Wednesday conference is to sum up the results of
implementing measures on civil defence in 2009 and discussion of plans on
fulfilling tasks, facing the Joint State System in 2010, Itar-Tass learnt
at the public relations service of the Ministry for Emergencies.
The conference will be held on January 20-21. It will be attended by
executives of the Russian Ministry for Emergencies as well as chairmen of
commissions for emergencies in subjects of the Russian Federation.
According to the public relations service, an exhibition will be
mounted on the sidelines of the conference, where new development studies
will be put on show in the sphere of ensuring safety.
Speaking earlier at the final news conference late in December,
Minister for Emergencies Sergei Shoigu said that the year 2009 witnessed a
drop in the number of victims as a result of fires and emergencies.
Despite the tragic events in Perm late last year, Russia maintains the
positive trend in cutting the number of fires and their victims.
Nevertheless, following the tragedy at the Lame Horse nightclub in
Perm, the ministry put forth several initiatives. For instance it is
drafting a new system of fines. The minister explained that owners of
premises with violations of fire safety rules would be punished with
fines, equal to the cost of their removal.
"We suggested, and I hope we shall approve this in the first quarter
of 2010, a fine will be equal to the cost of a removal of some or other
violation," Shoigu said. "For instance, given there is need for installing
a fire-fighting system, costing 300,000 roubles, a fine will be also
300,000 roubles."
Besides, the ministry is working out a bill on mandatory insurance of
joints, similar to the Perm nightclub. The minister reckons that the
document may be approved this year.

.Russia, Israel discuss relations & joint events to mark 65th V-Day.

TEL AVIV, January 20 (Itar-Tass) - Chairman of the Federation Council
Foreign Affairs Committee Mikhail Margelov and Israeli Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman centred on the development of bilateral relations at
their meeting, Itar-Tass learnt from Margelov's press secretary Varvara
Paal on Tuesday.
The meeting was held in Jerusalem; then the Russian senator held a
separate meeting with deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry
Pinahas Avivi.
According to Paal, "apart from questions on the development of
bilateral relations, the sides also examined international topics,
including the Iranian question and future of the Palestinian territories".
They "discussed separately preparation for celebrating the 65th
anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945, and
organisation of joint events," she emphasised.
According to the press secretary, Margelov and Avivi also paid
attention to the development of business contacts. "On learning that a
group of Israeli businessmen intends to participate in the Sochi business
forum next spring, Margelov noted that there are also the St. Petersburg
and Baikal forums in Russia. He expressed interest that Israeli
businessmen should also participate in them," Paal added.
Margelov also expressed gratitude to Israeli diplomats for their
active participation in decision-making on pardoning Russian woman citizen
Izabella Belfar, convicted here of participation in taking away her own
granddaughter outside Israel without a consent of her father. In this
connection, the sides "examined questions of establishing interaction
between the parties in this family conflict".
On Monday, the Russian senator held talks with parliament speaker
Reuven Rivlin and co-chairmen of the Israeli part of the Israel-Russia
Association of Interparliamentary Friendship, deputies Zeev Elkin and
Robert Ilatov. The parliamentarians concentrated on optimisation of
legislation for bilateral cooperation.
On Wednesday, Margelov will have meetings with President Shimon Peres,
Defence Minister Ehud Barak, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, head of the
parliamentary opposition Tzipi Livni and chairman of the Foreign Affairs
and Defence Committee Tzachi Hanegbi.
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