RF govt presidium to consider Water Strategy up to 2020.

MOSCOW, August 20 (Itar-Tass) - the Russian government's presidium on
Thursday will consider the country's Water Strategy for the period up to
2020 and a plan of measures aimed at its implementation.

It is said in the
materials for the meeting that Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev
whose agency has drafted the document, will deliver a report on this issue.

A source in the Ministry of Natural Resources told journalists that
the main goal of the worked out strategy is the reduce the negative
effects on the ecological systems of RF water bodies 2.5 times by 2020,
reduce the disease rate and increase the population's life expectancy by
2-3 years by means of improving ecology. The strategy envisages
coordination of actions of all related ministries and departments that are
responsible for the monitoring and implementation of the nature protection
measures.
A sum of 662 billion roubles will be allocated for the implementation
of the RF Water Strategy up to 2020 and 480 billion roubles of this sum -
from the state budget. In the view of the authors of the document, the
strategy's measures "aimed at ensuring the protection of the population
and economy facilities from negative water effects will make it possible
to prevent the possible damage estimated at 989.3 billion roubles."
Within the strategy framework, the Ministry of Natural Resources
intends from 2016 to increase tariffs for enterprises for the discharge of
polluted waters into water bodies five times - from the current
coefficient 25 to coefficient 120. "We want to warn economic entities that
in 5-7 years we will 5-6 times increase the pay for discharges above the
norm," the source stressed adding that the Ministry of Natural Resources
"has for a long time not increased the tariff rates keeping them at the
previous level." According to the ministry, costs of enterprises for the
construction and modernisation of purification facilities up to 2020 may
reach 720 billion roubles.
The RF Water Strategy up to 2020 is worked out in accordance with
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's instruction that was issued last
year at a meeting in Rostov. The strategy is coordinated with the relevant
ministries and departments and was submitted to the government in May. It
will be submitted for approval on Thursday.
The agenda of the RF government presidium's meeting includes a total
of 12 items. Among them there is a draft technical regulation on safety of
equipment and machinery, formation of the governmental commission for the
liquidation of the aftermath of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant
accident, introduction of amendments to acts on FAS (Federal Antimonopoly
Service) issues, the powers of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) and
the use of state aviation. The meeting participants will separately
consider the issue of the signing of an agreement between Russia and the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development on a loan for the
financing of the housing and public utilities reform in the Russian
Federation. Besides, the meeting will consider the issue of ratification
of an agreement between the RF and Icelandic governments on simplifying
the mutual travel visa procedures for their citizens.
The meeting will separately discuss the issue of amending the
agreement between the RF government and the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (CSTO) on the conditions of stay of the CSTO Secretariat in
the Russian territory.
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.Patriarch Kirill to visit Solovki, Arkhangelsk.

MOSCOW, August 20 (Itar-Tass) - Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia
Kirill on Thursday is embarking on a 4-day trip in the Russian North. He
will visit the Solovetski Monastery, hold a memorial service for those
killed in the Gulag prison camps. In the second part of the visit the
Russian Orthodox Church Head will visit Arkhangelsk and Russia's atomic
shipbuilding centre Severodvinsk.
Divine services will be the main part of the Patriarch's visit. "On
arrival in Solovki the Patriarch will hold a prayer service for the
founders of the monastery Saints Zosima, Sawatiy (Sabbatius) and Gherman
Solovetsky and at the end of the day he will hold an evening divine
service at the Spaso-Peobrazhensky (Transfiguration) Monastery that for
almost 6 centuries was one of the largest spiritual centres in ancient
Rus. In the morning on August 21, the Patriarch will hold a liturgy on the
memory day for all Solovetsky saints," spokesman for the Moscow
Patriarchate deacon Alexander Volkov told Itar-Tass. "The Patriarch will
also pray on the Anzer Island where thousands of prisoners died in the
20th century," the spokesman added.
In Arkhangelsk the Patriarch will lay the foundation stone of a new
cathedral that is being built instead of an ancient church destroyed
during the Soviet period.
"In Severodvinsk Patriarch Kirill will visit the major defence
enterprise Sevmash. Besides, he is planned to visit the Dmitry Donskoi
submarine and talks to navy men," the spokesman said.
At the end of the trip the Patriarch will meet residents of
Arkhangelsk. It will be held in the local Drama Theatre that has 1,500
seats.
The Russian Orthodox Church head last visited the Arkhangelsk eparchy
in 2001. Patriarch Alexy II visited Solovki together with Vladimir Putin.

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.Tatarstan Muslims to mark Ramadan.

KAZAN, August 20 (Itar-Tass) - The holy month of Ramadan is beginning
at sunset on Thursday for Muslims. The general divine service - namaz- is
to be held at all mosques of Tatarstan.
"Today the time of fasting, pardon of sins and spiritual
self-perfecting begins - one of the five pillars of Islam," head of the
Spiritual Department of Muslims of Tatarstan, mufti Gusman Hazrat Iskhakov
told Itar-Tass. Ramadan, that is called Uraza in Tatar, is the ninth month
according to the Muslim calendar. According to legend, it is during these
days that the first Ayat of the holy Muslim book Quran were heaven-sent to
Prophet Muhammad.
In the period from fasting from dawn till sunset Muslims cannot eat,
smoke or have other delights. All their deeds and thoughts during these
days should be devoid of evil. The evening prayer at mosque held by the
priest - imam is added to the usual five daily prayers. This is done for
physical and spiritual purification of believers.
When the month of fasting ends Muslims make donations - Sadaqa - to
the needy, which is 50 roubles in the republic. And people who are
incapable of fasting for chronic disease or other reasonable excuses, must
contribute to the Islam fund compensation of 100 roubles for each day.
Rich people having incomes more than 80 thousand roubles a month pay zakah
- 2.5 percent of their income.
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