Russia granted observer status at FIPA--Margelov

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OTTAWA, September 16 (Itar-Tass) - Russia has been granted observer
status at the Interparliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA), which
brings together representatives of the legislatures of 35 countries in
Central, South and North America, Mikhail Margelov, head of the committee
on international affairs of the Federation Council upper house of the
Russian parliament, who took part in the FIPA's 6th session in Ottawa, has
told Itar-Tass.

"A dialogue with parliamentarians is exceptionally important,"
Margelov emphasized. "We still have got time to build bridges in relations
with the political elite of this region, primarily, Latin America, before
other countries fill the vacant seats of partners for Latin American
politicians".
Margelov pointed out that he was the only representative from Russia
at the present session of the FIPA while eight Chinese representatives
took part in the forum proceedings.
"Our Asian partners look at Latin America, and the Caribbean region
precisely from the viewpoint of development of economic contacts," he
added. "To us, the participation in the FIPA session opens up an
opportunity to establish contacts with those parliamentary reprsentatives
of Latin American countries who will be making important-to-us decisions
on matters concerning energy resources, military-technical cooperation, as
well as other sectors that are of interest to us".
A Russian delegation will now be formed to participate, on a
permanent basis, in the work of FIPA -- the "American analogue of the PACE
(Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe)," Margelov pointed out.
Touching upon difficulties that he had in the obtaining of a visa to
Canada, Margelov referred to the reaction to that visa-related incident on
the part of Candian Senate Speaker Noel A.Kinsella as a "manifestation of
the breadth of world outlook and human decency". "He (Kinsella) apologised
for the incident and not ony strongly critivised the Immigration Service
of Canada but also said that both Senator Consiglio Di Nino, Senator
Marcel Prudhomme and he would render this theme public and raise it during
the nearest debate in the Canadian Senate," Margelov said.
The forthcoming visit to Moscow in October by Senator Consiglio Di
Nino at the head of a delegation of the Senate committee on international
affairs was discussed during a conversation with the Senate Speaker,
Margelov said. The sides also discussed prospects for interparliamentary
cooperation in preparations for a G-8 meeting which is to be held in
Canada next year.
"This is the format that was set by the Italians on the eve of the G-8
summit at Aquila," Margelov explained. "At that time there was a meeting
of the chairmen of the committees on international affairs. That
initiative proved to the liking of the Canadians and they will also host
such a meeting. We shall participate in it. Besides, the Speaker of the
Canadian Senate recalled the initiative that had been proposed by Sergei
Mironov who had called for organising meetings of the Senate Speakers of
G-8 countries. Kinsella pointed out that he wants to revive the
initiative."
Margelov said he was "gratified by the atmosphere in the Canadian
Senate: the Canadian political elite is really interested in the
development of relations with us".

.CIS defence officials to discuss joint air defence system.

ASTRAKHAN, September 16 (Itar-Tass) - Delegations of the Defence
Ministries of the member-countries of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) meet here on Wednesday to discuss matters aimed at developing
the joint air defence system (JADS), Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Drik,
chief of the information and public relations service of the Air Force of
the Russian Federation, has told Itar-Tass.
Drik said, "A regular session of the Air Defence Coordinating
Committee to the CIS Defence Ministers' Council will be held here on
Wednesday. Participants in the session are to discuss the results of the
Committee's activities in the first half of the current year and fix joint
activities for 2010".
As a result of the session, it is planned to fix draft Basic
Orientations for the Development of the JADS of CIS countries for a period
from 2011 to 2015. The document includes measures to refine the
organisational structure for JADS control through further integration of
the national AD systems and improve joint air defence alert.
After the session the chief delegates are expected to hold a series of
bilateral meetings to discuss practical implementation of the Agreement
between the Russian Federation and Belarus on the joint guarding of the
outer border of the Union State in the air space and the establishment of
a joint regional air defence system.
The sides are also to review the process of the fixing and preparation
for signature of draft interstate agreements on the establishment of
regional air defence systems in the Caucasian and Central Asia regions.
The Defence Ministry degations of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine are expected to
take part in the Coordinating Committee's work.
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