Moscow resolutely condemns terrorist attack in Peshawar - FM.

MOSCOW, October 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Moscow resolutely condemns Friday's
terrorist attack in Pakistan's Peshawar province and is prepared to
cooperate with the authorities of that country in the struggle with
terrorism, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.

A suicide car bomber exploded himself in Peshawar in a crowded
district in the city center, killing 40 people and injuring many others.
"This is a second terrorist attack in Peshawar over the past two weeks
to have been committed after the attack on the office of the United
Nations World Food Program in the capital of Pakistan," the Russian
foreign ministry recalled.
There were no Russian citizens among those killed or injured.
Russia "resolutely condemns the latest in a series of crimes by
extremists in Pakistan and it hopes that destructive forces will fail to
upset Islamabad's efforts for stabilizing the internal political
situation."
Moscow is prepared "to furnish assistance to the Pakistani authorities
in their anti-terrorist struggle," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.


.Medvedev congratulates IOC President Jacques Rogge upon re-election.


MOSCOW, October 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
has sent a message of congratulations to Jacques Rogge upon his
re-election to the post of the president of the International Olympic
Committee.
The Russian presidential service quotes the message as saying "the
convincing victory in the election is the indisputable proof of your high
authority in the international sports community and a worthy evaluation of
the results of your activity in the capacity of the IOC leader."
"One cannot but note the fact that the IOC of late made tangible
progress in addressing issues related to the development of the
international Olympic movement and the promotion of its ideals and values
in the world. I believe that to a great extent this is your personal
achievement.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for the
support for Russia's active participation in the international Olympic
movement. As before, we shall be prepared to continue fruitful cooperation
in all spheres of the IOC's activity."
"With great warmth I recall the meeting with you during my latest
visit to Switzerland. I hope that our constructive contacts will continue
and will contribute to the full extent to successful preparations for and
to holding the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014,"
Medvedev said in his message.
Jacques Rogge, 67, of Belgium, was re-elected IOC president on Friday
at the IOC's 121st session. The voting proved sheer formality, because
there were no other candidates for the post. Rogge, who took over the IOC
presidency in 2001 upon the expiration of the term of his predecessor,
Juan Antonio Samaranch, will now stay in office till 2013.


.Lavrov urges Dialogue of Civilizations forum to focus on MidEast.


MOSCOW, October 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov has urged the participants in the forum Dialogue of Civilizations,
underway in Rhodes, Greece, to pay attention to the group of problems
related to a settlement in the Middle East. He sent a message of greeting
to the forum.
According to the Russian foreign minster, fresh thoughts and ideas
that have taken shape in Rhodes "have proved a useful contribution to the
activity of international and regional structures and the development of
relations along civil society lines in many countries."
"The themes offered for discussion at the forum this time are very
crucial and timely," the message runs. "The shift of the center of gravity
in the development of the world economy to the Asia-Pacific Region, the
post-crisis global financial architecture, the role of civil society in
the new conditions, including the position of youth, problems of culture
and education, the role of religion in modern society - answers to these
questions must be searched for with persistency and eventually found to
allow for collective control of world developments in the new historical
conditions."
Lavrov believes that the presence of Middle East problems on the forum'
s agenda will have great importance.
"It will not be an exaggeration to say the world development vector to
a great deal depends on what responses will be found to the conflicts
there, first and foremost, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the tensions
over Iran's nuclear program," the Russian foreign minister said.
"The Arab-Israeli conflict remains the fundamental one. As Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev said in his address at the League of Arab
States, it is a global one from the standpoint of its effects," the chief
Russian diplomat said. "Its settlement on the universally recognized
international legal basis, including termination of the occupation of Arab
territories that began in 1967, and the creation of an independent
Palestinian state that would co-exist with Israel side by side within the
framework of safe and recognized borders would considerably improve the
situation in the region and in the world in general."
Lavrov noted the importance of Russia's proposal for convening in
Moscow an international conference on the Middle East that would "support
the current efforts by the international community to re-set the peace
process on the Palestinian and other tracks."
"It is important for us to ensure that in resolving these and other
acute problems of today the supremacy of international law, justice,
collective search for solutions to common challenges and threats and also
to the awareness of the inseparability of security in the modern world
should gain the upper hand," Lavrov said about the gist of Russia's
position.
He wished the participants in the forum every success and expressed
the hope the ideas voiced "will be made use of by statesmen, civil
society, politicians and scientists."

-0-str