Armenia, Turkey pres discuss prospects to ratify major protocols

BURSA (Turkey), October 15 (Itar-Tass) - The presidents of Armenia and Turkey, Serzh Sargsyan and Abdullah Gul discussed on Wednesday "the results of what has been done over the past year to normalize bilateral relations," Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan told reporters.

Summing up the results of the talks, he noted that the two presidents
had considered in particular prospects for ratifying Armenian-Turkish
protocols signed some of these days. "They discussed what must be done to
boost the implementation of these documents (on the establishment of
diplomatic relations and the development of contacts between Armenia and
Turkey)," the foreign minister said.
"This opens the door that has been dividing our peoples for many
years," he stressed.
Focusing on the qualifying match between the national teams of Armenia
and Turkey within the framework of World Cup 2010, in which the Turkish
national team won 2:0, Nalbandyan reminded reporters that the first match
of these teams took place in Yerevan one year ago and "became the start of
the process no normalize Armenian-Turkish relations".
The football match, where the presidents of both countries were
present, "became an event," the foreign minister stressed. "It was a nice
match, and the Armenian team played well, particularly in the second half,
despite the defeat," he added.

.Russia sees Moscow conf as part of work on Middle East settlement.

UNITED NATIONS, October 14 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will be ready to
announce the timeframe of the Moscow conference on the Middle East right
after negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians resume, Russia's
deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Konstantin Dolgov, said on
Wednesday.
Speaking at open debates on the Middle East at the U.N. Security
Council, he said Moscow's attitude to organizing and holding the
conference is very serious. It considers "this forum, supported by the
U.N. Security Council, the G8 summit in l'Aquila and decisions of the
Quartet, together with efforts to re-launch Palestinian-Israeli contacts,
as links of an important work, which is presently being done on a
collective basis in the interests of long-term and comprehensive
settlement in the Middle East," he said.
According to Dolgov, during the Moscow conference the world community
will be able "to support the launched process and ensure consolidated
support for the resumption of negotiations also on the Syrian, Lebanese
and multilateral tracks of the Middle East process".
From Russia's point of view, it is necessary to be guided by the
existing international legal base, including all relevant resolutions of
the Security Council, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Madrid Principles.
"A viable, independent Palestinian state, living in peace and security
close to Israel must be the result of that work," he stressed.

.Medvedev, Sultan of Brunei to discuss ties, including military.

MOSCOW, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and
Brunei Darussalam's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah will discuss on Thursday
issues of bilateral cooperation, including military ties, a Kremlin source
told Tass on Wednesday.
"The heads of state intend to pay particular attention to a further
expansion of interaction in different fields. This concerns primarily ways
to boost trade and economic, investment and humanitarian components of
inter-state relations," the source said.
He recalled that the Russian embassy in the capital of Brunei - Bandar
Seri Begawan is to be opened before the end of the year. Among priorities
of cooperation, the Kremlin official named the energy and the oil and gas
sectors, non-ferrous metals, transport, communications, education and
tourism. "There are good opportunities for military and technical
cooperation," the official said.
The Sultan of Brunei has already visited Rosoboronexport. A multimedia
presentation of Russian-made air-defence means was organized for the
Sultan and accompanying him officials. Then technical consultations were
held at one of airfields outside Moscow and the Ka-52 helicopter was
demonstrated to the guests, sources from the press service of
Rosoboronexport told Tass. The guests also visited a centre for training
riot police to familiarize themselves with special small arms and methods
used in special operations.
Russia and Brunei began developing military-technical cooperation in
May 2005, when Rosoboronexport staffers presented Russia's air defence
systems, combat aircraft and military transport helicopters, as well as
other hardware in Bandar Seri Begawan at the invitation of Brunei's
Defence Ministry.
During an official visit by Brunei's Sultan to Russia in June 2005,
Russian airplanes and small arms of special purpose were presented to the
delegation.
In July 2006 at the Farnborough international air show the
Rosoboronexport delegation held talks with Brunei's Deputy Defence
Minister Dato Yasmin Umar and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of
Defence Dam Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, as well as the commander
of the Royal Brunei Air Force.
Bolkiah arrived in Moscow on Sunday at the invitation of the Russian
president. This is the second visit to Russia by the Sultan of Brunei
after both countries established diplomatic relations on October 1, 1991.

.Schools closed amid gale-force winds in Kaliningrad reopen.

KALININGRAD, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - Schools closed in Russia's
Kaliningrad on Wednesday because of gale-force winds, will be reopened on
Thursday, sources from the press service of the city administration told
Itar-Tass.
The decision to reopen schools was made after weathermen had
forecasted the improvement of weather conditions. On Wednesday, wind speed
reached 28 meters per second in the regional centre. Trees were uprooted
on the territory of some schools.
No school students were injured, the administration said.
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