RF envoy urges efforts to resume MidEast peace process

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BEIRUT, October 20 (Itar-Tass) - "Energetic efforts" are needed for a
resumption of peace talks in the Middle East, Alexander Saltanov, special
representative of the President of the Russian Federation (RF) and Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Itar-Tass in an interview on Monday.
Summing up the results of his regional tour, the Russian diplomat
emphasized, "Quite a difficult situation has now taken shape in the
(Middle East) peace process". On the one hand, he said, "There is a
pronounced determination of the international community, primarily that of
the Quartet of international mediators (the United States, the RF, the
United Nations, and the European Union) to do everything possible for a
reset of the political settlement process in the region, focusing at this
stage on the Palestinian-Israeli track".
On the other hand, "The current situation is such that the sides that
are directly concerned are so far unable to overcome contradictions and
push away the obstacles that prevent them from taking a seat at the
negotiating table".
The RF special representative believes that the main thing now "is to
find a starting point for resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue".
All members of the Middle East Quartet of mediators, first of all the USA,
actively engage in the effort, he said.
Saltanov said "A discussion of possibilities for the convocation of an
international conference (on the Middle East) in Moscow had figured
importantly at the talks that he had held in Beirut and Damascus. One of
the main conditions for the holding of such a forum is "Degree of
readiness of the sides to impart comprehensive character to the process of
settling the Arab-Israeli conflict and, accordingly, resume talks on the
other tracks, apart from the Palestinian one".

.AF chief to represent Russia at ADEX-2009 show in Seoul.

SEOUL, October 20 (Itar-Tass) - The Seoul international exhibition of
aerospace and miltiary equipment (ADEX-2009), one of Asia's major defence
shows, opens at the Songnam air base near Seoul on Tuesday, with more than
200 companies from South Korea and other countries participating.
The Defence ministers of Malaysia and Mongolia, Chiefs of the General
Staff, Air Force commanders, defence industry officials, and military
delegations from 47 countries will take part in the exhibition.
Russia will be represented by Colonel-General Alexander Zelin,
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, who intends to fly South Korea's
first supersonic training jet plane T-50. Zelin is also scheduled to hold
talks with Kim Thae-yong, Defence Minister of the Republic of Korea.
An official at the exhibition's organising committee has told
Itar-Tass that the main purpose of the show is to bring manufacturers and
users together with a view to studying the resources of of the domesic
military-industrial complex and the export of defence products. Thus, in
the current year, South Korea intends to export $1,300 million worth of
armaments and military hardware. However, in prospect, it is planned to
raise the indicator up to $9,500 million.

.RF-Tajik econ cooperation panel meets in Dushanbe Tue.

DUSHANBE, October 20 (Itar-Tass) - The participation of Russian
businesses in implementing large-scale hydropower and oil-and-gas projects
of Tajikistan will be the central subject of discussion at a session of
the Russo-Tajik intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. The
panel's session opens here onTuesday. The Russian delegation is led by
Minister of Energy Sergei Shmatko.
The Tajik side regards the problems that have been put on the agenda
of the session as being utterly important to this country, members of the
staff of Akil Akilov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan, who
co-chairs the Commission for Tajikistan, have told Itar-Tass.
"We intend to discuss possibilities for expediting the work of the
Russian Gazprom to develop four credited oil and gas deposits in the
republic's territory, which would enable the country to meet requirements
for its own gas in the coming years," the Premier's staff members pointed
out.
It is also planned "to specify a timeframe for the start of the
implementation of the Russo-Tajik joint project to build three hydropower
stations )HPS) on the inland rivers of Tajikistan," the interlocutors
said. An understanding to this effect was reached in summer this year when
the President of the Russian Federation visited Dushanbe. Neither do Tajik
government sources rule out a discussion of the matter withn the format of
the participation of the Russian side in finalising the construction of
the Rogun hydropower station.
"Tajikistan will not yield to any outside pressure concerning the
construction of this HPS and will go on building this HPS which is of
vital importance to the energy security of the country, regarding the
misgivings of the leadership of some neighbouring countries as far-fetched
and overpoliticised," the Premier's staff members pointed out.
The Rogun HPS with a rated capacity of 3,600 megawatts and a
335-metres-high dam is the most ambitious and costly project in Central
Asia. According to estimates made by independent experts, its finalisation
will require more than $2,500 million.
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