Arctic Sea dry cargo carrier to be returned to owner company.

ROME, October 28 (Itar-Tass) - Dry cargo carrier The Arctic Sea that waves the Maltese flag and that became a target of seajacking this summer will be returned to the owner company next week outside Malta's territorial waters, the Maltese Maritime Authority /MMA/ said Tuesday.

"The Russian authorities have advised the Maltese Authorities and the
owner of the M/V Arctic Sea of their intention to hand over the ship to
the owner in the port of Las Palmas. In this regard the Malta Maritime
Authority has instructed the owner of the M/V Arctic Sea that the ship
cannot proceed to sea until any necessary repairs, surveys and
certification are carried out and it is ensured that the ship is in a
seaworthy condition," the MMA said in a statement.
"With reference to claims in the press that the ship was due to be
handed over to the Maltese Authorities, Malta as the flag State of the
ship, has always maintained that it has no right to assume the ownership
of the ship since it is not the rightful owner of the ship and therefore
the ship should be handed over to the shipowner as the rightful owner of
the ship," it said.
"Malta, as the flag State of the ship, is in no way renouncing to any
of its obligations under international conventions," the document said.
"In fact the seaworthiness of the ship will be ensured through
surveyors of the classification society classifying the ship and flag
state inspectors who will attend the ship in Las Palmas to survey and
certify the ship in order to confirm that the ship is in full compliance
with international standards," the MMAS said.
It indicated that such procedures are in full compliance with the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The owners of the Arctic Sea will be expected to send a new crew to it
and the ship will be allowed to enter the port of registration where it is
due to undergo repairs.
The Russian authorities have fully inspected the ship and said it did
not carry any illegal or dangerous cargoes.
The owner, the company Arctic Sea DTD has confirmed this, too.
The ship and the specially hired Russian crew from the northern port
city of Arkhangelsk was expected to deliver a consignment of timber from
Finland to Algeria at the end of July.
However, it disappeared on high seas somewhere between Sweden and
Portugal.
Almost after two weeks of searching that involved Russian submarines,
a Russian naval ship located the vessel in the Cape Verde area.
Russian military brought the eight suspected attackers and all the
crewmembers to Moscow and the state agencies responsible for such matters
opened an investigation.
The Arctic Sea itself underwent a thorough inspection and then headed
towards the Mediterranean where it was brought to anchor.
The Maltese authorities have already given permission to it to call
into a port in the insular state.

.International conf on HIV/AIDS opening in Moscow.

MOSCOW, October 28 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Alexander Yakovenko is going to attend the 3rd East European and Central
Asian AIDS Conference /EECAAC/ that opens in Moscow Wednesday, the Foreign
Ministry said.
The conference that is held under the auspices of the UNESCO HIV and
AIDS Education Clearinghouse.
The event is expected to bring together some 2,500 delegates from the
countries having membership of the CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization.
Professionals attending the EECAAC hope to discuss stimulation of
scientific research in the field of HIV/AIDS, including the HIV vaccine
development.
Also, they will give focus to the consolidation of human resources on
the national and regional level to ensure the effectiveness of the fight
against HIV infection, as well as to healthcare systems' ability to combat
HIV/AIDS by providing training and employment assistance to medical
personnel and developing regional interdepartmental collaboration.
"The Moscow AIDS conference will serve as proof of Russia's intentions
to assist in development of regional cooperation to reverse the progress
of the epidemic," the organizers said in a press release. "The conference
will contribute to the commitment to fight HIV/AIDS among politicians,
scientists, healthcare administrators, medical workers, and public opinion
leaders."
Director of Russia's Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection,
Chief Sanitary Doctor Gennady Onishchenko said the EECAAC's objective is
to help the social adaptation of HIV-infected people, "who should be
adapted to living in society and have general access to the treatment they
need."
"Participants in the conference are expected to assess the current
status of and forecasts for the development of HIV/AIDS epidemic in the
world and in the CIS and to map out the priority step for curbing it,"
Onishechenko said.
He underlined the interest that the conference has evoked among
politicians, public personalities, physicians, researchers, and executives
of nongovernmental organizations.
While the first EECAAC that was held in 2006 brought together some
1,600 delegates from forty countries, the 2,500 delegates who have applied
for the third conference represent sixty countries.
"A total of 70 Russian regions have sent their representatives to this
EECAAC," Onishchenko said.
He pointed out one more essential fact about the 3rd EECAAC, saying
the scope of its participants includes the people who provide treatment
for HIV/AIDS and the people who undergo it.
"There'll be 250 HIV-infected participants here," he said.
The conference will continue through Friday.
-0-kle