Argentina to recognise market status of Russian economy.

BUENOS AIRES, October 29 (Itar-Tass) - Argentina decided to recognise
the market status of the Russian economy after the Russian Federation
joins the WTO, said on Wednesday here head of Rosselkhoznadzor (Russian
Federal Service for Veterinary Supervision) Sergei Dankvert in an
interview with Itar-Tass.
He described the results of the eighth meeting of the
Intergovernmental Russian-Argentinean Commission on trade, economic,
scientific and technical cooperation.
According to Dankvert, "the Russian side called attention to the fact
that in practice, a failure to apply a market status in current trade and
economic relations creates problems for Russian export of some types of
goods to Argentina". This results in a situation when unsubstantiated high
anti-dumping measures are applied to Russian goods, since data of a
"surrogate" country are used for their calculations.
The presumption of impossibility of calculating a normal price for
goods in the domestic market operates against a country with a non-market
economy. This means in actual fact that Argentina can pass arbitrary
decisions, discriminating, in fact, Russian suppliers. For instance the
anti-dumping duty continues now to operate against Russian-made hot rolled
products.
Rosselkhoznadzor head Dankvert and Argentine Deputy Foreign Minister
Alfredo Chiaradia are co-chairmen of the Intergovernmental
Russian-Argentinean Commission on trade, economic, scientific and
technical cooperation.

.Cuba ready for talks with US at any level-minister.

NEW YORK, October 29 (Itar-Tass) - Cuba is ready for talks with the US
at any level, said on Wednesday Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. He
noted in an interview with the AP news agency that Havana now waits from
Washington for a reply to a proposal on expanding discussions.
"We are ready for a dialogue with the US administration at any level,"
Rodriguez noted, adding that such contacts should be based on mutual
respect and recognition of sovereignty of both states. According to the
minister, Cuba treats with satisfaction ongoing talks on migration and
restoration of direct mail service with the US. The minister called such
discussions as "fruitful and respectful".
On Wednesday, the world community again demanded lifting the blockade,
slapped down by the United States on Cuba nearly 50 years ago. The UN
General Assembly adopted a resolution by a majority vote for the 18th time
running, denouncing the economic, trade and financial embargo of the US
against Cuba, imposed in 1962.
The draft resolution "Need for stopping economic, trade and financial
blockade, imposed by the United States against Cuba", motioned by the
Cuban delegation, was voted in by 187 out of 192 delegations of UN member
countries, including Russia.
Three delegations - the US, Israel and the tiny Pacific republic of
Palau voted against, while two countries abstained.
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