Ukraine asks Poland for help in fighting swine flu

.

WARSAW, November 1 (Itar-Tass) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
on Saturday asked Polish President Lech Kaczynski to help fighting swine
flu epidemic in Ukraine where 48 people have already died of the disease.
The spokesman for the Office of the Polish President Mariusz Handzlik
said that the two presidents had discussed the situation by telephone.
"The conversation dwelt on the outbreak of the flu epidemic in Ukraine
and possible help from Poland. The (Polish) president confirmed that he
would pass on all the information about the present situation in Ukraine
and the Ukrainian side's request to the government security office and the
Polish Health Minister Ewa Kopacz," Handzlik said.

.Unauthorized rally thwarted in Moscow, 50 people detained.

MOSCOW, November 1 (Itar-Tass) - About one hundred people gathered for
an unauthorized rally on Triumfalnaya Square in the centre of Moscow on
Saturday evening where a different action authorized by the Moscow
authorities was taking place.
The police warned those gathered that they could not hold their action
and detained 50 people after the warning was ignored.
"The detainees included the leader of the banned National Bolshevik
Party Eduard Limonov. All of them were taken to several territorial police
stations," the spokesman for the Moscow interior department Viktor
Biryukov said.
He added that the law enforcers had acted in full compliance with the
law. "The participants in the action had been offered in advance to choose
one of the two places to their liking to stage their action but they
refused and came to Triumfalnaya Square where a military patriotic event
was under way," Biryukov explained.

.British foreign sec begins his visit to Moscow on Sunday.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, November 1 (Itar-Tass) - British Foreign
Secretary David Miliband regards his forthcoming visit to Moscow as a
chance to renew relations with Russia. In an interview with the "News on
Saturday" program of the RTR television channel Mr. Miliband said Russia
and Britain had worked together to overcome the consequences of the world
financial crisis and had cooperated at international forums on issues like
Iraq and the Middle East.
Despite some differences in bilateral relations, Mr. Miliband believes
that the British-Russian relations have been developing actively in the
economic, political and economic spheres since the last visit of the
British foreign secretary to Moscow.
Asked about facilitation of the visa regime between Russia and
Britain, the Foreign Office chief explained that Britain wasn't part of
the Schengen agreement and, therefore, had to impose some visa
restrictions. As for tourist visas to Britain, he replied he didn't have
any specific proposals as of yet.
Touching upon the EU-Russia relations Mr. Miliband said Europe had
been moving in the right direction since the Berlin Wall fell twenty years
ago. He said the European Union was not a threat but a partner for Russia
and it was time for them to develop strategic partnership that could bring
dividends for both sides.
Commenting on the Litvinenko case, the British foreign secretary said
that it was in competence of the British legal system and that the British
position on that issue was clear. But despite differences on the
Litvinenko case, Britain and Russia still have many points of contact in
other spheres, Miliband said in his interview that was broadcast to the
far eastern regions of Russia.

.News agencies chiefs from South East Europe meet in Bulgaria.

SOFIA, November 1 (Itar-Tass) - An international meeting of the heads
of news agencies from South East Europe and the Black Sea region gathered
in the Bulgarian capital on Saturday.
Representatives of 23 news agencies from Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia,
Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Georgia, Italy, Spain,
Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Macedonia, Russia (the Itar-Tass agency), Romania,
Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro and observers from
other European countries are attending this journalistic forum.
"In conditions of the crisis it's particularly important to establish
effective cooperation among agencies," Maksim Minchev, the general
director of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, said.
In his opening speech he said that contemporary journalism was
constantly changing. Therefore, in the new era journalists had to be
flexible to do their job in the best possible way.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov who was present at the opening
ceremony as an honorary guest wished fruitful work to the delegates.
Plenary meetings and roundtable discussions will be held in the town
of Veliko Tyrnovo, Bulgaria's old capital, in the next three days. The
heads of the news agencies from countries of South East Europe and the
Black Sea region will discuss the role of the media as the "fourth power",
their abilities as intermediaries in expanding and facilitating trade,
economic and political relations among countries, interaction in fighting
"grey" economy, copyright protection as well as other subjects related to
the media's effective work in contemporary society.

-0-fil/