Medvedev, Faymann to discuss S Stream-related coop'n.

MOSCOW, November 10 (Itar-Tass) - President Dmitry Medvedev of the
Russian Federation (RF) and Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann of Austria,
who arrives in Russia for a working visit, are to meet Tuesday to discuss
cooperation within the scope of the South Stream gas pipeline project and
European security matters.

A Kremlin administration official has told Itar-Tass, "The
implementation of the South Stream project may become one of strategic
areas of Russo-Austrian cooperation."
"Russia and Austria share an appraisal that the project aimed at
diversifying routes for the delivery of energy resources, will promote a
sustainable supply of energy to Europe, and an unimpeded transit of
Russian natural gas to European users," the official pointed out.
The Kremlin expert said, "This taken into consideration, an
intergovernmental agreement is being worked out for cooperation in the
construction of the Austrian section of the gas pipeline.
Faymann is also to discuss current economic matters at talks with RF
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Apart from economic problems, the upcoming talks between Medvedev and
Faymann will focus on European security, the Kremlin official said. "The
talks will concentrate on matters concerning an effective use of the
potential of Russo-Austrian interaction in the interests of our two
countries and safe Europe," the official said.
Kremlin analysts point out that Russia and Austria "have a lot of
points of contacts in major international affairs". "Considering that
Austria has been chosen as a Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) for a period of 2009-2010, and that in November
2009 it presides over the UNSC, priority items on the UN agenda, and
possibilities for a continuation of constructive interaction within the UN
framework will figure importantly in the foreign-political segment of the
forthcoming talks in Moscow," the Kremlin official said.
Austria as one of stable trading partners of Russia ranks the 12th
among countries that make investments in the Russian economy.
Russo-Austrian investment cooperation manifests a tendency towards growth:
cumulative Austrian investments in 2008 amounted to $3,900 million and as
a result of the first half of 2009 they ran at $3,670 million. Over 1,200
Austrian firms operate on the Russian market, with 150 of them having
their representative offices in the RF; there are about 500 companies with
the participation of Austrian capital.
Cultural contacts are traditionally of much importance in
Russo-Austrian relations. Thus, in December 2008, a Joint Russo-Austrian
commission of historians was set up for an in-depth expert study of the
Russo-(Soviet-) Austrian relations in the19th and 20th centuries.
The Kremlin expert also emphasized, "Russia appreciates the
considerate attitude of the authorities, public organizations and citizens
of Austria towards Soviet military graves and monuments in that country,
where about 87,000 Soviet citizens, who died during combat operations, as
well as prisoners of concentration camps, and victims of forced labour,
lie buried".

.Three die, four injured in bus collision in Dagestan.

ROSTOV-ON-DON, November 10 (Itar-Tass) - Three people have died and
four were injured in a road accident involving passenger buses in the
Republic of Dagestan. All the victims and the injured werre passengers of
a Mercedes mini-bus which collided with a regular-route bus Neoplan, an
official at the Southern regional center of the Russian Ministry for
Emergencies has told Itar-Tass.
The incident occurred at about 23:00, Moscow time, on Monday, 240 km
north of Makhachkala on the Federal Higway Kavkaz (Caucasus) in Tarumovka
District of the republic. The circumstances of the incident are being
ascertained.

.RF-Japan dialogue on energy, ecology opens in Niigata.

TOKYO, November 10 (Itar-Tass) - A two-day Russo-Japanese dialogue on
energy and ecology opens in the city of Niigata on Tuesday. The agenda
includes an item concerning prospects for practical cooperation between
the two neighbouring countries in these two sectors.
Tuesday's discussions in that large city on the shore of the Sea of
Japan (East Sea) specifically are called upon to give a new impetus to
mutually beneficial partnership in developing deposits of energy resources
in Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation (RF). The
discussions will deal with plans for the development of not only oil and
natural gas deposits but also those of coal.
Reports on key subjects are to be presented by representatives of the
two countries' authorities, respective ministries, industrial companies
and associations that directly participate in the joint implementation of
large-scale energy projects in the region.
The forum is being attended by officials of Japan's Foreign Ministry,
the staff of the Embassy of the RF to Japan, as well as leading experts of
sectoral and regional "think tanks" of the two countries. The Japan
Institute for Research into the Economic Problems of Northeast Asia acts
as the organizer of the dialogue.
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