Audit Chambers should involve in analysis of anti-crisis measures.

CAPE TOWN, November 16 (Itar-Tass) -- The Audit Chambers in all
countries should be given an opportunity to involve in the analysis of
anti-crisis measures taken by the governments, Chairman of the Russian
Audit Chamber Sergei Stepashin told Itar-Tass in connection with a meeting
of the Governing Board of the International Organization of Supreme Audit
Institutions (INTOSAI) that will open here on Monday.

Stepashin represents
Russia in the INTOSAI Governing Board.
"At a forthcoming meeting I intend to make a proposal, which I
coordinated with President Dmitry Medvedev. The Audit Chambers in all
countries should involve in the analysis of the measures, which the
governments and the financial authorities are taking to overcome the
crisis and for the post-crisis activities, particularly in the G-20
format. I pin high hopes on the support in this issue," Stepashin said.
The INTOSAI Governing Board will meet ahead of an INTOSAI Congress,
which will be held in Johannesburg (South Africa) in 2010. The agenda and
main goals of the upcoming congress, as well as the reports of the working
groups are under discussion. As Russia's representative Stepashin chairs
the Working Group on Key National Indicators, which works out national
development criteria through the prism of the Audit Chambers. "They are
trying to impose audit standards, under which Russia is ranked lower than
the 100th place. Therefore, a big working group with me as chairman was
formed bringing together 25 countries. The reports on anti-corruption
measures will be delivered at a meeting of the INTOSAI Governing Board
that is very important for us. The Russian Audit Chamber is integrated in
this work now. By the way, it was Russia that proposed to create this
working group in Seoul in 2001," Stepashin said.
A report of the INTOSAI Task Force Global Financial Crisis -
Challenges to Supreme Audit Institutions, chaired by the United States, is
very important, Stepashin noted. This INTOSAI Task Force was also
initiated by Russia, as well as Mexico and the United States.
"We will consider the issue of granting the status of an international
law document to the 1975 Rome Declaration, under which all supreme audit
institutions operate," Stepashin emphasized. "Then the legislations of all
countries, where the Constitution proclaims the supremacy of international
law over national law, including in Russia, should be brought in
compliance with this provision. It is very important for the Russian Audit
Chamber. We will receive the status of supreme audit institution and
financial independence," he said.
Russia is represented worthily in the INTOSAI Governing Board, where
along with Russia Europe is represented only by Great Britain and Austria
as the presiding country, Stepashin underlined. "It is the recognition of
the status and achievements of the Russian Audit Chamber, though it will
mark only its 15th anniversary this year," he remarked. The choice of the
South African Republic as a venue of an INTOSAI Congress in 2010 points to
the attitude towards Africa in general and takes into account the changing
situation in the world economy and politics. "The South African Republic
is a dynamically developing country. This country is a host of the World
Cup-2010, where, I hope, we will qualify for. Through the work in supreme
audit institutions we should enter more actively the African market, as we
are already doing in Angola, in the north of the continent. I pin high
hopes on our positions to consolidate in South Africa, the more to say,
Vladimir Putin and Mikhail Fradkov visited the country. We have all
conditions to boost our cooperation," the Russian Audit Chamber chairman
said.

.URGENT - RF can be exclusive liquefied gas supplier for Singapore.

SINGAPORE, November 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia is ready to be an
exclusive supplier of liquefied gas for Singapore, after other contracts
in this sphere with Singaporean partners have expired, Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting with the businessmen of the countries
here on Monday.
"We have liquefied gas reserves, we are ready to ensure supplies for
Singapore and for the whole region," he added.

.Russia ready to be exclusive liquefied gas supplier for Singapore.
(adds)

SINGAPORE, November 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia is ready to be an
exclusive supplier of liquefied gas for Singapore, after other contracts
in this sphere with Singaporean partners have expired, Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting with the businessmen of the countries
here on Monday.
"We have liquefied gas reserves, we are ready to ensure supplies for
Singapore and for the whole region," he added.
The Russian president has made a statement in response to Keppel CEO
Choo Chiau Beng's pronouncement, in which the latter expressed hope that
Gazprom would become a supplier of energy resources for Singapore in the
future, and the country would try to provide the exclusive rights for
Gazprom, after the contract with British Gas has expired.
"We have registered the Gazprom Marketing & Trading Company in
Singapore and we will launch marketing and trading operations at the
beginning of the next year," Medvedev said. "It is a good sign for us what
I learnt about the expiring exclusive contract for liquefied gas supplies
with British Gas," he added.
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