RK, China agree on joint polar research in Arctic Ocean.

SEOUL, November 18 (Itar-Tass) - The Republic of Korea (RK) and China have agreed to conduct joint Polar research in the Arctic Ocean under a programme for expansion of cooperation in maritime affairs.

The agreement was reached at a meeting of representatives of the governments of the two countries in Beijing, the RK Ministry of State Territories and Maritime
Affairs announced here on Wednesday.
The joint exploration of the Arctic zone will begin next year. With a
view to strengthening such maritime cooperation, Seoul and Beijing agreed
about the need to give greater scope to exchanges of scientific personnel
and technologies, the South Korean Ministry pointed out.

.NATO chief, Georgia Dpty PM to discuss Caucasus sit'.

BRUSSELS, November 18 (Itar-Tass) - NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen is to meet with Georgia's Vice-Premier Georgy Baramidze here on
Wednesday to discuss a programme for Georgia's individual partnership with
the Alliance and the situation in the Caucasus.
According to a NATO official statement, a delegation of top Georgian
officials will visit the NATO headquarters on Wednesday. The delegation
also includes Giga Bokeriya, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and
Nikoloz Vashakidze, First Deputy Minister of Defence.
Apart from a meeting with the Secretary-General, a working session of
the NATO- Georgia Commission is to be held here at ambassadorial level.
All the meetings in Brussels are to be held behind closed doors.
NATO continues to support the "territorial integrity and sovereignty
of Georgia". Rasmussen repeatedly stated that the Alliance had not changed
its attitude towards Ukraine and Georgia, adopted at the Bucharest summit
in 2008. According to the stand, the two countries "will be admitted to
NATO in due course". At the same time the NATO chef invariably emphasizes
that neither Kiev nor Tbilisi are now up to NATO admission criteria.
Early in December, NATO Foreign ministers are to gather in Brussels
for this year's final meeting. Among other things, they are to estimate
progress made by Georgia and Ukraine along the lines of approaching NATO
standards. At the same time, a NATO source has told Itar-Tass, an item
concerning the provision of the two countries with Action Plans for
membership in the Alliance is not on the agenda. They are yet to cover a
miles-long road, the diplomat said.

.Medvedev praises PRC-RF friendship committee.

BEIJING, November 18 (Itar-Tass) - The Sino-Russian committee for
friendship, peace and development has become an effective mechanism for
the advancement of public contacts between the two countries, said a
written message sent in by President Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian
Federation and read out at the current 8th plenary session of the
Committee here on Wednesday.
"Over the years that have past since its inception, the Committee has
shown itself to be an effective mechanism for the advancement of fruitful
humanitarian dialogue between Russia and China, and for the promotion of
direct contacts between the citizens of our two countries," the Russian
President's message read.
The Committee, Dmitry Medvedev pointed out, "makes a considerable
contribution to the expansion of the basis of public relations and the
strengthening of the traditional friendship, goodneighbourliness and
mutually beneficial cooperation".
In the message, Medvedev also expressed confidence that "decisions
that will be worked out during this session will help successfully
supplement bilateral accords, step up business contacts, cultural and
interregional exchanges".
Chinese President Hu Jintao also addressed the participants in the
session in a written message, emphasizing that "In the new conditions, a
further optimization of friendly exchanges and contacts between the
figures of various sections of the public of the two countries and
continuous strengthening of the social base of partnership and strategic
interaction play a very important role for the all-round strengthening of
relations between China and Russia".
Leonid Drachevsky, Chairman of the Russian side at the Committee,
pointed out, for his part, "It is essential to purposefully support and
strengthen the social consensus that has taken shape in favour of
developing Russo-Chinese partnership relations".
Drachevsky said the major task of the Committee is "to coordinate work
to broaden and strengthen the social base of bilateral friendly
goodneighbourly relations through promoting the development of contacts
between young people, education, culture and art people, politicians, and
businessmen of the two countries".
Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping is to receive the participants at
the close of the plenary session which was preceded by work done by
various subcommittees.
The Russo-Chinese Committee for Friendship, Peace, and Development,
or, as it is referred to, "the Committee of the 21st Century", was set up
in1997 on the initiative of the Heads of State of the RF and the People's
Republic of China. This public organization aims to give greater scope to
and strengthen the base of Russo-Chinese relations by inviting broad
sections of the general public of the two countries, primarily young
people to take part in its activities.
-0-pop