Putin in France to discuss AvtoVAZ, South Stream.

PARIS, November 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin arrived in Paris on Thursday to discuss French assistance to
debt-ridden AvtoVAZ carmaker and participation in the South Stream gas
pipeline project.

Upon arrival Putin had an informal dinner with his French counterpart
Francois Fillon, however the main talks are scheduled for Friday in
Rambouillet castle. Before the official negotiations Putin will meet
former French President Jacque Chirac who will turn 77 on Sunday.
Russia wants French Renault, which bought a 25-percent plus one share
stake in AvtoVAZ for one billion dollars in 2008, to help bail out the
ailing Russian carmaker.
First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the government, which
owns a 25 percent plus one share stake through Russian Technologies, was
ready to consider giving more shares to Renault. Putin even threatened
last month to dilute Renault's stake if it did not invest in AvtoVAZ, but
the French carmaker showed no interest.
Putin noted that while earlier this year the government had extended
25 billion rubles (0.8 billion dollars) in state aid to keep Avtovaz
afloat, it had allowed Renault to keep its 25 percent stake intact.
"The company's fate should be a concern for all shareholders," Putin's
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Renault spokeswoman Olga Sergeyeva said Renault was already working
closely with AvtoVAZ on debt rescheduling and was ready to contribute
know-how and technology to develop the carmaker.
Renault, AvtoVAZ and Troika Dialog, the third major stockholder, are
expected to sign on the sidelines of Putin's visit an agreement of
intentions on basic terms of restructuring the Russian carmaker.
"We have a real possibility to develop (AvtoVAZ) car giant into a new
enterprise. Active work to clean up the debts of the enterprise shall be
considered together with potential capabilities of Renault as investor,"
Shuvalov said.
Putin and Fillon will also discuss French participation in the South
Stream gas pipeline project to Europe. Government deputy chief-of-staff
Yuri Ushakov said an agreement is expected between Gazprom and Electricite
de France (EDF), but gave no details. Earlier Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller
said EDF may join the project shortly. Russian INTER RAO Company that
trades electricity abroad is also expected to sign an agreement with EDF.
The talks are also to consider Russian plans to buy a Mistral
helicopter carrier that docked in St. Petersburg this week. The deal is
estimated at 900 million euro and Russia also wants to produce the
warships at its shipyards at home.
Putin and Fillon are likely to consider the Iranian nuclear program.
"It is likely to be discussed at informal talks, as it is being discussed
today at all levels and everywhere," Ushakov said.
The prime ministers are expected to agree on holding the Year of
France in Russia and the Year of Russia in France in 2010. Over a hundred
cultural events have been already planned.

.IAEA to access Russian nuclear security.

MOSCOW, November 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Experts of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) will on Friday complete their 12-day mission to
Russia and provide final conclusions regarding control and supervision of
Russian nuclear power engineering facilities.
Natural Resources and Ecology Minister Yuri Trutnev said the IAEA team
praised the level of security at the facilities, but voiced minor remarks
that will be remedied shortly.
"State regulation is at a good level," Trutnev quoted IAEA experts as
saying. "A series of necessary legislative acts has been adopted," he said
in an interview published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Friday.
"As for remarks, they are few, much fewer than during similar checks
in other countries of the world," he said, adding one remark concerns
Russian legislative amendments that restrict the periodicity and time of
checks. "IAEA experts said such restrictions cannot be applied to the
atomic power industry," Trutnev said.
"We explained that amendments to the laws on atomic power will be
drafted shortly to stipulate a special regime for verification
activities," while mentioned restrictions will not come into force until
then, he said.
Trutnev's deputy Semen Levy said IAEA mission was extremely important,
as it was the first in the past 50 years.

.Criminal case instituted over journalist death.

KALININGRAD, November 27 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian Investigation
Committee launched a criminal case on Thursday over the death of a noted
regional journalist who fell out from the 14th floor of an apartment block
ten days ago.
Olga Kotovskya, the founder of the independent Kaskad TV and radio
company in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, committed a suicide on
November 16, but investigators want to clarify whether she was incited to
kill herself.
Marianna Andryushina, senior aide of the head of Kaliningrad
Investigation Committee, told Tass preliminary investigation revealed no
grounds for a murder case, however it was decided to institute incitement
to suicide case to clarify all the details.
"To clarify all the circumstances and identify concrete persons that
may be accessorial to the death of Olga Kotovskaya it is necessary to
carry out investigation and criminalistic examinations, which are possible
only in the framework of a criminal case," she said.
"All possible versions will be investigated," she added.
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