Medvedev to discuss cooperation in gas with Yanukovich.

MOSCOW, May 17 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev plans
to discuss ways of cooperation in gas with Ukraine's President Viktor
Yanukovich during his visit to Kiev due on Monday.
Medvedev called upon Yanukovich not to refuse the proposal to unite
gas assets without a detailed discussion, because "in certain situations
alliances are necessary."
"I am not offended by the refusal, because we have not discussed the
initiative with President Yanukovich yet," Medvedev told reporters on
Sunday. "Whatever uniting may be possible only for pragmatic reasons."
"Alliances are not only possible, sometimes they are absolutely
necessary," he said.
Any discussions about uniting, for example, of Gazprom and Naftogaz,
require thorough estimation, he said.
"Let me, please, tell you that Gazprom costs about 150 /minimum/ or
200 /maximum/ billion dollars, whereas Naftogaz costs less, with all due
respect for the company," Medvedev said.
"It is not that we plan to take something and have it merged, because,
probably, this may be rather complicated for our Ukrainian partners, and
for the work itself," he said. "But if we speak about having some joint
projects uniting various gas and gas-transporting assets not in the form
of a union, but in the form of an association of certain parts, I believe
this could work for both sides."
Medvedev told about similar projects with Belarus and European
countries, for example, with Eni and E.ON companies.
Earlier, the head of the Russian presidential staff Sergei Naryshkin
said that cooperation in energy would be discussed during the talks in
Kiev.
"I believe that the presidents will discuss cooperation between
Gazprom /Russia/ and Naftogaz /Ukraine/," he said.
Naryshkin chose not to forecast forms of this cooperation - whether
this may be a consortium or any other form.
"The consortium proposal was made some time ago, but Ukraine did not
act in response," he said. "Theoretically, the project may be linked to
Russia's latest proposal. However, they may be considered as two unrelated
projects, as well."
Negotiations continue, and Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Boiko has
visited Moscow recently, he said. "A failure of the talks on the merger of
assets will not impede other forms of cooperation," he said.
Long-term energy cooperation with Ukraine meets Russia's interests,
Naryshkin said.
"Improvement of Ukraine's economic potential will intensify bilateral
trade and will have a favourable economic effect," he said. "Even if we
have lost in gas prices, the agreements will last for years and will bring
stability to us."


.Public Chamber suggests closing sobering-up stations.

MOSCOW, May 17 (Itar-Tass) --Members of Russia's Public Chamber
suggest abolishing sobering-up stations and have their job done by
divisions of certain authorities.
"The very notion 'sobering-up station' should be abolished from our
life," the head of the Chamber's commission overseeing law enforcement
authorities, Anatoly Kucherena, said. "We know about many cases of
violation of human rights in sobering-up stations, including low-qualified
medical assistants and criminal offence against patients."
"It is necessary to find more human ways to treat people suffering
from alcoholic intoxication."
The Chamber suggests dividing the services of sobering-up stations
among the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of healthcare and social
development and the Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief
Ministry /EMERCOM/.
"If a drunken person violates the order, the police should take care
of this case, and if a medical assistance is requested, then drug-abuse
doctors should provide help," the Chairman of the No to Alcoholism and
Drugs Foundation Oleg Zykov said. He suggests establishing special
departments at hospitals. If a person who drank too much is not violating
laws or does not need any medical assistance, its best to take him or her
directly home.
Regional and municipal authorities will have to consider who will be
responsible for escorting drunken citizens in all the three cases. The
Public Chamber supposed that EMERCOM could be responsible for this service.
Back in February, 2010 Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the
Interior Ministry to delegate sobering-up stations to the Ministry of
healthcare and social development within six months under the reform of
the Interior Ministry.
As of early 2010, Russia had 545 sobering-up stations. During 2009,
over 2.5 million drunken patients were delivered to the sobering-up
stations.

-0-kar


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