VTB opens five billion roubles credit line for AVTOVAZ.

MOSCOW, June 4 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's VTB opens a five billion credit
line for AVTOVAZ for 18 months, the press service of VTB said on Thursday.
"The money was allocated under the governmental programme of support
for Russia's car industry, and the bank takes an active part in this
programme," a member of the Board, Valery Lukjanenko, said.
The decision was made under the Memorandum on intentions, signed by
VTB, Sberbank, AVTOVAZ and Rostechnologii.
VTB, former Vneshtorgbank, is one of the leading universal banks and
the largest Russia's bank in terms of authorized capital.
AVTOVAZ is Russia's major car-maker, known abroad as producer of Lada
cars.
Sberbank is Russia's biggest retail bank.
Rostechnologii is a state-run company for development of technologies.


.UAZ-469 submits new world record.

MOSCOW, June 4 (Itar-Tass) -- The UAZ-469 has submitted a new world
record, the press service of the Ulyanovsk car plant said.
"There were 32 passengers in the car at the same time; the total
weight, together with the driver, was 1,900 kilograms - the weight of an
African elephant."
The car drove for ten metres, as a new world record requires.
The record was registered by the International records and
achievements agency, and the visual proof will be forwarded to the Guinnes
Book of World Records, the press service said.
The previous record proved that Kia Spectra may carry 23 passengers.
The UAZ-469 is an all-terrain vehicle. It was used by the Red Army and
other Warsaw Pact forces, as well as paramilitary units in the Eastern
Bloc countries. In the Soviet Union, it saw widespread service in all
state organisations that needed a robust off-road vehicle.
The UAZ-469, introduced in 1973, had two great advantages: it was able
to drive in virtually any terrain and it was very easy to fix. The UAZ-469
reached legendary status for its reliability and off-road ability. The
vehicle was not available for private buyers, but many were sold as
surplus to private owners.


.Russia should be prepared for accidents like in Gulf of Mexico-view.

MOSCOW, June 4 (Itar-Tass) -- The fact that Russia does not have a
fleet for protecting nature is a big problem, the head of the sea control
department of Russia' s natural resources watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor,
Vasiliy Bogoslovsky, said.
"Russia has probably the strictest ecology requirements in the
world for oil and gas companies working on shelves," he said. However, it
is very bad that Russia does not have a special fleet to be used for the
protection of nature.
This fact causes another problem.
"The environmental information Rosprirodnadzor uses, comes from oil
and gas companies. We make our analysis on the basis of their reports. I
am not saying that they manipulate facts, and still, Rosprirodnadzor
should be able to check these facts - by the use of its own fleet and by
the expertise of our inspectors and ecologists," he explained.
Bogoslovsky compared the accident in the Gulf of Mexico with the
Chernobyl tragedy.
"Nobody can foresee such catastrophes, and yet this matter may not
be ignored," he said. "Accidents of this scale do happen, and thus it is
necessary to have protective technologies and geological research.
Besides, I would suggest introducing ecology insurance in Russia's law on
protection of nature."
"Our key task is to be prepared for any situation," he said.


.Ecology-friendly wooden housed to be produced in Altai.

BARNAUL, June 4 (Itar-Tass) -- A new plant will produce
ecology-friendly wooden houses to be built in the Altai Territory.
The cost of the project is two million euros, the regional department
of forests said on Friday.
The plant may produce 120 houses of 40 square metres a year.
"We shall have Sweden technologies which do not use formaldehydes,"
the source said. "We shall be the first territory in Siberia to work with
this technology."
The average price of one square metre, including the assembling, will
be 14,500 roubles.
The commission on housing policies of Russia's Federation Council is
expected to visit the new plant on June 15. The regional government will
organise a round table on the governmental programme Available and
Comfortable Housing for Russians.

-0-kar