Lavrov says Asia needs enhanced regional security.

KHABAROVSK, July 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said Asia and the Pacific Rim need to enhance regional security as conflict potential remains in the region.

"It would be an exaggeration to say that everything is quiet in the
field of security in Asia and the Pacific Rim. The nuclear problem of the
Korean Peninsula, old inter-state conflicts and territorial disputes did
not disappear. General world trends also manifest themselves, such as
terrorism, transnational crime, proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction, and sea piracy," he told a meeting in Khabarovsk chaired by
President Dmitry Medvedev.
Besides, "military alliances remain and strengthen, a closed regional
missile defense system is being created which does not help enhance trust
and overcome division lines," the minister said.
The task of drafting proposals to strengthen international and legal
norms of regional security is becoming vital, according to the minister.
"We believe such a system shall call on all states of Asia and the
Pacific Rim to confirm adherence to the principle of indivisible security,
other generally recognized principles of international law, draft
agreements to promote measures of trust between each other in the military
and other spheres, and agreed mechanisms of dispute resolution and
preventive diplomacy," he said.
"Our contacts show that submission of such proposals to regional
countries is met with understanding in general and will be in demand. We
are working on the task in close interaction with Chinese partners who
share our approaches," Lavrov said.
The minister said Russia will officially join the Asia - Europe Forum
in October 2010. "Russia worked to join the organization for 13 years and
we finally succeeded," he said.
Russia is also interested in developing partnership relations with
ASEAN countries. "Taking into account the backbone role of ASEAN in the
formation of regional architecture we are interested in all-round
deepening of Russian-ASEAN partnership," he said.
Lavrov also backed the idea of establishing a new military holiday in
Russia devoted to the victory in World War Two in the Far East.
"The 65th anniversary of the end of the war in the Pacific Ocean will
be marked on September 2. We proposed to include September 2 into the list
of military glory days as the Victory Day in the Far East and the end of
World War Two. I believe it to be very important to mention the victory in
the Far East in the name of the holiday," he said.

.CSTO to discuss drug threat from Afghanistan.

DUSHANBE, July 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Heads of anti-drug agencies of member
countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will meet
in the Tajik capital on Friday to discuss joint measures to curb the flow
of illegal drugs from neighboring Afghanistan.
The Tajik anti-drug agency said the meting will plan a joint anti-drug
operation Channel-2010.
Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon met on Thursday with head of the
Russian anti-drug agency Viktor Ivanov to discuss the situation with
Afghan drugs.
Ivanov said they agreed the threat was growing and said assistance to
Tajikistan in the anti-drug efforts was in the interests of Russia.
Asked whether Russian troops can return to guard Tajik borders with
Afghanistan, Ivanov said the issue is not discussed at present. "It can be
resolved provided the will of both parties," he said.

.U.S. judge grants bail to one accused Russian spy.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Itar-Tass) -- A U.S. judge granted bail to one
person accused of spying for Russia and denied bail to two others on
Thursday.
Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis ruled Thursday that Vicky Pelaez, a
Spanish-language journalist living in Yonkers, New York, could be freed on
$250,000 bail plus house arrest as soon as Tuesday.
But Ellis denied bail to Richard and Cynthia Murphy of Montclair, New
Jersey. A bail hearing was postponed for Juan Lazaro, Pelaez' husband.
Before the hearting prosecutors warned the defendants had plenty of
assistants in the United States to help them flee.

.Interior minister to discuss traffic safety.

ORYOL, July 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Interior Minister Rashid
Nurgaliyev will travel to the city of Oryol on Friday on the eve of the
Traffic Police Day to discuss traffic safety in the summer period.
Before the trip Nurgaliyev said traffic police has to do its best to
prevent a repetition of last year situation when over 60 thousand road
accidents took place in June-August.
The overall situation with road accidents has improved, but remains
alarming. In the five months of 2010 63.5 thousand road accidents were
registered which is four percent below the figure of the same period in
2009. The death toll was 7,350 people, a 15-percent drop, and the injured
totaled 79.7 thousand (3.5-percent decrease).-0-nec