Medvedev to observe Vostok 2010 drills in Far East.

VLADIVOSTOK, July 4 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev,
who arrived in Vladivostok on Saturday, will observe the Vostok 2010
military exercise and inspect the construction of facilities in the run up
to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012.
He will meet with Primorsky Territory governor Sergei Darkin.
Medvedev will observe the large-scale naval drills from board the
Pyotr Veliky nuclear powered missile cruiser and then hold a meeting to
sum up the results of the manoeuvres the first stage of which ended on
July 3.
Medvedev said after completing his visit to the Far East he will go to
Astana, which will host an unofficial summit of EurAsEc member-states that
in particular will focus on the issues of the Customs Union.



.Clinton begins two-day visit to Armenia.

YEREVAN, July 4 (Itar-Tass) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
begins her two-day visit to Armenia on Sunday to meet with Armenia's
President Serzh Sargsian and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian.
High on the talks' agenda will be deeper partnership relations between
Armenia and the United States, regional and international problems of
mutual interest, the information department of Armenia's Foreign Ministry
said.
According to Armenia's Aravot newspaper, Clinton will not meet with
representatives of political parties, including the opposition.



.Clinton to discuss bilateral relations, regional security in Baku.


BAKU, July 4 (Itar-Tass) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
will discuss bilateral relations with Azerbaijan and regional security on
Sunday.
She arrives in Baku on a one-day visit within the framework of her
tour to Ukraine, Poland and the South Caucasus.
According to diplomatic sources in Baku, Clinton will hold meetings
with Azerbaijan's President Ilkham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov. It is expected that the U.S. Secretary of State will meet with
Azerbaijan's youth representatives and before her departure for Armenia
give a short news conference at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport
for local and foreign journalists.
Baku hopes that the visit of the U.S. administration's top official
will give a fresh impetus to further relations between Azerbaijan and the
United States.
"I believe that the U.S. authorities realize Azerbaijan's importance
and from this point of view we can expect that after Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton's visit to Baku our cooperation will be taken to a new
level," the head of the presidential administration's foreign affairs
department, Novruz Mamedov, told local mass media.
Azerbaijan also expressed the hope that Clinton's visit will
contribute to progress in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. It is expected that this issue will be high on the agenda of the
talks in Baku.
On Saturday, President Ilkham Aliyev's statement to his U.S.
counterpart Barack Obama over Independence Day was officially made public.
According to the statement, Azerbaijan pins great hope on efforts of the
United States as the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in soonest possible
and just settlement of the most sensitive problem, the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, through peaceful means and on the
basis of the international law.
It is not ruled out that the situation in Iran and peacekeeping
efforts in Afghanistan will also top the talks' agenda.



.Russia's ship to take part in Ukraine's Fleet Day parade.

MOSCOW, July 4 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian Black Sea Fleet's Smetlivy
patrol ship will take part in a parade of Ukraine's Navy to mark the Day
of Ukraine's Fleet on Sunday.
"The Russian ship will take part in the parade at the invitation of
the Ukrainian side," Black Sea Fleet spokesman, Captain First Rank
Vyacheslav Trukhachev told Itar-Tass.
"Moreover, following the tradition representatives of the Russian
Black Sea Fleet's command will participate in the festivities," he said.
Ukraine's Getman Sagaidachny frigate will also participate in the
parade to mark the Day of Russia's Fleet due in Sevastopol on July 25.

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