Medvedev accepts resignation of Bashkortostan's president.

SOCHI, July 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on
Thursday accepted the early resignation of Murtaza Rakhimov, the head of
Russia's republic of Bashkortostan in the Volga region.
The Russian president praised Rakhimov for his work as Bashkortostan
president and awarded him with Russia's highest decoration, the rank I
Order of Merit to the Fatherland. "Under your leadership Bashkortostan
developed for a long time, now it is a well-developed republic within the
Russian Federation, boasting high living standards," Medvedev said. "On
behalf of the Russian state I would like to express gratitude for the
enormous work you have done while being Bashkortostan's leader."

.3 miners injured in Raspadskaya accident still in hospital.

MEZHDURECHENSK, July 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Three persons, who were injured
in the May accident at the Raspadskaya coalmine in Russia's Kemerovo
region, are still in hospitals in Leninsk-Kuznetsky and Moscow, a
spokesman for the Raspadskaya mine told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
"In all, 134 people sought medical aid after the accident," the
spokesman said.
Currently, all the mine's personnel, except those who are on a paid
leave or undergoing medical treatment, have been given new jobs. A total
210 persons work with other enterprises of the company, the rest are
employed at the Raspadskaya mine, he said.
According to the mine's chief engineer Vladislav Vatz, efforts are
continued to contain the fire at the mine. For these purposes,
explosion-resistant walls are being built. Three wells have been bored to
supply concrete with plasticizer to build such walls in the automatic mode.

.Russia-NATO council to discuss Russia's European security treaty
initiative.

BRUSSELS, July 16 (Itar-Tass) -- NATO will make public its official
position on Russia's initiative to sign a European security treaty at a
Friday session of the Russia-NATO Council, Russia's permanent
representative at the North Atlantic Alliance Dmitry Rogozin told
Itar-Tass.
According to Rogozin, the Russia-NATO Council will meet on Friday at
the ambassadorial level to discuss the Russian European security
initiative. A draft treaty was submitted to NATO in December 3, 2009.
"I am somewhat surprised at such a protracted reaction," Rogozin said.
"As far as I know, NATO delegations have had emotional consultations, and
finally, NATO has declared its readiness to discuss this issue and to give
its opinion on it." However, Rogozin said he did not expect breakthrough
results "with an orchestra and a scouts parade."
"I hope they will at least provide their arguments about what they
like or dislike in the document. Today we are in for an intense, but
necessary discussion, which will allow to show hand," he said.
"A new European security treaty is of principal importance for Russia.
We think that so far the norms of European political life are unfair and
do not take into account the fact that Russia must be a full-fledged
participant in discussions of strategic security issues," Rogozin stressed.

.OSCE foreign ministers to meet in Kazakhstan.
16/7 Tass 4

ASTANA, July 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Problems of European and Eurasian
security, and the situation in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan will be in the
focus of attention at an informal meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in
Kazakhstan's Almaty, a spokesman for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said on
Thursday.
The meeting opens on Friday in the Ak-Bulak resort some 35 kilometers
off the city of Almaty. The meeting will be attended by foreign ministers
from 56 OSCE member states, and representatives from international
organizations.
The forum, which will become "one of the most important events during
Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE," will discuss intermediate results
reached in the European and Eurasian security dialogue within the
framework of the so-called Corfu process launched in 2009 after the first
informal meeting of OSCE ministers in Corfu, the spokesman said.
According to the spokesman, the meeting will also discuss "the most
pressing security issues inside and outside OSCE's area of responsibility,
including the situation in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, as well as OSCE
participation in stabilizations efforts of the world community."
It is planned to hold meetings of "the OSCE Three" - Kazakhstan,
Greece, and Lithuania, and of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia
involving their counterparts from the Minsk Group to discuss the Karabakh
settlement.
It is also expected that heads and representatives from such
international organizations as the OSCE, EU, NATO, the Council of Europe,
CIS, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the Conference of
Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia will have their first
meeting, as was proposed by Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Kanat Saudbayev,
who is currently chairing OSCE, the spokesman noted.
The forum will be opened by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
-0-ras


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