Russia to use grain intervention fund in case of speculations

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MOSCOW, August 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will use the grain
intervention fund if speculation tendencies take shape on the market,
First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said in an interview with the
Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily published on Monday.
"If speculation tendencies appear on the market and the agrarian
producers retain the grain we will put into practice this mechanism (will
use the grain intervention fund) at any time," he noted. The fund will be
used without any biddings at stock exchanges. Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin has taken the foresaid decision after the consultations with
regional chiefs.
Zubkov noted that the biddings would be more profitable for the state.
However, "amid the abnormal heat we are facing another task - to help
those agrarian producers, who need this help."
"The grain sale may be launched after the harvesting campaign. We will
set deadlines after additional consultations with regional authorities.
But if speculation tendencies appear on the market and the agrarian
producers retain the grain, we will put into practice this mechanism at
any time. The government will determine the grain selling procedure in its
resolution," Zubkov underlined.

.RF has to impose grain export embargo to keep lead on int'l market.

MOSCOW, August 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia had to impose a grain export
embargo and has all grounds "to keep in the long run leading positions on
the grain international market," First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov
said in an interview with the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily published on Monday.
"From the legal point of view the decision taken by the government
resulted from force majeure circumstances that permitted our grain
exporters to avoid the negative consequences for their business," Zubkov
noted. He added that grain importers to Russia took with understanding the
decision made by the Russian leadership.
"An expertise of grain harvest damages has been carried out in 23
regions so far," the first deputy prime minister said. The damages were
estimated at about 30 billion roubles.
Speaking on the measures, which the government is planning to take
after the period of drought and forest fires, Zubkov said, "We propose to
put the Federal Forest Service directly under the authority of the
government, providing this agency with stronger capabilities to prevent
and put out fires, as well as to restore the forests." The Russian
government will also discuss the role and responsibility of regional
authorities and woodland renters.

.Russia, Mongolia to hold military exercises in Buryatia in Sept.

CHITA, August 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia and Mongolia will hold military
tactical exercises with a live fire drill codenamed Darkhan-3 in the
Russian Republic of Buryatia at the firing ground Burduny on September
1-15, a source in the information support group of the Siberian military
district said on Monday.
"The exercises will practice the blocking and destruction of
paramilitary units in Russia and Mongolia, the evacuation and repairs of
damaged weapons and military hardware," spokesman for the Siberian
military district Lieut. Col. Alexander Lebedev said.
More than 600 servicemen and about 80 units of military hardware from
the Russian Siberian military district and over 260 servicemen and about
50 units of military hardware of the Mongolian Armed Forces will
participate in the war games.
At the third stage of the military exercises a Russian maintenance
battalion is to repair about 40 units of military hardware and weapons,
more than 30 optical sight systems and about 40 communication devices for
the Mongolian Armed Forces.
-0-baz


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