Visiting Ireland president to meet with Russian Patriarch.

MOSCOW, September 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Ireland President Mary McAleese,
who is making a first-ever official visit to Russia, on Wednesday will
meet with Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, and will address the
Russian-Irish forum of nanotechnologies organized by Rusnano of Russia and
the Science Foundation Ireland.
The visit is aimed to strengthen and promote political, economic and
cultural ties between the two countries, the Irish president said.
Mrs McAleese is accompanied by Minister for Trade and Commerce Billy
Kelleher and a delegation of representatives from 31 Irish companies and
business agencies, who seek to look into cooperation possibilities and
find new business partners in Russia. The visit's program includes
meetings in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Thus, she is planned to meet with
Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and governor of St. Petersburg Valentina
Matviyenko. On September 9, McAleese will meet with Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev.
During her stay in Russia, the Ireland president will deliver a report
at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Academy, and will appear at
the St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance.
Over the recent years, Ireland and Russia have considerably expanded
their contacts in such areas as economics and culture. The bilateral trade
turnover nears two billion euros a year.

.Russian republic of Tatarstan looks at expanding cooperation with
Venezuela.

KAZAN, September 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's republic of Tatarstan seeks
to establish cooperation with Venezuela in such areas as machine-building,
oil production and education, republic's president Rustam Minnikhanov said
on Tuesday at a meeting with Venezuelan Ambassador to Russia Hugo Jose
Garcia.
Venezuela and Tatarstan are oil producing regions, Minnikhanov said.
"We have a vast experience in this sphere. Our company Tatneft has
recently marked its 60th anniversary," he noted and called on Venezuela to
look at a possible purchase of Tatarstan-made gas pumping equipment.
The Venezuelan delegation visited the Kazan Helicopter Plant, which
has exported more than 40 helicopters to Venezuela, and the KAMAZ truck
manufacturer.
"We must create joint ventures involving Venezuelan capital and raw
materials, such as coffee and cacao," Minnikhanov said.
"But we must develop bilateral cooperation not only in the economic
sphere," said the Venezuelan diplomat. "Cooperation in the area of
education is also very important." In his words, Russia has granted
scholarships to 50 Venezuelan students. "We should look at possibilities
of having our students studying at Tatarstan's higher education
establishments," he said.
Foreign trade turnover between Tatarstan and Venezuela was 73 million
U.S. dollars in 2009. This year, according to the Kazan customs officials,
trade turnover has considerably grown and neared 35 million U.S. dollars
in the first three months of 2010 alone.

.Russian dredging vessel thrown ashore near Sakhalin, two overboat.
VLADIVOSTOK, September 8 (Itar-Tass) -- A Russian dredging vessel has
been thrown ashore the Sakhalin island of Moneron in the Far East, two
crewmembers have been washed overboat, a spokesman for the Vladivostok sea
rescue centre said on Wednesday.
According to the spokesman, one of these two, the captain of the
Anabar dredging vessel, has been rescued and taken aboard the Atmosphere
vessel. The other one, a sailor, is still missing. Rescue operations are
hindered by the stormy weather.
In all, there were 33 people aboard the distressed Anabar vessel, of
whom 14 have managed to reach the shore, while 17 crewmembers are still
aboard the vessel. Dressed in diving suits, they are waiting to be saved.
The ship's engine compartment is filled with water and its electricity
supply system failed.
The Nikolai Kasatkin motor vessel has arrived in the troubled area to
help the Anabar, although it cannot start rescue operations because of
strong wind and three-meter waves, the spokesman said.
The Anabar sailed off from the city of Yakutsk on August 1. She sailed
along the River Lena and the Northern Sea Route heading for Sakhalin to
take part in gas pipeline laying operations across the Tatar Strait. On
Tuesday, the vessel ran upon rocks and got struck near the island of
Moneron.

.Ukraine's parliament votes down housing tariffs moratorium.

KIEV, September 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday voted
against a moratorium on increasing housing and public utilities tariffs.
Neither of the four bills put to vote won the number of votes needed
for them to be passed.
The housing and public utilities tariffs moratorium was initiated by
the communist faction, the Yulia Timoshenko Bloc (BYuT), and the bloc Our
Ukraine - Popular Self-defence. After the voting, ByuT members tried to
block the rostrum, but the parliament continued its session.
-0-ras


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