Putin to attend investment forum.

MOSCOW, October 5 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
will on Tuesday participate in the work of a plenary session of the
investment forum "Russia Calls" organized by the VTB Capital bank.
The forum's main objective is to help attracting investments in the
Russian economy, developing dialogue and partnership between Russian
business and international investors.
The third "Russia calls" forum will unite more than a thousand
participants this year. Russian reporters will include Vice-Premier and
Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, Russian Minister of Economic Development
Elvira Nabiulina, presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich, the leadership of
the Russian Central Bank and representatives of the banking community.
Foreign representatives such as Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergei
Tigipko, Christine Lagarde, the French Minister for Economy, Industry and
Employment, Grigory Marchenko, the chairman of the National Bank of
Kazakhstan, the heads of international financial institutions and banks.
The main topics for discussion this year include "Russia on Its Way to
Innovations and Modernization," "Ways of Turning Moscow into International
Financial Centre" and "The New Face of the International Financial System."
During discussions representatives of the power and business are
planning to discuss Russia's current macroeconomic policy and ways of
raising the efficiency of natural resources. The participants will try to
determine the innovative sector of Russian economy that would be most
attractive for foreign capital.
Putin is expected to have a separate meeting with Christine Lagarde,
the French Minister for Economy, Industry and Employment.

.Council for local self-government to discuss life in Russian cities.

MOSCOW, October 5 (Itar-Tass) - A Council for local self-government
will meet under the chairmanship of President Dmitry Medvedev in the
Kremlin on Tuesday to discuss how to make life in Russian cities better
and more comfortable.
"The meeting is to dwell on problems of development of cities,
townships and villages; improvement of the external view of houses, yards
and streets; the current state of housing infrastructure (urban greening,
utilization and trash pickup, children's and sport playgrounds, parking
lots, lighting, storm water drain, etc) that affect the quality of life of
the people as well as questions related to improving the level of
utilities. Other topics for discussion will include the powers of
municipal authorities in this sphere, the role of homeowners' associations
and managing companies.
More than 90 people will take part in the Council's work. The heads
of cities and urban and municipal districts: city and rural settlements,
deputies of representative bodies of municipal entities, representatives
of public organizations, managing companies and homeowner's associations
have been invited to the meeting. The Council is going to meet in this
format for the first time.
The presidential Council for developing local self-government was set
up in 2007. Its first meeting devoted to the development of pre-school,
universal and additional education was held in February 28. The Council's
presidium has held meetings in Lipetsk, Astrakhan and Kaliningrad.

.Russia to officially join the Asia-Europe meeting.

BRUSSELS, October 5 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will officially join the
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Tuesday alongside with Australia and New
Zealand. The ceremony accession to this inter-regional organization will
take place at the Royal Palace in Brussels on the second and final day of
the ASEM summit.
The admission of three new members will bring the number of ASEM
participants to 48, including 27 EU countries, 16 Asian states, the
European Commission and the ASEAN secretariat.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is representing Russia at the
Brussels summit.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry official spokesman Andrei
Nesterenko, on Tuesday, the Russian delegation will make concrete
proposals whose implementation is necessary in modern conditions. The
diplomat confirmed Moscow's course towards the creation of "transparent
and equal architecture of security that would be based on a collective
foundation, norms and principals of international law as well as on lawful
interests of all the countries of the region.
"We should move to this goal via development of multilateral network
diplomacy and the creation of a partnership system of organizations and
forums," the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
Apart from his speech at the summit, Sergei Lavrov had a meeting with
Belgian King Albert II and Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanakere. He
also has a scheduled meeting with a delegation from New Zealand.
The agenda of the Brussels summit has one central theme "Better
Prosperity and Provision of a More Decent Life for All Citizens." Other
topics also include the consequences of financial crisis, struggle against
terrorism, energy security and human rights.
The final document will outline ways to more effective peaceful
economic management.

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