.Russia, China to discuss prospects for security in world ocean.

ITAR-TASS overnight news cycle for November 13-1.



MOSCOW, November 13 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and China are expected to
discuss the prospects for collaboration in the field of ensuring security
in the world ocean in the course of a starting visit by a Chinese defense
delegation led by Naval Forces commander, Admiral Wu Shengli, Itar-Tass
has been told by the Russian Defense Ministry's press service.
"The itinerary of the visit that will last through to November 18
envisions meetings at the Main Staff of the Russian Navy and talks with
the Navy's Chief Commander, Admiral Vladimir Vystotsky," an official at
the press service said.
"The sides will look at the issues of collaboration in the interests
of greater security in the world ocean," he said. "As part of the visit,
the Chinese delegation will visit St Petersburg where it will get
familiarized with instruction process at the N.G.Kuznetsov Naval Academy."
In the Russian system of military education, an academy is the element
of higher learning equal to a university.
In St Petersburg, the Chinese delegation will have a cultural program
including a sightseeing tour of the palace of Alexander Menshikov, a
significant Russian statesman of the early 18th century, a walk around the
Palace Square, and sightseeing at the city's other historical sites.
The delegation is then expected to make a trip to the facilities of
Russia's North Fleet.
"We hope the visit of the Chinese naval delegation will mark an
important step in the field of mutual understanding and cooperation of the
two countries' naval forces," the Defense Ministry official said.
Collaboration between the Russian and Chinese navies is based on the
annual programs of defense cooperation. It includes mutual visits of naval
ships, exercises on the bilateral basis and in the format of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization, an exchange of military delegations, the
training of cadres for the People's Liberation Army of China at Russian
military academies and colleges, and collaborative efforts to ensure
security of navigation in the world ocean.
The year 2007 saw a number of landmark events in terms of this
cooperation. It was then the Chinese missile-carrying destroyer Gouangzhou
and the ship Lake Weishan Hu visited St Petersburg.

.This year's longest workweek coming to end in Russia.

MOSCOW, November 13 (Itar-Tass) - This year's longest workweek is
coming to an end in Russia. It was a day longer than usual, as the
Russians enjoyed a long weekend from November 4 through to November 7
owing to a major national holiday.
Sunday, November 14 will be a day off work, and on Monday the regular
five-day work schedules will resume everywhere.
Russia started marking People's Unity Day on November 4 in 2005. In
December 2004 President Vladimir Putin signed a federal law establishing
November 4 as the day commemorating the liberation of Moscow from Polish
invaders by Russian volunteer troops in 1612.
The events of autumn 1612 put an end to a period of Russian history
known as the Time of Turmoil and brought about the 300-years-long reign of
the Romanov czars dynasty.
The next long period of holidaymaking is in store for the Russians
from January 1 through to January 10, 2011.
The Russian watchdog agencies in the field of labor relations and
employment, Rostrud, says this country has a roughly the same number of
holidays falling on weekdays as the member-states of the European Union.
On the average, the Russians spend twelve weekdays off work every
year. Russia has more non-working days than the U.S. but fewer then Japan.

.US hopes for early extradition of Russian businessman from Thailand.

WASHIGNTON, November 13 (Itar-Tass) - U.S. Administration hopes that
the Thai authorities will extradite Russian businessman Viktor Bout, who
is accused of illicit arms dealings here, in the short term, Philippe
Crowley, an official spokesman for the U.S. Department of State said
Friday.
He said the Administration hopes the Thai government will settle the
internal issues related to the extradition and this will happen very soon.
Crowley also answered in the positive when asked if Washington still
expects that Bout will stand trial in the U.S.
Viktor Bout was arrested in Bangkok in March 2008 at the U.S. request.
Although the U.S. has brought on a number of charges against him, no proof
of his guilt has been furnished over the past two years.
Bangkok's Criminal Court turned down the U.S. extradition requests on
two occasions, pointing out the political nature of the case against the
man and the absence of reliable evidence against him.
However, the Thai Court of Appeals issued a resolution August 20 to
extradite Bout to the U.S. The Russian Foreign Ministry described the
decision as a biased one and taken under external pressures.
On the day the verdict was made public, the U.S. issued new charges to
Bout, thus bringing to a halt the court resolution on the initial query.
If the Thai authorities refuse to prolong the effectuation period of
the August 20 resolution, which expires November 20, Bout may be set free
pending a court injunction.
-0-kle


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