RF, Slovenia presidents to discuss econ interaction Wed.

MOSCOW, November 17 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
and Slovenian President Danilo Turk will discuss investment interaction in
the fuel and energy sector, including the South Stream project, and in
other fields. The Slovenian leader arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for an
official visit.
"In the course of the negotiations, the parties will give priority to
stepping up trade and economic partnership and perfecting its mechanisms,
within the context of the course to modernization announced by Russia," a
Kremlin administration official told Itar-Tass.
"As a result of the talks, it is planned to sign a Russian-Slovenian
declaration on partnership for modernization, a memorandum on the key
projects to expand economic cooperation between the two states, and a
number of other bilateral documents.
"In particular, the leaders will discuss bilateral investment presence
in the Slovenian fuel and energy sector, within the context of
implementing the key project in this field of cooperation, which envisions
Slovakia's participation in the construction in its territory of a stretch
of the South Stream pipeline," the source said.
Turk's official visit will last until November 19. He will visit
St.Petersburg and Samara. It will be the third meeting between the
presidents. The first took place on November 18, 2009, when Medvedev made
a working visit to Slovenia. The second took place during the festivities
in Moscow on the occasion of the victory in World War II.

.Lavrov in Abuja to discuss RF-Nigeria wider relations.

NAIROBI, November 17 (Itar-Tass) - Prospects for wider Russo-Nigerian
trade-and-economic contacts are to be discussed in Nigeria on Wednesday by
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov.
A Russian Foreign Ministry official has pointed out, "The purpose of
the Minister's visit is to consolidate the steady dynamism in the
development of relations that have reached out to a qualitatively new
level after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's first-ever visit to Abuja
in the June of 2009".
During Lavrov's meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and talks
with Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia, it is planned to discuss in detail
the state of relations, evaluate the work being done to implement the
already reached large-scale accords, and determine prospects for the
development of the legal-treaty basis.
"In recent years, economic relations between Russia and Nigeria have
been following an upward trend," the Russian Foreign Ministry official
said.
Bilateral goods turnover amounts to about $300 million. Besides,
Nigeria is Africa's major producer of oil. A number of leading Russian
companies are implementing large-scale investment projects in Nigeria, or
are preparing to do so in such areas as the energy sector, the production
of hydrocarbon fuel, metallurgy, and the mechanization of agriculture.
Cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear power and in space research is
also on the agenda.
Along with economic matters, a discussion of the state of affairs in
Africa will also figure importantly at the upcoming talks. The sides are
to analyze problems concerning a steady socio-economic growth of African
countries, as well as matters relating to peacekeeping and a settlement of
conflicts that are an obstacle to the African countries' development.
International subjects to be discussed include a reform of the United
Nations Organization, efforts to overcome the global financial downturn,
international security of energy supply, and counteraction to terrorism.

.RF govt to examine draft housing, privatization programs.

MOSCOW, November 17 (Itar-Tass) - The government of the Russian
Federation meets here on Wednesday to examine a draft housing programme
for a period ending in 2015, and allot subsidies in order to balance
regional budgets.
Minister of Regional Development Viktor Basargin will present a draft
Federal purpose-oriented Housing programme for 2011-2015.
Vice-Premier and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin is to report a draft
Federal law on the introduction of amendments to the Budget Code of the RF
and other legislative acts of the RF for the purposes of establishing road
funds.
Konstantin Romodanovsky, Director of the Federal Migration Service, is
to introduce a draft agreement among the governments of Belarus,
Kazakhstan, and Russia on the legal status of migrant workers and members
of their families.
Minister of Economic Development Elvira Nabiullina is to table a draft
programme for the privatization of Federal property in 2011-2013 and basic
orientations in this respect.
-0-pop