RF, Bulgaria to hold talks on Belene NPS in Sofia Tue

SOFIA, November 30 (Itar-Tass) - Russo-Bulgarian talks on matters
concerning the construction of a Belene nuclear power station (BNPS) are
to be held here on Tuesday, with Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko and
Bulgarian Premier Boiko Borisov taking part.
Traicho Traikov, Bulgarian Minister of Economics, Energy and Tourism,
speaking on Monday, expressed the conviction that "If this time a decision
is taken to stop (the implementation of) the Belene NPS construction
project, no problems will arise, since there are other possibilities to
develop the energy market". His opinion is that "The treaty on the Belene
NPS contains signed agreements and a series of supplements. However, no
accords have been reached so far about the main aspects (of work)". "The
construction of the BNPS must be economically beneficial to Bulgaria,"
Traikov pointed out.
Still earlier, Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko had pointed out that the
cost of the BNPS might not be less than 6,400 million euros. He said the
Russian side may acquire about 30-40 percent of the BNPS-building
company's shares. He also warned about possible penalties amounting to
about 1,000 million euros in the event of abandonment of the BNPS
construction project.
According to sources in the Bulgarian government, media here express
confidence that the negotiators will manage to coordinate a fixed cost of
the BNPS construction at 6,000 million euros.
An international conference on the theme of "Energy without Borders"
is also to be held here on Tuesday with the participation of
representatives of Balkan countries. An official ceremony marking the
opening of the conference will be attended by Bulgarian Prime Minister
Boiko Borisov. The programme of the forum provides for a report to be
delivered by Sergei Kiriyenko.

.UNODC official, Tajik president to discuss drug control.

DUSHANBE, November 30 (Itar-Tass) - The narcotics-related situation at
the Tajik-Afghan border, and effective measures being taken by the
Republic of Tajikistan to counteract the spread of narcotics will be
discussed here on Tuesday by Yuri Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN
Office on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODC) during a meeting with
the republic's President Emomali Rakhmon.
According to a source in the government, the sides will touch upon
matters concerning a further cooperation between UNODC and the republic's
security-related agencies, primarily the national Drug Control Agency
(DCA) set up in 1999 on the initiative of and with financial support from
the UN.
Fedotov is to hold talks with the leading officials of the DCA, the
Interior Ministry, and the State Committee for National Security. He is
also scheduled to meet with the Russian and American ambassadors in
Dushanbe.
Since the beginning of this year, Tajikistan's security organizations
have put a stop to the activities of 35 drug-dealing organized groups, and
confiscated about three tonnes of narcotics, with heroin accounting for
more than one-quarter of the amount.
As a result of cooperation with Afghan drug control police, twelve
large drug-producing laboratories were destroyed during joint operations
in Afghan border provinces, and 50 Afghan drug smugglers were detained.

.Strategic 4G nuclear sub to be launched on Tuesday.

ARKHANGELSK, November 30 (Itar-Tass) - The Severodvinsk-based Sevmash
defence shipyard on Tuesday is to hold a ceremony marking the launching of
the second fourth-generation strategic nuclear-powered submarine Alexander
Nevsky, a shipyard official has told Itar-Tass.
The Alexander Nevsky is a Borei (Boreas) class missile-carrying
submarine cruiser that was laid down in the shipyard on March 19, 2004,
the second in the series. The lead ship - Yuri Dolgoruky - was built in
1996. The sub currently is undergoing a programme of state tests and will
be adopted for service with the new missile complex Bulava.
The construction of yet another guided-missile submarine, named after
the ancient Russian Prince Vladimir Monomakh, is being continued in the
building-ways of the Sevmach. The keel of the submarine was laid down in
2006.
According to RF Defence Ministry plans, not less than eight Borei
class subs are to be built. They are to become the basis of the marine
component of Russia's strategic nuclear forces.
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