.Nuclear crisis must be tackled through negotiations - SKorea pres.

SEOUL, December 29 (Itar-Tass) - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
said on Wednesday that he believed the removal of the North Korean nuclear
program should be achieved through six-party talks next year on
denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
According to the Yonhap news agency, these words could testify to a
more flexible stance of Seoul as to the resumption of the six-party
dialogue with participation of two Koreas, the USA, China, Russia and
Japan.
"Regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, we can only resolve it
through diplomacy within the six-party talks framework" the president said
at a policy briefing by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"I think removal of the North Korea nuclear programmes should be
achieved through six-party talks next year as North Korea targets 2012 for
its achievement of a power country," Lee Myung-bak said.
At another meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Unification,
the president made it clear that next year his government will boost
efforts towards establishing a dialogue with Pyongyang.
This year has seen a serious military confrontation between the two
Koreas, including the sinking of the South Korean Cheonan corvette, of
which Seoul accuses Pyongyang, an artillery attack on South Korea's
Yeonpyeong Island by North Korea and a series of large-scale military
drills of South Korea and the United States.
The president stressed that efforts are needed towards a peaceful
settlement between the two Koreas through a dialogue. However, he also
emphasized a need to strengthen defence potential of the country in view
of possible provocations by the North. Lee Myung-bak did not specify
whether his administration had any concrete plan for the resumption of
bilateral talks.

.Moscow's targeted investment program increased - mayor.

MOSCOW, December 28 (Itar-Tass) - The targeted investment program of
Moscow has been increased from 230 billion roubles to 361 billion roubles,
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said at a session of the Moscow government on
Tuesday.
"We must now make a decision on the approval of the targeted
investment program. While correcting the budget, we increased this program
from 230 billion roubles to 361 billion roubles," the mayor said.
He specified that "the bulk of that money will be used to settle
transport problems. It also envisages the construction of residential
buildings, kindergartens and other necessary for the city facilities".

.Duma speaker arrives in Cuba to boost interparliamentary ties.

HAVANA, December 29 (Itar-Tass) - The speaker of the State Duma lower
house of Russian parliament, Boris Gryzlov, arrives on Wednesday in Cuba
for an official visit, which will continue till January 2.
During the visit, the speaker will meet with officials from the Cuban
leadership, Russian Ambassador to Cuba Mikhail Kamynin told Russian
reporters here. According to Kamynin, the invitation to visit Havana was
relayed to Gryzlov during the recent trip to Russia by President of the
National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba (ANPP) Ricardo Alarcon.
This visit will become "a logical conclusion" of the year marking the
50th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Russia
and Cuba, the ambassador said. This year a lot of events devoted to Russia
have been held in Cuba, he added.
They have once again "confirmed a vast potential of friendship and
solidarity existing in relations between our countries," he said.
Besides, they have demonstrated that "cooperation between Moscow and
Havana acquires more and more strategic nature and is aimed into the
future," Kamynin stressed.
He said an agreement on cooperation between the State Duma and the
National Assembly is planned for the signing, which is a very important
event for the development of Interparliamentary cooperation. "Ties between
the lawmaking bodies of our countries are very important and harmonically
add to an active level of contacts in other spheres," he added.
According to the Russian diplomat, these contacts give an additional
impetus to cooperation both in humanitarian and legislative spheres, and
they will also contribute to a broader presence of Russian regions in Cuba.

.Electricity supply restored to town outside Moscow.

MOSCOW, December 29 (Itar-Tass) - Electricity supply has been once
again restored in the town of Zheleznodorozhny outside Moscow, with the
population of about 130,000 people, Vitaly Strugovets from the MOESK
electricity network control centre told Tass late on Tuesday.
"Electricity supply to Zheleznodorozhny was restored at about 23:00
Moscow time on Tuesday," he said.
The city has faced repeated blackouts starting from Sunday, following
icy rains that caused blackouts in many settlements and at airports. The
freezing rain in Moscow and its suburbs over the weekend damaged power
transmission lines and grounded planes.
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