Pyongyang calls for a dialogue with Seoul

PYONGYANG, January 6 (Itar-Tass) -- The DPRK calls for South Korea to
start without delay a dialogue to normalise the relations between the
North and the South and to improve the situation in the Korean Peninsula.
This suggestion was expresses in a joint statement, which was approved at
the meeting of the DPRK's government, political parties and organisations,
the Korean Central News Agency reported on Wednesday.
The statement reads that the DPRK is ready "any time and any place" to
begin the dialogue and talks on a wide range of issues with South Korea,
its political parties and organisations, both ruling and opposing.
Meetings of the kind, the statement continues, minimise the threat of war
and let the sides discuss the issues, important for the Korean nation,
like "lessening of tension, achievement of peace and conciliation,
unanimity and cooperation."
The DPRK suggests refraining from actions "capable of provoking lack
of trust towards each other and making joint effort to have atmosphere to
improve inter-Korean relations."
The DPRK expects the South Korean side to react positively to
Pyongyang's suggestions, the statement said.


.Moscow Region electricity problems to be solved by Jan 6 - Gromov.

MOSCOW, January 6 (Itar-Tass) -- Energy supplies in the Moscow Region
should be fully restored no later than evening of January 6, Governor
Boris Gromov said at a meeting in Yegoryevsk on Wednesday.
"This is the deadline, all the outstanding problems should be solved
by evening of January the 6th - by the Christmas Eve and the services,
which are due at 22," he said. "Two hours prior to them all problems must
be solved," he said.
The situation depends fully on the repairing of high voltage lines, he
said.
"All other objects - the system and the transformer stations - are
ready to accept electricity, and we are waiting for the Moscow electricity
lines company to restore all high voltage lines," Gromov said. "As for the
municipal systems in the region, they were ready by December 28, and there
are still big outstanding problems with the high voltage lines."
"The Moscow Region was in the centre of the ice rain on December 26 as
about 789 settlements were cut off electricity supplies, which means
400,000 residents /as of Wednesday, 3,000/ did not get the power," he
continued. "Certain time ago we bought maximum reserve feeding systems,
and they came in quite handy."
Gromov confirmed that over a meeting with Russia's Minister of Energy
Sergei Shmatko, there was made a decision to organise a unified dispatcher
service to monitor all electricity lines in the Moscow region, no matter
"who they belong to." Besides, Gromov is sure that it is important to make
changes to the federal law on forests and to increase the width of
cuttings for electricity lines "by three times at least."


.Medvedev signs law regulating time, order of paying out dividends.

MOSCOW, January 6 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev
signed a federal law regulating paying out of dividends. The law was
accepted by the State Duma on December 21, 2010, and on December 24 the
Federal Council approved it, the Kremlin's press service said on Wednesday.
The law contains unified regulations for time and way of payments and
the distribution of revenues. The payment day should not be later than 60
days after the decision to make the payments. Shareholders may demand
payments over a period between three and five years.
The law makes corresponding changes to the Tax Law of the Russian
Federation.


.Medvedev signs law on return tickets for foreigners working in RF.

MOSCOW, January 6 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev
inked a federal law on the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian
Federation, the Kremlin's press service reported on Wednesday.
According to the new version of the law, a foreigner, who comes to
work temporarily in the Russian Federation, may obtain a work permit if
the employer reserves funds sufficient to cover expenses for the employer
to leave the country by a relevant kind of transportation.


.Prices for vital medications 2011 to be indexed at inflation rate.

MOSCOW, January 6 (Itar-Tass) -- During the current year prices for
vital medications are not expected to go up dramatically.
"Should there be any growth, it won't be big," a source in Russia's
Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development said.
Russia's producers have raised prices for 2011 by eight percent, based
on the expected inflation.
"Producers realise it is important to hold back rising prices and
support our initiative," Head of the Ministry's department Marat Sakayev
said.
He explained that Russian companies producing vital medications have a
right to apply for raising prices not more than once a year: based either
on growing inflation or on their growing expenses.
In late November 2010, producers were guaranteed a right to raise
fixed prices for their products if their own expenses grow. Russia's
Justice Ministry approved new regulations. Earlier, the producers were
able to raise prices for vital medications only for inflation reasons.
The list of vital medications includes 528 international non-patented
medications, which is about a third of all trade names of medications
registered in the Russian Federation. The ministry will finance purchases
of medications for rare diseases. It is planned, that 30 billion roubles
will be used for this programme. There are over 80 thousand Russians who
need this special treatment. An average price of a prescription makes
about 62,800 roubles.
During 2011, the government will allocate 952 roubles per every person
entitled for beneficial conditions to buy medications. This norm is by 26
percent more that it was in 2010. The total amount of funds for socially
supported programmes in medications will make 41.3 billion roubles.
-0-kar