Dakar Rally -- Russia's Kamaz-Master team ten-time winner.

BUENOS AIRES, January 16 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian team
"Kamaz-Master" has now become the Dakar Rally winner for the tenth time.
After the final stage of the world's most prestigious race, in the
category of trucks Vladimir Chagin gained the victory for the Russians.
This title is the seventh for him. His teammate, two-time Dakar victor
Firdaus Kabirov won the second place.
In the category of motorcycles, the victory is celebrated by Spaniard
Marc Coma (KTM), who won the third "Dakar" in his life. The second was the
champion of last year's race Frenchman Cyril Despres (KTM). Among quad
riders the best result was shown by Argentinean Alejandro Patronelli on a
Yamaha. His younger brother Marcos Patronelli was the winner of the last
rally. In the automobile standings, Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah (Volkswagen)
became the victor for the first time with a sufficiently large advantage
ahead of his teammates Giniel de Villiers (South Africa) and Carlos Sainz
(Spain).
Race participants from 51 countries left behind 9,500 km, 5,000 of
which were high-speed sections. The route of 13 stages ran across the
territory of Argentina and Chile. The Russian team "Kamaz-Master" twice
stood on the honour podium in the Argentinean capital in 2009 and 2010



.Turkmenistan gives priority to partnership with Russia.



ASHGABAT, January 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Turkmenistan gives priority to
partnerships with Russian companies in the oil and gas sector, President
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said at a briefing after the talks with
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Saturday.
"Russia is a great power, and Turkmenistan maintains historically
friendly relations with it," the president said when asked about possible
preferences in choosing foreign partners for the Nabucco project
implementation discussed at the meeting on Saturday.
"Turkmenistan has much to learn and what to adopt from Russian
companies, as they have great experience precisely in the oil and gas
area. So I can confidently say that Russian companies are always in
priority for us," he stressed. "In general, we proceed from the
international law standards of one or another project, which partners must
meet," Berdymukhamedov added.
In the past two years, the Russian companies Stroitransgaz and Itera
built two large pipelines to the order of the state concern Turkmengaz.
These are the Malai-Bagtyyarlyk line used for Turkmen gas transportation
from the Malai field to the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline and the one
between the Central Karakums and Yylanly, which serves the existing system
of trunk pipelines to Russia.


.Turkmenistan can meet needs of all gas buyers - pres.



ASHGABAT, January 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Turkmenistan can meet the needs of
all present and future gas buyers, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov
said at a briefing after the talks with European Commission President Jose
Manuel Barroso, who arrived here for the first time on an official visit.
The main theme of the meeting was the prospects for Turkmen gas supplies
to Europe.
Speaking about the resources for future deliveries, the Turkmen
president noted the resources of the Southern Yolotan field alone amount
to 14 trillion cubic meters of gas, which an independent examination
proved two years ago. At present, based on the results of exploratory
drilling, Turkmen geologists have raised this figure to 21 trillion cubic
meters, he said. For the statements of Turkmenistan not to seem unfounded,
the next independent examination is announced, Berdymukhamedov added.
Turkmenistan pursues the policy of openness and favours
diversification of routes to bring energy resources to world markets, he
noted. At present, the country exports gas to Russia, Iran and China.
Recently a meeting was held to discuss the
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India project. "Today we say we intend
to work in the European direction," the president said.
-0-pan