The Russian Information Agency Novosti begins Hotline coverage for Thursday, June 24, 2004.
MOSCOW
* A cabinet meeting will be held in Moscow. The Russian government will consider the list of federal education institutions, specialized medical institutions, federal state art and culture establishments and federal state museums in connection with the division of the authorities of the federal, regional and local executive power bodies.
* The President Hotel will host the 3rd session of the high-level group on the formation of the Common Economic Space of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The Russian delegation will be headed by Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko.
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoriko Kawaguchi.
* The Russian Transport Ministry will host a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Argentine Minister of Foreign Relations, International Trade and Worship Rafael Antonio Bielsa in connection with the Russian-Argentine 2nd business forum.
* British Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt will arrive on a two-day official visit to Moscow. she will meet with Russian Vice Premier Alexander Zhukov, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, and Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko.
The Federation Council will host:
* a meeting between Federation Speaker Sergei Mironov and Sudan's National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Tahir;
* the 1st international scientific-practical conference on small and medium-sized business financing and crediting in Russia.
* The Russian Information Agency Novosti will host a press conference on several aspects of the anti-drug fight in Russia with deputy head of the federal service for the control of trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances Oleg Kharichkin.
* The Open Forum club (coordinator Mark Urnov) will hold a session on the start of the election campaign in Chechnya. State Duma deputies, Federation Council members, well-known Chechen politicians and political analysts will participate in the session.
* A two-day international conference of heads of atomic security bodies, representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Commission, and the OECD nuclear agency. Dr. Nils J. Diaz, chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, will preside at the conference.
* Head of the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention Antonio Maria Costa will arrive in Moscow.
* The Central House of Journalists will host an anti-drug roundtable.
* The UN group for HIV/AIDS in Russia and the United Nations Development Program will present a program "Leadership in action for Russia without AIDS".
* The Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host:
o a scientific-practical conference on current and perspective competitive ability of Russian economy;
o a press conference on Russian-Arab trade and economic relations (in connection with the 2nd joint stock company session of the Russian-Arab business council and the 1st Russian-Arab industrial exposition in Moscow).
BREST (BELARUS)
* The 26th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Russia-Belarus Union (June 24-25) will open in Brest. Sessions of the Assembly council and commissions will be held on the first day.
TBILISI
* A Russian delegation led by First Deputy Foreign Minister Valery Loshchinin will arrive in Georgia. The visit will focus on the Abkhaz and South Ossetia settlement.
BISHKEK
* Moscow's Days in Kyrgyzstan will open in Bishkek (June 24-27).
WELLINGTON (NEW ZEALAND)
* Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev will arrive in New Zealand on a routine visit. On Thursday Mr. Gordeyev will discuss agricultural cooperation with New Zealand's Minister of Agriculture James Sutton and Minister for the Environment David Benson-Pope. The Russian minister will leave New Zealand on June 27.
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