* President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea is starting an official visit to Russia, to last through Thursday, September 23.
* The Federation Council, parliament's upper house, is gathering for an emergency session to discuss North Caucasian developments and urgent law-enforcement moves to provide public safety throughout Russia.
* The Power Industry Ministry is hosting an organizing committee session for a 4th All-Russia Oil and Gas Week, Moscow, October 26-28. Attending the session will be Yevgeny Primakov, organizing committee chief and President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Viktor Khristenko, Industry and Energy Minister, and organizing committee co-chair.
* The Integration Committee of the Eurasian Economic Community is holding a conference of the member countries' Deputy Prime Ministers on the eve of a prime-ministerial Interstate Council conference. Eurasec brings together Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine have an observer status.
* Grigory Rapota, Eurasec Secretary General, addresses a Novosti news conference.
* The Finnish commercial mission to Russia and the CIS is arranging a seminar and a news conference in connection with a visit to Moscow by Leena Luhtanen, Finland's Transport and Communications Minister.
* The Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is hosting a Russian-Peruvian forum on trade and capital investment. The event is part of a Moscow sojourn program of Peru's export promotion commission delegation.
* Gavriil Popov, President of the Russian Democratic Reform Movement, or RDDR, and Mikhail Kuznetsov, RDDR Board Chair, address a news conference on, "Administrative and Election Reforms: RDDR Opinions and Stances".
ST. PETERSBURG
* The city hosts a maiden Russian-Dutch conference on, "Public Health in the Prevention and Therapy of Socially Dangerous Contagious Diseases". The agenda focuses on HIV/AIDS, TB and hepatitis A, B and C. The conference is part of Holland Days, under the motto of, A Window on the Netherlands 2004.
TYUMEN
* An international forum, West Siberian Oil and Gas, is taking start within galas on the Tyumen Region's 60th establishment anniversary.
VLADIVOSTOK
* The "Vendemiaire" frigate of the French Navy is arriving on a routine visit to Vladivostok, on the Russian Pacific coast. The frigate is cruising the discovery route of Jean Francois de La Perouse, renowned 18th century French explorer. A strait between Russia's Sakhalin island and Japan's Hokkaido was named after the Comte de La Perouse. Vladivostok is a first seaport where the frigate stops on its memorial voyage.
VIENNA
* The IAEA is opening its 48th General Conference. Iranian nuclear programs will be prominent on the debate agenda. Alexander Rumyantsev, Russian Nuclear Power Agency chief, is leading the Russian delegation.
NEW YORK CITY
* A Hermitage Museum Week is taking start. Art shows, public lectures, roundtables, concerts and children's educational programs will be held all over the U.S. Timed to the Week will be a joint Board of Directors session of the Hermitage's American Friends foundation and the Hermitage/Guggenheim foundation.
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