* A session of the Russian government will be held. The Cabinet will consider draft federal target programs on traffic security and education, Russia's strategy in the development of science and innovations, amendments to the Tax Code, etc.
* A session of the Integration Committee of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) will be held.
* The Federation Council (parliament's upper chamber) will host:
- a news briefing with Federation Council Deputy Speaker Alexander Torshin heading the parliamentary commission for the investigation of the terrorist attack on Beslan in September 2004 (4:30 p.m.);
- parliamentary hearings on legislative aspects of the modernization of the healthcare system (2:00 p.m.);
- the third session on cooperation with the youth parliaments of Russian Federation members and public youth organizations;
- a nationwide conference on legislative aspects and problems of cooperation development (December 15-16).
* The State Duma will host:
- a session of the lower chamber's council (10:00 a.m.);
- State Duma Deputy Speaker Artur Chilingarov's meeting with a delegation of the South Korean parliament (12:00 a.m.);
- parliamentary hearings on possible amendments to the Code of Administrative Violations (10:00 a.m.);
- a roundtable on legislative regulation in the sphere of weapons and explosives trafficking (3:00 p.m.).
* The Russian Federal Service for State Statistics will host a news conference on preparations for the 2005 nationwide agricultural census (4:00 p.m.).
* RIA Novosti will host:
- a joint news conference with the Federation Council on the law "On Communication" (3:00 p.m.);
- a roundtable on safety technologies in the energy sphere (11:00 a.m.);
- a roundtable on the fight against fake products (11:45 a.m.);
- a news conference on the results of an independent investigation into a roof collapse in a swimming pool in the Perm Territory (1:30 p.m.).
- a news conference on religious freedoms in Russia (2:00 p.m.).
* A discussion on Russia's accession to the WTO will be held (1:00 p.m.). President of the Association of Russian Banks Garegin Tosunyan, EurAsEC Secretary General Grigory Rapota, and others will attend.
* The Council of the Association of Russian Banks will hold a session on the results of the association's work in 2005 and plans for 2006.
SAMARA
* Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky will visit the Samara Region (the Volga Federal District).
VLADIVOSTOK
* Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev will meet with police chiefs of the Maritime Territory.
IRKUTSK
* Russian Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu will open a rescue base on Lake Baikal.
ST. PETERSBURG
* A nationwide conference on comparison of parliaments and Russia's parliamentary experience will open (December 15-16). The conference is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the adoption of a law on the first elections to the State Duma.
* The 11th session of the coordination council for the development of tourism in Russia will be held.
KRASNOYARSK TERRITORY
* CEO of Unified Energy System Anatoly Chubais will visit the Boguchansk hydroelectric power plant.
ALTAI TERRITORY
* Hearings on the death of the governor of the Altai Territory Mikhail Yevdokimov will resume.
TIRASPOL
* Representatives from Moldova, the self-proclaimed republic of Transdnestr, Russia, Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union and the United States will meet to discuss Transdnestr conflict resolution.
BAGHDAD
* Parliamentary elections will be held in Iraq.
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