Medvedev to chair meeting of council on nat'l projects Tue.

MOSCOW, January 19 (Itar-Tass) - RF President Dmitry Medvedev on
Tuesday is to chair a meeting of the Council on the implementation of
national priority projects (CNPP) and demographic policy.

A Kremlin press service official has told Itar-Tass that the main
theme of the Council's meeting will be a plan for first priority actions
in 2010 to modernise general educaiton principles aimed at implementing
"Our new school" initiative.
The Council will also examine the results of the implementation of
measures in 2007-2009 within the framework of the RF demographic policy
concept and aimed at improving the state of health of women, children, and
adolescents.
The process of modernizing the Russian system of education will be one
of the main subjects of discussion at the Council's meeting. RF Minister
of Education and Science Andrei Fursenko said those present would consider
orientations for the implementation of the "Our new school> presidential
initiative.
In particular, Fursenko said, discussion will deal with the idea of a
gradual transition to new educational standards, changes in the
infrastructure of the school network, measures to preserve and fortify the
health of schoolchildren, to develop the teaching potential, and the
system of support for talented children.
RF Minister of Health and Social Development Tatyana Golikova will
also make a report at the Council's meeting. Among other problems, the
report will touch upon the modernization of the system of compulsory
health insurance. Golikova said, "This theme has been a pressing one for a
long time. The (relevant) law, adopted in 1993, has run into conflict
(with the current legislation), and its norms do not work to the full".
The CNPP is a deliberative body to the President of the Russian
Federation. It was established with a view to ensuring interaction among
Federal, regional, and municipal government, public associations,
scientific and other organisations in the consideration of matters
connected with the implementation of national priority projects and
demographic policy.
The main task of the Council is to prepare proposals for the
President's consideration about the elaboration of national projects,
basic orientations of demographic policy, including State support to the
family, mother and child welfare, as well as the determination of measures
aimed at implementing them.
The Council's sessions are held once in six months. The latest session
was held on July 1, last year.

.Margelov to meet with Israel's Foreign minister Tuesday.

TEL AVIV, January 19 (Itar-Tass) - Mikhail Margelov, head of the
Committee on international affairs of the Federation Council (FC) upper
house of the Russian parliament, discussed matters, aimed at eliminating
legislative obstacles to Russo-Israeli relations, here on Monday.
Margelov met with Reuven Rivlin, Speaker of the Knesset (parliament)
and with members of parliament Zeev Elkin and Robert Ilatov, co-chairmen
of the Israel-Russia interparliamentary friendship association.
In an Itar-Tass interview, Margelov said, "The main idea of these
meetings is that a Russo-Israeli dialogue is important to both countries
and that political elites are in need of legislative support for the
development of cooperation in most diverse fields".
"Lawmakers, sort of, are paving the way for that, creating conditions
for both the development of joint business and cooperation in the
political and humanitarian fields," he pointed out.
Margelov said an understanding had been reached that "FC Knesset
committees must analyze hindrances, and work on eliminating them".
"Pragmatism currently predominates our relations. It is important that the
members of parliament of the two countries, disregarding the
'parliamentary tourism' act on a practical plane," he added.
"Along with interparliamentary cooperation, the sides discussed
international themes, including the state of affairs in the Middle East
peace process, and the Iran issue". "Our views do not coincide on all
things. However, we are conducting a frank dialogue. The talks will be
also continued on Tuesday and Wednesday", he pointed out.
On Tuesday Margelov is to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman and on Wednesday with President Shimon Peres, Defence Minister
Ehud Barak, and parliamentary opposition leader Tzipi Livni. Margelov is
to meet with Mahmoud Abbas, Head of the Palestinian National Authority, in
Ramallah on Thursday.

.Operation to rescue seiner crews begins off Sakhalin Tue.

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, January 19 (Itar-Tass) - An operation has been
launched off Sakhalin Island on Tuesday to remove fishery workers from two
seiners, the MRS-150-314 and the MRS 150-299, nipped in ice in the
Terpeniye (patience) Gulf (off the eastern coast of the island).
A helicopter is being used to evacuate the seiners' crews, an official
at the Vladivostok-based sea rescue coordinating center has told Itar-Tass.
-0-pop