Progress cargo spacecraft launched from Baikonur space center.

MOSCOW, February 3 (Itar-Tass) - A Progress M-04M cargo space craft
was launched into space from the Baikonur center in Kazakhstan at 06:45
Moscow Standard Time /03:45 GMT/ Wednesday.

This is the first cargo craft this year to be heading towards the
International Space Station.
The launch was effectuated at Baikonur's Gagarin pad. The Progress is
taking into space a payload of 2.5 tons.
In two days' time, the craft is due to deliver foodstuffs, water,
fuel, equipment for the ISS, and family presents to the station's
five-strong resident crew.
Also traveling aboard the Progress to the ISS is the second
mini-greenhouse Lada.
The payload includes presents from psychologists, clothes for the next
crew, fresh vegetables and fruit, and the system of onboard equipment
control for the new Russian laboratory module Poisk /MIM-2/.
Progress M-04M is expected to dock to the ISS Zvezda service module at
07:26 Moscow Standard Time /04:26 GMT/ Friday, February 5.


.Senior Russian MP going to US to prepare ratification of arms treaty.

PARIS, February 3 (Itar-Tass) - Chairman of the foreign policy
committee in the upper house of Russian parliament, Mikhail Margelov,
leaves for Washington Wednesday to join the efforts of his counterparts
from the U.S. Congress to synchronize the ratification of a new treaty on
strategic armaments reduction.
In Paris, Margelov led the Russian delegation to an international
disarmament conference of the Global Zero initiative.
He said in an interview with Itar-Tass he feels that the new
Russian-American treaty on strategic arms reduction will be signed before
the end of the first quarter of the year, as "the last technical efforts"
are being applied to the document now.
In Washington, Margelov and his U.S. opposite numbers will verify the
steps on various aspects of the ratification process.
"Our partners from the U.S. Senate and we ourselves will do
preparatory work for a synchronized ratification of the treaty," he said.
"One can say with a big degree of assuredness that ratification in
Russian parliament looks quite realistic," Margelov said. "From the
procedural point of view, we do these things very fast, within about a
month."
"As for the U.S. Congress, intense and serious work is ahead," he said.
As he addressed the Paris forum, Margelov asked its participants to
voice support to the idea of ratification of the new treaty.
"I told them frankly we members of parliament need lobbying on the
Capitol Hill on their part," he said. "It's very important to see to it
that the grand treaty, which is due to replace the previous agreements on
strategic arms reductions doesn't fall victim to inter-party discords, the
same way it happened to many international documents in the past."
"The main thing is to hope that logic, pragmatic thinking and common
sense will help our counterparts on the Capitol Hill and that's task
number one right now," Margelov said. "This major treaty is the first step
for ourselves as well as for the Americans."
"Quite clearly, we'll continue moving along the pathway of disarmament
and reduction of the nuclear threat, acting in a manner that would rule
out threatening to each other," Margelov said.
-0-kle


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