Obama, Sarkozy congratulate Yanukovich.

WASHINGTON, February 12 (Itar-Tass) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on
Thursday congratulated Viktor Yanukovich for his win in Ukraine's
presidential election and hailed the vote on February 7, the White House
said.

"This peaceful expression of the political will of Ukrainian voters is
another positive step in strengthening democracy in Ukraine," the White
House said in a statement after Obama and Yanukovich spoke on the phone.
Obama wished Yanukovich "success in carrying out his mandate" and
"commended the Ukrainian people" on the conduct of the vote.
In Paris French President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed Yanukovich's win in
the poll saying "the Ukrainian people expressed their choice in the course
of free, pluralist and democratic elections", according to the Elysee
Palace.
"This is a victory for Ukrainian democracy and a model for the whole
of the region," the statement added.
The statements of the two presidents clearly give support to
Yanukovich in his standoff with Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko who
refused to concede defeat and said her government would not resign
voluntarily.

.Bill Clinton hospitalized.

NEW YORK, February 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Former U.S. President Bill
Clinton was hospitalized on Thursday after feeling chest pains, the
Associated Press reported, adding State Secretary Hillary Clinton rushed
from Washington to New York to stay with her husband.
AP quoted Clinton's aides as saying she left the capital shortly after
meeting President Barack Obama at the White House ahead of a planned trip
to the Persian Gulf that was to begin on Friday. The aides said it was not
yet clear if her travel to Qatar or Saudi Arabia would be affected by her
husband's hospitalization.

.China urges Obama to cancel Dalai Lama meeting.

BEIJING, February 12 (Itar-Tass) -- China urged U.S. President Barack
Obama on Friday to withdraw his decision to meet with the Dalai Lama next
week.
The meeting with the Tiberian spiritual leader shall be cancelled "so
as not to cause further damage to Sino-U.S. relations," foreign ministry
spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement.
"We urge the U.S. side to fully understand the high sensitivity of
Tibet-related issues, honor its commitment to recognizing Tibet as part of
China," Ma said.
Foreign ministry's remarks came hours after Washington announced Obama
would meet the Dalai Lama at the White House on Feb. 18.

.Putin wishes successful Vancouver games to Harper.

MOSCOW, February 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin had a telephone conversation with his Canadian counterpart Stephen
Harper and wished him successful holding of Winter Olympic Games in
Vancouver, Russian government press service said on Thursday.
"Also during the conversation Vladimir Putin and Stephen Harper
expressed satisfaction over cooperation of Russian and Canadian companies
in constructing the objects of Winter Olympic Games in Sochi" in 2014, it
added.

.Lavrov to visit Nicaragua.

HAVANA, February 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov will end his visit to Cuba on Friday by laying a wreath to the
monument to Soviet soldiers and will leave for Nicaragua to discuss
economic cooperation with the national leadership during a two-day visit.
Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said an agreement
has been reached to resume operations of the Russian trade mission in
Nicaragua.
"Successes have been reported in bilateral technological cooperation.
The first stage of the project to deploy 4G wireless communications
network has been implemented and a Russian-Nicaraguan joint venture
Yota-Nicaragua has been set up," he said.
Nicaragua is one of the few countries that recognized independence of
Russia-backed Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Nicaraguan ambassador to Russia
will attend the inauguration ceremony of Abkhazia's President Sergei
Bagapsh on Friday.

.Russia hails Cuba's VE-Day support.


HAVANA, February 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia appreciates cooperation with
Cuba on the international arena and is grateful to Havana for support in
the United Nations on the eve of the 65th anniversary of the VE-Day,
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday at the opening of the
International Book Fair in Havana.
"We shall celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory in May
and we are grateful to our Cuban friends for solidarity with us in the
United Nations where we advanced a joint initiative to hold a special
General Assembly session on the issue," the minister said.
"Today after the talks with the foreign minister of Cuba we signed a
joint statement devoted to the upcoming 65th anniversary of the Victory,"
he added.
"We appreciate our joint work on the international arena aimed at
making ideals of peace and justice triumph, and at strengthening the role
of the United Nations so that the principles fixed in the UN Charter, the
principles of collective work for the sake of common goals triumph in
reality," Lavrov said.
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