Volcano Elbrus is inexhaustible energy source - researcher.

NALCHIK, April 1 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Mount Elbrus, an inactive
volcano, turns into a practically inexhaustible source of alternative
energy, said participants in the All-Russian scientific conference on
modern volcanicity in the North Caucasus that ended in the Republic of
Kabardino-Balkaria.

"Volcano Elbrus will not bring us trouble for at least one hundred
years," Professor Alexander Shevchenko from Kabardino-Balkaria State
University told Itar-Tass. "We conducted our research of the Elbrus
volcanic centre together with Stanford University. We got unique
information on the structure and geodynamics of Elbrus."
"We created a detailed geological map of the volcano on the basis of
space research. We studied and dated the volcano's last activity," the
researcher said.
Conclusions on thermal fields near Elbrus "allow us to use this
volcano as a source of energy," Shevchenko said.
"This is an inexhaustible energy potential that will be enough to tap
not only in the Elbrus region. We only need the so called thermal pumps,"
he said. "The Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria has so many sunny days as
practically nowhere else."
Some countries conduct active research programs in this promising
sector of energy development. Thus, the U.K. government in principle
approved an initiative of several private companies on the construction of
underground geothermal power stations all over the world that will use
volcanic energy. It is planned that the first station will be built
already by 2016.
Mount Elbrus has two summits. The western peak stands at 5,642 metres
and a wind-swept 'saddle' separates it from the eastern summit, which is
slightly lower at 5,621 metres.



.CIS finance ministers to discuss further anti-crisis measures.

MOSCOW, April 1 (Itar-Tass) - Finance ministers and central bank
chiefs from the CIS member-states will gather in Moscow on Thursday to
discuss the state of national economies and a plan of joint anti-crisis
measures for 2009-2010, the chairman of the CIS Executive Committee,
Sergei Lebedev, told Itar-Tass.
The plan was finalized by the heads of governments in Yalta in
November 2009 and approved at the CIS summit in Chisinau last October.
It envisions the whole range of urgent and long-term measures.
Lebedev stressed that heads of state and government of the CIS
member-states "pay close attention to joint measures to overcome the
global economic crisis." This issue was high on the agenda of the CIS
Economic Forum in Moscow on March 5.
He noted that timely anti-crisis measures helped countries to get out
of the acute phase of the crisis. According to the CIS statistics
committee, in January 2010 practically all member-states of the
Commonwealth of Independent States registered economic growth of major
indicators.
"For instance, the GDP growth comprised 9.2 percent in Azerbaijan, 2.4
percent - in Armenia, 1.3 percent - in Belarus and 4.2 percent - in
Tajikistan, while industrial production rates grew by 8 percent in the CIS
on average," Lebedev said.
Along with this the CIS Executive Committee chief noted that despite
onward trends the crisis is not yet over.
"Today it is important not to reduce joint efforts towards eliminating
the impact of the crisis. Without any doubt, consolidated efforts of the
CIS member-countries in the financial and economic sector will help to
reduce the impact of the crisis and stabilize their economies," Lebedev
said.



.Russians to travel to Croatia without visas until October 31.

MOSCOW, April 1 (Itar-Tass) - Russian citizens will be able to travel
to Croatia without visas for no longer than 90 days as the visa-free rules
enter into force on Thursday.
Such rules will be effective until October 31.
Croatia's government took this unilateral decision on February 25,
2010.
"During this period Russian citizens will be able to go to Croatia on
short-term trips for no more than 90 days and not to show visas, tourist
vouchers, invitations or any letters of guarantee on Croatia's state
border," a Russian foreign ministry official said.
"It will be enough to have a valid foreign passport and necessary
funds for stay in the country," the official said.
At the same time, those who would like to go to work or to do
business in Croatia should apply for a visa.

-0-isk/


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