Medvedev recalls high price paid by Soviet Union for liberation of Europe.

BRATISLAVA, April 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
said the Soviet Union had paid a gigantic price for the liberation of
Europe from fascism.
"Our country lost about a million lives by liberating Europe. This is
a gigantic price. But this is why Europe is what it is now: free,
beautiful and prosperous," Medvedev said speaking at a reception on the
occasion of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Bratislava in World
War II.

.Russian, Polish premiers sign book of Katyn Memorial honorary guests.

KATYN, Smolenk region, April 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk on Wednesday signed
the book of Katyn Memorial honorary guests.
"The decades that separate us from the Katyn tragedy have not relieved
the pain in the hearts of the people of Russia and Poland. This is our
common grief. Let the perished rest in peace," Putin wrote.
"Let the living be loyal to their memory by creating a future free of
human suffering and wars, but with truth, responsibility and mutual
respect," he said.
Tusk noted, "Katyn is a word that hurts and has been extricated for
years from silence and lies. Today it becomes a sign of hope that the
future may be better than the past."

.New START to allow Russia, US to continue security cooperation -- DM.

NEW YORK April 8 (Itar-Tass) -- A new Russian-U.S. strategic arms
reduction treaty (START) will allow the two counties to continue joint
efforts to ensure mutual security, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said.
One of the important tasks of a country possessing nuclear weapons is
to ensure "effective protection of such weapons", Serdyukov said in an
interview published by The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
By reducing nuclear arsenals, Russia and the United States "create
conditions for exercising effective control" over them, he said.
In his opinion, the coming months will be "the first test for a new
START".
The minister expressed hope that the Russian and American legislators
would "approve the treaty and create conditions for its implementation".
U.S. and Russian experts have come to the conclusion that the
verification measures set forth in the previous START of 1991 had become
obsolete. "This is why we have worked out updated verification measures
that will help restore mutual trust" between the two countries, Serdyukov
said.
He believes that this can be done only on the basis of "strict
compliance with the obligations" assumed by Russia and the U.S. under the
new treaty.

.Russia to use all means against terrorists -- Medvedev.

PRAGUE, April 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will use all available means to
fight terrorists, President Dmitry Medvedev said.
"We will continue the fight against terrorism using all means
available to our state," he said at a meeting with Czech President Vaclav
Klaus on Wednesday.
Medvedev noted the words of support offered Russia after the latest
terrorist acts, including in the Moscow subway system.
The Czech president noted that although he had sent a telegraph of
condolences ten days ago, he believed it necessary to express sympathy, on
his own behalf and on behalf of the Czech people, in connection with the
death of so many innocent people.
"Thank you for your condolences in connection with the terrorist acts.
It's a tragic trial," Medvedev replied.

.Putin,Tusk agree to long-term Russian natural gas supplies to Poland.
8/4 Tass 557

SMOLENSK, April 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk agreed to long-term Russian natural
gas supplies to Poland.
Putin told journalists after the talks on Wednesday that the relevant
documents would be signed shortly.
At the same time, he stressed that gas cooperation had not been
discussed as a separate issue at the talks. "The Polish side has long been
raising the issue of increasing Russian gas supplies, and business
entities have generally come to agreement," Putin said, adding that the
documents formalising this agreement would be signed shortly.
He was referring to a long-term contract for gas supplies up to 2037
and a transit agreement up to 2045.
Putin also said that his Polish colleague and he had discussed the
possibility of cooperation in the atomic energy industry and the
construction of networks. "On the whole, we believe that our relations in
this sphere should be depoliticised," he said.
The Russian prime minister stressed that he had informed his Polish
counterpart that the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the
open sea would begin shortly.
He noted that the project would not in any way affect gas cooperation
with Poland because no cuts in gas supplies to Poland and gas transit
through it are planned.
Nord Stream Company plans to start building the first section of the
pipeline in April 2010 and make the first natural gas supplies in late
2011.
Nord Stream has obtained the last of the permits needed for the
construction of the gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea.
-0-zak/


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