FMs to discuss RF-Belgium bilateral relations in Moscow Tue.

MOSCOW, May 4 (Itar-Tass) - Relations between Moscow and Brussels
during Belgium's European Union (EU) presidency, which is due to begin on
July1, will be discussed here on Tuesday by Russia's Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov and Steven Vanackere, Belgium's acting Minister of Foreign
Affairs. Vanackere arrives in the Russian capital instead of Premier Yves
Leterme, who has postponed his visit to Russia, planned for May 4-5, in
view of the Cabinet's resignation over the political crisis.
A high-level diplomatic source told Itar-Tass in Brussels, "The visit
of Belgian acting Minister of Foreign Affairs will be made in accordance
with a pre-planned programme. In particular, while in Moscow, he will meet
with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."
The source emphasized that the Premier's working visit "has not been
cancelled. It has been postponed to a later date" in view of the complex
political situation in the kingdom. Originally, it was announced that the
visit would be made on Brussels' initiative aimed at promoting dynamic
development of political and economic contacts with Russia.
The two Foreign ministers are expected to have a dialogue in Moscow on
the entire spectrum of Russo-Belgian relations, including those in trade,
economic, investment, scientific, technical, and cultural fields.
Diplomatic circles draw attention to the fact that the visit will be
made ahead of Belgium's presidency in the EU. In this context, such
international themes as the development of Russia's relations with the EU
and NATO, as well as the promotion of a European security treaty will be
natural components of the upcoming consultations.

.Two plants to be built in Tatarstan's Alabuga SEZ.

KAZAN, May 4 (Itar-Tass) - Tatarstan's President Rustam Minnikhanov on
Tuesday will attend ceremonies marking the laying of the foundation-stone
of two plants in "Alabuga" Special Economic Zone (SEZ) (the city of
Yelabuga, 210 km from Kazan), Andrei Kuzmin, head of the presidential
press service, has told Itar-Tass.
The Sisecam Company from Turkey begins to build a plant in Yelabuga
for the manufacture of sheet glass, said Elvira Fomina, spokeswoman for
the SEZ management. The enterprise, according to Ahmet Kirman, Chairman
of the Board of Directors, will turn out up to 250,000 tonnes of sheet
glass a year.
Another Turkish company, the Kastamonu Entegre, according to its
director-general Haluk Yeldiz, will build a plant in the SEZ for the
production of wood-based panelboards. The rated capacity of the enterprise
will be 280,000 cubic metres of panelboards a year.
Currently, nine resident companies, approved by the government of the
Russian Federation, operate in the Alabuga SEZ. They are from Russia,
Japan, Germany, South Korea, Denmark, and France.

.Ireland closes its airspace Tue in view of volcanic ash cloud.


LONDON, May 4 (Itar-Tass) - The authorities of Ireland are to close
its airspace to airliners' flights on Tuesday in view of the approach of a
volcanic ash cloud from Iceland, British television channels reported on
Monday night.
According to UK TV channels, the closure of the airspace will remain
in effect from 07:00 to 13:00, local time, on Tuesday.

.UNASUR summit in Argentina to deal with regional problems.

BUENOS AIRES, May 4 (Itar-Tass) - The leaders of South American
countries will discuss the political, economic, and social problems of the
region at a summit of the South American Union of Nations (UNASUR) in
Argentina on Tuesday.
The election of UNASUR's Secretary-General, whose candidacy, according
to the Charter, must be approved by all member-countries without
exception, is to become one of items on the agenda.
Nestor Carlos Kirchner, Argentine ex-President and husband of the
current President Christina Fernandez, seeks election to the post.
According to Argentine diplomatic sources, he has managed to win the
backing of practically all UNASUR countries.
Despite the fact that UNASUR is the major association of countries in
the region, its Constitutive Treaty has been ratified by the parliaments
of only four countries by now. Besides, there are differences between
individual member-countries. The differences have become particularly
manifest following Colombia's signing of an agreement with the United
States on the use of military bases in that country's territory by
American troops.
UNASUR comprises the following 12 South American countries: Argentina,
Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname,
Uruguay, Chile, and Ecuador.
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