Kudrin to lead Russian delegation at UN anti-crisis conference.

UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (Itar-Tass) -- The forthcoming conference on
ways of overcoming the global financial crisis, to be held within the
framework of the UN General Assembly on June 24-26, will gather delegates
from more than 120 countries, the spokesman for the 63rd UN General
Assembly's president, Enrique Yeves, told a news briefing on Friday.

Taking part in the forum will be 13 presidents and prime ministers,
four vice-presidents, and four deputy prime ministers.
Also present at the conference will be 31 ministers and 28 deputy
ministers. Another 35 states will be represented at the level of their
permanent envoys, Yeves said. Russia's chief delegate is Finance Minister
Alexei Kudrin.
Russia's mission at the United Nations has told Itar-Tass Kudrin will
address the forum on June 24.


.Explosion at filling station in Ingushetia injures one.


NAZRAN, June 20 (Itar-Tass) -- An explosion at a car filling station
in Ingushetia's capital Nazran near the city's railway station has left
one person injured. The 40-year-old man suffered burns and was taken to
hospital, the Ingushetian Emergency situations Ministry told Itar-Tass.
The tank containing liquefied gas blew up at 23:26 Moscow time on
Friday, June 19. Firefighters are dealing with the blaze.
The residents of nearby homes have been taken to safety.
According to preliminary information, the fuel tank was exploded
intentionally.


.Moscow stresses need for early lifting of blockade from Gaza.


MOSCOW, June 20 (Itar-Tass) -- Moscow stresses the need for lifting
the blockade from the Gaza strip as soon as possible, Russian Foreign
Ministry said after talks between the Russian presidential envoy for the
Middle East, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov and the
Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Abu Zayd.
"She informed Moscow about UNRWA activities in the Palestinian
territories and in countries of the region, putting the emphasis on the
current situation in the Gaza Strip. Abu Zayd said the situation in Gaza
was critical, first and foremost, in the social, economic and humanitarian
terms," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "There is an acute shortage of
building materials, essentials, medicines and clothes, and this causes
very adverse effects on the population of Gaza."
"The UNRWA exerts every possible effort in order to ease the negative
consequences of the Israeli blockade and the sector's isolation," the
Russian Foreign Ministry said. "Aby Zayd noted the importance of the early
opening of checkpoints, the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli talks and
the need for advancing the intra-Palestinian dialogue."
The UNRWA Commissioner-General spoke highly of Russia's active role in
the Middle East, in particular, the ministerial level meeting of the UN
Security Council on May 11, which reaffirmed the legal basis of the
comprehensive Middle East peace settlement, of which the solution of the
problem of refugees is an integral part," the Russian Foreign Ministry
said. "The importance was noted of a Moscow conference on the Middle East
for the resumption of Arab-Israeli talks in the interests of all people of
the Middle East."
"For its part Moscow presented detailed information about Russia's
diversified assistance in solving the acute social and economic problems
of the Palestinians and in promoting the emergence of Palestinian
statehood," the diplomatic courses said. "The need was stressed for the
early lifting of the blockade from Gaza. Support was voiced for concrete
steps to this end the international community has been working on,
including the efforts to finalize the projects the UNRWA launched in this
sector earlier."
"Abu Zayd was briefed on Russia's efforts in support of the
restoration of Palestinian unity and our contacts on the Palestinian and
other tracks of the peace process, including those in the context of the
forthcoming ministerial level meeting of the Middle East quartet of
international mediators, and the quartet's meeting with the contact group
of the League of Arab States on the sidelines of the G8 foreign ministers'
meeting in Trieste on June 26," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.