Medvedev calls on Yevkurov at Vishnevsky institute.

MOSCOW, June 23 (Itar-Tass) - Late on Monday night, Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev called on Ingushetia's President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, who
had been brought to Moscow's Surgery Institute named after A.V.
Vishnevsky following an assassination attempt against him.

Medvedev spoke to Institute Director, Professor Vladimir Fyodorov,
Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Deputy Director Andrei
Fyodorov, and Andrei Kreger, head of the department for abdominal surgery.
The President of Russia asked them about the state of Yevkurov's
health. The Director of the Institute said Yevkurov's condition remains
serious, for he had received grave injuries of his skull, chest, and
liver. Fyodorov said Yevkurov is in a coma now.
Medvedev wondered whether doctors managed to make good the patient's
loss of blood. The Director of the Institute said they had partially
managed to do that. The efforts are being continued and his arterial
pressure has risen up to an almost normal level, he added.
The President of Russia requested physicians to restore Yevkurov's
health. "Of course, we feel keenly all this and we shall closely follow
all these efforts. I hope that everything that is necessary from the
medical point of view will be done because we need Yunus-Bek Yevkurov
back in office recovered, in sound health. He is an active service officer
who has really begun to change the situation in Ingushetia. It is quite
understandable why the bandits spearheaded an assassination attempt
precisely against him, for he became the central figure for the adoption
of most correct and tough decisions," Medvedev said.

.FIFA invites Obama to attend '10 WSCF opening in S Afr.

PRETORIA, June 23 (Itar-Tass) - US President Barack Obama has accepted
a FIFA invitation to attend the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Soccer
Cup Finals (WSCF) in the Republic of South Africa, FIFA President Sepp
Blatter announced in Johannesburg on Monday.
"You know that Heads of State are utterly busy people. However, we
expect that his (Obama's ) time-table will enable him to attend the
opening," Blatter added.
The 2010 WSCF opening ceremony will take place at the Soccer City
stadium, with a seating capacity of almost 100,000, in Johannesburg.
The first match will involve either the current champions, the
Italians, or the soccer players of South Africa -- the WSCF organiser
country.

.US vice-president to visit Georgia and Ukraine (adds).

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Itar-Tass) - US Vice-President Joseph Biden will
visit Georgia and Ukraine in July to demonstrate American support for
democratic and economic reforms in those countries.
The White House announced on Monday that the Vice-President would tour
Georgia and Ukraine within a period from July 20 to 24.
The announcement said that during the visits the Vice-President would
meet with the political leadership of each of the countries, as well as
with members of the opposition and civil society.
The Vice-President will demonstrate American support for the ongoing
democratic and economic reforms, and discuss matters of mutual interest,
the announcement pointed out.
The White House promised to make public additional details of Biden's
forthcoming tour later on.

.First foreign ship to arrive in St Pete Tue for naval show.

ST PETERSBURG, June 23 (Itar-Tass) - The first foreign ship -- frigate
St. Albans of the British Royal Navy -- arrives here on Tuesday to
participate in the 4th International Maritime Defence Show (IMDS), which
is to be held on the banks of the Neva River from June 24 to 28.
Participants in and guests of the show are to tour the ship during the
visit. There will be also friendly meetings with the navymen of the
Leningrad naval base.
The frigate St Albans is a ship of Duke Class of the frigate series of
the 23rd type. This is a sixth ship to bear this name,The vessel was built
at the BAE Systems shipyards in Scotstown and was launched on May 6, 2000.
The ships bearing the name of St Albans distinguished themselves in
many a battle -- from the Battle of Barfleur in 1692 to fighting in the
North Sea in 1943.
The frigate recenlty accomplished all combat training missions to
become a full-value combat unit of the Royal Navy.
Not without interest is the fate of the fifth ship named St Albans:
from 1944 to 1949 the vessle was part of the Navy of the Soviet Union and
bore the name Dostoiny (worthy). In 1949 the ship was decommissioned from
the Soviet Navy and returned to Britain.
Two French mine sweepers, a landing transport dock of the Dutch Navy,
and Russian naval ships are also expected to take part in the naval show.