ID :
70645
Thu, 07/16/2009 - 14:47
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/70645
The shortlink copeid
Ukrainian parliament to try and hold emergency session.
KIEV, July 16 (Itar-Tass) - Ukrainian parliament is gathering for an emergency session, due to be held at the initiative of the political bloc led by Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko.
The ruling coalition will try to push through a package of emergence
bills and to close the parliament's spring session.
As of the first days of this month, the parliamentary activity has
been blocked by the opposition Regions Party that insists on a priority
adoption of a law on increasing the minimum wages and pensions.
Opinions voiced by MPs representing different factions suggest that
the Regions' ultimatum has been heeded.
The agenda of the session includes seven issues, including changes in
the budget and in the law on presidential election.
Wednesday, the Regions Party's press service issued a statement saying
the party MPs are ready to attend a session at any moment should the
coalition vote for the increase of wages and pensions "for the most
impoverished citizens of the country".
This is the absolute condition, upon which the Regions faction will
consider all other bills, the press release said.
The previous attempt to hold an emergency session Tuesday failed due
to the very same blockade of parliamentary activity.
In the wake of it, Igor Popov, a deputy chief of the Presidential
Secretariat and the President's representative in parliament said
President Viktor Yushchenko "may have to take a painful decision on the
dissolution of parliament if the situation of an impasse persists there."
.Russian President, German Chancellor to discuss European security.
MOSCOW, July 16 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and
Germany's Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel meet Thursday to discuss a
scope of issues pertaining to Russian-German bilateral relations and the
prospects for drafting a European Security Treaty, Medvedev's aide Sergei
Prikhodko said.
Also, the two leaders may look at the Korean nuclear problem, he said.
As they meet in Munich, Medvedev and Merkel "will consider a number of
pressing international problems, including the initiative on signing the
European Security Treaty, revival of a fruitful potential of Russia-NATO
relations, counteraction to the new challenges like sea-jacking, and
cooperation on Afghanistan," Prikhodko said.
He said along with this Russia "counts on bilateral contacts with
Germany and support on behalf of international organizations" in what
concerns the security treaty.
Medvedev and Merkel will take up "the problems of global economy in
the situations of the current crisis and the reforming of the world
financial system" in the context of decisions taken by the G8 summit in
Aquila, Italy, and in the run-up to the forthcoming meeting of the G20 in
Pittsburgh," Prikhodko said.
He did not rule out that Medvedev may share with Merkel the
impressions he got from U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow, as
that visit "determined to a great degree the atmosphere in Russia-NATO
relations."
"Quite possibly, our counterparts will also raise the problem of
developments in Iran," Prikhodko said adding that Western partners have
mentioned it quite frequently of late.
This will be the eighth personal meeting between Medvedev and Merkel.
They got acquainted in April 2006 in Hanover where Medvedev, then Russia's
First Deputy Prime Minister, took part in an industrial fair.
Their first official meeting took place March 8, 2008, during Merkel's
brief working visit to Moscow.
It is worthwhile recalling that Merkel became the first Western leader
who made personal contacts with Medvedev a few days after he had been
elected President.
.Swedish Frgn Minister to begin tour of South Caucasus countries.
16/7 Tass 11
STOCKHOLM, July 16 (Itar-Tass) - Carl Bildt, the foreign minister of
Sweden that is holding a term of the European Union's rotating presidency,
will lead the EU's Troika on a tour of the countries of South Caucasus,
which will last through to July 20.
In the course of the visits, the Troika -- the foreign minister of a
country holding the EU's presidency, the High Representative for the
common foreign and security policy, and the European Commissioner in
charge of external relations and European neighborhood policy - will have
a range of meetings with political leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia.
The EU views the Caucasus as a strategically important region and this
is proved by the setting up of the Eastern Partnership program, says a
statement that Sweden has placed at the official website of its presidency
in the EU.
The Troika will be accompanied on the tour by European Commission
representatives Karel Kovanda and John Kjaer, the EU's special envoy to
South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, and Paolo Barroso, an official from the EU
Council's Secretariat.
Spanish ambassador at large for the countries of Central Asia,
Santiago Chamorro, will represent Spain as the next country to preside in
the EU.
On one of the events scheduled as part of the tour, the Troika and the
attending officials are expected to visit the EU observers' mission in
Georgia.
The prolongation of the mission's mandate will be discussed at a
session of the EU Foreign Ministers council at the end of July.
-0-kle
The ruling coalition will try to push through a package of emergence
bills and to close the parliament's spring session.
As of the first days of this month, the parliamentary activity has
been blocked by the opposition Regions Party that insists on a priority
adoption of a law on increasing the minimum wages and pensions.
Opinions voiced by MPs representing different factions suggest that
the Regions' ultimatum has been heeded.
The agenda of the session includes seven issues, including changes in
the budget and in the law on presidential election.
Wednesday, the Regions Party's press service issued a statement saying
the party MPs are ready to attend a session at any moment should the
coalition vote for the increase of wages and pensions "for the most
impoverished citizens of the country".
This is the absolute condition, upon which the Regions faction will
consider all other bills, the press release said.
The previous attempt to hold an emergency session Tuesday failed due
to the very same blockade of parliamentary activity.
In the wake of it, Igor Popov, a deputy chief of the Presidential
Secretariat and the President's representative in parliament said
President Viktor Yushchenko "may have to take a painful decision on the
dissolution of parliament if the situation of an impasse persists there."
.Russian President, German Chancellor to discuss European security.
MOSCOW, July 16 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and
Germany's Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel meet Thursday to discuss a
scope of issues pertaining to Russian-German bilateral relations and the
prospects for drafting a European Security Treaty, Medvedev's aide Sergei
Prikhodko said.
Also, the two leaders may look at the Korean nuclear problem, he said.
As they meet in Munich, Medvedev and Merkel "will consider a number of
pressing international problems, including the initiative on signing the
European Security Treaty, revival of a fruitful potential of Russia-NATO
relations, counteraction to the new challenges like sea-jacking, and
cooperation on Afghanistan," Prikhodko said.
He said along with this Russia "counts on bilateral contacts with
Germany and support on behalf of international organizations" in what
concerns the security treaty.
Medvedev and Merkel will take up "the problems of global economy in
the situations of the current crisis and the reforming of the world
financial system" in the context of decisions taken by the G8 summit in
Aquila, Italy, and in the run-up to the forthcoming meeting of the G20 in
Pittsburgh," Prikhodko said.
He did not rule out that Medvedev may share with Merkel the
impressions he got from U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow, as
that visit "determined to a great degree the atmosphere in Russia-NATO
relations."
"Quite possibly, our counterparts will also raise the problem of
developments in Iran," Prikhodko said adding that Western partners have
mentioned it quite frequently of late.
This will be the eighth personal meeting between Medvedev and Merkel.
They got acquainted in April 2006 in Hanover where Medvedev, then Russia's
First Deputy Prime Minister, took part in an industrial fair.
Their first official meeting took place March 8, 2008, during Merkel's
brief working visit to Moscow.
It is worthwhile recalling that Merkel became the first Western leader
who made personal contacts with Medvedev a few days after he had been
elected President.
.Swedish Frgn Minister to begin tour of South Caucasus countries.
16/7 Tass 11
STOCKHOLM, July 16 (Itar-Tass) - Carl Bildt, the foreign minister of
Sweden that is holding a term of the European Union's rotating presidency,
will lead the EU's Troika on a tour of the countries of South Caucasus,
which will last through to July 20.
In the course of the visits, the Troika -- the foreign minister of a
country holding the EU's presidency, the High Representative for the
common foreign and security policy, and the European Commissioner in
charge of external relations and European neighborhood policy - will have
a range of meetings with political leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia.
The EU views the Caucasus as a strategically important region and this
is proved by the setting up of the Eastern Partnership program, says a
statement that Sweden has placed at the official website of its presidency
in the EU.
The Troika will be accompanied on the tour by European Commission
representatives Karel Kovanda and John Kjaer, the EU's special envoy to
South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, and Paolo Barroso, an official from the EU
Council's Secretariat.
Spanish ambassador at large for the countries of Central Asia,
Santiago Chamorro, will represent Spain as the next country to preside in
the EU.
On one of the events scheduled as part of the tour, the Troika and the
attending officials are expected to visit the EU observers' mission in
Georgia.
The prolongation of the mission's mandate will be discussed at a
session of the EU Foreign Ministers council at the end of July.
-0-kle
