RF to pursue WTO admission in coordination with Belarus,Kazakhstan

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MOSCOW, September 19 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will be pursuing admission
to the World Trade Organization in coordination with its partners in the
Customs Union - Belarus and Kazakhstan, but, probably, it will do so at a
different pace, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told Swiss mass media in
an interview on the eve of his visit to Switzerland.
He confirmed that Russia remained an applicant for WTO membership.
"That we are not inside the WTO today is a problem of the WTO and of
some states that have blocked our admission," the Russian leader said.
He stressed the idea that there was nothing controversial or ambiguous
about Moscow's position on the issue.
"On the one hand we wish to join the WTO. On the other, we wish to
develop integration ties with Kazakhstan and Belarus," Medvedev explained.
He recalled that Russia had agreed with Kazakhstan and Belarus to
establish a Customs Union and to proceed towards joining the WTO in
coordination.
"What sort of agreement have we made? It's very simple. If we continue
to be kept in the WTO's antechamber, we shall create a Customs Union and
then press for admission as a union."
At the same time the three states are prepared for different modes of
admission - either as a union, or, if that proves technically complicated,
we shall be prepared to join in separately, Medvedev said.
"Before that, though, we shall coordinate positions. Now such
coordination is in progress. We shall forge a common stance of Russia,
Kazakhstan and Belarus and then proceed from it, but we shall move towards
admission at different paces," Medvedev said, adding that it was a firm
position of his and that he had issued "relevant instructions to the
government."


.Aeroflot may dismiss 2,300, including 600 retirees - director.


SOCHI, September 19 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's largest air carrier,
Aeroflot, may cut its staff by 2,300, its General Director Vitaly Saveliev
told the media on Friday.
"If we reduce 2,300 employees today, we shall instantly achieve a
15-percent growth," Saveliev said. At present the company has 1,700
post-retirement age employees, of whom 600 hundred may be asked to go.
Also, dismissals will affect 1,300 administrative and managerial
personnel, including elevator operators, office cleaners and cloakroom
attendants.
"Another 500, employed in the on-board services sector, will be
separated to work for sub-contractor company," Saveliev said.
He promised that the company would not reduce a single pilot or
specialist responsible for security.
Aeroflot director said the company even experienced a shortage of
airliner captains. The personnel cuts will allow for raising the pilots'
salaries by 5 million dollars in annual terms. Aeroflot has a staff of
about 2,000 pilots.


.War on terror in N Caucasus to last till logical outcome - Medvedev.


MOSCOW, September 19 (Itar-Tass) -- The struggle against crime and
terrorism in the North Caucasus will last till its logical outcome and all
culprits will be properly punished, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said
with certainty in an interview to Swiss media on the eve of his visit to
Switzerland.
The impunity of such crimes "undermines the authority of the state, of
civil servants and of the law enforcement agencies."
"Although a fresh tide of terror swept the North Caucasus lately, the
war on terrorism continues," Medvedev said. "Terrorism hits
indiscriminately - among its victims are human rights activists, law
enforcers and ordinary civilians."
The Russian president said a large number of crimes were solved lately
and a considerable number of terrorist attacks prevented.
"I cannot disclose some nuances at this point, but the effects of
those abortive attacks would have been appalling," Medvedev recalled. "The
ringleaders of some terrorist groups were liquidated and the number of
militants wiped out surpasses considerably the death toll from their
attacks. This means that the struggle along these lines is continuing. But
we must not only take this struggle to the desired outcome. We must
investigate the previously committed crimes, including those against slain
human rights activists and other victims and to complete the judicial
proceedings."
"This is a no easy thing to do not even because our judicial system
does not work as fast as we would like it to. Any judicial system is
inert, and far from always it is capable of making decisions that
instantly achieve the desired effect," the president said.
About the problem of trial by jury he said that this is "an absolutely
humanistic institution."
"One must say frankly that first and foremost we have created our own
jury trial procedures and the jurors have far wider powers than their
counterparts in Europe. This is a hard fact. In European law and in the US
judicial system the range of crimes within the jurors' competence is
rather limited. We have delegated almost everything. That's one thing,"
Medvedev said.
"Secondly, the jurors must be prepared to make responsible decisions,"
he went on. "If the jurors are scared, if they are afraid of terrorists,
they are unable to make such decisions. For this reason I took measures to
ensure the consideration of such cases be more impartial. Now they are
considered by professional judges," the president explained.
Medvedev recalled he had made a decision to draft a bill allowing
trials not only in the Caucasus, but also in some other regions in order
to ease local influences and to ensure nobody should feel scared to
convict terrorists."
"That was a difficult decision to make, but at this point it is
absolutely necessary," Medvedev said, adding that some European countries
are known to have taken such measures in similar situations.
"Now we are forced to move along this way. I am certain we shall
achieve success," he said.

-0-str