Russian regions sign 238 agreements at Sochi-2009 investment forum.

SOCHI, September 19 (Itar-Tass) - At the investment forum Sochi-2009
Russian regions signed 238 agreements worth 481.8 billion roubles, sources
from the organizing committee told Tass on Saturday.
Russia's southern Krasnodar region was the leader with 177 agreements
worth 351 billion roubles signed. The sources said 7,797 participants from
27 countries and 54 Russian regions took part in the forum. A total of
1,200 reporters covered its activity.
The Krasnodar region has already started preparing for the next
international investment forum Sochi-2010, first deputy governor
Dzhambulat Khatuov told the final news conference.

.South Ossetia marks Republic Day.

TSKHINVAL, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - South Ossetia marks on Sunday
Republic Day. A military parade will be held in central Tskhinval. The
anthem of the Republic of South Ossetia will be played for the first time.
Representatives from the Russian Federation Council and State Duma
upper and lower houses of parliament, delegations from Abkhazia, the
Dniester Region, Nagorno Karabakh and republics of the North Caucasus will
arrive for festivities.
South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity together with government
officials and official guests will lay wreaths to the monument to
defenders of the Fatherland.
Police has been put on alert. However, Interior Minister Valery
Valiyev stressed that this is not because of some real threat for the
population. He said additional security measures are taken at crowded
places during all holidays.
It is for the 19th time that South Ossetia marks Republic Day. In
1990, the republic exercised its right to self-determination. On September
20, deputies of the regional council announced the setting up of the South
Ossetian Democratic Republic within the Soviet Union in reply to the
decision of Georgia's Supreme Council to abolish the South Ossetian
autonomy.

.Tajik leader to draw attention to deglaciation in Central Asia.

DUSHANBE, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon
intends to draw attention of the world community to the problem of
glaciers in Central Asia, the melting of which because of the global
warming threatens region's countries, including Tajikistan, the press
secretary of the Tajik leader told Tass on Saturday.
The Tajik president on Sunday heads for New York to take part in a
session of the U.N. General Assembly. It is expected that Emomali Rakhmon
will make a report at the session on September 22.
Several thousand small and big glaciers are situated in Tajikistan.
They are the main source for replenishing the water balance of the
country. Meanwhile, recent research has confirmed that over the past
several decades "glacier resources" of the country have reduced by almost
one third, and can disappear entirely because of continuing climate
changes.
The Tajik president intends to appeal to the world community with the
initiative to set up an international fund to save glaciers. He also
believes that it is necessary to carry out the monitoring of how climate
changes affect glaciers with participation of major specialists and unite
efforts of all interested countries and international organizations for
that.

.Ukraine premier unveils overpass in Odessa.

KIEV, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia
Timoshenko on Saturday unveiled in Odessa the biggest in Ukraine overpass,
which connects the seaport with main roads of the city.
The prime minister said the new overpass would help improve the
ecological situation in Odessa and the situation at transport routes. The
overpass is seven kilometres long. The cost of the project exceeded 100
million dollars, while the construction continued for about ten years.
The Ukrainian government press service said on Saturday that
Timoshenko was on a working trip to the Odessa region to look into
prospects for the development of the Odessa trade port and take part in
round-table discussions on problems of the marine sector.
Odessa is one of the biggest ports in the Black Sea-Azov Sea region.
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