Ingush leader condoles over Karachai-Cherkessia killed dep mufti.

NAZRAN, September 21 (Itar-Tass) -- Ingushetia's President Yunus-Bek
Yevkurov expressed condolences to Karachai-Cherkessia's President Boris
Yebzeyev and to the relatives of republic's Deputy Mufti Ismail Khadzhi
Bostanov killed on Sunday.


Ismail Khadzhi Bostanov "was a very respected
and honorable personality in the Caucasus; he made great contribution in
establishing peace in the Caucasus, the development and spread of Islam,"
the telegram of condolence runs.
The Ingush president expressed confidence that Bostanov's killers
would be severely punished. Yevkurov noted that "the Ingush people mourns
together with you."
Bostanov was killed in downtown Cherkessk on Sunday, when he was
returning from a mosque. When his car stopped at the traffic lights
unidentified gunmen shot at him from firearms. Bostanov died on the spot,
his son inside the car was injured.
Ismail Bostanov has been the deputy chairman of the Muslim Spiritual
Department of Karachai-Cherkessia and the Stavropol Territory for more
than 20 years and has headed Karachai-Cherkessia's Islam Institute for
more than ten years.

.Russia, Switzerland to sign package of agreements.

MOSCOW, September 21 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia and Switzerland will sign a
package of agreements, particularly on simplified visa regime and some
other agreements, Russian presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said in
connection with the first state visit in Switzerland of Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev, who will arrive in the country on Monday.
"A tangible practical result of a visit of the Russian president in
Switzerland will be the signing of several important intergovernmental and
interdepartmental agreements: an agreement on simplified visa regime, an
agreement on readmission, an agreement between the Russian Emergency
Situations Ministry and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
on cooperation in the humanitarian response to catastrophes and crises and
on the promotion of international development, a memorandum on cooperation
in physical culture and sports between the Russian Ministry of Tourism and
Sports and the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and
Sports, as well as a memorandum on cooperation between the Russian Union
of Industrialists and Entrepreneurship and the Union of Swiss Economy,"
Prikhodko said.
The Russian presidential aide elaborated that the visa agreement
envisages simplified visa issue of one-entry visas valid for three months
of the stay in Switzerland and multi-entry visas for some categories of
citizens.
Prikhodko noted that Russian-Swiss relations have acquired steady
positive dynamics. The political dialogue is becoming more intensive on
the top and high levels. The bilateral trade had a steady growing tendency
in the last few years from 6.3 billion dollars in 2003 to 15.3 billion
dollars in 2007. However, the bilateral trade has reduced by 20.1% in 2008
against 2007 making 12.2 billion dollars. In the first half of 2009 the
downward tendency continued and the plunge in the trade amounted to 41.2%
against the similar period in the previous year.
The Swiss business is increasing investments in the Russian market.
The Swiss investments reached 3.9 billion dollars. Russian enterprises
have intensified the investment activity in Switzerland in the last few
years with the Russian accumulated investments reaching 2.8 billion
dollars in 2008. The largest Russian investor in Swiss economy and one of
the leading foreign investors in this country is Renova Group of companies.
Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with the Swiss media that he
considers business cooperation as the major potential for cooperation.
Medvedev called cultural and humanitarian ties as the second trend of
bilateral cooperation. The Russian president considers regional and
European cooperation as the third trend of cooperation with Switzerland.

.Belarus president to visit Venezuela.

CARACAS, September 21 (Itar-Tass) -- Belarussian President Alexander
Lukashenko will visit Venezuela at the end of this year or in the
beginning of 2010, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said in the TV show
"Allo, Presidente" on Sunday. Chavez praised highly the cooperation with
Belarus.
"Alexander Lukashenko is a big friend, socialist, he together with the
Belarussian people survived the pressure of the capitalism world, which
was seeking to break the will of the people and government of Belarus,"
said Chavez, who is building his own model of Bolivarian Socialism in
Venezuela. Belarussian Ambassador to Venezuela Valentin Gurinovich was
taking part in the Sunday TV show.
-0-baz