Russia, US have high chances to end talks on nuke treaty by Dec- FM.

GENEVA, October 2 (Itar-Tass) - The chances that Russia and the United
States will end the consultations to reach a new agreement on cutting
their strategic nuclear arsenals by December grow, Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

"We have already been working in the format of plenary sessions and
working groups. We are finalizing concrete wordings and this is the next
stage of the negotiating process. Progress is evident and this cannot be
underestimated," he said.
The diplomat admitted that some issues still remain unresolved.
"These are the issues of interrelation between strategic offensive
arms and strategic defensive arms as well as everything that is linked
with the influence of the strategic arms reduction treaty on conventional
weapons and strategic stability," he said.
Ryabkov noted that the current stage of the talks was more intensive
than the previous rounds. "The thing is that we should fulfill the
presidents' instruction - to complete the drafting of a new treaty by
December, until the effective document expires."
"The chances that we will manage to do this in time grow. We will do
our utmost to make it real," he said.



.Russia, Lithuania to sign deal on cross border trips in early 2010.

KALININGRAD, October 2 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and Lithuania will sign an
agreement on local cross border trips in the first quarter of 2010, the
deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's second European department,
Dmitry Tsvetkov, told the international forum of partner regions of Russia'
s westernmost Kaliningrad region on Thursday.
"At present, the document has been finalized, the consultations
between the two countries' foreign ministries are underway. In the first
quarter of next year the agreement will be signed, although the foreign
ministry still has hopes that it may be signed already this year," he said.
This agreement will allow residents of the Kaliningrad region living
within 50 kilometers from the Lithuanian border to visit the Baltic
republic. They will be able to cross the border showing special five-year
passes.
Tsvetkov also noted that a similar agreement between Russia and Poland
is being studied.



.Six world powers, Iran to hold next talks in October - deputy FM.

GENEVA, October 2 (Itar-Tass) - The next talks between six world
powers and Iran on its nuclear program will take place until the end of
October, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Itar-Tass on
Thursday.
Russia sent him to the Geneva consultations, where Iranian officials
met with representatives of the United States, Britain, France, China,
Russia and Germany for the first time over the past 15 months.
"We've made progress in lifting concerns that the world community had
over Iran's nuclear program and laid the groundwork for maintaining the
negotiating process," he said.
At the same time the diplomat noted that the future consultations
"will focus on the nuc At the same time the diplomat noted that the future
consultations "will focus on the nuclear program, but will not be
restricted by the themes of this negotiating process." In particular, "we
will discuss those proposals that recently had been put forward by the
Iranian side," he said.
"There is clear understanding of cooperation between Iran and the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as concerns the creation of an
uranium enrichment facility near the town of Kum," Ryabkov said.
"As far as we know IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei starts
visit to Iran on Saturday to begin concrete discussions on this facility
between Tehran and the agency," he said.



.Moldova has no plans to join NATO - defence minister.

CHISINAU, October 2 (Itar-Tass) - Moldova has no plans to join NATO
and speculations on this theme are politicized, Moldovan Defence Minister
Vitalie Marinuta told reporters on Thursday in his comments on mass media
reports that the country's new government will seek accession to the North
Atlantic Alliance.
"The issue on Moldova's accession to NATO is not on the current agenda
and speculations on this theme are politicized," he said.
Along with this he noted that cooperation with the alliance is
"fruitful and mutually advantageous for Moldova if to take into account
new requirements of national security," he said. "NATO turns into a
cooperation structure to ensure collective security."
Marinuta expressed confidence that "at present, security of any
country can be ensured only through cooperation as : current threats do
not make it possible to secure unilateral protection."
The minister reiterated that cooperation between Moldova and NATO is
based on provisions of the Individual Partnership Action Plan adopted by
the former government. This plan envisages reformation of the country's
defence and security system through improvement of personnel trainings and
participation in peacekeeping missions.
Marinuta pledged that Moldova's servicemen would take part in
international peace missions under the aegis of the UN, the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other organizations in
compliance with the effective legislation.