Russia, Austria FMs to meet in Moscow.

MOSCOW, October 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov and visiting Austrian counterpart Michael Spindelegger will discuss
the whole scope of bilateral relations, including international issues
here on Monday, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The Moscow negotiations will continue the exchange of views on a
broad range of issues of bilateral relations and topical international
problems. The foreign ministers began these talks at their previous
meeting in Vienna last June. The ministers will focus attention on the
preparations of a Moscow visit of Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann," the
Russian diplomatic source said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that "Austria was elected as an
non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2009-2010 and will
preside in the Council in November." In this connection, Lavrov and
Spindelegger will focus on such topical issues as "the drafting of a
European Security Treaty, the condition and prospects of Russia-EU
relations, the prospects for restoring the viability of the CFE regime,
the Middle East settlement process, the situation around the Iranian
nuclear program and the situation in the Balkans."
The Russian ministry noted that the relations between Russia and
Austria are stable and predictable. The absence of any serious political
problems "permits to focus efforts on the development of mutually
beneficial cooperation in many practical spheres.
"The sides are invariably seeking for a constructive and trust-based
cooperation."
"Since the Austrian side is interested to involve in the South Stream
gas project the countries are drafting a bilateral intergovernmental
agreement on cooperation in this issue. The countries are also drafting
agreements on cooperation in crime struggle, mutual assistance in natural
and man-made disasters and scientific-technical cooperation," the
diplomatic source said.
According to the statistical data cited by the Russian Foreign
Ministry, Austria is ranked the 12th among the countries investing in the
Russia economy. Austria's accumulated investments amounted to 3.9 billion
dollars at the end of 2008.
The ministry noted a steady growing tendency in the trade between
Russia and Austria. The bilateral trade reached 5.4 billion dollars in
2008. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated with regret that "the
figure has reduced by 38.6% in the first half of this year against the
similar period of the previous year." "The joint intergovernmental
commission on economic cooperation will devote its next session to the
search for the ways to stabilize the bilateral trade. The sides will agree
on the date of the next session of the commission later. The
Russian-Austrian business council, which was established last March to
bring together businesspeople of the countries, acts as a coordinating
mechanism in this sphere," the source added.
As for the humanitarian aspect of bilateral relations, the Russian
diplomatic source recalled that the Russian-Austrian program of cultural
exchanges for 2009-2012 was endorsed last June. The document outlines the
main trends of cooperation in higher and secondary education, arts, in the
sphere of libraries and museums, youth and sport contacts.
The bilateral cooperation in the problem of cultural valuables
displaced during the Second World War is an important trend in the
relations between the countries. "The cooperation in these issues was
established in a constructive way, in full compliance with the Russian
legislation. Specifically, last June the Russian government decided to
return some Austrian archives (51 funds), which were stored at the Russian
State Military Archive," the Russian diplomatic source said.

.Russian companies to participate in ITU Telecom World-2009.

GENEVA, October 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian companies will participate in
the international exhibition ITU Telecom World-2009, which will open here
on Monday. Russia will have its pavilion for the first time at this
prestigious forum, which will be held at the Geneva Palexpo exhibition
center until Friday, October 9.
Twenty Russian companies, including Svyazinvest, Rostelecom, Russian
Satellite Communications Company, were preparing the Russian pavilion. The
Russian exhibitors represent the diversity of the industry of information
communications technologies (ICT), from equipment vendors and federal
research institutes to telecoms operators and space and radio
communications providers.
Minister of Telecommunications and Mass Communications Igor
Shchegolev, who heads the Russian delegation, said at the last Friday's
meeting of the Russian government presidium that the telecom forum is
"some kind of an Olympiade of telecommunications technologies that is held
once in four years."
In Geneva Russian exhibitors intends not only to acquire experience,
but also present their technologies - "to tell what we are doing in Sochi
for 2014, how we will develop the infrastructure network, what we will do
in Vladivostok (by an APEC summit) and by the Kazan Universiade (2012)."
Meanwhile, Russian participants are planning to have contacts with telecom
equipment producers and suppliers, which are interested in the sales in
Russia and launching productions in Russia.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which organized
forum, expects that about 40 countries will present their expositions and
the delegations from 150 countries will attend the exhibition.

.Sakhalin railway traffic disrupted over heavy rains resumed.

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, October 5 (Itar-Tass) -- The traffic on the
Sakhalin railway was resumed after heavy rains had passed away. The train
traffic has been paralyzed for more than a day, as the railway embankment
was washed away near the railway station Onor in the Smirnykh district.
The rail embankment was washed away five meters deep and 15 meters wide.
Four wagons of the construction train have derailed.
According to a duty officer of the railway, the railway embankment has
been restored by Sunday evening, and the trains queuing at the railway
stations in Poronaisk and Tymovskoye set on going again to the north and
south of the island. On Monday these trains are to arrive at their
destination railway stations in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Nogliki.
Meanwhile, the city of Sakhtersk with the population of 10,000 people
remains without the water supply. The cyclone washed a big amount of clay
and ground into the city water reservoir making the water suitable only
for technical needs. Three special water tankers bring the drinking water
to city residents under the time schedule.
The electricity supply was disrupted in 15 apartment blocks in
Shakhtersk. The electric power supply has been restored in 12 apartment
blocks by Monday, the press service of the main emergencies department in
the Sakhalin region reported. The operational headquarters was set up in
the emergencies department to control the cleanup of consequences of the
cyclone.
-0-baz