Russia abstains on Goldstone report resolution.

UNITED NATIONS, November 6 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia abstained on Thursday
in voting on Arab-backed resolution endorsing the Goldstone report on the
Israel-Hamas fighting in the Gaza Strip because it believes the UN Human
Rights Council has to deal with the report rather than the Security
Council.

The resolution was adopted with a 114-18 vote by the United Nations
General Assembly. The United States and Israel voted against, while most
European Union countries abstained.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said
"unfortunately, the aspects connected with the Security Council were
preserved in the resolution of the General Assembly despite arguments of
many delegations, which does not promote a calm and professional analysis
of recommendations contained in the Goldstone report, which has to take
place mostly in the Human Rights Council, including the necessity of
corresponding investigations by Israel and Palestinians."
The report of a four-member commission headed by South African Judge
Richard Goldstone accused both sides of committing war crimes and crimes
against humanity.
"When the Goldstone report appeared we saw several conclusions in it,
which we can share. Simultaneously, the document contains assessments,
with which we cannot agree and which demand additional work," Churkin said.
Russia backed the resolution of the Human Rights Council regarding the
Goldstone report in Geneva, but Churkin said Moscow disagreed with calls
to continue the discussion in the Security Council.
In addition to demanding action by the UN Security Council, the
resolution urged both Israel and the Palestinian side to undertake
separately within three months investigations that are "independent,
credible and in conformity with international standards into the serious
violations of international humanitarian and international human rights
law."

.Russia says Afghanistan remains major drugs producer.

UNITED NATIONS, November 6 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia said on Thursday the
international community failed to offer a real alternative to the
drugs-based economy of Afghanistan and the growing flow of illegal drugs
from the country jeopardizes international security.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin told the UN
General Assembly that Afghanistan remains an absolute leader in opiates
production (over 80 percent of global production).
Afghan opiates trafficking developed into transnational threat not
only for the countries along the trafficking route and final destination,
but for international security in general, he said.
"Russia is convinced the fight against the Afghan drug challenge shall
go on the basis of common and joint responsibility. Moscow believes the
principle element of the whole complex of counteracting the Afghan drug
threat is the creation around Afghanistan of anti-drug and financial
security belts," Churkin said.
The ambassador recalled that Russia and Afghanistan concluded in March
a cooperation agreement on the fight against illegal drug trafficking, and
Russia also trains Afghan drug policemen. Both countries cooperate in
financial intelligence in order to cut Afghan drug trafficking channels,
detect and arrest accounts of drug barons who control 90 percent of the
global illegal opium production.
Churkin said the potential of the International Security Assistance
Force in Afghanistan should be used in full to help the government of the
country fight illegal drugs.

.Grigorovich re-stages Vain Precaution ballet in Bolshoi Theater.

MOSCOW, November 6 (Itar-Tass) -- Famous Russian choreographer Yuri
Grigorovich re-staged Vain Precaution ballet in the Bolshoi Theater and
the first night is scheduled for Friday.
Grigorovich told Tass only students of the Moscow State Academy of
Choreography will be engaged in Louis Herold's La Fille Mal Gardee (Vain
Precaution) two-act ballet.
"At my graduation exam in Leningrad ballet school I myself danced pas
de duex in Vain Precaution. After graduation I forgot about that comic
ballet. However I returned to Vain Precaution and staged it in the
Bashkiria Opera and Ballet Theater, in Krasnoyarsk Ballet Theater and in
Astana Opera and Ballet Theater in Kazakhstan. Now it is the Bolshoi
Theater of Russia," he said.
Director of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography Marina Leonova
said the ballet "will be a serious test for the students and teachers, as
the performance will join the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater."
Starring in the ballet will be Anastasia Soboleva, Darya Bochkova,
Klim Yefimov, and Anton Belyakov. They will graduate from the Academy in
spring and will be employed by the theater.
"The guys are in love with the ballet," Leonova said.
Vain Precaution first appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in
1800. Famous ballerinas Mathilde Kshesssinska, Anna Pavlova, Tamara
Karsavina, Yekaterina Geltser, Marina Semenova, and Olga Lepeshinskaya
danced in it.
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