Russian envoy plays down fears of Israeli strike at Iran.

TEL AVIV, December 4 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Security Council Secretary
Nikolai Patrushev played down fears of an imminent Israeli strike at
Iranian nuclear objects and said Russia will work to prevent a new hotbed
of tensions in Iran.

"I do not have an impression they've made a decision, which they plan
to implement and want us to be ready for it," Patrushev told Russian
reporters on Thursday after talks with Israeli leaders.
Patrushev admitted Russia and Israel have contradictions on the
Iranian nuclear problem, but the talks were constructive and the parties
agreed "to continue dialogue in a permanent regime".
"At least, we have to advocate the Russian position that we are
interested in preserving a stable situation in Iran and prevent the
emergence of a new hotbed of tension, as it is happening in other
neighboring regions," he said evidently referring to the war in Iraq.
Patrushev said Israeli concerns over Iranian nuclear ambitions were
"comprehensible despite certain disagreements" and reiterated that Iran
has a lawful right to develop nuclear power engineering, but shall create
no nuclear weapons.
"We do not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon either, but we cannot
say that Iran has no right to develop peaceful atomic energy. These are
different things," Patrushev said, adding Israel has so far provided no
evidence backing its concerns and only promised to do it in future.
Patrushev made a two-day trip to Palestine and Israel to meet
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, National Security Council Chairman Uzi Arad, Defense Minister
Ehud Barak, IDF Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, and Mossad
intelligence chief Meir Dagan.
Patrushev said Israel fully backs Russia in its fight against
falsification of World War Two history and heroization of Nazis.
"We discussed the issue and met complete understanding. Israel is
fully interested that World War Two results are not revised and is ready
to cooperate with us," he said.

.India wants Russia to stop terrorism from Pakistan.

NEW DELHI, December 4 (Itar-Tass) -- India's Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh would ask Russia to help stop terrorism coming from neighboring
Pakistan during his upcoming visit to Moscow next week.
"Russia can influence the government of Pakistan. We hope the Russian
influence will be used to convince Pakistan that the strategy of applying
terrorism as a state policy instrument is counterproductive and
contradicts the course towards good neighborly relations," he told Russian
reporters on the eve of the visit scheduled for December 6-8.
Singh described the current situation on the continent as "rampage of
terrorism supported by our neighbors".
"On our side, if they stop using Pakistani territory by terrorists, we
see great possibilities for interaction between our countries in the
spirit of cooperation, including for the expansion of trade, mutual
investments and technologies," the prime minister said.
Singh said Russia and India should coordinate activities of their
security services and information systems to jointly implement an
efficient anti-terrorist strategy.
"We can help each other because Russia and India are both victims of
terrorism," Singh said.
"Russia has always been a great friend of our country. It always sided
with India during very serious trials," he said.
"The aim of our country is to create such an external environment that
would favor implementation of the aspirations of the Indian people in the
sphere of development for responding to key modern challenges, which are
the global economic and financial crisis, energy security, climate change,
terrorism, and reform of global governing institutions. We understand that
our enhanced relations with the rest of the world cannot be achieved at
the expense of time-tested relations with Russia. Russia is an important
factor of peace, stability and security in the world," Singh said.
Military-technical cooperation with Russia "is a cornerstone of
bilateral relations and a major factor of Indian development," according
to the prime minister, who said Russia provided hardware and equipment
that other states refused to sell.
"We would like to strengthen it and progress in joint design,
research, development and production," Singh said.
In late November Russia floated the first of the three missile
frigates built for the Indian navy. The Teg warship is 60 percent ready
and the main equipment and armaments are already onboard, said Sergei
Mikhailov, spokesman of the Yantar (Amber) shipyards in Kaliningrad
enclave on the Baltic Sea.
The frigate was named Teg by Indian President Pratibha Patil. The
second and the third warships are called Tarkash and Trikand. Teg will be
handed over to India in 2011. The cost of the three frigates is estimated
at 1.5 billion dollars.

.Moscow strongmen to move 130-ton aircraft.

MOSCOW, December 4 (Itar-Tass) -- Four Moscow strongmen will try to
move a 130-ton Il-86 aircraft for the first time on Friday.
The athletes from the Strength Academy will pull the aircraft by ropes
and with the help of a ladder on the ground, organizers told Tass.
The record, if any, will be fixed by a jury headed by Moscow Mayor
Yuri Luzhkov.
The athletes devote the event to the 68th anniversary of the rout of
the Nazis near Moscow.
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