Medvedev to depart for Copenhagen to attend climate change summit.

MOSCOW, December 17 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
will depart on Thursday afternoon for Copenhagen to take part in a meeting
of the heads of state and government within the framework of the United
Nations Climate Change Conference.

On Thursday evening the RF head of state is expected to take part in a
reception given on behalf of the Queen of Denmark, as well as will
possibly hold working meetings with the foreign colleagues.
The main working meeting of the leaders will be held on Friday. The RF
president is expected to take the floor at it presenting the Russian view
on the climate change problem.
Besides, Medvedev is expected to continue a series of bilateral
contacts with the foreign heads of state. In the view of experts, one of
the most expected meetings may become a conversation of the RF president
with US President Barack Obama, however, neither the Kremlin nor the White
House have officially reported that such a conversation is planned.
The RF president stated Russia's position on the global climate change
in his blog this week calling cooperation of all countries in the
settlement of this problem "vitally important." "The largest world
economies, which means the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, such as
the United States, China, India, Russia, Brazil and others, should
simultaneously assume the necessary obligations and rigorously fulfil
them," he is certain. "Our disparate efforts will be fruitless and
senseless," the Russian leader stressed.
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.Putin to chair meeting of VEB Supervisory Board.

MOSCOW, December 17 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin on Thursday will chair a meeting of the Supervisory Board of
Vnesheconombank (VEB), the RF government's press service reported.
The meeting participants will hear a report of the VEB on the
provision of subordinated loans. Based on the federal law of October 13,
2008 "On additional measures for support of the financial system of the
Russian Federation" Vnesheconombank received 83 applications of Russian
credit organisations on getting subordinated loans to a total worth of
525.06 billion roubles. In accordance with decisions approved by the
Supervisory Board, VEB provided subordinated loans to 16 banks to a total
worth of 388.04 billion roubles.
The VEB Supervisory Board meeting will also consider the issue of the
development strategy of Svyaz-Bank as part of the concept of the creation
on its base with the participation of the FGUP (Federal State Unitary
Enterprise) Russian Post of a federal post bank oriented towards ensuring
the maximal accessibility of banking services to the country's population.
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.Climate problems should stimulate economy competitiveness-Medvedev.

MOSCOW, December 17 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
who will fly to Copenhagen on Thursday to attend a summit within the
United Nations Climate Change Conference believes it is necessary to use a
differentiated approach to the formation of obligations (on greenhouse gas
emissions) of developed and developing states: we are all in a different
situation. He said in his video blog this week that they should not
contradict the economic possibilities, and which is very important, the
development priorities of each country: it is clear that young industrial
economies will have a larger need for energy resources than
post-industrial powers that have already developed their economy.
Besides, ahead of the trip to Copenhagen the RF president held a
series of consultations with experts. In particular, he discussed the
climate change problems with officials of the government and
administration responsible for the energy block, as well as with the head
of major oil and natural gas companies. "We are now taking the maximally
active part in the formation of a new agreement on the climate regime for
the so-called post-Kyoto period, after 2012," he said. "This should be
done with taking into account our national interests, how we see the
development of our economy for the coming years, but at the same time,
certainly, realising our joint responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions
with other major emitters," the RF head of state stressed.
"Russia believes that such cooperation is vital. The major economies
of the world, and hence the largest greenhouse gas emitters, such as the
United States, China, India, Russia, Brazil, and others, must
simultaneously make the necessary commitments and strictly observe them. I
would particularly like to emphasise that these must be simultaneous
commitments and commitments that we all abide by together. Trying to do
this on our own will be fruitless and pointless. This is a question of
existence itself, and I want to reiterate that we must all be in this
together," Medvedev stated.
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