PM Putin attended Christmas service in Kostroma.

KOSTROMA, Central Russia, January 7 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin attended a Christmas night service at the Church
of Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina of Rome together with its
parishioners in the village of Selishche in the outskirts of Kostroma, a
historic city in central Russia.

The village that was first mentioned in the 16th century is located on
the right bank of the Volga River. Two wooden churches used to stand there
early in the 17th century. In the 18th century the local landlords
allocated funds for the construction of a stone church that replaced the
two wooden ones. The stone church has survived until today.
The church has a Sunday school for children. In summer, it organizes
an Orthodox children's camp.
After the service Putin talked to the parishioners. He presented an
Icon of the Prophet Elijah to the senior priest of the Church of Holy
Martyrs Alexander and Antonina of Rome. They placed the icon in the
side-altar of Prophet Elijah.

.Russia, Belarus to continue talks on oil supplies on Thursday.

MOSCOW, January 7 (Itar-Tass) - Negotiations for the delivery of oil
to Belarus will continue on Thursday, the spokeswoman for the Russian
Energy Ministry, Irina Yesipova, told Itar-Tass.
"We hope that the sides will soon reach an agreement," she said.
A Belarusian delegation arrived in Moscow on Tuesday. It comprises
Valery Kazakevich, the head of the Belarusian State Concern for Oil and
Chemistry (Belneftekhim), and the deputy minister of economy, Anatoly
Filonov. The talks continued at the Russian Energy Ministry the whole day
on Wednesday.
"The talks are being held in constructive atmosphere, they will
continue tomorrow," Yesipova said.
Alexander Timoshenko, the press secretary of the Belarusian prime
minister, told Itar-Tass that Belarus had earlier sent its written
proposals to the Russian side on a protocol amending a Belarusian-Russian
inter-governmental agreement for oil deliveries signed on January 12,
2007. The press secretary noted that if experts agree on the protocol's
final version, the first deputy prime minister of Belarus, Vladimir
Semashko, would be ready to come to Moscow to sign the document.
On Monday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered to coordinate
the terms of oil deliveries to Belarus after his talks with Belarusian
Vice-Premier Igor Sechin. He expressed the hope that negotiations on this
matter would soon be over.
The Russian prime minister said that an agreement on the Customs Union
between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus came in force on January 1, 2010.
"At the same time, the question of delivering hydrocarbons is not included
in the Customs Union agreement. Separate documents should be signed on
this type of commodity. They are to take effect on July 1, 2010," the
Russian prime minister said.
For his part, Belarusian Vice-Premier Igor Sechin said that since
Russia has exclusive relations with Belarus, the Russian side suggested
preserving deliveries on preferential terms in volumes necessary for
Belarus' internal consumption (up to six million tons) before these
agreements are signed.
"Russia has submitted its proposals but no documents have been signed
as of yet. The Energy Ministries of Russia and Belarus continue the
talks," the Belarusian deputy prime minister said. Sechin noted that the
negotiating process shouldn't affect the transit of Russian oil to western
consumers via the territory of Belarus. Therefore, the delivery of
hydrocarbons to European consumers goes on unhindered.
On January 3, Russia began delivering oil to the Belarusian,
Novopolotsk and Mozyrskiy oil refineries.
Belneftekhim confirms that Belarusian oil refineries and oil
transportation plants are operating normally and that Russian oil is being
pumped as planned.

.Christmas service held in Church of Assumption in China.

BEIJING, January 7 (Itar-Tass) - A Christmas night service devoted to
the Nativity of Jesus Christ, was held in the Church of the Assumption of
Our Lady located in the territory of the Russian Embassy in Beijing.
The church was built in the territory of the Russian Orthodox Mission
in China in the early 20th century. Later, the church was destroyed. It
was rebuilt and consecrated in October 2009. Russian Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin was present at the opening ceremony. He presented two icons
to the church.
Father Meletiy and priest Alexey Dyuka led the Christmas liturgy
which, alongside with Russians, was attended by Ukrainians, Serbs,
Bulgarians, Greeks, Romanians and Orthodox Christians from the United
States and France who reside in Beijing.

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