.Russian Foreign Min to discuss South Caucasus events in Armenia.

YEREVAN, January 13 (Itar-Tass) - Pressing issues of bilateral
cooperation and the situation in South Caucasus are destined to become the
highlights of a visit to Armenia that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov begins later Wednesday.
The sides should also exchange opinions on peace settlement in and
around the Armenian-populated Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorny Karabakh in
the light of mediating efforts taken by Russia, officials at the Armenian
Foreign Ministry told Itar-Tass.
In the course of the visit, Lavrov will have talks with President
Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandian.
Russian-Armenian bilateral relations are developing in a dynamic
manner, Andrei Nesterenko, the Russian Foreign Ministry's official
spokesman said Wednesday.
"The two sides maintain a top-level political dialogue and this
confirms the mutual intentions to continue deepening the Russian-Armenian
partnership relations," he said.
Nesterenko recalled that the Russian and Armenian Presidents met on a
number of occasions last year.
At this stage, bilateral relations rely on a solid foundation of
agreements and treaties, he said.
In spite of the global crises, Russian-Armenian cooperation in trade,
defense, politics, and the humanitarian sphere demonstrates favorable
tendencies by and large, Nesterenko said.
Russia confidently occupies the position of Armenia's leading foreign
trade partner and the two countries' trade and economic cooperation helps
maintain the general social and economic stability in Armenia, he said.
Nesterenko especially pointed out a long-term state loan of $ 500
million that Russia issued to Armenia last June.
The two sides are persistently working on joint projects in the energy
sector and in transport, he said.
"Moscow feels quite positive about the fruitful cooperation with the
Armenian government in the framework of integration formats within the CIS
and in the international arena and it hopes to see continuation of these
efforts," Nesterenko said.

.Ukrainian MPs, govt to discuss readiness for Jan 17 election.

KIEV, January 13 (Itar-Tass) - Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna
Rada, gathers for a two-day extraordinary session Wednesday at the demand
of the Regions Party led by Viktor Yanukovich and the political bloc of
Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko.
The agenda of the session includes about 80 issues, like the draft
state budget for 2010 and the government's report on measures to fight an
epidemic of flu.
Quite emblematically, the last issue on the agenda is changes in and
amendments to the law on presidential election that is due to be held next
Sunday, January 17.
The stance that the Verkhovna Rada's leadership has taken on the
Timoshenko bloc's request to abolish the right to cast ballots at home for
the voters who are physically unable to come to the polls is more
conspicuous than whatever commentaries.
President Viktor Yushchenko has also asked the MPs to make changes in
the law on elections, as he believes that its current version "contains
problems pertaining to the compilation of voters' registers, the setting
up of electoral commissions and voting at home."
The apprehensions voiced by both Timoshenko and Yushchenko are rooted
in the lack of transparency at previous elections.
It was the unclear procedure of voting at home that caused observers'
complaints then. They also complained about the way that absent voters'
ballot applications were issued, but this type of documents is to be found
nowhere at this election.
The government will get to together in a session, too, to consider the
pace of preparations for voting and the maintenance of public order and
security in the process of voting and vote counting in this highly divided
country.
Candidate Sergei Tigipko, whose chances to get to the second round of
voting have gone up considerably of late, is due to hold a major news
conference.
Former parliament speaker Arseny Yatsenyuk, who is losing the voters
support, will address reporters, too.
Viktor Yanukovich and Yulia Timoshenko remain the leaders of the
presidential race. Ukrainian laws prohibit mentioning any credibility
ratings of any of the candidates these days but the Ukrainian "pre-
election cooking style" is known to the whole world.
"It's quite understandable that the country will rid itself of the
orange taint forever," Yanukovich, the main favorite of the race said the
other day.
Political expert note his direct style of communications with the
people, saying "he didn't buy up his electorate with presents or concerts."
-0-kle