The Russian Information Agency Novosti begins Hotline coverage for Wednesday, April 28, 2004.
MOSCOW
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold talks with his Colombian counterpart Carolina Barco as part of her official visit to Russia.
* The Russian Culture and Mass Communication Ministry will host a press conference on the results of the all-Russia open contest of students and young architects.
* The board of the Russian Railways joint stock company will start a two-day extended session.
* The Federation Council will consider the cessation and confirmation of powers of its members.
Russian Education and Science Minister Andrei Fursenko will deliver a report "On the main trends of the implementation of state scientific-technical policy" to the Federation Council.
* The State Duma is to consider the draft conciliation commission's statement on the amendments to the federal law "On privatization of state and municipal property".
Deputy Finance Minister Tatiana Golikova will inform State Duma deputies on the financial backing of the regions in connection with coming holiday payments.
* A scientific-practical seminar "Russia and the EU: common security space" will be held in Moscow.
* Russian, North Korean and South Korean experts are to discuss the project of the Trans-Korean railway connected to the Trans-Siberian Railway and container transportation from the Korean Peninsula to Europe. The trilateral conference will run until April 30.
* The Russian Information Agency Novosti will host the following press conferences:
- "The discrimination of AIDS/HIV-infected people in Russiaa" (HIV/AIDS director of the Human Rights Watch Joanna Csete participating);
- "The European karate championship: the final staff of the Russian national team and demonstration of the championship's medals" (Alexei Shturmin, the founder of karate in Russia, and President of the Russian Karate Federation Vasily Krainikovsky participating).
* A two-day roundtable on the Russian-EU cooperation will start at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
* Chairman of the Federation of Russia's Independent Trade Unions (FNPR) Mikhail Shmakov, head of the Moscow Federation of Trade Unions Mikhail Nagaitsev, and chairman of the State Duma committee for labor and social policy Andrei Isayev will give a joint press conference.
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK
* Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, the special envoy of the UK for international trade and investments, will visit Sakhalin.
MINSK
* Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov will participate in a joint session of the Belarussian and Russian Defense Ministries.
DUSHANBE
* Dushanbe will host a regular conference of the Integration Committee of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC).
POTI (GEORGIA)
* Planned exercises of the Georgian border troops by NATO standards will start in Poti involving coastguard ships.
WARSAW
* The European economic summit "Europe: expansion and further prospects" will open in Warsaw. About 700 representatives of political and economic elite from 45 countries, including presidents, prime ministers and ministers of 31 countries, will participate in the summit. It will run until April 30.
BERLIN
* The OSCE international conference on anti-Semitism will open at the German Foreign Ministry's premises. The Russian delegation include Deputy Culture and Mass Communication Minister Leonid Nadirov and chairperson of the Russian President's human rights commission Ella Pamfilova. The US delegation is headed by Secretary of State Colin Powell.
OSLO
A friendly match between the Russian and Norwegian national football teams will take place.
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