The Russian Information Agency Novosti begins Hotline coverage for Wednesday, May 19, 2004.
MOSCOW
* The Federal Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications arranges a news conference to introduce an exposition project, Russia-Norway: Through Centuries, Across Borders, timed to a centenary of establishing diplomatic relations.
* RIA Novosti hosts the following:
- a roundtable, "Problems of Extremism and Stability in the Arab and Muslim World". Prominent on the gathering will be Evgeni Satanovsky, President of the Moscow-based Institute of Israeli and Mideastern Studies; Alexei Malashenko, Carnegie Endowment expert; Vladimir Isayev, Vice-Director, Institute of Oriental Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences; and Sayed al-Barami, head of the League of Arab States Moscow office;
- a news conference by Konstantin Kosachev, international affairs committee head of the State Duma, parliament's lower house, on, "European Union Enlargement vs. Russian Interests".
* The research team, Russia and the Kyoto Protocol, and the Expert Community national institute for regional studies and political technologies are jointly organising a roundtable on Russian prospects to ratify the Kyoto protocol.
* The ISMA, international securities market association, and Russia's National Stock Association are arranging a news conference on the Russian stock market's global integration prospects. The ISMA top and leading Russian-based banks-ISMA and NSA members-will be amply represented.
* His Beatitude Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, will consecrate a Patriarchal Church of the Holy Trinity on the Borisovo Ponds. Its foundation stone was laid during the millennial of Russian Christianity.
ULYANOVSK
* The Ulyanovsk regional pardoning commission will debate an application to release Yuri Budanov. The murderer of young Chechen girl Elsa Kungayeva is serving a ten year prison term in the region.
VLADIVOSTOK
* The Asian and Pacific university presidents are opening their 9th conference, to last two days. Arranged by Russia's Far Eastern State University, it has gathered university and research institute presidents of Russia, Japan, China, the two Koreas, the USA, Malaysia, Canada and certain other countries in the region.
BRAUNSCHWEIG
* Germany's federal office for air emergency investigation is presenting a report on the tragedy of July 2, 2002. A TU 154 passenger liner and a Boeing cargo plane collided over the Lake of Constance that fatal night to take a toll of 72 lives-mostly Russian children.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
* The US Senate/Russia's Federation Council ad hoc team opens one of its regular sessions. The conferees will debate Iraqi developments, Mideastern settlement, Russian-US relations, and other topical issues. Co-chairing the team are Senator Trent Lott (Republican) for the USA, and Mikhail Marghelov, Federation Council international affairs committee head, for Russia.
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