The Russian Information Agency Novosti begins Hotline coverage for Friday, July 2, 2004.
MOSCOW
* Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili will arrive in Moscow.
* Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich will pay a routine visit to Moscow.
* Russian and Ukrainian Prime Ministers Mikhail Fradkov and Viktor Yanukovich will preside over the 10th session of the Russo-Ukrainian intergovernmental cooperation commission in the President Hotel.
* The Russian Culture and Mass Communications Ministry will host a press conference on the return of six 17th century's icons stolen in 1989 and smuggled abroad.
* A State Duma session will be held. The deputies will consider:
- the government bill on replacing privileges with monetary compensations in the first reading;
- amendments to the Criminal Code in the third reading;
- bills "On archives in the Russian Federation", "On consumer's basket in the Russian Federation in 2004" and amendments to the Tax Code in the second reading;
- the bill "On Russia's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia."
* South Ossetian Minister at large Boris Chochiyev, cochairman of the mixed control commission for Georgian-Ossetian settlement, will give a press conference entitled "The Georgian-Ossetian conflict on the brink of danger".
* Netherlands' ambassador to Russia Tiddo Hofstee and deputy head of the European Commission's delegation to Russia Vincent Piket will hold a press conference to present the program of the Netherlands, which is to preside over the EU in the second half of 2004.
* The Russian Audit Chamber will host a press conference on the results of the analysis of state-owned property privatization in 1993-2003.
* Moscow will host a press conference following President Vladimir Putin's meeting with businessmen.
* BP CEO Lord John Brown will give a press conference at the Russian Foreign Ministry's press center.
* The Russian Information Agency Novosti will host a press conference on VISA-beebonus joint project of the Rosbank, Vympelkom joint stock company and VISA. This product combines advanced banking and mobile technologies.
* The Moscow Trolleybus Plant will celebrate its 60th anniversary.
VLADIVOSTOK
* Russian-British exercises on communications, maneuvering and rescue at sea will be held in the Bay of Peter the Great (the Pacific coast) as part of British battleships' business visit to Vladivostok.
YEREVAN
* Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev will participate in a one-day session of the united board of the Russian Interior Ministry and the Armenian police.
JAKARTA
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will head the Russian delegation at the 11th ASEAN Regional Forum. After that, Russia and ASEAN will sign a joint counter-terrorist declaration.
COLMAR, FRANCE
* The traditional international music festival (July 2-14) sponsored by famous Russian conductor Vladimir Spivakov will open in Colmar.
RIA Novosti holds a full copyright for all its published materials. Upon any republication of RIA Novosti materials reference to RIA Novosti is mandatory.
