The Russian Information Agency Novosti begins Hotline coverage for Thursday, October 21, 2004.
MOSCOW
* The federal government is gathering for session.
* The Federation Council, parliament's upper house, hosts one of the regular sessions of a parliamentary commission to investigate the background of the Beslan terror act, September 1-3, and the act proper.
* The State Duma, parliament's lower house, holds the following:
- a roundtable on, "The Public Chamber's and Other Public Organisations' Role on the Anti-Terror Cause";
- a roundtable on, "The Legislative Regulation Issues of Human Organ and/or Tissue Transplantation";
- a news briefing on, The Stance of the Popular Party of Russia on Upcoming Reforms of the Russian Political System";
- the maiden session of a Duma expert council for the aerospace complex.
* The Russo-Belarussian union Parliamentary Assembly commission for information policies and contacts with public organisations opens session, to last into October 22.
* The Diplomatic Academy under Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chilean Embassy to Russia hold a conference together on the 60th establishment anniversary of Russo-Chilean diplomatic relations, and to commemorate Pablo Neruda, major Chilean poet.
* The Russian Rail joint-stock company has the following events:
- Gennadi Fadeyev, company president, holds routine conference with Hubert Gorbach, Austria's federal Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technologies;
- Gennadi Fadeyev, company president, meets in conference with Armen Smbatyan, Armenian Ambassador to Russia, on recommission prospects for direct Russian-Armenian railway transport, and on the present state of the Kavkas-Poti ferry.
* A conference opens on, "Corporate Responsibilities: Confidence Technologies". The conferees will discuss key developmental aspects of Russia's corporate social responsibility concept, and its practical implementation.
* The Russian Realtors' Guild holds a roundtable, "Affordable Housing in the Contemporary Property Market", as part of the Domexpo show.
* The Moskovsky Komsomolets press centre convenes a news conference by Belarussian opposition spokesmen to evaluate current developments in Belarus and sum up its recent referendum.
* A roundtable to evaluate Russia's readiness for information society gathers on the 4th international forum-cum-exposition, Russian Information and Communications: 21st Century, or Infocom 2004.
* The Cinetaur corporate group holds a news conference on preparations for a 4th international children's film festival, Little Cinetaur, to be held in Sochi, November 1-8.
ALMA ATA, KAZAKHSTAN
* Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, holds conference with his counterparts of India, China and Kazakhstan. The ministers have gathered in Alma Ata for Friday's conference on partnership and confidence building in Asia.
DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN
* Rashid Nurgaliev, Russia's Interior Minister, arrives in Tajikistan's capital for a joint session of the Russian and Tajik law enforcement agencies' boards.
TBILISI, GEORGIA
* East European, Caucasian and Central Asian countries' environment protection ministers open a two-day conference.
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
* The Azeri-Russian interparliamentary cooperation commission holds one of its regular sessions.
SUKHUMI, ABKHAZIA
* The Supreme Court of Abkhazia, unrecognised republic in Georgia, continues hearings on Raul Khajimba vs. the Central Election Commission. The recent presidential candidate is suing the commission for alleged trespasses in the pre-election campaign and the presidential poll.
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