* Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov will meet with chairman of the Republic's Council of the Belarussian National Assembly Gennady Novitsky arriving in Moscow on an official visit (16.30).
Novistky is to hold talks with State Duma Vice Speaker Vladimir Pekhtin (11.00) and Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov (13.00).
* The Constitution Court will announce its decision on the inspection of a number of provisions of the Russian Code of Criminal Procedure in connection with complaints of 11 people, including Platon Lebedev. The latter assume that the debatable provisions violate their constitutional rights and freedoms (10.00).
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with Total President Thierry Demarest (11.00) and Canadian Deputy Foreign Minister Peter Harder (15.00).
* Russian Minister of Information Technologies and Communications, CEO of the Information Society Development Center (RIO-Center) Leonid Reiman will deliver a report entitled "Information technologies and the economy of knowledge" at the session of the presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences (10.00).
* The Ministry of Natural Resources will host a session of the board of the federal agency for the use of mineral resources to consider the results of the agency's work in 2004 and tasks for 2005. Cabinet members are expected to attend the session (10.00).
* The Russian Federation Council (26 Bolshaya Dmitrovka street; phone 292-18-77; 292-12-70) will host:
- a session of the chamber's council (12.00);
- a session on the topic "Ways to support Russian producers (on the example of the light industry)" overseen by Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov (16.00);
- a meeting with Federation Council Vice Speaker Alexander Torshin and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Columbia's Congress Zulema del Carmen Jattin Corrales (15.00).
* First Vice Speaker of the Russian State Duma Lyubov Sliska will meet with Speaker of the House of Representatives of Columbia's Congress Zulema del Carmen Jattin Corrales (12.00).
* The board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs will hold a session (11.00). Russian Vice Premier Alexander Zhukov will deliver a report on the results of Russia's socio-economic development for 2004 and tasks for 2005. Union's President Arkady Volsky will inform the board about the current activities of the Union and changes in the board's bureau.
* Cuba's ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Russia Jorge Marti Martinez will give a press conference on the Cuban reality today (11.00).
* Moscow will host a press conference entitled "Ways to improve the state migration policy. The presentation of the Web site of the Russian federal migration service" with first deputy director of the federal migration service Yuri Demin and head of the visa registration department of the federal migration service Alexander Aksenov (13.00).
* The Russian Information Agency Novosti will host the following press conferences:
- on the amendments to the Russian Forest and Water Codes with chairperson of the Moscow Duma commission for ecological policy Vera Stepanenko, chairman of the public expert council under the Moscow Duma commission for ecological policy Andrei Frolov and President of the Center of Russia's Ecological Policy, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexei Yablokov (11.00);
- on World Meteorology Day (March 23) marked under the motto "Weather, Climate, Water and Stable Development" with head of the Russian Hydro-meteorological Center, President of the World Meteorological Organization Alexander Bedritsky and director of the Russian Hydro-meteorological Center Roman Vilfand (12.30).
* The Interfax agency will host the following press conferences:
- with chairman of the State Duma committee for CIS and compatriots' affairs, dean of the world politics faculty of Moscow State UniversityAndrei Kokoshin on the topic "Two years of the Iraqi war: consequences for the world politics" (10.30);
- with leader of the Rodina (Motherland) party and State Duma faction Dmitry Rogozin on the political results and lessons of the elections in the Voronezh and Ryazan regions (15.00).
* The Trade and Project Financing in Russia conference will open in Moscow (March 22-24). The first day of the event will focus on the leasing market in Russia. The conference in organized by the Adam Smith Institute. Those participating will be heads of major international banks and Russia's leading companies (SUAL Holding, TNK-BP, Severstal-Auto, Integrated Energy Systems, RAO Unified Energy Systems of Russia, Sibneft, Russky Mir and Ilyushin) and major Russian creditors (Vneshtorgbank, Sberbank, Gazpombank, URALSIB and Vneshekonombank).
* The third international metal week will start in Moscow (9.00). It is organized by the Russian Industry and Energy Ministry, the Federal Assembly, Russian Academy of Sciences and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (March 22-24).
* The Expert RA rating agency will hold a conference entitled "The management of assets of insurance companies" involving representatives of ministries and departments, leading Russian and foreign insurance companies, investment companies and banks, managing companies and mass media (10.00).
* Moscow will host the constitutive conference of the Russian Islamic Heritage public movement. Those attending will be Umar Dzhabrailov, Khusein Dzhabrailov, Ralif Safin etc. (10.00).
* Pavel Slobodkin's Center will host the opening ceremony of the 1st Moscow international piano competition of jazzmen. Chairman of the Russian federal agency for culture and cinematography Mikhail Shvydkoi and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov are expected to attend the event (18.00).
YEKATERINBURG
* Belarussian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky will arrive in the Sverdlovsk region at an invitation from governor Eduard Rossel. Sidorsky is to attend the metal plant in Nizhny Tagil, the Ural carriage plant, the Ural turbine plant, the Ural optical-mechanical plant and the Uralagro-2005 specialized fair.
* The 6th all-Russian conference and exhibition on energy saving will open in Yekaterinburg (March 22-25).
ST. PETERSBURG
* Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov will pay a routine visit to the Leningrad Military District. He is to introduce new commander of the Leningrad Military District Colonel-General Igor Puzanov to the district's officers. Moreover, he will meet with Russian President's authorized representative in the North-Western Federal District Ilya Klebanov, St. Petersburg governor Valentina Matviyenko and governor of the Leningrad region Valery Serdyukov.
ROSTOV-ON-DON
* Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev, currently visiting the Rostov region, will attend the Interagromash-2005 agro-industrial exhibition and will participate in the meeting "On measures to raise the effectiveness of agricultural production in plant cultivation on the basis of the improvement of quality rates".
* The North-Caucasian District Court is expected to continue hearings of the so-called "Ulman case". Four task force officers are charged with the murder of four Chechen civilians. The case is being reconsidered after the cancellation of the verdict of non-guilty by the military board of the Supreme Court.
ASHKHABAD
* Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko will arrive in Turkmenistan on a two-day official visit.
BENDERY
* Bendery will host a session of the cochairmen of the Joint Control Commission for Transdniestrian settlement. Representatives of Russia, Moldova and Transdniestria will discuss the resumption of the commission's work which recently came to a deadlock.
KIEV
* The Kiev Court of Appeal will consider the case of Oleg Blokhin's holding of the posts of the Ukrainian Supreme Rada deputy and coach of the national football team. The parliamentary committee for regulations demanded that Blokhin should resign from one of his posts because any other paid activities are prohibited to people's deputies.
MADRID
* Russian Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu will attend the Samur emergency aid station in Madrid, the '112' united service center and the security control center of the Madrid subway during his visit to the Spanish capital.
BRUSSELS
* A session of the European Council, a forum of EU heads of state and government, will open in Brussels (March 22-23). It will focus on the key issues of European integration and international relations.
ALGIERS
* A summit of the League of Arab States will open in Algiers. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will attend the event.
BEIJING
* North Korean Prime Minister Pak Pong Ju will arrive in China. His visit will focus on the development of bilateral relations and prospects of the resumption of six-nation talks on the nuclear problem of the Korean peninsula.
ISLAMABAD
* Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai will arrive in Pakistan on a two-day official visit.
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