The Russian Information Agency Novosti begins Hotline coverage for Friday, January 9, 2004.
RIA Novosti correspondents report:
ASTANA. Russian President Vladimir Putin starts a two-day visit to Kazakhstan. The head of the Russian state will hold talks with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev. The same day Putin and Nazarbayev will take part in the ceremony of opening the Year of Russian Federation in the Republic of Kazakhstan, to be held in Astana's Congress Hall.
SARANSK. Russian Vice Premier Vladimir Yakovlev embarks on his working trip to Mordovia (a republic in the Volga federal district). Yakovlev will visit several settlements of the republic where he will get familiarized with the course of realization of the law on local government. The vice premier will hold a conference in Saransk with Mordovia's top. He will return to Moscow later in the day.
MOSCOW. The State History Museum will host the opening of an exhibition "Pereyaslavskaya Rada. Towards the 350th anniversary of left-bank Ukraine's accession to the Russian state."
RIA Novosti holds a full copyright for all its published materials. Upon any republication of RIA Novosti materials reference to RIA Novosti is mandatory.
