Morning re-cap of main news, December 9
* Russia's lower house of parliament approved a bill in the final reading, lifting the "ring fence" around shares in energy giant Gazprom and enabling foreigners to buy stock
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 07:19 GMT
No Crisis Seen in Russia From China's Toxic Spill
Chemicals released into a river in a Chinese plant explosion are likely to dissipate to near permissible levels by the time they reach Russia, officials said Friday. The spill, caused by a Nov. 13 chemical plant explosion, dumped 100 tons of benzene China's Songhua River, disrupting water supplies to millions of Chinese and straining relations with Moscow.
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 08:16 GMT
Lavrov sees good prospects for Russian-Chinese interaction
KUALA LUMPUR, December 10 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian foreign minister sees broad prospects for Russian-Chinese interaction in integration processes in the Asia Pacific region.
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 08:19 GMT
Schroeder Named Chairman of Russian Gazprom's Baltic Pipeline Subsidiary
Russia's natural gas giant Gazprom on Friday named Gerhard Schroeder, the former chancellor of Germany, chairman of a pipeline-building subsidiary that has begun building the first direct energy link between Russia and Western Europe.
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 08:38 GMT
Russia, ASEAN Sign Economic Agreement Ahead of Summit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Malaysia on Saturday, on a four-day official visit to take part in the Russia-ASEAN summit.
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 08:42 GMT
RF Constitution reflects basic UDHR provisions - Gryzlov
MOSCOW, December 10 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Constitution reflects all the basic provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the State Duma (lower house of parliament), said Saturday.
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 08:48 GMT
Russia-ASEAN political interaction expands -- Lavrov
KUALA LUMPUR, December 10 (RIA Novosti) – Political interaction between Russia and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is expanding, the Russian foreign minister said Saturday at the end of a meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers. "Our approaches on the substance of international and regional problems are similar or identical," Lavrov said. He added that political dialogue was complemented by interaction in a number of other spheres, including the fight against international terrorism, disaster relief, science and technology.
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 09:11 GMT
Foreign ministers look forward to ASEAN-Russia Summit -- Lavrov
KUALA LUMPUR December 10 (RIA Novosti) – The foreign ministers of Russia and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are pleased with the preparations for the Russia-ASEAN Summit, scheduled for December 13, the Russian foreign minister said Saturday.
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 09:25 GMT
Delegation of Russian Air Force generals to visit USA
MOSCOW, December 10 (RIA Novosti) – A delegation of Russian Air Force generals will visit the United States, the head of the Russian Air Force Press Service said Saturday.
// Dec. 10, 2005 - 09:43 GMT