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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN RUSSIA
RIA Novosti - Moscow Diary
* The increment of output in the nuclear sector of Russia in 2002 will be at least 3.5 per cent, head of the Russian Ministry of Nuclear Energy Alexander Rumyantsev forecasts.
The production of electricity at the nuclear power plants will increase by 6 per cent to reach 144 billion kWh. A new power-generating unit will be put into operation, the modernisation of two generating units will be completed, and the construction of four new power-generating units will be continued.
Construction of storages for long-time storing of radiated nuclear fuel is planned for 2002. The setting up of coastal complexes for unloading spent nuclear fuel of nuclear submarines will be finished in the north of Russia and on its Pacific coast.
Special attention will be paid to anti-terrorist measures, to the systems of protection, control and account of nuclear materials.
* The determining, jointly with the Russian Academy of Sciences, of "eight-ten critical technologies as priorities of preservation of Russia's scientific and technical potential in the rapidly changing world" will be a major direction in the activity of the Ministry of Industry, Science and Technologies of Russia in the year 2002, Russian Vice-Premier and head of the above-said Ministry Ilya Klebanov stated.
In his opinion, the changes in the Russian system of education will also be conditional on the chosen key technologies and the clear and coherent designation of Russia's priorities in the world.
* The State Duma (parliament's lower chamber) of Russia approved the draft law On Temporary Prohibition of Man Cloning in its first reading. The draft law provides for imposition of a five-year moratorium on experiments on reproductive man cloning. It also envisages a ban on import of cloned human embryos into Russia and their export from it.
It is not intended to extend this law to cloning of other organisms. Adoption of such a law is more of a pre-emptive character, since experiments on man cloning are not carried out in Russia.
In expert opinion, a temporary ban is necessary because of the insufficiency of knowledge in this sphere. Technologies of even animal cloning have not been polished up yet. In five years, taking the development of biomedicine into consideration, it will be possible to take a well-considered decision regulating such research work or finally prohibiting it.
* The year 2002 in which scientists predict considerable changes in Earth's ecological systems has been declared a year of observing biological diversity. This action of scientists of the whole world is bound to popularise scientific information on biological diversity.
Russia, preserving the world's largest massif of natural ecological systems, plays a key role in preserving biological diversity and maintaining biospheric functions, and, in essence, renders "ecosystems services", which are unprecedented in their scale and for which no effective international financial mechanisms and no system of mutual settlements have been created so far, to the world community.
As RIA Novosti was told in the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the National Strategy and the Plan of Action to Preserve Biological Diversity of Russia were adopted in our country last year, the federal special-purpose programme Ecology and Natural Resources approved, and a draft of the Ecological Doctrine worked out. Preservation of biological diversity figures prominently among them.
* Two German-US scientific satellites are to be launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome (the north of the European part of Russia) by means of the Rokot light-class booster-rocket in the first quarter of 2002. They will be launched by the specialists of the Space Forces of Russia.
It is planned to use these satellites to obtain data for building more precise models of Earth's gravitation fields.
The Rokot rocket is a modernised military-to-civilian conversion rocket based on the RS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile. Due to the use of oxygen-kerosine fuel, the Rokot was the first among the rockets of this class to receive the certificate as the most ecologically clean for peaceful space launches.
* The first power-generating unit of the Mutnovskaya geothermal power plant with a capacity of 25 megawatt was timely put into operation in Kamchatka (the Russian Far East). The capacity of this power plant has now doubled and reached 50 megawatt. The steam-water mixture of Mutnovsky volcano is now a source of energy. This makes it possible to reduce the coal and boiler oil supplies to the peninsula by one third.
The project was launched in 1994. Scientists and design engineers succeeded in finding a universal decision - the geothermal power plant is being built on a slope of the volcano.
It is planned to put the second phase of the Mutnovskaya power plant with a capacity of 100 megawatt into service in 2004, and the third phase of the same capacity - in 2005.
* A new vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis has been developed by the specialists of the Virion scientific-industrial association of Tomsk (Siberia). Clinical tests have proved effectiveness of the preparation named EnceVir.
The vaccine is based on the eastern variant of the strain of the virus - "205" which dominates the regions with the gravest forms of tick-borne encephalitis. The vaccine stands out for a high degree of clearing and a low allergenic effect, as well as for the possibility to use it for vaccinating all year around.
From the year 2002 people over 18 will be vaccinated with EnceVir, since the tests were carried out only on adults. The specialists promise to finalise technology approximately in a year so that it could be used for vaccinating children, too.
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RUSSIA, EUROPEAN UNION: IMPORTANT STAGE OF CO-OPERATION
Prof. Vadim ZAGLADIN, Vice-President of the Euroatlantic Cooperation Association, RIA Novosti
The past year revealed convincingly that Russia and the European Union need each other, while the whole world needs their co-operation. Actually, no important problem on the European continent can be settled without close co-operation and interaction between Russia and the EU. On the other hand, both positive changes in the world and the establishment of a more just world order are impossible unless a powerful centre of gravity operates in the form of the so-called "greater Europe," which includes Russia, of course.
Do Russia and its European partners understand the immutability of these objective truths and the need to realise them? The past year showed that the Russian leadership was well aware of the importance of co-operation with the EU. President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and the government did their best to establish constructive dialogue both with the EU on the whole and with individual EU member nations. The talks held by Vladimir Putin with the leaders of Britain, Germany, Italy, France and other European countries testify to this fact.
As far as the stance of ordinary Russians and their view of the problem of relations with the EU is concerned, it should be admitted that it's not that simple. A public opinion poll conducted recently demonstrated that a third of Russians understood the importance of co-operation with the EU, another third did not deem it significant for Russia, while the rest had no certain viewpoint on the issue. The fact is that many Russians still have no idea about what the EU is, they have little information about its activity, first of all, the economic sphere. True, the Russian media have been publishing of late more and more articles about the European Union and relations with it. Opinion polls show that those, who are well informed about EU activities, have no doubt about the advantages of the closest co-operation with this organisation engaged in European integration.
Prof. Vadim Zagladin, who recently visited a seminar organised by the European parliament to discuss the problem of EU expansion, stated with satisfaction that practically every speaker noted the importance of cooperation with Russia. This is an unheard attitude. This means that the West is paying increased attention to its understanding of the Russian factor and the conclusion is quite evident: Russia is needed, and co-operation should be achieved.
However, it should be noted, unfortunately, that although a number of important documents on cooperation were signed at the meeting of Russian and EU leaders in Paris in 2000, they remained mere declarations and there was no progress, to say nothing of a breakthrough, in relations in the course of 2001. The October Russia-EU summit in Brussels did not produce a tangible impetus either.
Moscow realises that the European Union is currently confronted by many pressing issues, i.e. EU expansion encompassing Eastern and Central European countries and organisational reforms. Fifteen EU member-states should determine, at last, where they are moving to and what the ultimate goal of European integration is. But, in realising all these concerns of its partners Moscow would like, nevertheless, to see Russia-EU dialogue become more intensive, and, most important, that certain progress be made in certain areas.
From January 2002, Spain will chair the European Union for six months and taking into account the Spanish government's repeated assurances that it will strive for a breakthrough in all areas of EU activities; Moscow hopes that this also refers to Russia-EU relations. The Russian government in turn is prepared to do its best to make Russia-EU mutually beneficial co-operation stable, specific and intensive so that it can contribute to peace and stability on the continent.
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RUSSIA GAINS TRANSPORT INDEPENDENCE
By RIA-NOVOSTI's political analyst Marina SHAKINA
An oil terminal was opened in the Primorsk sea-port not far from St. Petersburg this past December; and a coal terminal was opened in Ust-Luga that same month. Both facilities were completed in no time at all; they began to build the oil terminal in 2000; and the coal-terminal project was launched in 1998. Well, this is seen as a landmark event in Russian economic life.
The Primorsk oil terminal was opened in a solemn setting by President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and Energy Minister Igor Yusufov. Therefore one can safely say that the Russian leadership regards this event as something highly important.
The Primorsk oil terminal will become the final junction of the so-called Baltic pipeline system, an ambitious transport project aimed at exporting Russian oil from Arctic, Siberian and Volga-region deposits to Europe. The Baltic pipeline system will eventually handle export-oriented oil from other CIS countries, Kazakhstan, in the first place.
The really unique Baltic pipeline system measures 455 km;
incidentally, a 700-meter oil-pipeline stretch was laid beneath the Neva river. The pipeline is located inside a special tunnel at a depth of 10 meters; that tunnel has five protective systems. The first stage of the Baltic pipeline system, which costs $460 million to complete, implies the modernization of existing oil pipelines. It's also intended to lay additional pipelines that will link oil deposits in the Timano-Pechora oil-bearing province with the Primorsk terminal.
The Baltic pipeline system, which is being jointly constructed by Russia's Transport Ministry, Energy Ministry and the joint-stock company Trans-Neft (that owns all pipelines on Russian territory), will open up yet another oil-export route. Until now, they used to pump all oil to Latvia's Ventspils sea-port and Butinga in Lithuania; railroad tankers were also used for this purpose.
The Primorsk terminal cost $162 million to complete. Ten oil reservoirs were built in the port of Primorsk; each reservoir can hold 50,000 tons of oil. Construction crews also completed water-purification facilities, a fire-fighting system and a power plant, too. Trans-Neft monies and loans accounted for the bulk of all investment.
President Putin delivered a speech in Primorsk, noting that the construction of terminals near St. Petersburg would slash oil-export costs. Russia will also reduce its dependence on Baltic sea-ports, which kept raising their prices each year. The Russian leader recalled the implementation of the entire Baltic pipeline system project, making it clear that far from all government members wanted this project to succeed. As President of Russia, Putin had to overcome sabotage on the part of some high-ranking officials.
The Primorsk oil terminal will be handling 16 million tons of crude oil, or 24 percent of all Russian export-oriented oil-tanker traffic. For its own part, the port of Ventspils will suffer tremendous losses. As is known, Russian fuel-and-energy transits account for some 25 percent of all Latvian-budget proceeds. Latvian partners have already reduced oil-transit rates in Ventspils, also charging lower prices for all oil being pumped via Latvia. All this has been made possible as a result of the new oil terminal's existence.
Russia would like to expand its Baltic ports.
Incidentally, the first-ever coal freighter has left Ust-Luga for Kotka, Finland. Ust-Luga's annual freight turnover will reach 4 million tons of coal before the year is out. Work is proceeding apace to complete a local mineral-fertilizer terminal. Moreover, they will start building a timber terminal, a container terminal and yet another oil terminal here in the second quarter of 2002. It's also intended to open a ferry route that will link Ust-Luga to Russia's Eastern European enclave, the Kaliningrad region, and German sea-ports.
The creation of additional export routes stipulates long-term Russian-European rapprochement and close-knit economic cooperation. Besides, Moscow aspires for economic openness and subsequent economic growth. By the way, the Russian economy grew by 5.5 percent over the entire 2001 period.
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INDIA-PAKISTAN: TENSION REMAINS
from Valentin KUNIN, a RIA Novosti columnist
The situation on the Indian-Pakistani border remains tense and potentially explosive. Both countries' troops sporadically exchange fire and shelling.
The troops and materiel concentration in the neighbouring areas is growing day by day, while the sides continue to exchange strongly worded statements. For instance, Indian Foreign Defence Minister George Fernandez said the other day that his country's armed forces were ready to strike at Islamic extremists based in the Pakistan-controlled zone of Kashmir. The Pakistani military command has declared its firm intention to respond in kind if Delhi launches large-scale military actions.
The aggravation of bilateral relations followed the assault by five armed terrorists on the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001. Lashkar-e-Toiba, a Pakistani Kashmir-based extremist organisation, claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack. India is accusing Islamabad of backing the terrorists and is demanding that it put an end to the "border terrorism". However, the Pakistani authorities have categorically denied any involvement in the attack on the Indian parliament.
Will Delhi and Islamabad be able to find a way out of the current deadlock and avoid a fourth war in the past 50 years? Recent developments give hope that the common sense will prevail, and the sides will avoid an armed conflict.
Obviously, statements made by radical politicians demanding that a hard line policy towards the neighbour be adopted and any compromise rejected are popular both in India and in Pakistan. Both Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf are under considerable pressure from these forces.
However, both leaders are aware of the danger that can result from a further escalation of the conflict and of the need to look for mutually acceptable solutions. The arrest in Karachi of two extremist leaders: Khafiz Muhammad Saed, the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Mazud Azkhar, the head of Jaish-e-Mahammad and around 30 other paramilitary groups activists may be seen as a promising step.
The position of the international
community towards the recent aggravation of Indo-Pakistani relations has undoubtedly led to a certain softening of Delhi and Islamabad's stances.
The statement of the G-8 foreign Ministers adopted the other day on a Russian initiative expresses deep concern over the situation in Indo-Pakistani relations. The ministers hope that the two countries will avoid an escalation in tension and resume political dialogue in line with the Lahore declaration.
The concern over the tension between Delhi and Islamabad is quite explicable, for it may entail the most dangerous consequences.
Firstly, both states possess nuclear weapons and there is no guarantee that the two sides will restrict themselves to using conventional weapons alone in an armed conflict. Obviously, the consequences in this case would be
catastrophic not only for India and Pakistan, but for the entire region and global stability and security as a whole.
Secondly, any aggravation of the Indo-Pakistani conflict will undoubtedly undermine the unity of the anti-terrorist coalition and affect its ability to fight international terrorism.
Thirdly, an Indo-Pakistani conflict cannot but affect the restoration of peace in Afghanistan.
These reasons are more than enough for the world community to do its best to keep Delhi and Islamabad from ill-considered moves, which may provoke an irreversible crisis in their relations.
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