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Post by Ivanov on Jan 17, 2008 5:58:58 GMT -5
Putin Arrives under Draconian SecurityTwo fighters and 200 snipers will guard the high guest The sky above Sofia will be "closed" in expectation of the arrival of Russia's President Vladimir Putin. The flights over the capital will be banned for more than four hours tonight. Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila will arrive on an official visit to Bulgaria at about 6 p.m. Two hours later, the plane of Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev will land. Extra tight security measures will be imposed on air traffic several hours before the start of Putin's visit. Two MiG 29 fighters will scan the sky above the Bulgarian capital in the afternoon. Seven Russian aircraft will land at the Sofia airport today; they are part of Putin's delegation. Russia's President and his wife will stay at the Sheraton hotel, where George Bush and his wife Laura were accommodated several months ago. Two hundred snipers and 3,000 policemen will ensure the security of Putin and the members on the Russian delegation. www.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2008-01-17&article=12787
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Post by Ivanov on Jan 17, 2008 6:12:36 GMT -5
Putin arrives at the invitation of president Georgi Parvanov, who will be his host for the second time after a visit in 2003. Political experts suggest that closer energy ties between Russia and Bulgaria will be the result of the discussions. During Putin's visit, Sofia will seal a deal with Atomstroyexport, controlled by Russian monopoly Gazprom, to build Bulgaria's new EUR 4 B nuclear power plant Belene, authorities said. The capital city will also host the official signing of the contract establishing the company that will design and build the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline. Bulgaria, Greece and Russia agreed earlier this year to build the pipeline, taking Caspian oil to the Mediterranean, skirting the congested Bosphorus, after more than a decade of intermittent talks At the same time, Kremlin proposed to turn Bulgaria into a gateway for a major new natural gas pipeline, called South Stream, which could branch off in several directions towards Western Europe. The costly project, which is part of Russia's efforts to expand its political and economic influence inside the European Union, is expected to top the discussions, though so far there are no specific deals to be signed. South Stream would run under the Black Sea to Bulgaria, and could split off through Hungary towards Austria, south to Greece and on to Italy, or west to Serbia. The proposal to turn Serbia into a major hub for energy supplies to Europe came as Belgrade has turned increasingly away from the West and toward Russia, which supports Serbia in the debate over the Kosovo issue. www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=89470
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Post by aaayyy on Jan 19, 2008 17:24:50 GMT -5
Your comments?
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Post by Kibitzer on Jan 19, 2008 17:54:43 GMT -5
Putin should also visit Brokeback Mountains, he may have fans there. ;D
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Post by Ivanov on Jan 20, 2008 14:05:34 GMT -5
Putin came and launched severa common projects which will result in at least 6-7 billion euro Russian ivestments in Bulgaria, in the following years. Russia seems determined to regain its positions here, and finally is willing and capable to pay for it. I am not sure EU and USA will like it.
Bulgaria, Russia Signed 8 Memoranda during Putin's Visit
Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov signed eight memoranda on Friday, the second day of Putin's visit to Sofia.
Half of the deals were in the energy sector, which dominated the negotiations agenda of Putin's visit, one of his last trips abroad before he steps down as president.
The full list of the memoranda follows.
- the contract for the designing and construction of nuclear power plant at Belene.
- the memorandum for the transportation of used nuclear fuel from the research reactor of Bulgaria's Academy of Sciences to Russia.
- the memorandum for the construction of a transit gas pipeline through Bulgaria as part of the South Stream project.
- the contract establishing the company that will design and build the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline.
- the memorandum establishing a ferry route between Varna and Kavkaz ports on the Black Sea.
- the plan for joint actions in the tourism sector in 2008-2009.
- the plan for cooperation in the culture, education and science sectors in 2008-2010.
- the protocol for a festival of Russian culture in Bulgaria in 2008.
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