April 15 preview

MOSCOW

* The State Duma will hold a session (10.00 a.m., ul. Okhotny Ryad, 1, tel.: (495) 692-80-00)

* RIA Novosti (Zubovsky Bulvar, 4, tel.: (495) 637-50-19, 645-64-72) will host:

- A news conference to announce the winners of the Global Energy 2009 award (Noon, tel. 8 (495) 739-54-35, 8 (495) 691-92-12, 8 (926) 388-64-81 press@ge-prize.ru);

- A news conference by Finland's ambassador to Russia, Matti Anttonen, on Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's forthcoming state visit to Finland (2.00 p.m.)

* The Russian Public Chamber will host a session of a working group to protect the interests of Russian nationals abroad, to discuss the detention of a Russian national, Irina Belenkaya, and three-year-old daughter Elise Andre and the subsequent return of the child to her French father (10.00 a.m.)

* Second All-Russian forum of industrialists and entrepreneurs will open (until April 16, 3.30 p.m., Ritz-Carlton Hotel, ul. Tverskaya, 3-5)

* An online news conference of the Russian ambassador to Italy, Alexei Meshkov, on cooperation between the two countries (Noon, ul. Profsoyuznaya, 78, tel.: 363-11-11 ext.18-18,16-14)

* A scientific conference to discuss the activity of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in maintaining regional security, including the issues of terrorism and drug trafficking (09.00 a.m., President Hotel, ul. Bolshaya Yakimanka, 24, fax (495)-606-41-62, e-mail: sidor@gov.ru)

* Fourth annual conference, 'Financing small and medium-size business - 2009' (10.00, Holiday Inn Suschevsky, ul. Suschevsky Val, 74, tel. (495) 225-34-44 ext. 1652, fax (495) 225-36-43,e-mail: struchkova@raexpert.ru)

* An international congress and exhibition, 'Global Education - Education without borders-2009,' will open (until April 17, Noon, Crocus Expo exhibition center, tel.: (495) 961-11-99)

CHISINAU

* The Moldovan Central Election Commission is expected to hold a vote recount

MINSK, Belarus

* The Russian culture minister, Alexander Avdeyev, will pay a visit to attend the opening ceremony of the Year of Russian Culture in Belarus

YEREVAN

* Interior ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states will meet (until April 17)

BUDAPEST

* A Hungarian court will decide whether Irina Belenkaya, accused by French authorities of kidnapping her 3-year-old daughter Elise Andre, should remain in custody

BEIJING

* Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev will pay a visit (until April 19)

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