June 12 preview

* Russia marks the Day of Russia

MOSCOW

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will attend the award ceremony of Russia's State Award (noon)

* A reception in the Kremlin to mark the Day of Russia

* Annual shareholders meeting of the X5 Retail Group N.V.

* Seventh Moscow Festival of Press will be held (10.00 a.m., Poklonnaya Gora memorial)

ST. PETERSBURG

* Eighth international festival, Tango of the White Nights (until June 14)

KAUNAS, Lithuania

* A conference to discuss regional cooperation in the Baltic region

LECCE, Italy

* A conference of G8 finance ministers will be held (until June 13)

NAPLES, Italy

* Leaders of Austria, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal will meet (until June 13)

NEW YORK

* The UN Security Council will hold close consultations to renew and extend the mandate of the UN mission in Georgia and Abkhazia

TARASCON, France

* A court is expected to rule on a custody dispute between Russian woman Irina Belenkaya and French national Jean-Michel Andre

WASHINGTON

* Zimbabwe's prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, will pay a visit

IRAN

* Presidential elections will be held

AFGHANISTAN

* Afghanistan's Central Election Commission will publish the final list of presidential candidates

HARBIN, China

* "Days of cooperation" between China's Heilongjiang province, Taiwan and Russia's Far East (until June 15)