January 21 morning preview

MOSCOW

* Greek Foreign Minister Theodora Bakoyianni will pay a visit. She is expected to meet with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov

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

* An expert group will convene to draft a strategy of CIS economic development (11.00 a.m., ul. Varvarka, 7)

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

- A news conference by Egypt's ambassador to Russia, Izaat Saad el-Sayed, and Palestinian ambassador to Russia, Afif Safieh on the current situation in Gaza and the Middle East (1.00 p.m.)

- A TV link between Moscow and Kiev, 'Moscow and Kiev: gas war or cold peace? (2.00 p.m.)

- A news conference in the run-up to the 2008-09 Speed Skating World Cup/World Cup 6 to be held on January 24-25 in Koloman, Moscow Region (3.00 p.m., tel. 8 (499) 150-99-66, fax 8 (499) 150-99-65, mb-dsmo@mail.ru)

* A briefing by Sberbank's deputy chairman and supervisor of the retail sector, Dmitry Davydov, on reform in the bank's retail sector (4.00 p.m., ul. Vavylova, 19, tel. 7(495) 957-57-21 и 7(495) 957-51-87)

* 11th All-Russian science and education forum, Cardiology 2009 (until January 23, 9.00 a.m., World Trade Center Russia, Krasnopresnenskaya Naberezhnaya, tel. 7 (495) 938-92-11, 661-35-13)

* Moscow's arbitration court will consider the bankruptcy case of the company that manages the assets of Russia's AiRUnion air carrier

* A news conference by the Moscow police chief, Vladimir Pronin, to sum up the results of police work in the capital in 2008 (11.00 a.m., ul. Petrovka, 19, build. 4, tel. 625-66-90, 625-64-59)

LIPETSK, Central Russia

* Russia's emergencies minister Sergei Shoigu will pay a working visit

IRKUTSK, East Siberia

* Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev will pay a working visit (until January 23)

SOCHI, southern Russia

* A news conference on the Freeride World Tour, which officially began with the Nissan Russian Adventure competition in the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort (3.30 p.m., Krasnaya Polyana, ul. Zashchitnikov Kavkaza, 77/2, tel. 7 (916) 977-73-60, e-mail ashepilova@360sca.ru).

SARANSK, Volga Republic of Mordovia

* The Supreme Court of the Republic of Mordovia will hear a cassation appeal by former Yukos executive, Svetlana Bakhmina, against the decision to reject her parole request

ABAKAN, southern Siberian Republic of Khakassia

* Inauguration ceremony of the new head of the republic, Viktor Zimin

BAKU, Azerbaijan

* Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European commissioner for external relations and European neighborhood policy, will pay a visit

VILNIUS, Lithuania

* The Lithuanian government will convene

BRUSSELS, Belgium

* EU foreign ministers will meet to discuss peace settlement in the Middle East

LONDON, U.K.

* A PACE commission on energy issues and development will convene (until January 24).

WASHINGTON, U.S.

* Hearings on the appointment of Tim Geithner to the post of U.S. Treasury Secretary

YOSHINOBU LAUNCH COMPLEX, Japan

* A H-IIAF15 carrier rocket will be launched the Ibuki climate change observation satellite

ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands

* 38th international film festival (until February 1)

LOS ANGELES

* Nominees of the 29th Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Award for the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing and film, will be announced

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