Oktober 30, 2010

Russia-ASEAN summit adopts joint statement


Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (6th L) holds hands with (L-R) Malaysia's deputy Foreign Minister Richard Riot Jaem, Myanmar's Prime Minister Thein Sein, the Philippine's President Benigno Aquino, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Laos' Prime Minister Bouasone Buphavanh and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsawan as they pose for a group photo before the ASEAN-Russia summit at the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN Summit of the in Hanoi October 30, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS / Hoang Dinh Nam/Pool )

HANOI, October 30 (KATAKAMI / Itar-Tass) -- The leaders attending the Russia-ASEAN forum have adopted a joint statement, in which they recorded common approaches to problems of security and economic development in the Asia-Pacific Region, as well as to the deepening of dialogue partnership. President Dmitry Medvedev took part in the summit.

“Russia and ASEAN will closely cooperate in the creation of regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific Region,” the statement said. “ASEAN welcomes Russia’s contribution to the Financial Fund of Dialogue Partnership, created at the first Russia-ASEAN summit, of annual donations for financing joint projects.”
“ASEAN expresses full support for the Russian-American START Treaty. With this in view we reiterate our allegiance to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament,” the leaders stressed.

“Russia and ASEAN proceed from the assumption that present-day challenges to international security in the nuclear sphere should be removed on the basis of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The creation of a nuclear-free zone in South-East Asia will be a contribution to full global nuclear disarmament.”
The leaders reiterated their desire to jointly fight terrorism and agreed to step up contacts between law enforcement agencies.

The leaders pointed to “the growing topicality of the formation in the region of the partner network of multilateral associations and forums. Both Russia and ASEAN will take action for the development of cooperation between ASEAN and Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as their anti-terrorist structures.” So far as economic cooperation is concerned, “Russia is going to render assistance to ASEAN in the implementation of the plan of the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community for the development of business in the region.” “We shall analyse a possibility of the expansion of cooperation in industry, of the development of small and medium business and of the exchange of scientific and technological finds in the sphere of energy,” the joint statement said.

(MS)

Attack against Jewish target has double effect, says Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon


Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon

October 30, 2010 (KATAKAMI / YNET) --- Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon addressed the terror plot against Jewish facilities in the United States on Saturday and said, "International terror groups are increasingly motivated to try and disrupt life and impose their ideology on the Middle East and Western countries."

Ayalon further added, "As far as these groups are concerned attacking a Jewish site is a 'double attack' – hurting Jews as well as the sovereignty of a Western nation."

(MS)

Photostream : Russian PM Putin & Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin takes part in an expedition to Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Preserve


Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (R), Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu (C) and former Government Chief of Staff and newly-appointed Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin take part in an expedition to Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Preserve to inspect the snow leopard's habitat in Tyva Republic in the Siberian Federal District in this undated photo.

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (L, front) and former Government Chief of Staff and newly-appointed Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin (R, front) take part in an expedition to Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Preserve to inspect the snow leopard's habitat in Tyva Republic in the Siberian Federal District in this undated photo. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Ria Novosti/Pool/Alexei Druzhinin )

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rides a horse as he takes part in an expedition to Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Preserve to inspect the snow leopard's habitat in Tyva Republic in the Siberian Federal District in this undated photo. (Getty Images / REUTERS / Ria Novosti / Pool/Alexei Druzhinin )

Photostream : ASEAN Summit in Hanoi


Myanmar's Prime Minister Thein Sein (L) walks on as other ASEAN and East Asian leaders wait for their group photo session during the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi October 30, 2010. (L-R) South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, China's Premier Wen Jiabao, Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Na Son Nguyen/Pool )

Asian and visiting leaders pose for a group photo during the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi October 30, 2010. (L-R) ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak, South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, China's Premier Wen Jiabao, Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Laos' Prime Minister Bouasone Buphavanh, Myanmar's Prime Minister Thein Sein, Philippine's President Benigno Aquino, Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (GETTY IMAGES / REUTERS/Damir Sagolj )

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (6L) joins hands with (L-R) Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Myanmar's prime minister Thein Sein, Philippine President Benigno Aquino, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodian Prime Minister Hunsen, Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Buphavanh and the ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsawan at the begining of the ASEAN-UN Summit held on the sidelines of the 17th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Hanoi on October 29, 2010. (HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images)

Leaders attending the 5th East Asia Summit (from L to R), Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, China's Premier Wen Jiabao, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key and Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono join hands on stage for a group photo in Hanoi October 30, 2010. (GETTY IMAGES / REUTERS / Christophe Archambault/Pool )

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, third from left, takes part in the group photo with other delegation members from left. , Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Cambodian Prime Minister Hunsen at the beginning of the second ASEAN-Russia summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. (GETTY IMAGES / AP Photo/Hoang Dinh Nam, Pool)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev moves on an elevator as he arrives to attend the second Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Russia summit at the venue of the 17th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Hanoi on October 30, 2010. (HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev attends the ASEAN-Russia Summit on the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. (Getty Images / AP Photo/Kham, Pool)


Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) and other East Asia and ASEAN leaders attend the meeting with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet on the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, October 30, 2010. (GETTY IMAGES / REUTERS / Na Son Nguyen/Pool )

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before their meeting on the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi October 30, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Kham )

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) talks to New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key during the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi October 30, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Na Son Nguyen/pool )

Leaders pose for a group photo before a gala dinner on the sides of the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi October 29, 2010. From left, those standing in the front row are: South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife Ani, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his wife Tran Thanh Kiem, Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her partner Tim Mathieson, China's Premier Wen Jiabao, and India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) and his wife Gursharan Kaur (2nd R). From left, those standing in the back row are: an unidentified delegate, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor, Laos' Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, Myanmar's Prime Minister Thein Sein, Philippines' President Benigno Aquino III, Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his wife Pimpen, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his wife Yoo Soon-taek, and ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan (R) and his wife Alisa (2nd R). (Getty Images / REUTERS/Barbara Walton/Pool )

(L-R) Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife Kristiani Yudhoyono, Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her partner Tim Mathieson attend a gala dinner as part of the 17th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Hanoi October 29, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Barbara Walton/Pool )

Chinese, Australian PMs promise to strengthen ties


Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Oct. 30, 2010, on the sidelines of a series of summits between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

October 30, 2010 (KATAKAMI / PEOPLE'S DAILY ONLINE) --- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard promised in Hanoi Saturday that they would make concerted efforts to further promote bilateral relations.

The two met on Saturday morning at the hotel where Wen is staying. They are both here to attend a series of summits between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners.

Wen said Australia is a big country in the Asia-Pacific region and the smooth development and promotion of bilateral ties between Australia and China benefit both countries and their peoples.


Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (1st R) meets with his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard (1st L) in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Oct. 30, 2010, on the sidelines of a series of summits between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

"I am very glad to take advantage of this opportunity to exchange views with you on bilateral relations and issues of common concern," Wen said.

Gillard said that she was very delighted to meet with Premier Wen. She was content with the development of bilateral ties and would try to further promote this friendship.

Wen arrived here Thursday afternoon to attend the summits between ASEAN and its partners. On the sidelines of the meetings, Wen has met with leaders of some countries and exchanged views with them on bilateral relations.

Source:Xinhua

Hillary 'excited' about Australia trip


US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) walks with Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the sidelines of the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asia summits in Hanoi on October 30, 2010. Clinton said that maritime rows should be settled by international law, in defiance of China's call to handle them directly with its neighbours. (Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images)

October 30, 2010 (KATAKAMI / THE AGE.COM.AU ) --- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told Prime Minister Julia Gillard she cannot wait to visit Australia next week.

Mrs Clinton met Ms Gillard on the sidelines of the 16-nation East Asia Summit in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Saturday.

The pair spoke briefly and posed for the cameras as they left a VIP lunch.

Asked if she was looking forward to her visit to Australia, Mrs Clinton said: "Very much.

"I cannot wait to get there.

"I was just telling the prime minister how excited I am."

Before parting ways, the pair shared a kiss and Mrs Clinton said: "It'll be fun."

"I will make it fun," Ms Gillard replied.

Mrs Clinton and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates will be in Australia from November 6 to 8 for the 25th AUSMIN talks.

They will meet Ms Gillard, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Defence Minister Stephen Smith to discuss regional and global issues.

It will be Mrs Clinton's first visit to Australia since she was appointed secretary of state in 2008.

(MS)

In Weekly Republican Address, Boehner Calls For “New Way Forward” Focused on Creating Jobs, Cutting Spending, & Reforming Congress


House Minority Leader John Boehner


Washington (Oct 30) With Americans demanding a new way forward in Washington, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) uses the Weekly Republican Address to outline solutions for ending economic uncertainty, stopping government’s spending binge, and changing the way Congress does business.  In the address, Boehner notes that this is a new approach that hasn’t been tried in Washington – by either party – and it is at the core of the Pledge to America, a governing agenda Republicans built by listening to the people.

Leader Boehner recorded the weekly address earlier this week from Ohio, where he ran a small business and saw first-hand how Washington can make it harder for employers and entrepreneurs to meet a payroll and create jobs.  Following is a transcript of Boehner’s remarks.  Audio of the Weekly Republican Address is available now here. The video will be available here for viewing and here for downloading.

“Hello.  I’m John Boehner.

“Before I served in Congress, I ran a small business here in Ohio, and I saw first-hand how politicians in Washington can make it harder for small employers to meet a payroll and create jobs.

“In the final days of the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama promised to ‘change this country and change the world.’

“Well I don’t know about the world, but here at home, Americans haven’t experienced the change President Obama promised.  One in ten of our fellow citizens is out of work.  Our national debt has grown by $3 trillion  Trust in government has fallen to an all-time low.

“These problems didn’t start under President Obama.  But instead of fixing them, his policies have made them worse.  A ‘stimulus’ spending spree that created jobs in China and El Salvador, while millions of Americans lost their jobs here.  A job-killing national energy tax.  A government takeover of health care.

“All these things have combined to create massive uncertainty for small businesses, the engine of job creation in America, while our children face a future clouded by debt.

“Americans are demanding a new way forward in Washington – an approach that neither party has tried.

“It starts with cutting spending instead of increasing it; making government smaller and more accountable; and helping small businesses get back to creating jobs again.

“That’s what Republicans are offering with our Pledge to America, a governing agenda built by listening to the people.

“A generation of fiscal recklessness in Washington has pushed us to the brink.  Just to stay afloat, we’re now borrowing 41 cents of every dollars we spend from our kids and grandkids.

“This spending spree threatens our children’s future.  It’s also hurting our economy.  Americans know it has to stop, and our Pledge to America puts forth a plan to do just that.  We’re ready to cut spending to pre-‘stimulus,’ pre-bailout levels, saving taxpayers $100 billion almost immediately.  And we’re ready to put in place strict budget caps that limit spending from here on out, to ensure that Washington is no longer on this spending binge.

“We need to stop the coming tax hike.  We can’t balance the budget without cutting spending and achieving real economic growth – and we won’t have real economic growth if we raise taxes on small businesses and families.

“There’s a third thing we need to do to help our economy, and that’s change Congress itself.  The American people are in charge of this country, and they deserve a Congress that acts like it.  Americans should have three days to read all bills before Congress votes on them – something they didn’t get when the ‘stimulus’ was rushed into law.  We should put an end to so-called ‘comprehensive’ bills that make it easy to hide wasteful spending projects and job-killing policies.  Bills should be written by legislators in committee in plain public view – not written in the Speaker’s office, behind closed doors.

“Across our nation, Americans are looking at President Obama’s policies and asking – ‘where are the jobs?’  To help our economy get back on track, we have to stop all of the coming tax hikes and cut spending – and to cut spending, we need to change Congress itself.

“This is a new way forward that hasn’t been tried in Washington yet.  It’s a break from the direction in which President Obama has taken our country.  And frankly, it’s also a break from the direction in which Republicans were headed when Americans last entrusted us with the reins of government.  The American people are in charge, and they deserve nothing less.

“Together, we can do these things.  And in doing so, we can begin the drive for a smaller, less costly, and more accountable government that honors our Constitution and respects the will of the people.

“These ideas are at the core of our Pledge to America.

“We’ve tried it President Obama’s way.  We’ve tried it Washington’s way.  It hasn’t worked.  It’s time to put the people back in charge.

“Thank you for your time and may God bless the United States of America."

Medvedev in Vietnam


Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (2nd R) hold hands with Philippine's President Benigno Aquino (L), Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (2nd L), Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (C) and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during the ASEAN-Russia Summit on the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi Oct 30, 2010. (GETTY IMAGES / REUTERS/Kham )

October 30, 2010 HANOI (KATAKAMI / THE STRAITS TIMES) --- PRESIDENT Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Vietnam on Saturday for a visit that will see Russia sign a multi-billion-euro nuclear power plant deal with the former Soviet-era Communist ally.

Mr Medvedev said he was expecting 'serious results' from the trip, which is aimed at establishing wider energy ties.

Referring to close links between the Soviet Union and Vietnam in the 1980s, Mr Medvedev said he hoped their shared history would provide a firm foundation for a tight, modern-day economic and political partnership.

'We were together with the heroic Vietnamese people during the years of its fight for independence and reunification, during the complicated period of reviving its national economy,' he wrote in an article for the Vietnamese newspaper Nhan Dan, the text of which was released by the Kremlin.

The president is scheduled to meet top Vietnamese officials on Sunday and agree on the construction of Vietnam's first nuclear power plant.

An official with Russian state nuclear conglomerate Rosatom told AFP the construction of the two-unit plant is estimated at over 4.0 billion euros (S$7.2 billion). --

AFP

Photostream : Indonesia volcano belches hot ash in new eruption


Residents walk under raining ash at the Panti Nugroho hospital during an evacuation after a new violent explosion in Pakem on October 30, 2010. Indonesia's Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano erupted violently, sparking chaos as people tried to scramble to safety, fearful of a repeat of this week's deadly explosions. (ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)

A woman with a child walk under raining ash at the Panti Nugroho hospital during an evacuation after a new violent explosion in Pakem on October 30, 2010. Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano erupted violently, sparking chaos as people tried to scramble to safety, fearful of a repeat of this week's deadly explosions. AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY (Photo by ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)

Residents pour water on a street covered with volcanic ash after an ash fall following the eruption of Mount Merapi in Pakem, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, early Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. (Getty Images / AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

An elderly woman is assisted by others upon arrival at a temporary shelter as she evacuated from her home following the eruption of Mount Merapi in Pakem, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. (Getty Images / AP Photo/Slamet Riyadi)

Motorists travelling on an ash-covered street are seen through a car window after the eruption of Mount Merapi volcano, in the ancient city of Yogyakarta, October 30, 2010. Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted again on Saturday morning, spewing ash into the sky, and prompting authorities to extend the danger radius by two kilometers (1.24 miles). Getty Images / REUTERS/Dwi Oblo

Motorists travel on an ash-covered street after the eruption of Mount Merapi volcano, in the ancient city of Yogyakarta, October 30, 2010. Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted again on Saturday morning, spewing ash into the sky, and prompting authorities to extend the danger radius by two kilometers (1.24 miles). (Getty Images / REUTERS/Dwi Oblo )

Eruption of Indonesia's Merapi on Saturday Biggest Yet; More Predicted


A police officer and a volunteer walk from house to house to search for villagers to be evacuated during an ash fall following the eruption of Mount Merapi in Pakem, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, early Saturday. AP/Binsar Bakkara

October 30, 2010 Yogyakarta (KATAKAMI / THE JAKARTA GLOBE) ---  Geologists have confirmed that Mount Merapi’s eruption early on Saturday morning was its biggest this week, spreading ashfall all the way to Yogyakarta, some 30 kilometers away.

Sri Sumarti, the Merapi section head at the Volcano Investigation and Technology Development Institution (BPPTK), said the eruption at about 1 a.m. was louder and stronger than the initial one on Tuesday, which left more than 30 people dead.

It lasted for 22 minutes and sent heat clouds flowing down into the Krasak and Boyong Rivers.

"Our officers at the observation stations reported hearing explosive eruptions twice,” she said. “The heat clouds shot 3.5 kilometers into the air, westward toward Magelang, much higher than the 1.5 kilometers on Tuesday," she said.

The eruption caused panic on the ash-covered streets of Sleman district in Yogyakarta, well outside the immediate disaster zone. The situation calmed down by about 3 a.m. Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto Airport was temporarily closed from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

But Surono, the head of the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG), assured that the deadly superheated clouds would not reach the outer ring of the disaster zone.

No new casualties have been reported, though media reports say some residents from Magelang have been taken to the hospital due to shock.

More eruptions are predicted and geologists warned people to remain alert.

"We predict that Mount Merapi will erupt again because there is still a lot of magma that will push its way up to the crater," said Subandrio, head of the Volcano Investigation and Technology Development Institution (BPPTK).

Surono called on all citizens of Yogyakarta to not panic. "Stay calm and wear a mask. Mount Merapi will cough again. Panicking would only could cause injuries," he said.


(MS)

Medvedev to discuss energy security, natural disasters with ASEAN


Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaks during a meeting on ways to ease Moscow traffic jams in the Gorki residence outside Moscow, on October 28, 2010. (DMITRY ASTAKHOV/AFP/Getty Images)

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / RIA  NOVOSTI) --- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will discuss energy security and disaster response with Southeast Asian leaders at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Vietnam on Saturday, a presidential aide said.

Sergei Prikhodko said on Friday that discussions at the meeting in Hanoi would also cover trade and space cooperation.

Medvedev is due in Vietnam on an official visit at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Minh Triet.

"The forthcoming summit will be an important step in solving the task... of strengthening our country's presence in the Asia-Pacific region and increasing participation in the regional integration process in order to boost modernization and innovative development of the national economy," Prikhodko said.
Russia holds partner status in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional grouping of 10 Southeast Asian states. Next year marks 15 years of the Russia-ASEAN partnership.

"Among the priorities of Russian-ASEAN cooperation are increased trade and economic ties, cooperation in regional energy security, modern technologies, space exploration, medicine, information technologies and machine-building," Prikhodko said.

In the run-up to the summit, Russia and ASEAN adopted an energy cooperation program encompassing both nonrenewable and renewable energy sources, as well as environmentally-friendly technologies.

"Particular attention will be paid to building up cooperation in disaster response," the Kremlin aide said.
ASEAN was established in August 1967 and comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. The United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the EU, South Korea, India, China and Russia hold a partner status in the organization. Papua New Guinea has a special observer status.

The organization's goal is contributing to the development of member countries' social, economic and cultural cooperation, as well as to the consolidation of peace and stability in Southeast Asia.

With a total population of 580 million people, GDP of $1.5 trillion, stable economic growth and foreign trade turnover of $1.7 trillion, ASEAN remains one of the world's largest regional bodies, playing an important role in shaping security and cooperation in Asia-Pacific.


MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti)

Russian poll: Medvedev almost as popular as Putin


Russian President Dmitry Medvedev aims a Kalashnikov assault rifle at a shooting range during a visit to a military unit in Solnechnogorsk, 70 km (44 miles) northwest of Moscow, on October 28, 2010, with Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov (R) attending. (DMITRY ASTAKHOV/AFP/Getty Images)
October 29, 2010 MOSCOW (KATAKAMI / OMAHA.COM /AP) - A new poll shows the approval ratings of President Dmitry Medvedev edging closer to those of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has been highly popular among Russians since first coming to power more than a decade ago.

The poll by the respected Levada Center gives Medvedev an approval rating of 76 percent, just below Putin's rating of 77 percent. This is the closest the two of them have been in the monthly survey, though for much of this year their ratings have fallen within the margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Although technically now Russia's No. 2, Putin is still seen as the more powerful leader more than two years after handing over the presidency. The prime minister is eligible to return to the presidency in 2012, and he and Medvedev have said they will decide between themselves which one of them will run.

The newspaper Vedomosti on Friday cited Levada Center sociologist Alexei Grazhdankin as saying that the rise in Medvedev's approval rating may reflect the popularity of some of his recent actions, including his firing of the Moscow mayor and efforts to reform the police.

But Grazhdankin cautioned that it was too early to say that polls for Medvedev and Putin had now evened out.

He said if the country remained relatively stable, Russians would be content with Medvedev, who has made modernization his main focus. But if Russia were hit with another wave of terror attacks or armed conflict, people would look to Putin, who is seen as a strong defender of the Russian state.

The poll of 1,600 Russians, conducted Oct. 22-25, was released Thursday.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu insists Rachel’s Tomb is heritage site

 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends an award ceremony for outstanding new immigrant scientists at Tel Aviv University on October 26, 2010. (JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / YNET) — Prime Minister Netanyahu rejects UNESCO’s call to remove Rachel’s Tomb, Cave of Patriarchs from list of Israel’s heritage sites, dubs organization’s decision political, ‘absurd attempt to cut Israel off from its heritage’.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to a UNESCO decision by which Rachel’s Tomb is located on the grounds of a mosque and that Israel should remove it, as well as the Cave of Patriarchs, from its list of heritage sites.

“The attempt to disconnect between Israel and its heritage is absurd,” said a statement released by Netanyahu’s office. “If the locations in which the mothers and fathers of the Hebrew people: Abraham, Yitzhak, Sarah, Rivkah, Leah, and Rachel were buried 4,000 years ago are not part of Jewish heritage, then what is?”

Netanyahu added, “It is unfortunate that an organization established in order to promote historic heritage sites around the world is trying, for political reasons, to uproot the connection between Israel and its heritage.” 

The prime minister also stressed in his message the difference between Israel and its neighbors. “The State of Israel, in contrast to its neighbors, will continue to maintain freedom of worship for all religions at these sites, as well as their preservation for posterity,” the statement said.

Oktober 29, 2010

EU: Iran Ready to Resume Nuclear Talks

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton delivers a speech at the European Parliament  16 June 2010

EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton (file photo)

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / VOA) --- The European Union's foreign policy chief says Iran is ready to resume talks about its nuclear program.

Catherine Ashton told reporters in Brussels Friday that she received a letter from Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, saying he is prepared to restart talks after November 10.

Ashton called the offer an "important development."

The EU foreign policy chief had proposed meeting with Jalili in mid-November on behalf of the P5 + 1, which includes Germany and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

The Security Council has imposed four sets of sanctions on Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium, which can be used to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.

(MS)

Report: Israel, U.S. discuss land lease

http://www.crossed-flag-pins.com/Friendship-Pins/Israel/Flag-Pins-Israel-Palestine.jpg
JERUSALEM, Oct. 29 (KATAKAMI / UPI) -- Israel and the United States are conducting secret talks on future borders of a Palestinian state, Ash-Sharq al-Awsat reported Friday.

"We are conducting intense negotiations with the U.S. administration in an effort to resume direct talks with the Palestinians," Ophir Gendelman, head of Israel's Foreign Ministry Arabic media department, told the Arabic daily.

The two sides are discussing the option that Israel will lease land in East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley from the future Palestinian state for 40 to 99 years, the report said.

The report was confirmed by Palestinian sources, who said the idea was an American initiative aimed at obtaining an understanding with Israel over the future Palestinian state, Haaretz said.

The sources said the talks are being conducted in secret in an effort to save the peace process.

The Israeli daily said U.S. and Israeli government officials declined to comment on the report.

An Egyptian source told Ash-Sharq al-Aswat the Palestinian Authority was informed only recently of the substance of the talks.

(MS)

Report says PM Netanyahu mulling freeze


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends an award ceremony for outstanding new immigrant scientists at Tel Aviv University on October 26, 2010. (JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

JERUSALEM, Oct. 29 (KATAKAMI / UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wants to extend a West Bank building freeze but lacks government support to do so, sources told The Jerusalem Post.

Despite his efforts, Netanyahu has failed to garner the necessary support to extend a building freeze, a move that would help to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, a report in Post said.

The report said that, until now, the prime minister has failed to give any indication concerning his views on extending the freeze and whether he will bring it up for a vote before the Cabinet.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has insisted that no progress will be made in peace negotiations unless Israel imposes a freeze on building in West Bank settlements.

A 10-month freeze imposed by the Israeli government in an effort to move the peace process forward expired Sept. 26.

(MS)

'Israel hogging Gaza water sources'

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October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / PRESSTV.IR) --- More than 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip lack access to basic humanitarian supplies such as shortage of water resources.

Many Palestinians are forced to purchase bottled water for their daily needs, as water coming from their taps has run dry, a Press TV correspondent reported on Thursday.

The Gaza aquifer is the only source of water for residents of Gaza. Reports show that 90 percent of its water is not suitable for human consumption due to high levels of nitrate and salinity.


In an interview with Press TV, public health coordinator Tracey Wise said, "Because of such limited amounts of water in Gaza that's acceptable for human consumption, mostly this is the shallow, coastal aquifer, and this aquifer is being over-pumped, so much water is being taken out to supply the needs of Gazans, that you have much more intrusion of sea water."


"And then also you have upwelling of this very, very old water that has high salinity and high concentrations of other pollutants," she added.


Meanwhile, Israel has installed huge pumping stations all along the shared border, diverting water before it reaches the aquifer of Gaza.


Israel has imposed a blockade on the region since June 2007, preventing the entry of hundreds of items, including essential industrial materials needed to repair the water infrastructure.


During the Gaza war, bombs completely destroyed three water wells and much of the water system infrastructure in Gaza.


The Coastal Municipal Water Utility (CMWU) has reported Israel's daily water consumption per capita at around 320 liters while the consumption of Palestinians in Gaza is less than 90 liters.


"We need to start to think about unconventional water sources, [such as] the sea, along with other solutions," said CMWU Director Munzer Shuplaq.


According to recent statistics conducted by CMWU, residents of the coastal enclave will not find healthy water to drink by the year 2015.


(MS)

PM David Cameron defends EU budget agreement


British Prime Minister David Cameron gestures while speaking during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. EU leaders on Friday agreed on tougher rules for spendthrift nations whose overspending threatens Europe's single currency and risks triggering a debt crisis. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert / Getty Images)

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI/ BBC) --- UK PM David Cameron says he has protected British taxpayers by putting the spotlight on reining in EU budget "excesses" at a Brussels summit.

He has been accused of "grandstanding" after saying he wanted the 2001 budget frozen, then agreeing to a 2.9% rise.

He said he had won agreement from 12 EU leaders that the rise should not exceed 2.9%, amid calls for a 5.9% rise.

Labour said his strategy had been a "complete failure" and some Eurosceptic Tories wanted a budget freeze or cut.

'Stopped juggernaut'

Mr Cameron is in Brussels for a two-day summit, where EU leaders have been discussing measures to avert another financial crisis within the eurozone.

But separately he has been pressing the case for limiting the EU's budget, arguing against a 5.9% rise for 2011 backed by the European Parliament and European Commission.

In a press conference at the close of the summit, Mr Cameron said he had made "a real difference" by putting the 2011 budget on the agenda and persuading other states to reject the "crazy" higher budget rise - which he said was now "dead".

While he had wanted a freeze in the 2011 EU budget, he said had been "looking down the barrel of a potential 6% increase" and his aim had been to stop it adding: "We have succeeded quite spectacularly, we put together a big alliance to stop that juggernaut of 6% in its tracks."

Mr Cameron said he had inherited a "budget deal completely out of touch with the economic situation we face across Europe" but "as a result of Britain's intervention the spotlight has now shifted to reining in the excesses of the EU budget".

Of the 2.9% rise - which will cost the UK an extra £450m a year - he added: "I'm not pretending that is a giant Eldorado of a goldmine for the British public what it is is a lot better than what we were looking at and the key point is, it wouldn't have happened without our action."

He also said he had secured an agreement that from now on the EU budget "will reflect the spending cuts being made by national governments" - adding: "This is, I think, incredibly important, it will have a direct impact on the pocket of the UK taxpayer back at home. It is a significant prize."
'Could do better'

Mr Cameron also said, although final decisions were not taken this week, EU leaders had endorsed a "full British opt out" for the UK on strengthened enforcement measures for EU states - aimed at avoiding another financial crisis in the eurozone.

He said eurozone countries would simply formalise arrangements to bail each other out in a crisis - something that would protect British taxpayers.

Last week Mr Cameron said he was calling for "a cash freeze in the size of the EU budget for 2011". But on Thursday his officials briefed that he had accepted a freeze was not possible.

On Thursday Downing Street said the UK prime minister had "delivered an important first step towards ensuring the EU gets a grip on its finances for the future" by securing agreement from other EU states, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and the Czech Republic, to limit the rise to 2.9% - the amount agreed by the EU Council of Ministers in August.

But Labour - and Eurosceptics in Mr Cameron's own party - have questioned whether it was much of an achievement.

Conservative MEP Roger Helmer told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we could have done better, I think we should have done better. Only two days ago we were talking about a freeze or even a cut and yet here we are rolling over - 2.9% is no great achievement, it's the position that the Council held beforehand."

He said Mr Cameron should have used German Chancellor Angela Merkel's desire for agreement for treaty changes as leverage to secure more concessions on the budget - and on repatriating powers to the UK.

"We should exercise the power of the purse and say: 'I'm sorry, we are not going to pay'."

And shadow foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said: "David Cameron's grandstanding has been a complete failure. European governments decided on 2.9% in August so he has achieved absolutely nothing.

"He's tried to swing his handbag but simply ended up clobbering himself in the face."

(MS)

Queen Elizabeth II Sends Condolences to Indonesia


Britain's Queen Elizabeth II ( Photo : Getty Images / AP Photo/Geoff Pugh, pool)

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / THE JAKARTA GLOBE) --- Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, has sent a letter of condolence to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday, the British Embassy said in a press release.

“I was saddened to hear of the loss of life caused by the tsunami on 26 October, the eruption of Mount Merapi volcano and floods and landslides across Indonesia this month. My thoughts and sincere condolences are with you and the people of Indonesia,” the queen said in her letter.

First joint U.S.-Russian drugs operation in Afghanistan yields good results


Viktor Ivanov, the head of Russia's Federal Anti-Narcotics Committee

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / RIA NOVOSTI) --- Russian and U.S. drug control services have carried out their first joint anti-narcotics operation in Afghanistan, destroying four major drug laboratories, the head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service said on Friday.

Viktor Ivanov, the head of Russia's Federal Anti-Narcotics Committee, said during a joint press conference with Deputy Head of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Russia Eric Rubin that the operation destroyed four drug labs in Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan.

"The operation began on October 28 at 6:30 a.m. and four drug laboratories were destroyed by 10:20 a.m.," Ivanov said, adding the joint operation was carried out by a total of 70 personnel.

Ivanov had no information on casualties or the number of detained during the operation.

The operation, which took three months of planning, destroyed three heroin labs, including one large drug hub near the village of Achin, and one morphine lab.

Ivanov praised joint efforts by Russian and U.S. anti-drug services and said the effective work of a Russian-U.S. presidential commission in the sphere of drug trafficking was a good example of a "reset" in relations between the two countries.

He said 932 kilograms (more than 2,000 pounds) of high quality heroin and 156 kilograms (344 pounds) of opium was seized, or 200 million doses with an estimated value of $250 million.

Rubin also praised the results of the operation.

"This investigation is a very concrete example of real cooperation," he said. "We cannot succeed alone. This was the first step and we will continue to destroy labs."

Rubin said that one of the main goals of U.S.-Russian operations in Afghanistan was to "identify, disrupt, and destroy the drug trade."

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev emphasized last year that the creation of a joint mission on the fight against drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan "should not consist of just commissions and reports, but of concrete results," Rubin said.

However, Ivanov also admitted that "drug infrastructure in Afghanistan is expanding."

He said the number of drug laboratories in the country has increased by almost 2.5 times in the past two years, from 175 in 2008 to 425 in 2010.

Ivanov said that drug cartels similar to those in Mexico have appeared in Afghanistan and the transit countries of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Afghan drug production increased dramatically after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban in 2001, and Russia has been one of the most affected countries, with heroin consumption rising steeply.

Ivanov said approximately 65% of Afghanistan's opium crops are grown in the Helmand Province, one of the most volatile regions in the country, adding that farmers make "around $70 a year by cultivating opium, much more than for growing wheat."

An estimated 90 percent of heroin consumed in Russia is trafficked from Afghanistan via Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.


MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti)

France ready to build first Mistral warship for Russia in 2013


Mistral class helicopter carrier

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / RIA NOVOSTI) --- If Moscow and Paris sign a contract to build Mistral class helicopter carriers for Russia, the first warship may be built in 2013, a top manager of French STX Europe shipbuilder said on Friday.

The shipyards of Saint-Nazaire are seen as the most likely winner in a tender to build amphibious assault warships for the Russian Navy.

"If Russia and France sign the deal, the first Mistral-class vessel may be built in the shipyards of Saint-Nazaire in late 2013-early 2014," said Jacques Hardelay, STX Europe president for operations in France.

He said the shipyards of Saint-Nazaire are able to build two Mistral class warships simultaneously.

"If the contract is signed, then in one year, namely in 2015, Russia would get a second Mistral class warship. Therefore, by 2016 the Russian Navy would have two Mistral class warships," Hardelay said.

"As soon as the contract is signed, we would propose to our Russian colleagues to produce certain components for the first two ships to be built in France. There won't be many [components to be produced] for the first ship, but many more for the second," the official added.

Russia will be able to build its first domestically-produced Mistral class amphibious assault ships in late 2016 or early 2017.


LE BOURGET, October 29 (RIA Novosti)

Mentawai ( Indonesia) : Rescuers Race Against Time, Bad Weather, as Death Toll Rises


Members of the Indonesian army and rescue team carry the bodies of victims of an earthquake and tsunami in the coastal village of Purourougat in Mentawai District, West Sumatra October 28, 2010. A tsunami and a volcanic eruption in Indonesia have killed more than 300 people with over 400 missing and tens of thousands displaced, authorities said on Wednesday. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Stringer )

October 29, 2010 Mentawai (KATAKAMI / THE JAKARTA GLOBE) --- The death toll following the tsunami that hit the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra on Monday climbed to almost 400 on Friday morning, as rescuers continued to race against time and unfavorable weather conditions to evacuate survivors and locate missing victims.

According to the Disaster Relief Operational Control Center, at least 50 more bodies were unearthed in the islands of North and South Pagai, bringing the total casualties to at least 394 people. At least 338 people are still missing.

Zulhendri, a coordinator at the West Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), said that many victims are still virtually untouched by relief aid, particularly at the southern tip of South Pagai, just 50 kilometers away from the epicenter of the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that triggered the three-meter high waves.

"Our volunteers tried to reach the locations by boat [on Thursday afternoon], but they were forced to return due to bad weather and rough waves. Their boat nearly capsized. Thank God they survived the weather," Zulhendri said.

"We will try to reach remote areas in [South Pagai] island again on Friday,” he added.

The islands are sparsely populated, with less than 50 people per square kilometer, forcing rescuers to cover vast areas in search of survivors. The majority of homes in fishing villages were destroyed by the giant waves that swept 600 people inland.

"Coordination is difficult because communication is limited," said Surung Sinaga, chairman of the West Sumatra Disaster Relief Ageny (BPBD). "We are trying to evacuate those who are gravely injured from the disaster and get them to a nearby hospital and health center."

Surung added that there were at least 23,000 refugees who have been evacuated, most of whom are now living in the town of Sikakap, where aid and volunteers are being coordinated.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad : PA will declare independent state in August 2011


Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / JPOST) --- Palestinian Authority PM tells Italian newspaper: "The youngest olive trees have deeper roots than the largest Israeli settlement."

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the PA will declare an independent Palestinian state in 2011, while picking olives with a reporter from Italian daily Corriere Della Sera, according to an interview published on Thursday.

"The deadline is next summer, when the Israeli occupation of the West Bank must end," Fayyad said. "In 2011, we will celebrate 66 years of the United Nations and the United Nations will celebrate the birth of our nation."
Fayyad added that the Palestinians "need to build national institutions in the West Bank and prepare for an independent Palestinian state."

"The people of Gaza must be involved in our national project," Fayyad explained. "There are gaps between us, it's true, but the real gap is the wall that closes off the Strip. Next week, I will try to enter Gaza," he added.

Fayyad took the Corriere Della Sera reporter to pick olives, something that he says he does every day. He also lamented the settlers' "poisoning" of the trees, saying olive trees are "the symbol of our right to be on this earth."

"In Palestine we have 15 million" olive trees, Fayyad said. "We can not accept that even one is destroyed. The youngest of these trees have deeper roots than the largest Israeli settlement."

Fayyad also expressed anger at the end of the settlement building moratorium.

"Look at those houses up there in Shiloh," he said, "they are illegal not because I say so, but in international law. Israel considers UN resolutions as mere recommendations."

The Palestinian prime minister said that he will give Israel "one more year of grace...but these colonies can no longer be there. They are illegal everywhere; here and Jerusalem."

"If it is true that Israel is interested in peace, it must block" the settlers, Fayyad said.

On Tuesday, Fayyad went olive-picking with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry. Serry expressed his support for an declaration of Palestinian statehood by August 2011.

Netanyahu: Direct talks are only path to true Mideast peace


Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo by REUTERS/Baz Ratner / Getty Images)

October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / HAARETZ) --- PM's comment comes after Abbas says considering appeal to UN Security Council to approve unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood.

Direct peace talks are the only path to achieve genuine Middle East peace, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Thursday, hours after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians were considering a unilateral declaration of statehood. 

Netanyahu has refused to extend a 10-month moratorium on new West Bank settlement housing starts that expired on September 26, with Abbas saying he won’t resume the talks without an extension on the building curbs. 

Earlier Thursday, in a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Palestinian Authority president hinted that the Palestinians would try to persuade the United States to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, if Israel kept up its refusal to freeze settlements. 

“For now, we are focusing on the first option [negotiations],” Abbas said. 


In a statement released later Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel expected the "Palestinians to live up to their obligations by holding serious direct negotiations, without malice and without preconditions." 

"Any attempt to bypass direct talks by appealing to international bodies will do nothing to advance the true peace process," the PM's statements said, adding that the two peoples could achieve "a secure and stable peace solely through direct negotiations, a path I hope we shall return to in full force soon." 

UN diplomats, responding to Abbas' threat of a unilateral declaration, said earlier this week that such a move would represent a severe strategic error on Abbas' side, calling Palestinian hopes of a possible U.S. abandonment of its traditional support of Israel UN Security Council a "wild dream." 

"Even a hostile U.S. president won't free the UNSC floor to anti-Israel moves," a senior diplomat said, adding that the Americans would do "anything to thwart an initiative such as a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood." 

The diplomat added that a UNSC approval of such a move would "be the equivalent of declaring war on Israel, and the United States would prevent that at any cost. U.S. support of Israel is part of its DNA." 

Earlier Thursday, Aboul Gheit indicated that U.S. efforts to restart Mideast peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have not produced results so far, saying that his government was continuing its contacts with the U.S. and Israel, but that “up to now, the necessary breakthrough did not take place.” 

Egypt, the first Arab country to reach peace with Israel, wields considerable influence in the Arab world and serves as an important mediator between Israel and the Palestinians.

Aboul Gheit said Netanyahu’s national security adviser, Uzi Arad, recently held talks with Egyptian officials. 


“During the meeting, Egypt confirmed its … support for the Palestinian demand,” Aboul Gheit told the news conference. 

In response to Aboul Gheit's remarks regarding the apparent lack of peace talks progress White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Thursday that the settlements "is a very difficult issue. It is - it's one that has been with us for decades, and we are trying to make some slow progress on it." 

The White House official added that there were "are a series of very tough issues that have to be addressed between the two sides as we move forward, adding that the United States was continuing "to work." 

"There are no guarantees in this process. We do know this: That the process works best and has its maximum of working if the United States is actively engaged in the process of bringing these two parties and these two sides together," Gibbs said, adding that the sides aren't going "to make progress if the United States is not involved." 

"That's why the president has dedicated such time to trying to bring about a two-state solution to, again, a problem that has been very, very difficult," Gibbs said, adding that Washington "started this process, again, at the beginning of his administration, and even in the talks that were held here, with no illusions that this one was going to be the easy problem that we'd picked to solve."

PM Netanyahu: Settlement building won't affect final status peace deal


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)


October 29, 2010 (KATAKAMI / HAARETZ) --- PM's remarks comes as Palestinians consider UN Security Council vote on unilateral declaration of statehood if Israel does not halt recently resumed settlement construction. 

West Bank settlement construction will not affect the final status peace deal between Israel and a future Palestinian state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, adding that he felt the settlement issue wasn't an obstacle to continued peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. 

The premier had refused to extend a 10-month moratorium on new West Bank settlement housing that expired on September 26, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas saying he won’t resume the talks without an extension on the building curbs. 

Earlier Thursday, Abbas hinted that the Palestinians would try to persuade the United States to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, if Israel kept up its refusal to freeze settlements. 

“For now, we are focusing on the first option [negotiations],” Abbas said. 

Speaking after a meeting with U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman on Thursday, Netanyahu seemingly rejected the Palestinian stance, saying the settlement issue was "not substantial" and that construction in the settlements "will not influence the peace map." 

In a statement released by the premier's office earlier Thursday, Netanyahu also seemingly related to the tacit PA threat of unilateral statehood, saying he expected the "Palestinians to live up to their obligations by holding serious direct negotiations, without malice and without preconditions." 

"Any attempt to bypass direct talks by appealing to international bodies will do nothing to advance the true peace process," the PM's statements said, adding that the two peoples could achieve "a secure and stable peace solely through direct negotiations, a path I hope we shall return to in full force soon." 

Referring to the impasse in Middle East peace talks, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Thursday that the settlements "is a very difficult issue. It is - it's one that has been with us for decades, and we are trying to make some slow progress on it." 

The White House official added that there were "are a series of very tough issues that have to be addressed between the two sides as we move forward, adding that the United States was continuing "to work." 

"There are no guarantees in this process. We do know this: That the process works best and has its maximum of working if the United States is actively engaged in the process of bringing these two parties and these two sides together," Gibbs said, adding that the sides aren't going "to make progress if the United States is not involved." 

"That's why the president has dedicated such time to trying to bring about a two-state solution to, again, a problem that has been very, very difficult," Gibbs said, adding that Washington "started this process, again, at the beginning of his administration, and even in the talks that were held here, with no illusions that this one was going to be the easy problem that we'd picked to solve."

Medvedev, Obama to meet next month in Japan


(FILE) US President Barack Obama (R) and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev walk across Lafayette Square, from the White House to the US Chamber of Commerce, June 24, 2010 in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. The two leaders were walking to the US Chambers of Commerce to attend the US - Russia Business Summit. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

October 29010 MOSCOW (KATAKAMI / ChannelNewsAsia.Com)  --- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his US counterpart Barack Obama will hold talks on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Japan next month, the Kremlin said Thursday.

"The Russian and American presidents will have a full meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Yokohama in Japan on November 13-14," a statement said without giving further details.

The two leaders will travel to Japan after attending a Group of 20 economic summit in South Korea on November 11-12.

At the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit the 21 members are expected to again talk about the tricky issue of opening up their markets to each other.

Although APEC has made little headway for years in creating a free trade zone in the dynamic Pacific Rim region, a US-backed initiative that started five years ago with a group of small economies is gaining momentum.

Obama will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao in South Korea on November 11 ahead of the G20 summit as Sino-US economic tensions flare and territorial rows fester between Beijing and its neighbours.

White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said that Obama's relationship with Medvedev was one of the "closest and most active" with any foreign leader.

"They'll have an opportunity to discuss a number of issues, including the progress that's been made recently in terms of US support for Russia's entry into the WTO, as well as our ongoing cooperation on issues like non-proliferation, nuclear security, and other security issues," Rhodes said.

(MS)