Today news:

* Associazione Italia Russia (Italy and Russia)

Per la XV edizione di Arte da Mangiare (Milano, 25 marzo 25 aprile 2010)

L’Associazione Italia Russia presenta nell’ambito dell’iniziativa

TI PRESTO IL MURO

DNA di Anton Parfenov 25 marzo - 24 aprile 2010 Associazione Italia Russia - Via Silvio Pellico 8 Milano Inaugurazione giovedì 25 marzo 2010 18.30 - 21.00

INSETTOMANIA di Jurij Tilman 25 marzo- 24 aprile 2010 Chiostri dell’Umanitaria - Via San Barnaba 48 Milano Inaugurazione giovedì 25 marzo 2010 18.00 - 22.00

COMUNICATO STAMPA

Italia Russia partecipa alla XV edizione di “Orto d’artista: dalla semina al raccolto” per una Milano A-Ortista (25 marzo – 25 aprile 2010), promossa dall’associazione Arte da mangiare mangiare Arte, da molti anni impegnata ad approfondire i rapporti tra arte, cibo e comunicazione.

Il progetto coinvolge diversi artisti chiamati a “raccogliere”, in concomitanza con lo svolgimento del MIART, ciò che hanno “seminato” nel mese di ottobre. Nella serata del 25 marzo nei Chiostri dell’Umanitaria gli artisti procederanno con il raccolto in Orti notturni, un Percorso A-Ortista dalle ore 22.

Fra il 25 e il 27 marzo numerose saranno le iniziative sul tema Arte e cibo, Arte e alimentazione: installazioni, mostre, dibattiti, presentazioni, degustazioni, tavole rotonde. Numerosissimi gli enti e le associazioni che aderiscono al progetto: Acquario civico - Museo di Scienze naturali – Museo Diocesano - Fnac - Makeup studio Diego dalla Palma - Fondazione D’ars Oscar Signorini onlus - Associazione Italia Russia - Parco Nord - Cascina Grande Rozzano - Galleria Venticorrenti (Milano Green Festival) - Farfallario Parco Trotter - Atrio Stazione Garibaldi (green Island 2010) – Elita (Teatro Franco Parenti) - stazione Garibaldi (treno Verde Legambiente) – Scuola Politecnica del Design – MAP di Castiglione Olona.

L’Associazione Italia Russia, ente attivo da anni nella promozione di progetti di scambi e collaborazioni tra i due Paesi e nell’organizzazione di iniziative culturali di ampio respiro, con TI PRESTO IL MURO concede le pareti della propria sede in Via Silvio Pellico 8 a Milano, a giovani artisti esordienti che non hanno mai esposto in Italia e in Russia, con l’obiettivo di promuovere e favorire le espressioni artistiche più interessanti e innovative.

Giovedì 25 marzo alle 18.30 si terrà l’inaugurazione della mostra DNA di Anton Parfenov, giovane di San Pietroburgo da diverso tempo residente in Italia. Nato nel 1985, Anton Parfenov nei suoi lavori si ispira alla street art e all’arte murale. Il titolo dell’esposizione, DNA, richiama l”informazione genetica” che Parfenov vuole individuare, con le proprie opere, nella miriade di volti che popolano le nostre città.

Nei Chiostri dell’Umanitaria, sempre giovedì 25 marzo alle ore 18.00 sarà inaugurata l’installazione dello scultore Jurij Tilman INSETTOMANIA. Jurij Tilman, artista internazionale dalla cultura multiforme, di origine russa, pratica di norma la scultura. Vocazione predisposta sin da bambino dalla manualità dei prigionieri giapponesi, stanziati nella remota Vladivostok, dove è nato. la lunga esperienza di restauro delle icone ai musei del Cremlino, ha fatto poi il resto, permettendoli un approfondimento di conoscenze che lo hanno indotto al recupero dell’icona nell’era del compire, attualizzata, s’intende, nel processo concettuale che contiene una personale visione del mondo, e della moderna linguistica, che predilige la scultura alla pittura.

> For further information: www.associazioneitaliarussia.it

* Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (Bosnia and Balkans)

 Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Balkan Insight Daily No. 488, March 18, 2010

 Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Balkan Insight Daily No. 487, March 17, 2010

 Balkan Insight n. 231

> For further information: www.birn.eu.com

* Belarus News and Analysis (Belarus and Cis)

 20 new articles posted on March 18, 2010

 8 new articles posted on March 17, 2010

> For further information: www.data.minsk.by/belarusnews

* Central Asian News Service (Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia)

 Daily news report of March 18, 2010

 Daily news report of March 17, 2010

> For further information: www.ca-news.org

* Civil Georgia (Georgia)

 Daily news online of March 17, 2010

 Daily news online of March 16, 2010

> For further information: www.civil.ge

* Council of the European Union (Belgium)

 Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council - "BELIEVE IN FREEDOM" - Celebration of the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuanian independence (original version)

 Declaration on the parliamentary and presidential approval of the Kyrgyz law on accession to the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR on the abolition of the death penalty (original version)

> For further information: www.consilium.europa.eu

* Le Courrier des Balkans (France and Balkans)

Le Bulletin du Courrier des Balkans N° 703

> For further information : http://balkans.courriers.info

* demosEuropa (Poland)

 Invitation to a major speech by Karel de Gucht - EU Commissioner for Trade

Making trade work

25 March 2010 - Sala Ludwikowska, Polonia Palace Hotel Al. Jerozolimskie 45, Warsaw

The EU trade policy should ideally be one of the drivers of economic growth, enabling Europe to emerge from the crisis at an optimal pace. However, if it is supposed to play this role, a thorough reform is needed - both in the EU external trade policy and in the global trade architecture. In the new institutional cycle, the EU will need to address these changes, including the completion of the Doha round, the increased role of emerging powers - BASIC - or the implications of introducing the low-carbon economy for trade flows and policy instruments. But whether the global position of the EU is strengthened or harmed depends on the exact direction of these changes.

How to make trade work? This will be a major theme in the speech by Karel de Gucht, EU Commissioner for Trade, which is organised by demosEUROPA - Centre for European Strategy and European Commission Representation in Poland.

Commissioner de Gucht will take questions from the audience after his speech, which will be delivered in English.

REGISTRATION

Programme

14.30 - 15.00 Registration

15.00 Welcome and introduction

Marie-Therese Duffy-Haeusler, Head of the EU Commission Representation in Poland

Paweł Świeboda, President, demosEUROPA - Centre for European Strategy

15.10 "Making Trade Work" - speech by Karel de Gucht, EU Commissioner for Trade

15.40 Discussion with the audience

16.15 Concluding remarks

Paweł Świeboda, President, demosEUROPA - Centre for European Strategy

The event will be held in English only.

Participation in the event is free of charge.

> For further information: www.demoseuropa.eu

* Ebrd (England, Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia)

Procurement notices / Opportunities for suppliers, contractors and consultants worldwide:

 Railways Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project II (Works), Montenegro

 Sibiu MELF: Procurement of equipment associated..., Romania

 Substation 400 kV Lemešany - Enlargement (BIDSF-014-09), Slovak Republic

> For further information: www.ebrd.com

* Ec Delegation BiH (Bosnia/Herzegovina and Belgium)

 Roundtable in Mostar Held within the EU Project “Theme Weeks” - U okviru EU projekta “Tematske sedmice” odrzan okrugli stol u Mostaru

 Theme Weeks on the topic of Bologna process to be held in Banja Luka - Tematske sedmice na temu Bolonjskog procesa odrzat ce se u Banja Luci

> For further information: www.europa.ba

* Economia.hu (Hungary)

 Daily update of March 18, 2010

 Daily update of March 178, 2010

> For further information: www.economia.hu

* Enel (Albania)

Enel is organizing a Photo Contest entitled " The Power of energy" in Albania.

Enel eshte duke organizuar nje Konkurs Fotografie te titulluar " Fuqia e Energjise" ne Shqiperi

You can find info about this photo contest in the following sites:

Mund te gjeni informacion per kete konkurs ne sitet e meposhtme:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=346808381475

http://www.enel.com/en-GB/group/worldwide/albania/

or if you want to have more information about you can write us at:

ose nese ju nevoitet me shume information mund te na shkruani ne adresen:

infoalbania@enel.com

* Ice ufficio di Budapest (Hungary and Italy)

Abbiamo il piacere di invitarVi al seminario ”Utilizzo indiretto dei fondi europei: le gare d’appalto – Informazioni utili per gli operatori”, organizzato dall’Istituto nazionale per il Commercio Estero (ICE) in collaborazione con la Camera di Commercio Italiana per l’Ungheria (CCIU).

Il seminario si svolgerá in data 14 aprile 2010 dalle ore 15.00, presso l’Hotel Palazzo Zichy, 1088 Budapest, Lőrinc pap tér 2.

In allegato troverete l’invito ed il modulo di partecipazione.

> For further information: Budapest@ice.it

* Institutul Cultural Roman (Romania)

 EVENIMENTE

Arte Marţiale cu Ion Bârlădeanu: din ghenă în Parnas

Marţi, 23 martie 2010, la ora 18.00, seria Arte Marţiale de la Institutul Cultural Român îl are ca invitat pe artistul Ion Bârlădeanu. Criticul de artă Erwin Kessler, iniţiatorul întâlnirilor din această serie, va modera confruntarea dintre două perspective asupra fenomenului Bârlădeanu.

Festival de film românesc la Madison, Wisconsin

Institutul Cultural Român în parteneriat cu Center for Russia, East Europe and Central Asia (CREECA) din cadrul Universității din Madison, Wisconsin, organizează cea de-a patra ediție a Festivalului Filmului Românesc de la Madison, Wisconsin. Evenimentul se va desfășura în perioada 18-20 martie, la Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (227 State Street).

16 scurtmetraje româneşti la Festivalul Internaţional Go Short

În perioada 17-21 martie 2010 are loc la Nijmegen, Olanda, ediţia a II-a a Festivalului internaţional de scurtmetraj Go Short, eveniment la care România are, în acest an, statutul de ţară invitată. Prezenţa românească la festival, sprijinită de Institutul Cultural Român, include 16 scurtmetraje, în cadrul secţiunii Wide Awake.

TIMOC FEST – Tradiţie şi spiritualitate românească în Serbia

În perioada 21 martie – 1 iunie 2010, Institutul Cultural Român, prin Direcţia Români din Afara Ţării, va derula o serie de evenimente culturale organizate de în parteneriat cu asociaţiile româneşti din Timoc (Serbia).

FABRICA DE SCURTMETRAJE 03

În încercarea de a promova filmul de scurtmetraj la nivel naţional, SPUNE PE SCURT a ales ca din luna martie să organizeze FABRICA DE SCURTMETRAJE în parteneriat cu librăriile Cărtureşti. Astfel, Sâmbătă 20 Martie, Fabrica de Scurtmetraje 03 se va ţine în Mansarda Cărtureşti Verona de la ora 20.00.

 TARGUL DE CARTE DE LA LEIPZIG

Scriitori români la Târgul de Carte de la Leipzig

Scriitorii Ana Maria Sandu, Doina Ruşti, Vasile Ernu, Ion Vianu şi Adrian-Christian Kuciuk vor fi prezenţi în perioada 18-21 martie 2010 la Târgul de Carte de la Leipzig. Participarea scriitorilor este susţinută de Institutul Cultural Român.

> For further information: www.icr.ro

* Interfax (Russia and Cis)

 Interfax Russia & CIS Diplomatic Panorama March 18, 2010

 Interfax Russia & CIS Diplomatic Panorama March 17, 2010

> For further information: www.interfax.com

* Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Lubiana (Italia)

Si ricorda al nostro gentile pubblico che / spoštovani, mercoledì / Sreda 17 marzo / marec 2010 Ore / ob 18.00

Italijanski inštitut za kulturo Kongresni trg 13, Ljubljana

si svolge il / poteka

 Circolo di lettura

Il libro di marzo è Il viaggiatore notturno di Maggiani, un romanzo formulato sull’uso del racconto orale che parla fondamentalmente del bello dal punto di vista morale. Il protagonista vi rievoca due viaggi di lavoro in luoghi antitetici (il deserto nordafricano dell’Hoggar e i boschi della Slovenia e della Bosnia durante la guerra degli anni ’90) riflettendo sugli eventi vissuti e sui gesti osservati.

In collaborazione con la Sezione d’Italianistica della Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia dell’Università di Lubiana

 Bralni krožek

Marca bo na vrsti Maggianijev roman Il viaggiatore notturno (Nočni popotnik), ki se oblikuje po zgledu ustne pripovedi in govori predvsem o lepoti z moralnega vidika. Protagonist romana se spominja dveh službenih potovanj v kraje, ki so si pravo nasprotje (severnoafriško puščavo Hoggar ter slovenske in bosanske gozdove med vojno v devetdesetih letih), in ob tem razmišlja o dogodkih, ki jih je doživel in jim bil priča.

V sodelovanju z italijanistično sekcijo Filozofske fakultete v Ljubljani

> For further information: www.iiclubiana.esteri.it

* Latvian Centre for Human Rights (Latvia)

 Newsletter of March 18, 2010

 Newsletter of March 17, 2010

> For further information: www.humanrights.org.lv

* Memorial (Russia and Cis)

 N. Korean citizen abducted in Vladivostok

On March 18, 2010 North Korean citizen Kim Choy Su was abducted by unknown at 9 a.m. Vladivostok time (2 a.m. Moscow time) by unknown.

Several days ago Mr. Su came from Khabarovsk to Vladivostok to meet Vera Slutskaya, the representative of International Organization for Migration and to discuss the possibility of rendering him some help. In the morning he was waiting the arranged time in the car near the hotel where the representatives of the Organization had stayed when another car arrived. Several persons in plain-clothes came out the car and told the driver that his passenger was a criminal. The newcomers put the handcliffs on Kim Choy Su, put him into the car and took away without showing any ID’s.

Currently there is no information on the personalities of the abductors and the direction Kim Choy Su was taken to. The representative of IOM Vera Slutskaya has already applied to ombudsman in Primor’ye region and to the local department of internal affairs.

For additional information please call Vera Slutskaya at +7 910 418 0734 and Svetlana Gannushkina at +7 985 368 8256.

> For further information: www.memo.ru

* Ministero degli Esteri (Italy)

Gemellaggi: un nuovo bando con FYROM nella sezione IPA/PHARE

> For further information: www.esteri.it

* The Moscow Times (Russia and Cis)

 News summary update of March 17 & 18, 2010

 Business update of March 17 & 18, 2010

 Culture update of March 18, 2010

> For further information: www.themoscowtimes.com

* Osce (Austria, Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia)

 Georgian vice prime minister to brief OSCE on Friday

VIENNA, 18 March 2010 - Georgian Vice Prime Minister Temur Yakobashvili will deliver a speech to the OSCE Permanent Council on Friday.

Yakobashvili, who also serves as the State Minister for Reintegration of Georgia, is expected to discuss Georgia’s "State Strategy on Occupied Territories: Engagement through Co-operation" at a special meeting of the Permanent Council, one of the OSCE’s main regular decision-making bodies.

Journalists are invited to the speech, set to start at 10 a.m. on Friday, 19 March, in the Hofburg Congress Centre’s Neuer Saal.

For admittance to the Hofburg Congress Centre, please bring your OSCE press badge or a valid press card to the security desk (main entrance from the Heldenplatz). Parking is available for the press during the event in the OSCE-reserved parking area on Heldenplatz. Temporary parking permits must be collected from the security desk.

Read

 OSCE launches photo contest on tolerance and non-discrimination

VIENNA, 18 March 2010 - The OSCE launched a photo contest today to highlight tolerance and non-discrimination - key priorities of the OSCE Chairmanship of Kazakhstan in 2010 - with winners receiving a trip to Astana in June.

Initiated and financed by the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the OSCE, the contest invites photographers, both professional and amateur, residing in the 56 OSCE participating States to submit photos illustrating the importance of tolerance and non-discrimination on racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic or religious grounds.

A selection of photographs will be presented at a special exhibition at the OSCE High-Level Conference on Tolerance and Non-discrimination in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on 29 and 30 June, and showcased on the OSCE website. The prize for the five winners will be a trip to Astana to an award ceremony at the conference, and a tour of Astana’s sights and surroundings.

The deadline for submissions of entries is 10 May 2010, 24:00 (midnight) Central European Time.

Contest details can be found on the OSCE website: http://www.osce.org/item/43109.html

Read

 OSCE supports reforms, political discourse, Chairperson’s Special Envoy says during visit to Sarajevo

SARAJEVO, 17 March 2010 - The OSCE is committed to the security, stability and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and will continue to promote reforms, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin Zhigalov, the Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, said during a visit to Sarajevo today.

"Reforms in the field of education, local governance, rule of law and security co-operation are crucial to the country’s stability and progress," Zhigalov said. "The OSCE, and particularly its Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, will continue its support in this field."

A successful constitutional reform would require a consensus-based dialogue that engages all political actors and respects the country’s diversity, he added.

"An inclusive political discourse, both in the context of constitutional reform and in relation to the campaign for the general elections in October, would also be beneficial for the country’s prospects," he said.

Zhigalov also welcomed the unanimous decision among the 56 OSCE participating States last week to appoint Dunja Mijatovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the new OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

Zhigalov’s agenda for the visit included meetings with the Chairman of the BiH Presidency Haris Silajdzic, Deputy Minister of Foreigh Affairs Ana Trisic-Babic and High Representative and European Union Special Representative Valentin Inzko.

In the meetings, Zhigalov also discussed the Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship plans, highlighting an envisaged informal ministerial meeting set to take place this summer in Almaty. "An informal meeting in Almaty would provide an excellent opportunity to discuss the future of the European security, the OSCE’s engagement with Afghanistan and the substance of an OSCE summit," he said.

Read

 OSCE Roma adviser welcomes European Court ruling against school segregation

WARSAW, 17 March 2010 - The OSCE’s Roma adviser, Andrzej Mirga, today welcomed a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights against segregation of Roma children in elementary schools.

In the case Orsus and Others v. Croatia, the Court’s Grand Chamber yesterday said that the segregation of Roma children into separate classes based on language deficiencies violates the prohibition of discrimination set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.

"The ruling is important for our efforts to end the segregation of Roma and Sinti children in education systems across the OSCE area," said Mirga, the head of the OSCE’s Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues.

"Forcing Roma and Sinti children to go to special schools and classes condemns them to substandard education and reduces their life opportunities."

The goal must be that Roma and Sinti children are integrated into mainstream education, he said, stressing the importance of early education in this respect.

"Quality early education is a powerful tool to ensure a successful start in school for Roma and Sinti children and break the cycle of exclusion," Mirga said.

The 2003 OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti calls for educational policies that aim to integrate Roma and Sinti into mainstream education by providing full and equal access at all levels. The Action Plan requires that the OSCE’s 56 participating States ensure that national legislation bans racial segregation and discrimination in education.

In 2008, OSCE participating States agreed to promote early education for Roma and Sinti children as an instrument to prevent social exclusion and marginalization and to create a long-term improvement in the situation of Roma and Sinti.

The Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues is located within the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Read

* Polish Institute of International Affairs (Poland)

Please find enclosed next issue of the Bulletin: “Parliamentary Elections in Iraq” by Patrycja Sasnal.

Free parliamentary elections held in Iraq for the second time since the intervention in 2003 could be a breakthrough in the country’s political development. All of the ethnic and religious groups took part in the elections. Continued stabilization of the country will depend on a ruling coalition being formed quickly.

> For further information: www.pism.pl

* Polish News Bulletin (Poland)

Thursday, 18 March 2010

 Poland Needs More Innovation in Economy

According to the annual report on the implementation of innovative solutions in the EU published by the European Commission on 17 March, Poland is well below the EU average when it comes to innovation, however, it is making up for its shortcomings at a higher than average pace. The ranking of the most innovative EU countries was prepared on the basis of 29 criteria. The undisputed winners are Sweden, Finland, Germany and Great Britain. In the general classification, Poland has taken the fifth position from the bottom of the ranking. However, it has been been classified as quite high for good accessibility to human resources. Other strong points of Poland are the relatively well developed segment of research and development and the correlation between the application of innovative solutions and economic growth plus new jobs. We still have problems with public private partnerships and the introduction of innovative products onto the market. (Puls Biznesu Online, March 17 2010; Polish News Bulletin Daily No 1330, March 18 2010)

 Easy Monitoring of Legislative Work’s Progress

In June, the Government Center for Legislation will launch an internet platform to report on the progress of preparation of government legislative proposals and amendments. The platform was expected to be launched in December 2009, however, at the present moment, the information can still be accessed only in ministerial bulletins and only some of them are also being announced by the Government Center for Legislation. It has significant consequences for the progress of legislative work, as access to the legal documents is granted only to these institutions which have been invited to consultations. Other institutions and interested parties must rely on the information published by the media. Since June, every legislative proposal will be accessible to all interested parties through the platform, together with complete information on the changes introduced to it in the course of legislative work.

Dziennik Gazeta Prawna p. B1, March 10 2010; Law Supplement, Issue no.286, March 17 2010

 FT Boss Wants TPSA to Strengthen Its Position in Poland

New France Telecom (FT) CEO Stephane Richard has arrived in Warsaw in what is his first trip abroad after being appointed FT helmsman. In an interview cited by Gazeta.pl, he explains that his decision to visit Poland first was motivated by the fact tha...
 GUS: 2009 Bank Results Poorer Than in 2008

Combined turnover from operational activity for banks in 2009 amounted to ZA200.6bn, which is 0.9 percent less than the same result in 2008, the Central Statistical Office (GUS) announced on Friday. Commercial banks accounted for ZA195.2bn of this total...

 Petrolinvest Teams Up with Total

One week after obtaining a $50m loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Petrolinvest has secured considerable financing from Total. Parkiet daily writes that the official communique concerning the issue is to be publishe...

 Hungary: Industrial output climbs unadjusted 3.4pc in Jan

Hungary’s industrial output rose an unadjusted 3.4pc and a workday-adjusted 5.7pc in the twelve months to January, unchanged from the preliminary, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said in a second reading on Wednesday. Following two months of decline, output, exports and even domestic sales rose on the month at a pace not seen for years. Exports rose sharply on the year from a low base but domestic sales still fell. In a m/m comparison, output rose a seasonally-and workday-adjusted 8.8pc, again unchanged from the first reading published on March 9, as exports climbed 7.4pc and domestic sales increased 2.6pc. The 8.8pc increase in output was the steepest monthly rise registered in the past two years, and the 7.4pc rise in exports was the sharpest monthly increase probably in the past decade. The rise of domestic sales was the biggest adjusted monthly increase since June 2007. All the monthly rises came after two months of declines, including sizeable drops in December. Exports contracted m/m in November-December following monthly increases between May and October. Domestic sales last rose on the month in October. In a 12-month comparison, unadjusted output rose now for the second month y/y after an uninterrupted twelve-month decline between October 2008 and November 2009. Workday-adjusted output rose y/y for the first time since July 2008. The rises came from a low base. Export sales climbed an unadjusted 13.4pc and an adjusted 16.3pc from January 2009, rising for the second month in a row. Aside a slow base, the sharp rise reflected a steep m/m increase. Domestic sales fell an unadjusted 12.6pc and an adjusted 10.6pc y/y from a relatively high base in January 2009 when domestic sales were less affected by the crisis than exports were. The unadjusted twelve-month drop in domestic sales accelerated the adjusted fall slowed from December. Based on unadjusted figures industrial output, exports and domestic sales all declined uninterruptedly between October 2008 and November 2009. The workday-adjusted figures reveal that the period of twelve-month fall of output and exports started as early as July 2008 and lasted until December 2009.

CEEBL/MTI-ECONEWS, March 17, 2010

 Serbia: JAT Airways posts loss of EUR23.5m in 2009

National air carrier Jat Airways last year produced a loss of EUR23.5m and does not expect to earn any profit in 2010 either, company general manager Srdjan Radovanovic said on March 16. He told reporters that the airline’s operative loss totals EUR16.5m...

 Slovakia: RWE Gas builds its share on Slovak gas market

RWE Gas Slovensko is increasing its share on Slovakia’s natural gas market. Statutory representative of the company Miroslav Kulla told a news conference on Tuesday that the firm currently has a 25-percent market share in the segment of large corporate clients while it was about 6 percent last year. The company will supply natural gas to ov...

 Slovenia: Tus Holding to open largest shopping centre in Slovenia

Slovenia’s Tus Holding said its real estate division, Tus Nepremicnine, has invested EUR61m in a shopping and entertainment centre due to open in the Adriatic city of Koper on March 31. The 70,000 square metrer Plant Tus Koper will be the largest shoppin...

 U.S. Morgan Stanley Sees Romania’s GDP Rising 1.1% in 2010, 2.8% in 2011

U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley expects Romania’s economy to switch to a 1.1% growth this year and to expand by 2.8% in 2011, the bank said. Romania’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 7.1% last year, according to data from the country’s statistic...

> For further information: www.pnb.pl

* The Presidency of Russian Federation (Russia and Cis)

 Daily news report of March 18, 2010

 Daily news report of March 17, 2010

> For further information: http://president.kremlin.ru/eng

* Rai trasmissione Estovest (Italy)

In Lettonia, il prodotto interno lordo nel 2009 ha segnato meno 18%, mentre il tasso di disoccupazione, che secondo le previsioni nel 2010 aumenterà, ha quasi raggiunto il 20%. Estovest, la rubrica della Tgr prodotta dalla sede Rai per il Friuli Venezia Giulia, in onda sabato alle 11.15 su Raitre, apre la puntata con un servizio di Lucio Giudiceandrea realizzato a Riga. La dipendenza dai capitali esteri e l’illusione della facile ricchezza hanno fermato lo sviluppo della produzione, lasciando la repubblica baltica in balia della congiuntura internazionale.

Segue un servizio realizzato a Lidice, un piccolo centro minerario di 451 abitanti a una ventina di chilometri da Praga, che il 10 giugno del 1942 fu raso al suolo e bruciato dai tedeschi occupanti per rappresaglia dopo l’uccisione del governatore Reinhard Heydrich, conosciuto come "il boia di Praga" per la spietatezza con cui governò quelle regioni. Gian Paolo Girelli e Renato Orso hanno ritrovato Marie Dolezalova, una dei pochi superstititi del massacro degli abitanti. Furono fucilati tutti i 176 maschi dai 15 anni in su. Le 196 donne furono separate dai loro bambini (89) e deportate nei campi di concentramento dove quasi tutte morirono. Marie Dolezalova all’epoca aveva dieci anni e per le sue sembianze ariane, bionda con gli occhi azzurri, fu adottata da una famiglia tedesca. Solo nel ’46 fu ritrovata e dopo aver conosciuto la verità, l’uccisione del padre e del fratello quindicenne e di quasi tutti i bambini di Lidice, fu cresciuta dalla zia materna.

Crescono i nuovi poveri in Bosnia Erzegovina. La crisi economica vista da questo fragile paese dei Balcani è ancora piu grave che altrove. E’ in forte aumento il numero delle persone che per mangiare fanno la fila ogni giono davanti alle diverse mense della città. Enzo Ragone ha compiuto per Estovest un viaggio in questi avamposti della solidarietà, gestiti da cattolici e musulmani senza alcuna discriminazione verso le persone da assistere. Chiude la puntata un servizio dell’inviato Mario Refrigeri. In Moldova, dove ci sono le cantine più grandi del mondo, l’esportazione di cognac e brandy, un tempo rivolta esclusivamente all’area di influenza sovietica, oggi interessa anche America e Giappone.

Estovest è curato da Giovanni Marzini e Gian Paolo Girelli.

> For further information: www.eastovest.rai.it

* Rai trasmissione Levante (Italy)

Nuovo appuntamento con "Levante", la rubrica nazionale della TGR realizzata dalla redazione Rai di Bari a cura di Renato Cantore - Pino Bruno, in onda sabato 20 marzo alle 11.30 su Raitre. In questa puntata:

AL MERCATO DELLE BRACCIA di Annarosa Macrì

Piazza Omonia, nel cuore di Atene, è il mercato delle braccia clandestine. Gli immigrati si offrono per venti euro al giorno, ma il lavoro scarseggia e s’ingrossano le fila dei sans papier. Potrebbero diventare una miccia esplosiva in un Paese che è già in forte fibrillazione.

LA GUERRA DEL FORMAGGIO di Daniela Tortella

Più che un formaggio è un capitolo importante della storia e della tradizione cipriota. Halloumi è il formaggio fresco imitato in tutto il mondo, di cui Cipro sta rivendicando fieramente la paternità con un lungo contenzioso europeo per l’ottenimento della Denominazione di Origine Protetta.

UN’ALTRA BUCAREST di Vito Giannulo

La capitale romena non fa parte dei circuiti turistici internazionali. Anche se il dittatore Ceausescu amava definirla la Parigi dell’Est, Bucarest non è città da visitare per una lunga vacanza. I suoi scorci di straordinaria bellezza meritano comunque un week end.

EDRISI IL GEOGRAFO di Rocco Brancati

un volume sontuoso, dedicato a Edrisi, il geografo arabo del dodicesimo secolo conosciuto anche come "il siciliano". "Sollazzo per chi si diletta di girare il mondo" è il titolo del suo diario, edito da Giuseppe Barile per la Regione Basilicata. Un’occasione per scoprire un Mediterraneo diverso e ricco di fascino.

"Levante" va in onda anche sul canale satellitare Rai Med, ogni giovedi’ alle 21.22 e alle 23.17. Rai Med e’ trasmesso in chiaro anche dalla piattaforma SKY, sul canale 804. L’intera puntata si può vedere sul sito Internet www.levante.rai.it

* Sarke (Georgia)

 News in brief of March 18, 2010

 News in brief of March 17, 2010

 News in brief of March 15, 2010

> For further information: www.sarke.com

* Seenews (Bulgaria and Balkans)

 Daily news report of Albania (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click ALBANIA on menu bar

 Daily news report of Bosnia-Herzegovina (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA on menu bar

 Daily news report of Bulgaria (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click BULGARIA on menu bar

 Daily news report of Croatia (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click CROATIA on menu bar

 Daily news report of Macedonia (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click MACEDONIA on menu bar

 Daily news report of Moldova (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click MOLDOVA on menu bar

 Daily news report of Montenegro (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click MONTENEGRO on menu bar

 Daily news report of Romania (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click ROMANIA on menu bar

 Daily news report of Serbia (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click SERBIA on menu bar

 Daily news report of Slovenia (March 17 & 18, 2010)

Read and click SLOVENIA on menu bar

> For further information: www.seenews.com

* Uzreport (Uzbekistan and Central Asia)

 Daily report of March 18, 2010

 Daily report of March 17, 2010

> For further information: www.uzreport.com

* Vest (Slovenia)

 Daily update of March 18, 2010

 Daily update of March 17, 2010

> For further information: www.vest.si