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• in brief • Wall Street News Alert: Stock to Watch for Tuesday: GSAE • Wall Street News Alert: Stock to Watch for Tuesday: GSAE -- June 30, 2009 • Issues Tuesdayâ€™s Stocks to Watch: GSAE! June 30, 2009 • The Canadian Press Business News Budget for Monday, June 29, 2009. • Business Highlights • ADVERTISING & MARKETING. Rich pickings in Africa • BLACKROCK NEW ENERGY INVESTMENT TRUST PLC - Half-yearly Report • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Background Notes : Gambia, The (06/09) • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Relishing the Idea of a Post-Castro Cuba • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Interfax Russia & CIS Military Weekly • Nigeria: Trade regulations • Nigeria: Licensing and intellectual property • Nigeria: Competition and price regulations • Nigeria: Investment regulations • Interfax Russia & CIS Military Daily • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • ITU leader warns Geneva not to exploit delegates at Telecom show in October • Background Notes : Botswana (05/09) • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • ENVIRONMENT: Where That "Recycled" E-Waste Really Goes • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Background Notes : Gambia, The (04/09) • World away from home • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 Page 1 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. • An in-depth look at the Russian press, April 20. • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Market Maker Surveillance Report. Top 6 Winning Stocks With Lowest Price Friction For April 14, 2009 • Good People, Great Nation? [opinion] • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • FULBRIGHT EXPANDS ASIA PRESENCE: ADDS SIX LAWYERS IN HONG KONG • Fulbright Expands Asia Presence: Adds Six Lawyers in Hong Kong • E-Commerce Competition and Innovation Spurred by Economic Downturn • Background Notes : Niger (04/09) • Mobily Awards Motorola an SA435 million Contract to Expand its Network in Saudi Arabia; Latest expansion will provide enhanced communicat... • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • AFRICA: THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA COURT THE CONTINENT • Low valuations hide true worth of Africa's best • Mobily awards Motorola SA435m contract to expand network in Saudi Arabia • CADBURY PLC - Annual Financial Report • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • bc IL Motorola Contract photo 03 30 • Making a Case for 'Cattle-Rearers' Commission [opinion] • News Highlights: Top M&A Stories Of The Day • News Highlights: Top M&A Stories Of The Day • News Highlights: Top M&A Stories Of The Day • News Highlights: Top M&A Stories Of The Day • Mobily awards Motorola SR435m contract to expand its network in Saudi Arabia • Mobily Awards Motorola an SA435 Million Contract to Expand Its Network in Saudi Arabia • TUKUR BABA, HARRY BROADMAN, JENNIFER COOKE, PETER PHAM AND QIN ZHU PARTICIPATE IN A DISCUSSION ON IMPACT OF CHINA IN AFRICA: WHAT LIES AHEAD... • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Nigeria and China Reach Agreement to Replace Nigcomsat-1 Satellite • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Nigeria, China sign pact to replace Nigcomsat-1 satellite • Corruption - How Not to Fight the War [opinion] • Global Game; Emerging nations open captive markets to comsat suppliers Page 2 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. • This Day (Nigeria) - AAGM: Corruption - How Not to Fight the War. • DIARY - Political and General News Events From March 23 • Political digest of the last week • Ukuleles orchestrate top placing • Background Notes : Namibia (03/09) • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • COUNCIL HEARS PRESENTATION OF REPORTS BY SPECIAL PROCEDURES ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND COUNTERING TERRORISM, TORTURE AND ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Plan panel backs private partners for PSUs • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Background Notes : Cameroon (03/09) • Weekly political digest (16.02- 21.02.2009) • THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND HOLDS A DISCUSSION ON PRIMARY PRINCIPLES AT THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND... • How Mobile Broadband Can Stimulate Global Economy - Experts • Cell phone demand to stay strong despite downturn: U.N. GENEVA (Reuters) • Cell Phone Demand Stays Strong Despite Economic Downturn • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • MOBILE FAIR-Demand to stay strong despite downturn - U.N. • 52005PC0088; Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council On Community statistics on the structure and activity... • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • THE PROMISED LAND; Letter from China • Background Notes : Chad (02/09) • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • eHosting DataFort partners with Singapore's BCM Institute to offer business continuity and data recovery services • Background Notes : Cameroon (02/09) • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • NigComsat Budgets $500 Million for New Satellites • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 • Market Maker Surveillance Report. Top 6 Abnormal Price Friction Stocks For January 29, 2009 • DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 Page 3 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Business in brief Staff; Wire Reports 1,386 words 30 June 2009 The Las Vegas Review-Journal LVGS 2D English © 2009 The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved. KANSAS CITY, Mo. H&R Block profits exceed expectations H&R Block Inc., the nation's largest tax preparer, reported better-than-expected profit for its fiscal fourth quarter on Monday as higher fees and more consumer financial services income offset a decline in the number of tax returns it prepared. The Kansas City, Mo.-based company said it earned $706.9 million, or $2.09 per share, during the three months ended April 30, up from year-ago profit of $543.6 million, or $1.66 per share. That beat the $2.05 per share forecast by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Revenue sank 3 percent to $2.47 billion, coming in shy of Wall Street's $2.52 billion estimate. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. China promise to boost reserves lifts oil prices Oil prices settled above $71 a barrel Monday, as China said it would boost oil reserves and Nigerian militants partly shut down an offshore oil platform belonging to Royal Dutch Shell PLC. Benchmark crude for August delivery gained $2.33 to settle at $71.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Page 4 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Alaron Trading Corp. analyst Phil Flynn said China's plans to increase its strategic crude oil reserves by 60 percent should provide the market with some long-term support. Monday's jump in oil came despite a report from the International Energy Agency predicting a slower rebound in global energy demand. The IEA said demand is likely to grow by an average of 0.6 percent annually over the 2008-2014 period. SEATTLE Apple co-founder Jobs comes back to work Apple Inc. co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs is back at his office a few days a week after taking a fivemonth medical leave and getting a new liver. Jobs, 54, will work from home on days he doesn't work from Apple's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, company spokesman Steve Dowling said Monday. Dowling did not say exactly when Jobs returned to the office. The state of Jobs' health and the timing of his return have been watched closely by investors and the media, as Jobs is seen as the visionary behind Apple's popular iPod music players and the iPhone, which left far more experienced mobile phone makers scrambling to catch up with similar touchscreen devices. RENO Fees for mining stakes on federal land climbing Annual and one-time fees paid for mining stakes on federal land are going up. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Monday announced the one- time "location" fee has been increased from $30 to $34 for all new claims staked hereafter. Additionally, the annual maintenance fee for unpatented claims, mill and tunnel sites where no federal land has been transferred is now $140, up from $125. The adjusted fees are due on or before Sept. 1 . Page 5 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. NEW YORK GM will seek approval for restructuring plan General Motors Corp., hoping for a quick exit from Chapter 11, on Tuesday will ask a bankruptcy judge to approve its plan to refashion itself as a leaner automaker owned mostly by the government. The nation's largest automaker still faces hundreds of objections from bondholders, state officials, unions and individual retirees and shareholders, but could enjoy an easier trip through the bankruptcy process thanks to the legal trail blazed just weeks ago by rival Chrysler LLC. Last month, objections from a group of bondholders and others dragged out for three days Chrysler's hearing on its plan to sell the bulk of itself to a group led by Italy's Fiat Group SpA. Under the government-backed deal, GM will sell most of its assets to a newly created company, 60 percent owned by the U.S. government. The Canadian government will get a 12.5 percent stake while the United Auto Workers union will take a 17.5 percent share to fund its health care obligations. Unsecured bondholders receive the remaining 10 percent. Existing GM shareholders are expected to be wiped out. The remaining pieces of the company, including some closed plants, will become the "Old GM" and be liquidated. HOUSTON Enterprise Products to acquire Teppco Partners Enterprise Products Partners LP will acquire Teppco Partners LP in a sweetened all-stock deal worth about $3.3 billion, forming what the two pipeline operators say will be the nation's largest publicly traded energy partnership. The new partnership, announced Monday and expected to close by year's end, will have operations throughout the United States, on the east, west and gulf coasts. Keeping the name Enterprise Products Partners, it will own nearly 48,000 miles of crude and natural gas Page 6 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. pipelines; 200 million barrels of storage capacity for natural gas liquids, crude and refined products; and 27 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity. DEARBORN, Mich. Ford plans to increase third-quarter output Citing better-than-expected sales and traffic at dealerships, Ford Motor Co. said Monday it plans to increase third-quarter production by 25,000 units - marking the automaker's second production hike in recent weeks. Ford spokesman Mark Truby said that will bring total quarterly production to 485,000 units, a year-overyear increase of 16 percent or 67,000 units. Last month the company said it would raise third- quarter production by 42,000 units. WASHINGTON Interest rates mixedin Treasury auction Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills were mixed in Monday's auction. Rates on six-month bills rose to the highest level since mid-April, while three-month bills were unchanged. The Treasury Department auctioned $30 billion in six-month bills at a discount rate of 0.35 percent, up from 0.335 percent last week. Another $32 billion in three-month bills were auctioned at a discount rate of 0.195 percent. STUTTGART, Germany Volkswagen takeover bid rejected by Porsche Porsche has rejected Volkswagen AG's bid to take a 49 percent stake in the sports carmaker, a company spokesman said Monday. Porsche Automobil Holding SE spokesman Albrecht Bamler said the offer by VW "is not a viable option." Bamler said Porsche's board Chairman Wolfgang Porsche received the offer in a letter by courier last week. But the company's CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and management board weren't told. Page 7 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Porsche holds a roughly 51 percent stake in Volkswagen, but ran up big debts in accumulating that holding and is now seeking a merger with the larger company. How that is to happen remains unclear. PHILADELPHIA Court won't block new recording system TV operators won a key legal battle against Hollywood studios and television networks on Monday as the Supreme Court declined to block a new digital video recording system that could make it even easier for viewers to bypass commercials. The justices declined to hear arguments on whether Cablevision Systems Corp.'s remote-storage DVR system would violate copyright laws. That allows the Bethpage, N.Y.-based company to continue plans to start deploying the technology this summer. With remote storage, TV shows are kept on the cable operator's servers instead of the DVR inside the customer's home, as systems offered by TiVo Inc. and cable operators now do. The distinction is important because a remote system essentially transforms every digital set-top box in the home into a DVR, allowing customers to sign up instantly, without needing to pick up a DVR from a cable office or waiting for a technician's visit. Jury decides Abbott should pay settlement Abbott Laboratories should pay $1.67 billion to Johnson & Johnson's Centocor unit for using its invention to produce the Humira arthritis drug, a federal jury said in the largest patent verdict in U.S. history. The jury sided with J&J, the world's biggest health-care company, after five hours of deliberations, finding Abbott's actions were willful and J&J is owed $1.17 billion in lost profits and $504 million in royalties. Abbott pledged to appeal the verdict. NEW YORK Treasury prices climbas demand increases Treasury prices climbed Monday, boosted by end-of-the-quarter demand. Page 8 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.49 percent from 3.50 percent late Friday. Its price rose 0.5 points to 97.03. Document LVGS000020090701e56u0000m Page 9 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Wall Street News Alert: Stock to Watch for Tuesday: GSAE 1,575 words 30 June 2009 09:38 AM Associated Press Newswires APRS English (c) 2009. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. June 30, 2009 Wall Street News Alert: Stock to Watch for Tuesday: GSAE -- June 30, 2009 NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by Wall Street Capital Funding. (http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com) Wall Street News Alert's "stocks to watch" this morning are: Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSAE), Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) and Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK). To receive FREE Mobile Stock Alerts formatted especially for your cell phone, text the word "press" in the subject line to 68494. This free service can be discontinued at any time by replying to any one of the alerts with the word "stop" For more information, please visit http://www.WallStreetNewsAlert.com (http://www.WallStreetNewsAlert.com) and you can also follow Wall Street News Alerts on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wsna (http://twitter.com/wsna) Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSAE) is continuing to show progress on all fronts, Page 10 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. as the company has just announced that it is progressing towards listing on OTC Bulletin Board. Yesterday, the company issued a press release announcing it is moving towards compliance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and becoming a fully reporting entity. The Company plans to respond, this week, to the SEC request to file an amended Form 10. Subsequently, GSAE will obtain a listing on NASDAQ's OTC Bulletin Board -- a regulated quotation service that displays real-time quotes, last-sale prices, market depth and volume information for over-thecounter securities. Mike Andric, CEO of Green Star Alternative Energy, stated, "Green Star will very shortly become a fully reporting company, and the OTC Bulletin Board will be a step towards a listing on a larger stock exchange." In June the company has made several important announcements. Last week the company announced the hiring of Nikola Vasilijevic as the Company's Wind Farm Designer, who will oversee the engineering and construction of Green Star's wind farms. Prior to that, the company issued a press release announcing that it has received updated Speculative Buy rating with a price target of $5.70 by Beacon Analyst, Victor Sula, Ph.D. Also in June the company also reported the installation of the wind measurement tower at the 20 MW Belo Blato site. Miodrag Andric, CEO of Green Star Alternative Energy, stated: "We are delighted to see the first tower in place; but this is only the beginning, as we have other locations that require analysis and development." The stock closed yesterday at Ninety Five cents a share. For an in-depth profile of Green Star Alternative Energy, visit http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com/viewcompany-profiles.php?pro ile GSAE--062209 (http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com/view-companyprofiles.php?pr fil eGSAE--062209) . Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) down 0.3% on 20.2 million shares traded. Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) up 2.2% on 24.3 million shares traded. Exxon Mobil Corporation is one of the leading international energy companies whose subsidiaries have operations in most of the Page 11 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. world's countries. Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) up 1.2% on 14.6 million shares traded. Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the world's leading maker of mobile devices. Market Commentary: Oil rallied Monday as crude jumped $2.33 to settle at $71.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. This after China said it would boost oil reserves and Nigerian militants partly shut down an offshore oil platform. Let Wall Street News Alert help advertise for your company using our effective awareness campaigns. If you're Interested in telling your story, we can help. Contact us at [email protected] ([email protected]) WSNA's email alert service is free to those investors who sign up on the WSNA home page. The alert service is designed to notify investors of often-overlooked stocks. Subscribers are introduced to Special Situation companies that have the potential of showing increased activity. The Wall Street News Alert home page has experienced over 200 million hits. To subscribe to this free service, visit the Wall Street News Alert home page at http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com (http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com) . It has come to the attention of Wall Street News Alert (WSNA), that various persons or companies distribute faxes bearing similar names to Wall Street News Alert. Wall Street News Alert is not affiliated with faxes bearing names such as: Wall Street Stock Alert, Wall Street Investor Alert, Wall Street News Alert or any other fax using various combinations of the generic words Wall Street. Wall Street News Alert is a division of Wall Street Capital Funding LLC (WSCF). WSCF also maintains a contractual, working relationship with Stock Market Alerts LLC and its Wall Street Enews brand. WSCF is not a registered broker/dealer and may not sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. WSCF profiles are not a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. An offer to buy or sell can be made only with accompanying disclosure documents from the company offering or selling securities and only in the states and provinces for which they are approved. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational. The companies that are discussed in this release have not approved the statements made in this release nor approved the timing of this release. All statements and expressions are the sole opinion of WSCF and are subject to change without notice. Information in this release is derived from a variety of sources including that company's publicly disseminated information, third parties and WSCF research. The accuracy or completeness of the information is not warranted and is only as reliable as the Page 12 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. sources from which it was obtained. WSCF disclaims any and all liability as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained and any omissions of material fact in this release. The release may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. It is strongly recommended that any purchase or sale decision be discussed with a financial adviser, or a broker-dealer, or a member of any financial regulatory bodies. Investment in the securities of the companies' discussed in this release is highly speculative and carries a high degree of risk. WSCF is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment if they make a purchase in WSCF profiled stocks. This profile is not without bias, and is a paid release. WSCF has been compensated for dissemination of company information on behalf of one or more of the companies mentioned in this release. For current services performed for Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSAE), WSCF has been compensated Thirty Thousand shares, by a third party, ONYX Consulting Group LLC., who is nonaffiliated and may hold a significant position in the stock. WSCF holds Nine Thousand of those shares as of this release, and intends to immediately continue selling its shares as this release is being circulated. WSCF was also compensated for services rendered in 2008. WSCF may receive additional compensation for extension of its services. Any additional compensation will be disclosed at such time that WSCF is aware of a client's desire to extend the original services. WSCF may have received shares of a company profiled in this release prior to the dissemination of the information in this release. WSCF may immediately sell some or any shares in a profiled company held by WSCF and may have previously sold shares in a profiled company held by WSCF. WSCF's services for a company may cause the company's stock price to increase, in which event WSCF would make a profit when it sells its stock in a company. In addition, WSCF's selling of a company's stock may have a negative effect on the market price of the stock. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue Page 13 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and WSCF undertakes no obligation to update such statements. 7 Document APRS000020090630e56u001de Page 14 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Wall Street News Alert: Stock to Watch for Tuesday: GSAE -- June 30, 2009 1,549 words 30 June 2009 Market Wire ITWR English (c) Copyright 2009 Market Wire, Inc. NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by Wall Street Capital Funding. WESTON, FL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- Jun 30, 2009 -- Wall Street News Alert's "stocks to watch" this morning are: Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSAE), Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) and Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK). To receive FREE Mobile Stock Alerts formatted especially for your cell phone, text the word "press" in the subject line to 68494. *** This free service can be discontinued at any time by replying to any one of the alerts with the word "stop" For more information, please visit www.WallStreetNewsAlert.com and you can also follow Wall Street News Alerts on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wsna Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSAE) is continuing to show progress on all fronts, as the company has just announced that it is progressing towards listing on OTC Bulletin Board. Yesterday, the company issued a press release announcing it is moving towards compliance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and becoming a fully reporting entity. The Company plans to respond, this week, to the SEC request to file an amended Form 10. Subsequently, GSAE will obtain a listing on NASDAQ's OTC Bulletin Board -- a regulated quotation service that displays real-time quotes, last-sale prices, market depth and volume information for over-thecounter securities. Mike Andric, CEO of Green Star Alternative Energy, stated, "Green Star will very shortly become a fully Page 15 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. reporting company, and the OTC Bulletin Board will be a step towards a listing on a larger stock exchange." In June the company has made several important announcements. Last week the company announced the hiring of Nikola Vasilijevic as the Company's Wind Farm Designer, who will oversee the engineering and construction of Green Star's wind farms. Prior to that, the company issued a press release announcing that it has received updated Speculative Buy rating with a price target of $5.70 by Beacon Analyst, Victor Sula, Ph.D. Also in June the company also reported the installation of the wind measurement tower at the 20 MW Belo Blato site. Miodrag Andric, CEO of Green Star Alternative Energy, stated: "We are delighted to see the first tower in place; but this is only the beginning, as we have other locations that require analysis and development." The stock closed yesterday at Ninety Five cents a share. For an in-depth profile of Green Star Alternative Energy, visit http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com/viewcompany-profiles.php(TM)profile=GSAE_062209. Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) down 0.3% on 20.2 million shares traded. Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) up 2.2% on 24.3 million shares traded. Exxon Mobil Corporation is one of the leading international energy companies whose subsidiaries have operations in most of the world's countries. Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) up 1.2% on 14.6 million shares traded. Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the world's leading maker of mobile devices. Market Commentary: Oil rallied Monday as crude jumped $2.33 to settle at $71.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. This after China said it would boost oil reserves and Nigerian militants partly shut down an offshore oil platform. Page 16 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Let Wall Street News Alert help advertise for your company using our effective awareness campaigns. If you're Interested in telling your story, we can help. Contact us at [email protected] WSNA's email alert service is free to those investors who sign up on the WSNA home page. The alert service is designed to notify investors of often-overlooked stocks. Subscribers are introduced to Special Situation companies that have the potential of showing increased activity. The Wall Street News Alert home page has experienced over 200 million hits. To subscribe to this free service, visit the Wall Street News Alert home page at http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com. *** It has come to the attention of Wall Street News Alert (WSNA), that various persons or companies distribute faxes bearing similar names to Wall Street News Alert. Wall Street News Alert is not affiliated with faxes bearing names such as: Wall Street Stock Alert, Wall Street Investor Alert, Wall Street News Alert or any other fax using various combinations of the generic words Wall Street.*** Wall Street News Alert is a division of Wall Street Capital Funding LLC (WSCF). WSCF also maintains a contractual, working relationship with Stock Market Alerts LLC and its Wall Street Enews brand. WSCF is not a registered broker/dealer and may not sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. WSCF profiles are not a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. An offer to buy or sell can be made only with accompanying disclosure documents from the company offering or selling securities and only in the states and provinces for which they are approved. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational. The companies that are discussed in this release have not approved the statements made in this release nor approved the timing of this release. All statements and expressions are the sole opinion of WSCF and are subject to change without notice. Information in this release is derived from a variety of sources including that company's publicly disseminated information, third parties and WSCF research. The accuracy or completeness of the information is not warranted and is only as reliable as the sources from which it was obtained. WSCF disclaims any and all liability as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained and any omissions of material fact in this release. The release may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. It is strongly recommended that any purchase or sale decision be discussed with a financial adviser, or a broker-dealer, or a member of any financial regulatory bodies. Investment in the securities of the companies' discussed in this release is highly speculative and carries a high degree of risk. WSCF is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment if they make a purchase in WSCF profiled stocks. This profile is not without bias, and is a paid release. WSCF has been compensated for dissemination of company information on behalf of one or more of the companies mentioned in this release. For current services performed for Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSAE), WSCF has been Page 17 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. compensated Thirty Thousand shares, by a third party, ONYX Consulting Group LLC., who is nonaffiliated and may hold a significant position in the stock. WSCF holds Nine Thousand of those shares as of this release, and intends to immediately continue selling its shares as this release is being circulated. WSCF was also compensated for services rendered in 2008. WSCF may receive additional compensation for extension of its services. Any additional compensation will be disclosed at such time that WSCF is aware of a client's desire to extend the original services. WSCF may have received shares of a company profiled in this release prior to the dissemination of the information in this release. WSCF may immediately sell some or any shares in a profiled company held by WSCF and may have previously sold shares in a profiled company held by WSCF. WSCF's services for a company may cause the company's stock price to increase, in which event WSCF would make a profit when it sells its stock in a company. In addition, WSCF's selling of a company's stock may have a negative effect on the market price of the stock. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and WSCF undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Contact email: Email Contact URL: http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com Company: Wall Street News Alert Document ITWR000020090630e56u003ml Page 18 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Issues Tuesdayâ€™s Stocks to Watch: GSAE! June 30, 2009 2,319 words 30 June 2009 M2 Presswire MTPW English (c) 2009 M2 Communications, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Weston, FLA -- Wall Street News Alert's "stocks to watch" this morning are: Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (OTC: GSAE), SpongeTech(R) Delivery Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: SPNG), Genta Incorporated (OTCBB: GNTA) and NeoMedia Technologies Inc (OTCBB: NEOM). For more information, please visit www.WallStreetNewsAlert.com and you can also follow Wall Street News Alerts on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wsna Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (OTC: GSAE) is continuing to show progress on all fronts, as the company has just announced that it progressing towards listing on OTC Bulletin Board. Yesterday after the markets closed, the company issued a press release announcing it is moving towards compliance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and becoming a fully reporting entity. The Company plans to respond, this week, to the SEC request to file an amended Form 10. Subsequently, GSAE will obtain a listing on NASDAQ's OTC Bulletin Board - a regulated quotation service that displays real-time quotes, last-sale prices, market depth and volume information for over-thecounter securities. Mike Andric, CEO of Green Star Alternative Energy, stated, "Green Star will very shortly become a fully reporting company, and the OTC Bulletin Board will be a step towards a listing on a larger stock exchange." In June the company has made several important announcements. Last week the company announced the hiring of Nikola Vasilijevic as the Company's Wind Farm Designer, who will oversee the engineering and construction of Green Star's wind farms. Page 19 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Prior to that, the company issued a press release announcing that it has received updated Speculative Buy rating with a price target of $5.70 by Beacon Analyst, Victor Sula, Ph.D. Also in June the company also reported the installation of the wind measurement tower at the 20 MW Belo Blato site. Miodrag Andric, CEO of Green Star Alternative Energy, stated: "We are delighted to see the first tower in place; but this is only the beginning, as we have other locations that require analysis and development." The stock closed yesterday at Ninety Five cents a share. For an in-depth profile of Green Star Alternative Energy, visit http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com/viewcompany-profiles.php?profile=GSAE_062209. To receive FREE Mobile Stock Alerts formatted especially for your cell phone, text the word "press" in the subject line to 68494. *** This free service can be discontinued at any time by replying to any one of the alerts with the word "stop" SpongeTech(R) Delivery Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: SPNG) down 8.5% on 126.8 million shares traded. On Jun 29, 2009 SpongeTech(R) Delivery Systems, Inc. America's Cleaning Company(TM) announced that the Company has booked approximately $18 million in new orders for the entire month of June. This is SpongeTech(R)'s highest recorded monthly booked orders in the Company's history. The Company sees continued momentum in the marketplace and with the new children's bath sponge beginning to hit the marketplace, management is anticipating the drive in sales should continue to increase. SpongeTech(R) is branding itself as America's Cleaning Company(TM). SpongeTech(R)'s products are being ordered by various retail outlets all through North America including drugstores, supermarkets, membership warehouse clubs, and big box stores. In addition, SpongeTech(R) will soon begin its market penetration into Canada. The Company's Direct Response marketing program has been showing increase return on a regular basis. SpongeTech(R)'s COO Steven Moskowitz said, "We are excited to report a record month!! We are experiencing an incredible response to all of our products and we continue to increase our national retail footprint daily. We anticipate additional new products to come on line and we strongly believe that our sales growth will continue at this pace." Page 20 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. About SpongeTech(R) Delivery Systems, Inc.: SpongeTech(R) Delivery Systems is a company which designs, produces, and markets unique lines of reusable cleaning products for Car Care, Child Care, Home Care and Pet Care usages. These spongelike products utilize SpongeTech(R)'s proprietary, patent (and patent-pending) technologies and other technologies involving hydrophilic (liquid absorbing) foam, polyurethane matrices or other ingredients. The Company's sponge-like products are pre-loaded with specially formulated ingredients such as soap, conditioner and/or wax that are released when the sponge is soaked and applied to a surface with minimal pressure. SpongeTech(R) is currently exploring additional applications for its technology in the health, beauty, and medical markets. SpongeTech(R) Delivery Systems, Inc. intends to globally brand its Company as America's Cleaning Company(TM) . Genta Incorporated (OTCBB: GNTA) down 8.2% on 197.6 million shares traded. On Jun 29, 2009 Genta Incorporated recently announced that a previously announced reverse stock split will not be effective with the opening of trading on July 1, 2009. At a Special Meeting of stockholders held on June 26, 2009, Genta's stockholders approved a proposal to authorize the Board of Directors, in its discretion, to effect a reverse split of Genta's outstanding common stock at a ratio within a specified range. On June 26, 2009, the Company announced that a reverse stock split in a ratio of 1 for 50 would be effective with the open of trading on July 1, 2009. A certificate of amendment has been filed with the Delaware Secretary of State that amends Genta's certificate of incorporation for the reverse stock split. However, the reverse stock split, for purposes of trading on the OTC Bulletin Board, will not be effective until a later date due to administrative matters. The Company will announce a new effective trading date when these matters are completed. Please refer to the preceding press release and associated 8-K filing for further information regarding the reverse stock split. About Genta Genta Incorporated is a biopharmaceutical company with a diversified product portfolio that is focused on delivering innovative products for the treatment of patients with cancer. Two major programs anchor the Company's research platform: DNA/RNA-based Medicines and Small Molecules. Genasense(R) (oblimersen sodium) Injection is the Company's lead compound from its DNA/RNA Medicines program. The leading drug in Genta's Small Molecule program is Ganite(R) (gallium nitrate injection), which the Company is exclusively marketing in the U.S. for treatment of symptomatic patients with cancer related hypercalcemia that is resistant to hydration. The Company has developed G4544, an oral formulation of the active ingredient in Ganite, that has recently entered clinical trials as a potential treatment for Page 21 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. diseases associated with accelerated bone loss. The Company is also developing tesetaxel, a novel, orally absorbed, semi-synthetic taxane that is in the same class of drugs as paclitaxel and docetaxel. Ganite and Genasense are available on a "named-patient" basis in countries outside the United States. NeoMedia Technologies Inc (OTCBB: NEOM) up 17.7% on 9.5 million shares traded. On Jun 29, 2009 Mobile barcode technology company NeoMedia Technologies Inc recently announced that it informed on Friday that it has signed a strategic partnership with print and communication solutions provider Prinovis, which will launch a new mobile solutions line of business based on mobile barcodes, using NeoMedia's suite of NeoSphere products. NeoSphere products are code management tools that link print, online and mobile mediums, being instantly interactive to printed catalogues, magazines and advertisements, changing and updating content. Examples are handset scanning software, 2D code management systems and point-of-sale scanning hardware. The mobile barcodes provide a response tracking mechanism as well that helps advertisers measure effectiveness and adapt campaigns in real-time. Market Commentary: Oil rallied Monday as crude jumped $2.33 to settle at $71.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. This after China said it would boost oil reserves and Nigerian militants partly shut down an offshore oil platform. Let Wall Street News Alert help advertise for your company using our effective awareness campaigns. If you're Interested in telling your story, we can help. Contact us at [email protected] WSNA's email alert service is free to those investors who sign up on the WSNA home page. The alert service is designed to notify investors of often-overlooked stocks. Subscribers are introduced to Special Situation companies that have the potential of showing increased activity. The Wall Street News Alert home page has experienced over 200 million hits. To subscribe to this free service, visit the Wall Street News Alert home page at http://www.wallstreetnewsalert.com. *** It has come to the attention of Wall Street News Alert (WSNA), that various persons or companies distribute faxes bearing similar names to Wall Street News Alert. Wall Street News Alert is not affiliated with faxes bearing names such as: Wall Street Stock Alert, Wall Street Investor Alert, Wall Street News Alert or any other fax using various combinations of the generic words Wall Street.*** Wall Street News Alert is a division of Wall Street Capital Funding LLC (WSCF). WSCF also maintains a contractual, working relationship with Stock Market Alerts LLC and its' Wall Street Enews brand. WSCF is Page 22 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. not a registered broker/dealer and may not sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. WSCF profiles are not a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. An offer to buy or sell can be made only with accompanying disclosure documents from the company offering or selling securities and only in the states and provinces for which they are approved. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational. The companies that are discussed in this release have not approved the statements made in this release nor approved the timing of this release. All statements and expressions are the sole opinion of WSCF and are subject to change without notice. Information in this release is derived from a variety of sources including that company's publicly disseminated information, third parties and WSCF research. The accuracy or completeness of the information is not warranted and is only as reliable as the sources from which it was obtained. WSCF disclaims any and all liability as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained and any omissions of material fact in this release. The release may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. It is strongly recommended that any purchase or sale decision be discussed with a financial adviser, or a broker-dealer, or a member of any financial regulatory bodies. Investment in the securities of the companies' discussed in this release is highly speculative and carries a high degree of risk. WSCF is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment if they make a purchase in WSCF profiled stocks. This profile is not without bias, and is a paid release. WSCF has been compensated for dissemination of company information on behalf of one or more of the companies mentioned in this release. For current services performed for Green Star Alternative Energy, Inc. (OTC: GSAE), WSCF has been compensated Thirty Thousand shares, by a third party, ONYX Consulting Group LLC., who is non-affiliated and may hold a significant position in the stock. WSCF holds Nine Thousand of those shares as of this release, and intends to immediately continue selling its shares as this release is being circulated. WSCF was also compensated for services rendered in 2008. WSCF may receive additional compensation for extension of its services. Any additional compensation will be disclosed at such time that WSCF is aware of a clients desire to extend the original services. WSCF may have received shares of a company profiled in this release prior to the dissemination of the information in this release. WSCF may immediately sell some or any shares in a profiled company held by WSCF and may have previously sold shares in a profiled company held by WSCF. WSCF's services for a company may cause the company's stock price to increase, in which event WSCF would make a profit when it sells its stock in a company. In addition, WSCF's selling of a company's stock may have a negative effect on the market price of the stock. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, Page 23 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and WSCF undertakes no obligation to update such statements. M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to [email protected]. Document MTPW000020090630e56u003jt Page 24 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The Canadian Press Business News Budget for Monday, June 29, 2009. CP 2,056 words 29 June 2009 10:01 PM The Canadian Press CPR English (c) 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. EDs: In addition to the following, The Canadian Press will move a story on Canadian coffee house icon Tim Hortons returning its corporate base from the U.S. to Canada. The story moves on General and Business wires and is promoted on the General News budget. MONTREAL _ SFK Pulp (TSX:SFK.UN) will survive its many challenges including a breach of its debt covenants, even if the government fails to come to its rescue through a loan or bailout, the fund said Monday.The pulp producer said it was in better financial health than most other players in the industry, even though its sales plunged 40 per cent during the first quarter because of several production stops. 613 words. By Ross Marowits. BC-SFK-Pulp. MONTREAL _ North American parents looking to protect their children from side-impact collisions will have a new option in August when the worlds largest car-seat manufacturer begins to sell its patented new design.Dorel Industries (TSX:DII.B) said Monday its Air Protect system reduces the likelihood of injuries with side air cushions that slow the movement of the head during a collision. 561 words. By Ross Marowits. BC-Car-Seat-Dorel. MONTREAL _ As few as 30 per cent of Canadian cellphone users could be accurately located when calling 911 under an improved system that will be launched next February, a report says.``You're missing a big hunk of the mobile phone using population,'' said IDC Canada vice-president Lawrence Surtees, who authored the study. 589 words. By LuAnn LaSalle. BC-911-Mobile-Phones. OTTAWA _ Canadians may be in store for the most encouraging economic news in months on Tuesday with release of new output numbers expected to confirm the worst of the recessionary spiral ended in April.The average estimate among economists is that Aprils gross domestic product number will come it at minus 0.1 per cent compared with a 0.3 per cent retreat in March, showing the economy is still Page 25 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. contracting but that the sting is subsiding. 630 words. By Julian Beltrame. BC-Economy. TORONTO _ Although a military coup in Honduras will create instability that could affect its economy for some time to come, Canadian businesses are confident their operations in the Central American country won't be affected.Toronto-based miner Breakwater Resources Ltd. (TSX:BWR) said Monday there has been no disruption at its Mochito zinc, lead and silver mine, which employs about 850 people, and all production and shipping schedules are intact. 890 words. By Kristine Owram. BC-Honduras-CdaBusiness. CALGARY _ Fertilizer giant Agrium Inc. (TSX:AGU) says it is still being shut out by its unwilling U.S. takeover target, even after a majority of CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE:CF) shareholders tendered to the Calgary-based firm's bid last week.Agrium chief executive Mike Wilson said his CF counterpart called him to say his firm would not meet to discuss the nearly US$4-billion offer, even though 62 per cent of CF's stock was tendered by last Monday's deadline, which has been extended. 746 words. By Lauren Krugel. BC-Agrium. NEW YORK _ A federal judge rejected Bernard Madoff's plea for leniency Monday, sentencing the 71year-old swindler to spend the rest of his life in prison for an `èxtraordinarily evil'' fraud that took a staggering toll on thousands of victims. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin cited the unprecedented nature of the multibillion-dollar fraud as he sentenced Madoff to the maximum of 150 years in prison, a term comparable only to those given in the past to terrorists, traitors and the most violent criminals. There is no parole in federal prison so Madoff will most likely die there. 1311 words. By Larry Neumeister and Tom Hays. See Photos. Moves Business (B) and World (W). BC-US-Madoff-Scandal, 9th Writethru Correction. HOUSTON _ Enterprise Products Partners LP will acquire Teppco Partners LP in a sweetened all-stock deal worth about US$3.3 billion, forming what the two pipeline operators say will be the nation's largest publicly traded energy partnership.The new partnership, announced Monday and expected to close by years end, will have operations throughout the U.S., on the east, west and gulf coasts. 451 words. By John Porretto. BC-US-Enterprise-Teppco. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. _ Oil prices settled above US$71 a barrel Monday, as China said it would boost oil reserves and Nigerian militants partly shut down an offshore oil platform belonging to Royal Dutch Shell PLC.Benchmark crude for August delivery gained $2.33 to settle at $71.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. 521 words. By Dirk Lammers. BC-Oil-Prices. BRUSSELS _ European business and consumer confidence climbed for the third month in a row in June but still languished near its lowest point in two decades, the European Commission said Monday. It said Page 26 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. the main players in the economy oseem to be gaining confidence that the crisis is easing as industrial and services companies expect to be employing more people in future and consumers are worrying less about losing their jobs. 549 words. By Aoife White. BC-EU-Economy. The Canadian Press is also following: TORONTO _ Strong buying interest in energy and financial stocks pushed the Toronto stock market to a solid gain Monday.The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 87.01 points to 10,476.77 ahead of a shortened trading week in Canada and the United States. 712 words. By Malcolm Morrison. BC-DollarMarkets. DELSON, Que. _ Goodfellow Inc. (TSX:GDL) said Monday that it earned $2.1 million in its most recent quarter as revenue fell more than 15 per cent. The re-manufacturer and distributor of lumber and hardwood flooring said its profit amounted to 24 cents per share for the quarter ended May 31 compared with a profit of $1.7 million or 20 cents per share a year ago. 166 words. BC-Goodfellow. MONTREAL _ CAE Inc. (TSX:CAE, NYSE:CGT) said Monday it will be changing its stock trading symbol on the New York stock exchange. The Montreal-based provider of commercial and defence flight training said its NYSE symbol will change from CGT to CAE effective Thursday. The new symbol will mirror the one used on the Toronto Stock Exchange. 54 words. BC-CAE. MONTREAL _ Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) said Monday it has secured a $100 million revolving loan agreement with loyalty rewards program Aeroplan (TSX:AER.UN).The cash-strapped airline also said it has already drawn $79 million of that money. 206 words. Air-Canada-Aeroplan. LAVAL, Que. _ BioSyntech Inc. (TSX: BSY) announced the resignations of its chief executive officer and CFO on Monday and warned the biotechnology companys ability to continue as a going concern depends on obtaining additional financing. 285 words. BioSyntech. OTTAWA _ Canadians hammered by the recession are finding the countrys social safety net is among the stingiest in the industrialized world just when they need it most, a new report says. 628 words. By Julian Beltrame. BC-EI-Report. TORONTO _ Ontario is delaying plans to build new reactors at the Darlington nuclear station, saying an offer from Ottawas Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. would cost obillions more than the province is willing to pay and citing uncertainty over the company's future. 689 words. By Romina Maurino. BC-Ont-NuclearDecision. Page 27 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TORONTO _ Scotiabank's Commodity Price Index, led by oil and gas, rallied 2.2 per cent in May from an April trough that was 45 per cent below its peak of July 2008, the bank said Monday.The Oil & Gas Index, showed a month-over-month gain of 4.4 per cent in May, due to a large jump in Alberta light and heavy crude oil prices and slightly higher propane prices. 335 words. BC-Scotiabank-Commodities. TORONTO _ One of the major unitholders of Resolve Business Outsourcing Income Fund (TSX:RBO.UN) said Monday it was rejecting a takeover bid from cheque-maker Davis + Henderson Income Fund (TSX:DHF.UN). Marret Asset Management, which owns 14.5 per cent of Resolves outstanding units, said the all-stock deal announced on June 3 has deteriorated in value since it was announced and is no longer beneficial to unitholders. 319 words. BC-Davis-Henderson-Resolve. TORONTO _ GuestLogix Inc. (TSXV:GXI) booked its first quarter of profitability since its inception in 2002, boosted by a 156 per cent gain in revenue.The retail technology provider to the passenger travel industry posted a second-quarter net income of $33,340 or nil a share compared with a loss of $1.1 million or two cents a share from the same period a year ago. 226 words. BC-GuestLogix. TORONTO _ The union representing Globe and Mail staff has agreed to extend contract talks with the newspapers management until Thursday at midnight.The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union said Monday that both sides will meet with labour mediator William Kaplan on Thursday, and that no other strike, lockout or work-to-rule action will be taken before then. 233 words. Globe-and-Mail. TORONTO _ Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B) says Porter Airlines of Toronto has placed a firm order for two Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners, with a total list price of US$54 million.That will bring to 20 the number of Q400s that Porter has ordered from the Montreal-based company, which assembles the planes in Toronto. 78 words. Bombardier. TORONTO _ Genworth MI Canada Inc. (TSX:MIC) said Monday it will issue 44.7 million shares at a price of $19 per share in an initial public offering. The mortgage insurance business said of the shares being offered, 5.1 million shares are being sold by Genworth MI Canada, and 39.6 million shares are being sold by U.S. parent company Genworth Financial. 152 words. BC-Genworth. MISSISSAUGA, Ont. _ Prime Restaurants Royalty Income Fund (TSX:EAT.UN), which owns the East Side Mario's and Casey's restaurants and Prime pubs, says its exploring strategic alternatives.The company said Monday that its affiliate PRC Trademarks Inc. has formed a special committee to look at options for both the fund and TradeMarkCo., the owner of the trademarks for its restaurants. 180 words. BC-Prime-Restaurants. Page 28 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. LONDON, Ont. _ Kellogg Canada and the union representing nearly 500 locked-out workers in London, Ont., have reached a tentative agreement.It's the second offer given to workers in a week, after the first was rejected by members. 217 words. BC-London-Kellogg-Lockout. WINDSOR, Ont. _ It's back to work today 3,500 Chrysler Canada minivan plant workers in Windsor, Ont. They have been off the job for two months during the Chrysler bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S. 128 words. Moves (G) General and (B) Business. BC-Chrysler-Windsor. VANCOUVER _ Yamiri Gold and Energy Inc. (TSXV:YGI) has agree to sell its majority stake in Yacimientos Mineros Riojanos SA to Jorge Gamarci, the company's chairman and chief executive officer.Gamarci will $533,577 in cash and he forgive a $143,691-loan owed by the company in return for Yamiri's 79.5 per cent interest in Yacimientos Mineros, which has been exploring for uranium in Argentina 153 words. BC-Yamiri-Gold. VANCOUVER _ Shares of B2Gold Corp. (TSX:BTO) were the most heavily traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday after the Vancouver-based mineral explorer announced a $25-million bought deal financing.More than 17.5 million shares of the company traded hands as they slipped three cents or 3.8 per cent to close at 77 cents. 259 words. BC-B2Gold. VANCOUVER _ Northgate Minerals Corp. (TSX:NGX) said Monday that workers at its Fosterville gold mine in Australia have ratified a new three-year collective agreement. The company said the agreement covers 190 production and maintenance employees for the underground and surface operations at the mine. 83 words. BC-Northgate-Minerals. DUNCAN, B.C. _ Western Forest Products Inc. (TSX:WEF) said its senior vice-president and chief operating officer, Duncan Kerr, is leaving the company, effective immediately.Kerr joined the company in August 2005. No reason was given for his departure. 103 words. BC-Western-Forest-Products. THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO 20090629CPCPM3910 Document CPR0000020090630e56u000c5 Page 29 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Business Highlights 1,350 words 29 June 2009 05:55 PM Associated Press Newswires APRS English (c) 2009. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Bernard Madoff gets maximum 150 years in prison NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal judge rejected Bernard Madoff's plea for leniency Monday, sentencing the 71-year-old swindler to spend the rest of his life in prison for an "extraordinarily evil" fraud that took a "staggering toll" on thousands of victims. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin cited the unprecedented nature of the multibillion-dollar fraud as he sentenced Madoff to the maximum of 150 years in prison, a term comparable only to those given in the past to terrorists, traitors and the most violent criminals. There is no parole in federal prison so Madoff will most likely die there. The massive Ponzi scheme run by Madoff since at least the early 1990s demolished the life savings of thousands of people, wrecked charities and shook confidence in the U.S. financial system. -----Apple CEO Steve Jobs back at work few days a week SEATTLE (AP) -- Apple Inc. co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs is back at his office a few days a week after taking a 5 1/2-month medical leave and getting a new liver. Jobs, 54, will work from home on days he doesn't work from Apple's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, company spokesman Steve Dowling said Monday. Dowling did not say exactly when Jobs returned to the Page 30 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. office. The state of Jobs' health and the timing of his return have been watched closely by investors and the media, as Jobs is seen as the visionary behind Apple's popular iPod music players and the iPhone, which left far more experienced mobile phone makers scrambling to catch up with similar touchscreen devices. -----Rising oil, commodity prices pull stocks higher NEW YORK (AP) -- A jump in oil sent investors rushing to put money into the stock market in the final days of the second quarter. Energy, industrial and materials stocks pulled the market higher in light trading Monday as investors raced to keep up with the gains in oil. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 90.99, or 1.1 percent, to 8,529.38. With the quarter's end coming up on Tuesday some money managers were buying stocks bolster their returns. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 16.2 percent since the start of the April-June quarter. -----H&R Block reports better-than-expected 4Q profit KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- H&R Block Inc., the nation's largest tax preparer, reported better-thanexpected profit for its fiscal fourth quarter on Monday as higher fees and more consumer financial services income offset a decline in the number of tax returns it prepared. The Kansas City, Mo.-based company said it earned $706.9 million, or $2.09 per share, during the three months ended April 30. That's up from year-ago profit of $543.6 million, or $1.66 per share, and above the $2.05 per share expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. Revenue for the quarter sank 3 percent to $2.47 billion, coming in shy of Wall Street's $2.52 billion estimate. ------ Page 31 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oil settles above $71; China to boost reserves SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Oil prices settled above $71 a barrel Monday, as China said it would boost oil reserves and Nigerian militants partly shut down an offshore oil platform belonging to Royal Dutch Shell PLC. Benchmark crude for August delivery gained $2.33 to settle at $71.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Shell spokesman Precious Okolobo confirmed the Nigeria attack and partial shutdown. Previous militant attacks on infrastructure in the country's restive southern oil region have trimmed output in Africa's biggest crude producer by about 25 percent. -----High court won't block remote storage DVR system PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Cable TV operators won a key legal battle against Hollywood studios and television networks on Monday as the Supreme Court declined to block a new digital video recording system that could make it even easier for viewers to bypass commercials. The justices declined to hear arguments on whether Cablevision Systems Corp.'s remote-storage DVR system would violate copyright laws. That allows the Bethpage, N.Y.-based company to proceed with plans to start deploying the technology this summer. With remote storage, TV shows are kept on the cable operator's servers instead of the DVR inside the customer's home, as systems offered by TiVo Inc. and cable operators currently do. -----Judge to decide Tuesday on Stanford's bond HOUSTON (AP) -- A federal judge says he will decide by Tuesday afternoon on whether to revoke a bond for Texas financier R. Allen Stanford that would let him be free while he awaits trial on charges he swindled investors out of $7 billion. U.S. District Judge David Hittner heard more than four hours of arguments Monday in which prosecutors Page 32 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. asked him to revoke an order granting Stanford a $500,000 bond. They argued his international ties make him a serious flight risk. But Dick DeGuerin, Stanford's attorney, says his client, who is broke because all his assets have been seized, has a very strong incentive to stay: to clear his name and restore his finances. -----Enterprise to buy Teppco in $3.3B all-stock deal HOUSTON (AP) -- Enterprise Products Partners LP will acquire Teppco Partners LP in a sweetened allstock deal worth about $3.3 billion, forming what the two pipeline operators say will be the nation's largest publicly traded energy partnership. The new partnership, announced Monday and expected to close by year's end, will have operations throughout the U.S., on the east, west and gulf coasts. Keeping the name Enterprise Products Partners, it will own nearly 48,000 miles of crude and natural gas pipelines; 200 million barrels of storage capacity for natural gas liquids, crude and refined products; and 27 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity. -----SEC tells State Street it could face civil charges NEW YORK (AP) -- State Street Corp. on Monday disclosed in a regulatory filing that the Securities and Exchange Commission could bring civil charges against its main subsidiary for possible securities violations tied to past investments in subprime mortgages. State Street Bank and Trust Co. received a "Wells" notice from the SEC on Thursday tied to the ongoing investigation by the SEC into disclosures and management of the bank's fixed-income investments during 2007 and earlier periods, according to Monday's regulatory filing. -----FDA says E. coli found in Nestle sample Page 33 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. NEW YORK (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration said Monday a sample of raw cookie dough collected at a Nestle USA manufacturing plant last week has tested positive for E. coli. Nestle voluntarily recalled all Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products made at the Danville, Va., factory earlier this month after the FDA told Nestle it suspected consumers may have been exposed to E. coli bacteria after eating the dough raw. The FDA and the federal Centers for Disease Control have been investigating whether the cookie dough was the source of the E. coli outbreak which has sickened 69 people in 29 states, according to the latest CDC data. E. coli is a potentially deadly germ that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure. By The Associated Press The Dow Jones industrial average rose 90.99, or 1.1 percent, to 8,529.38. The S&P 500 index rose 8.33, or 0.9 percent, to 927.23, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 5.84, or 0.3 percent, to 1,844.06. Stocks ended last week mixed. Benchmark crude for August delivery gained $2.33 to settle at $71.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In other Nymex trading, gasoline for July delivery gained 6.13 cents to settle at $1.9358 a gallon. Heating oil rose 5.32 cents to settle at $1.7835 a gallon. In London, Brent prices rose $2.07 to settle at $70.99 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. 5 Document APRS000020090629e56t002e0 Page 34 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Features ADVERTISING & MARKETING. Rich pickings in Africa Matebello Motloung 760 words 26 June 2009 Financial Mail AIWFIM Financial Mail English Copyright 2009. Financial Mail ADVERTISING & MARKETING Rich pickings in Africa Despite the economic downturn, which has affected revenues and resulted in Africa’s growth prospects being revised down, the world’s largest communications firms are forging ahead with their expansion into the continent. The International Monetary Fund in April revised Africa’s growth rate to 2%, down from 3,4% in January. Despite this, WPP, the world’s largest advertising, marketing & media firm, with a market capitalisation of £5,2bn, plans to increase its footprint in emerging markets, Africa included. Earlier this year, the Dublinbased multinational acquired stakes in three of SA’s and the continent’s fastest-growing advertising & marketing firms. It bought 49% of creative agency The Jupiter Drawing Room, one of SA’s most awarded agencies; 33% in Smollan, a field marketing specialist with operations in China, Brazil, and India; and 27,5% in Scangroup, a Kenya-based advertising & marketing firm. In 2007, it acquired digital agency Aqua Online. WPP CEO Martin Sorrell built his empire by reportedly purchasing 18 creative agencies in three years. He stunned the agency world in 1987 with a US$566m “hostile” takeover of industry icon JWT. He says it is at times like this, given the global financial crisis, that WPP’s strategic goals “become increasingly important, rather than diminished, so our focus on new markets, on new media and on consumer insight applies equally to Africa, particularly in relation to new markets”. Page 35 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WPP owns local agencies JWT and Ogilvy and media companies Mindshare and MediaCom. Like its rivals — Omnicom, Publicis Groupe and Interpublic Group — and many companies across various sectors, it is facing stagnating growth in its traditional strongholds. Advertising revenue in traditional or old media (radio, TV and cinema) is shrinking dramatically. This is why Africa and emerging markets are doing well. The regions’ markets offer growth opportunities across all media types, unlike in mature markets. So as the world comes out of the recession, says Sorrell, “there is no doubt that in the ‘Bric’ [Brazil, Russia, India and China] and ‘Next 11’ countries [which includes Nigeria and Egypt] new media — whether it be PC-driven, mobile driven or video driven — and consumer insight will become increasingly important.” To date, 25% of WPP’s business is from Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. Sorrell says the focus now is to grow this to a third. These regions contributed £1,8bn to WPP’s revenue last year, up 30% from £1,4bn and 46% from 2006’s £1,2bn. According to an advertising forecast released by Zenith Optimedia, a media agency owned by Parisbased Publicis Groupe, developing markets will account for more than 55% of the world’s advertising expenditure growth by 2010. This will push up their share of the advertising market to around 33% from 27% in 2007. WPP’s rivals are taking note. They are also making inroads into the continent. Last month, Publicis, which owns local agency Saatchi & Saatchi, opened up a branch in Ghana, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. According to the group’s 2008 fourth-quarter financial results released earlier, its Africa and Middle East operations are the only ones growing rapidly. In terms of organic growth, Publicis’s European operations reported the largest drop — 1,8% to à521m while the Middle East & Africa rose 36,7%, bringing in à36m, up from à50m. Page 36 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Interpublic Group, the world’s fourth-largest communications firm, also increased its footprint in the Middle East and Africa by acquiring majority ownership of the Middle East Communications Network, which operates in those regions. South America, particularly Brazil, is also luring an increasing number of investors due to the size of the market. The growth of the telecommunications market in countries such as Nigeria and SA — due to its soon to improve broadband penetration — will continue to count in the continent’s favour, says the Jupiter Drawing Room’s cofounder and creative head, Graham Warsop. “A negative for us so far has been that we are behind in terms of digital capabilities, so much so that we have not been able to grow that side of industry at the same speed as Europe and the US. “With the arrival of the [Seacom undersea] pipeline, we will see agencies focused on the digital space. This will help us up our game quickly and play catch-up with the rest of the world.” Martin Sorrell Strategic goals increasingly important at times like these Document AIWFIM0020090626e56q00001 Page 37 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. BLACKROCK NEW ENERGY INVESTMENT TRUST PLC - Half-yearly Report 6,339 words 12 June 2009 11:12 AM PR Newswire UK Disclose PRNDIS English Copyright © 2009 PR Newswire Europe Limited. All Rights Reserved. BLACKROCK NEW ENERGY INVESTMENT TRUST plc Half yearly financial results for the six months ended 30 April 2009 For further information please contact: Jonathan Ruck Keene, Managing Director, Investment Company Division Robin Batchelor, Fund Manager Emma Phillips, Media & Communications 020 7743 2178 020 7743 2618 020 7743 2922 BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited OR William Clutterbuck The Maitland Consultancy 020 7379 5151 Chairman's Statement It has been pleasing to see that in recent months the sector has recouped some of the losses suffered following the severe fall in new energy valuations towards the end of the Company's last financial year. It is also encouraging to note that new energy remains a key area of global focus, driven by legislative support. Despite this, the sector is unlikely to be immune from the uncertainties which continue to dominate equity markets. Over the six months ended 30 April 2009, the Company's NAV increased by 20.5%. Page 38 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. By comparison, the share price increased by 33.1% and the MSCI World Developed Markets Index rose by 1.7%. Further information on investment performance is given in the Investment Manager's Report. Subscription shares On 20 April 2009, the Company announced that it was considering proposals for a bonus issue of subscription shares to existing shareholders. The Board believes that subscription shares represent an attractive opportunity for shareholders to participate in any future net asset value growth of the Company through subscribing for ordinary shares, as well as having the potential to provide for a larger capital base which should enhance the profile of the Company and improve the total expense ratio. It is expected that the prospectus relating to the bonus issue of subscription shares will be enclosed with this report. It is also expected that a General Meeting will be convened for 15 July 2009 to consider this matter and the Board recommends that shareholders vote in favour of the resolution which will be put to the meeting. Directorate Karen de Segundo joined the Board at the launch of the Company in 2000 and, given her length of tenure and other commitments, decided to retire as a Director on 31 May 2009. I would like to thank Karen for her contribution and wise counsel over the last 8½ years. The Board has started a process for refreshing its membership and expects to make an appointment before the end of the year. VAT Following the success of the Association of Investment Companies ("AIC") and JPMorgan Claverhouse Investment Trust plc in their case against HM Revenue & Customs ("HMRC"), an amount of £526,000 was recovered by BlackRock shortly after the period end and has been credited to the Consolidated Income Statement. Page 39 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. A further amount of approximately £99,000 together with interest is expected from HMRC. The total amount still to be recovered will be recognised in the financial statements on receipt. Prospects The global economic downturn, and the risk that companies with expanding order books may not always be able to raise the necessary capital, have added to the challenges for some new energy companies in meeting their development objectives. However, on a more positive note, government legislative and fiscal support for the new energy sector remains unabated and recent incentives should help to mitigate the economic challenges. Ewen Macpherson 12 June 2009 Interim Management Report and Responsibility Statement The Chairman's Statement and the Investment Manager's Report give details of the important events which have occurred during the period and their impact on the financial statements. Principal risks and uncertainties The principal risks faced by the Company can be divided into various areas as follows: - Performance; Income/dividend; Regulatory; Operational; and Financial. The Board reported on the principal risks and uncertainties faced by the Company in the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 October 2008. A detailed explanation can be found on pages 16 and 17 of the Annual Report and Financial Statements which is available on the website maintained by the Investment Manager, BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, at www.blackrock.co.uk/its. Page 40 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. In the view of the Board, there have not been any changes to the fundamental nature of these risks since the previous report and these principal risks and uncertainties are equally applicable to the remaining six months of the financial year as they were to the six months under review. Related party transactions The Investment Manager is regarded as a related party and details of the management fees payable are set out in note 3. Directors' responsibility statement The Disclosure and Transparency Rules ("DTR") of the UK Listing Authority require the Directors to confirm their responsibilities in relation to the preparation and publication of the Interim Management Report and Financial Statements. The Directors confirm to the best of their knowledge that: - the condensed set of financial statements contained within the half yearly financial report has been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34 Ìnterim Financial Reporting'; and - the interim management report, together with the Chairman's Statement and Investment Manager's Report, include a fair review of the information required by 4.2.7R and 4.2.8R of the FSA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. The half yearly financial report was approved by the Board on 12 June 2009 and the above responsibility statement was signed on its behalf by the Chairman. Ewen Macpherson By order of the Board 12 June 2009 Investment Manager's Report Overview Page 41 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Over the six months ended 30 April 2009, the Company's share price rose by 33.1% while the NAV rose by 20.5%. In the same period, global markets as represented by the MSCI World Developed Markets Index, gained 1.7%. (All figures in Sterling terms and on a capital only basis). The Company's share price rebounded off the lows set in October 2008 in the wake of the market panic following the demise of Lehman Brothers and concerns over the stability of other financial institutions. Global equity markets have rallied over the last two months as financial institutions reported better than expected quarterly results, credit markets have improved, and an uptick in a number of economic leading indicators in Europe and China has given hopeful signs of recovery. The economic outlook, however, remains uncertain and markets continue to be volatile. Market update As we have highlighted in previous reports, the new energy sector benefits from various supportive government initiatives. Over the last six months we have been concerned that governments' desire to promote the sector could wane, given the deterioration in public finances. So far, the evidence suggests that this is not the case. In fact, over the past few months, we have witnessed significant regulatory progress. In the US, the election of President Barack Obama marked a major policy shift with regards to the new energy sector. President Obama is a vocal supporter of the sector and in February signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (widely known as the `Stimulus bill') which includes incentives worth approximately US$40 billion for new energy including the following: - A multi-year extension of the Production Tax Credit ("PTC") for wind power generation To date, the primary government incentive for wind power generation has been a tax credit worth US$22 per megawatt hour. The scheme has now been improved significantly. Instead of the usual expiry of the scheme after one year, the PTC has been extended through 2012, giving greater visibility to the industry for long-term investment planning. - Renewable energy grants Page 42 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. As an alternative to the PTC, renewable energy developers can now obtain cash grants equal to 30% of the capital expenditure cost. This measure - also available to equipment manufacturers - is important as it allows companies with no tax liability to obtain the financial benefit and also reduces the upfront funding requirement. - US$6 billion to fund a loan guarantee programme for renewable energy Solar and wind farms are capital intensive developments and therefore rely heavily on debt financing (80% debt financing is common). The loan guarantee facility will reduce the risk of project finance loans, encouraging banks to lend and helping to ease a key bottleneck during this period of tight credit. (It is worth noting that the US$6 billion of funding can support around US$60 billion worth of loans.) - US$11 billion of funding for the electric `smart grid' This investment in a modernised electrical grid will use the latest technology to improve the reliability of the grid and conserve energy. Investment in the power grid is also needed to connect new sources of energy generation such as wind. The US is also contemplating a Renewable Electricity Standard ("RES") which would mandate a certain amount of the nation's power to come from renewables, the pricing and regulation of carbon and new plans to accelerate investment in the power grid. At the time of writing, there were a number of proposals being debated in Washington and we expect to get further clarity in the coming months. Whatever form the final legislation takes, it is likely to be beneficial for the Company's investments. According to Credit Suisse, a nationwide RES would require between US$345 to US$758 billion of investment in Page 43 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. new renewable generation, depending on targets that are eventually agreed. This number excludes supporting resources (such as transmission) that will inevitably be required to meet the RES. These measures should benefit not only the Company's US holdings but also those companies listed elsewhere that sell their product in the US. For example, Vestas, the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, is listed in Denmark but generated approximately a quarter of its sales in the US during 2008. Elsewhere in the world, the sector is also benefiting from government fiscal plans. China has allocated approximately US$30 billion to the ècological environment' as part of their stimulus package. In March, the government announced a generous solar subsidy and recent press reports suggest that long-term targets for wind have increased from 30GW to 100 - 125GW in 2020 and that long-term targets for solar have risen from 1.5GW to 10GW in 2020. China is already targeting 15% of power generation from renewables by 2020. These measures, combined with the recent short-term initiatives, ensure that China will continue to be a very important market both this year and in the future. In November, the UK passed The Climate Change Act, making a 26% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions legally binding (using 1990 as a reference year). In Europe, the EU Heads of State agreed in December, individual country targets for renewable energy and carbon reduction. Unquoted investments At the end of the period, the Company had four unquoted investments. Homeland Renewable Energy (www.fibrowattusa.com) is a developer of biomass power projects in the US, using chicken litter as a fuel. The company's first plant in Benson, Minnesota (55MW in size) began producing power in 2007 and they are pursuing a number of further opportunities for additional plants. Pelamis Wave Power (www.pelamiswave.com) (formerly Ocean Power Delivery) is a developer of wave power technology set up in 1998 to commercialise the Pelamis wave energy converter concept. The company commissioned the world's first multi-megawatt wave farm off the coast of Portugal in September 2008, and is now building a second generation P2 machine for their customer E.ON to test in the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland. SunOpta Bioprocess (www.sunopta.com/bioprocess) is a developer of second generation cellulosic ethanol manufacturing technology. The company is currently working on the feasibility study for a 10 million gallon per year cellulosic ethanol facility. Page 44 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Tantalus (www.tantalus.com) develops, manufactures and markets the TUNet(R) communication networks, a smart-grid solution for electricity utility companies. TUNet(R) enables utilities to monitor and control their entire distribution networks more efficiently than traditional ones. Outlook We continue to focus on larger cap companies with commercial projects that we believe are best positioned to take advantage of the government incentives outlined above. Whilst it is still early days, it is encouraging to see that a select number of companies have been able to strengthen their balance sheets through asset sales, as well as debt and equity issuance. Nevertheless, access to funding, particularly at a project level, remains far more constrained than a year ago and this has led to a reduction in near-term industry revenue and earnings expectations. Fiscal stimulus measures in the US and China should help demand, particularly in the second half of the calendar year. Meanwhile, long-term initiatives in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, the US should continue to support growth over the next decade or so. The US is the only major energy consumer not to have put in place a nationwide RES (equivalent to the European Renewable Portfolio Standard), but we think that one is likely to be agreed this calendar year. As noted previously, we believe this would be a significant event for the Company's investments. All in all, the political and legislative support for new energy has never been stronger. Fears that support for the sector would diminish in a recession have proven to be largely unfounded. In fact, the industry is a substantial beneficiary of the fiscal stimulus packages put in place in response to the global economic downturn. However, equity markets are currently hostage to volatile swings in investor sentiment and risk appetite and this will continue to impact the share prices of the Company's investments. Robin Batchelor & Poppy Allonby BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited 12 June 2009 Sector and Geographical Allocations Sector allocation as at 30 April 2009 Sector analysis Page 45 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. % of net assets at 30 April 31 October 2009 2008 Renewable Energy Enabling Energy Technology Alternative Fuels Materials Technology Energy Storage Automotive & On-Site Power Generation United Kingdom fixed interest* Cash and net current assets 49.5 14.3 13.1 11.2 0.1 1.4 8.2 2.2 ----100.0 ===== 49.1 17.1 13.5 4.5 1.7 1.0 11.2 1.9 ----100.0 ===== Geographical allocation as at 30 April 2009 Country analysis United States Spain Denmark Germany United Kingdom Canada Portugal South Africa Belgium France China Ireland Norway India United Kingdom fixed interest* Cash and net current assets % of net assets at 30 April 31 October 2009 2008 39.7 16.5 9.9 5.2 5.0 3.7 2.4 2.2 2.0 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.5 8.2 2.2 ----100.0 ===== 36.3 15.0 7.2 6.6 6.8 4.2 0.7 3.4 1.9 1.2 1.1 0.8 1.3 0.4 11.2 1.9 ----100.0 ===== * The Investment Manager may from time to time hold fixed income securities as an alternative to holding cash. Ten Largest Investments Iberdrola Group (11.2%, 2008: 8.5%, Spain, www.iberdrola.es & www.iberdrolarenovables.es) the Company's investment in the Iberdrola group of companies comprises a holding in Iberdrola Renovables 6.4% (2008: 5.2%) and Page 46 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. in Iberdrola 4.8% (2008: 3.3%). Iberdrola is a Spanish utility with significant interests in the UK and the US. The company owns 80% of Iberdrola Renovables and consequently over 50% of its installed capacity is emissions-free. Iberdrola Renovables is Europe's largest wind power generator with approximately 9,000MW of installed capacity and a pipeline of over 50,000MW. It has a diversified asset base with 52% in Spain, 31% in the US, 7% in the UK and 10% in other areas. Vestas Wind Systems (8.8%, 2008: 6.0%, Denmark, www.vestas.com) manufactures wind turbines in the 0.85 to 4.5MW range. Vestas is the world's leading supplier of wind equipment with a 20% market share (2008). Its business is well diversified across Asia, the Americas and Europe. FPL Group (7.1%, 2008: 6.9%, USA, www.fplgroup.com) is a diversified utility. Its unregulated division, FPL Energy, is the largest operator of wind and solar assets in the US. It has over 6,400MW of net wind assets. Meanwhile, its regulated business in Florida is regarded as one of the cleaner electricity portfolios among US utilities. American Superconductor (6.5%, 2008: 3.5%, USA, www.amsuper.com) conducts business through two units: Windtec and High Temperature Superconductor ("HTS") wires. Windtec designs and licences wind turbines primarily for the Asian market. The company also sells power converters to the wind sector. The HTS unit sells superconducting wires that conduct over 150 times the electrical current of copper wires. These are used in the power grid and power management devices. Archer Daniels Midland (4.8%, 2008: 3.4%, USA, www.admworld.com) is one of the largest processors of corn and oil seeds in the world. It is the leading ethanol producer in the US and is involved in the biodiesel business through their oilseed division. They are also developing next generation ethanol technology and bio-based chemicals. Itron (4.2%, 2008: 4.9%, USA, www.itron.com) is a leading provider of technology for creating, collecting, and analysing critical data about electricity, gas and water usage. Itron has developed automatic meter reading units and data management software to help customers manage their energy bills and energy usage accurately, dynamically and efficiently. Page 47 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gamesa (3.3%, 2008: 4.5%, Spain, www.gamesa.es) manufactures wind turbines in the 0.85MW to 2MW range and also manages and develops wind farms. While Spain has historically been Gamesa's core market, the Company has expanded wind turbine sales into other markets such as the US, Germany and China. Climate Exchange (2.3%, 2008: 3.9%, UK, www.climateexchangeplc.com) owns the European Climate Exchange ("ECX") and the Chicago Climate Exchange ("CCX"). The ECX is the most liquid, pan-European platform for carbon emissions trading. The CCX is the first greenhouse gas emission registry and trading scheme in North America. Sasol (2.2%, 2008: 3.4%, South Africa, www.sasol.com) is a world leader in coal-to-liquids ("CTL") and gas-to-liquids ("GTL") technologies. In South Africa it uses coal to make synthetic fuels and petrochemicals. It is also involved in similar projects in China. The company has GTL operations in Qatar and Nigeria. Potash (2.0%, 2008: 2.2%, Canada, www.potashcorp.com) is the world's largest fertiliser enterprise. The company produces the three primary plant nutrients: potash, phosphate and nitrogen. Fertilisers are essential for increasing the yields of crops to meet the growing demand for alternative fuels. All percentages reflect the value of the holding as a percentage of the total investment. The 2008 percentages represent the value of the holding as at 31 October 2008. Investments 30 April 2009 Investment Country Renewable Energy Iberdrola Renovables Spain Iberdrola Spain Vestas Wind Systems Denmark FPL Group USA Gamesa (GPO Auxiliar Metalurgico) Spain Ormat Technologies USA Wacker Chemie Germany Acciona Spain First Solar USA Energias de Portugal Portugal Nordex Germany SMA Solar Technology Germany EDP Rénovaveis Portugal Hansen Transmissions Belgium Page 48 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Market value £'000 % of net assets 7,239 5,416 9,998 8,127 3,803 2,241 2,134 1,670 1,650 1,606 1,235 1,199 1,187 1,004 6.4 4.8 8.8 7.1 3.3 2.0 1.9 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.9 EDF Energies Nouvelles Clipper Windpower* Canadian Hydro Developers Covanta MEMC Electronics Materials Solarworld REpower Systems Orkla Energy Conversion Devices Sunpower Holdings Western Geopower Séchilienne-Sedec Pelamis Wave Power** Homeland Renewable Energy** Solar Integrated Technologies* France USA Canada USA USA Germany Germany Norway USA USA Canada France UK USA USA 917 905 823 807 699 699 573 543 505 433 287 233 113 81 57 -----56,184 ------ 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 ---49.5 ---- Enabling Energy Technology Itron Climate Exchange* Esco Technologies Shaw Enernoc Quanta Services Kingspan Satcon Technology ITC Holdings Trading Emissions* Tantalus Systems** Camco International* USA UK USA USA USA USA Ireland USA USA UK Canada UK 4,798 2,671 2,243 1,584 1,650 1,028 717 640 527 199 111 49 -----16,217 ------ 4.2 2.3 2.0 1.4 1.5 0.9 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.0 ---14.3 ---- Alternative Fuels Archer Daniels Midland Sasol Potash Novozymes Monsanto China Agri-Industries Abengoa Rentech D1 Oils* SunOpta Bioprocess** SunOpta Infinity Bio-Energy* USA South Africa Canada Denmark USA China Spain USA UK USA Canada UK 5,450 2,465 2,274 1,241 1,145 1,038 629 346 182 101 51 8 -----14,930 ------ 4.8 2.2 2.0 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 ---13.1 ---- Materials Technology American Superconductor Johnson Matthey General Cable Umicore Zenergy Power* Polyfuel* USA UK USA Belgium UK UK 7,401 2,231 1,646 1,272 203 11 6.5 2.0 1.4 1.1 0.2 0.0 Page 49 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. -----12,764 ------ ---11.2 ---- Automotive & On-Site Power Generation Fuel Systems Solutions Ballard Power Systems Azure Dynamics* Plug Power Medis Technologies Cell Kinetics USA Canada Canada USA USA USA 821 281 246 144 72 3 ----1,567 ----- 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 --1.4 --- Energy Storage Dynetek Industries Fieldbury* Canada UK 129 34 --163 --- 0.1 0.0 --0.1 --- Fixed Interest United Kingdom Treasury 5.75% 07/12/09 UK 9,287 ----9,287 ----- 8.2 --8.2 --- 111,112 ------2,484 ----113,596 ======= 97.8 ---2.2 --100.0 ===== Total Investments Net Current Assets Net Assets * Quoted on AIM. ** Unquoted investment, at Directors' valuation. The number of investments held at 30 April 2009 was 67 (31 October 2008: 73). CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT for the six months ended 30 April 2009 Revenue Return Capital Return £'000 £'000 Total £'000 Year Six months Page 50 of 2567 Six months Six months Six months Year ended ended © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Year Six months Six months ended ended ended ended ended 31 30 October April ended 30 30 April April 2009 ended 30 31 April October 2008 31 30 30 October April April 2008 2009 2008 2008 2009 2008 2008 Notes (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) (unaudited) (unaudited)(audited) Income from investments held at fair value through profit or loss 2 714 556 1,426 714 556 1,426 Other income 2 12 21 59 - 12 21 59 ------Total revenue ------726 -------577 ------- -------- ----- ----- ----- 1,485 - - ----- ----- ----- - 18,895 (4,079) ----- ------ ------ 1,485 18,895 (4,079) ----- ------ ------ (1,466) - - - 726 577 1,485 ------Gains/(losses) on investments held at fair value through profit or loss (79,776) 18,895 ----(79,776) -----19,621 ---------Expenses Investment management and performance fees 3 Page 51 of 2567 (4,079) (79,776) ------------ ------726 577 (3,502) (78,291) ------------ ------- (546) (804) © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. -- -- - (546) (804) Write back of prior years' VAT 3 526 Other expenses 4 - 526 (232) (232) -------Total operating expenses (252) -------Gain/(loss) before finance costs and taxation (79,776) 19,369 Finance costs - - ---------Gain/(loss) before taxation (79,776) 19,369 ---------Taxation on ordinary activities (63) -------Gain/(loss) for the period 6 (79,776) 19,306 ======= Return per ordinary share (32.90p) ======= Page 52 of 2567 (1,466) ====== 6 7.92p ===== (218) (218) (423) --------------(252) (1,022) (1,022) (1,889) ------------------- 474 (445) (4,524) (80,180) (7) (423) ---- (1,889) ------ - - - - ----- ----- - - ----- ----- (404) 18,895 (15) - - ---- ------ ------ 474 (452) (4,531) (80,195) ----------------- (419) 18,895 (4,079) ---- ------ ------ (63) (33) ------- (106) - - ----- ----- (7) (15) ----------------- (33) (106) ------- 411 (4,564) === ====== (485) (80,301) ==== ======= ---- (525) 18,895 (4,079) ==== ====== ====== 7.75p (1.69p) ===== ====== 0.17p (0.20p) (0.22p) (1.89p) (33.12p) ===== ====== ====== ====== ======= © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. (4,079) -- -- The total column of this statement represents the Consolidated Income Statement, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). The supplementary revenue and capital columns are both prepared under guidance published by the Association of Investment Companies ("AIC"). All items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. No operations were acquired or discontinued during the period. All income is attributable to the equity holders of BlackRock New Energy Investment Trust plc. There are no minority interests. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY for the six months ended 30 April 2009 Ordinary share Share premium Capital Special redemption capital account reserve reserve reserves £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 12,187 23,223 181,347 53 - - - - 18,895 ------ ------ ------- --- ------- 12,187 23,223 181,347 53 (97,120) ====== ====== ======= === ======= 12,050 21,416 181,347 53 (36,239) - - - - (4,079) 37 462 - - - ------ ------ ------- --- ------- 12,087 21,878 181,347 53 (40,318) ====== ====== ======= === ======= 12,050 21,416 181,347 53 (36,239) - - - - (79,776) Capital Revenue reserve £'000 Total £'000 For the six months ended 30 April 2009 (unaudited) At 31 October 2008 (6,505) 94,290 Net gain for the period 411 19,306 -----------At 30 April 2009 (6,094) 113,596 ====== ======= For the six months ended 30 April 2008 (unaudited) At 31 October 2007 (5,980) 172,647 Net loss for the period (485) (4,564) Shares issued 499 -----------At 30 April 2008 (6,465) 168,582 ====== ======= For the year ended 31 October 2008 (audited) At 31 October 2007 (5,980) 172,647 Net loss for the year (525) (80,301) Page 53 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. (116,015) Shares issued 1,958 Share issue costs (14) ----------At 31 October 2008 (6,505) 94,290 ====== 137 1,821 - - - - (14) - - - ------ ------ ------- --- -------- 12,187 23,223 181,347 53 ====== ====== ======= === (116,015) ======== ====== The transaction costs incurred on the acquisition and disposal of investments are included within the capital reserves. Purchase and sale costs amounted to £6,000 and £6,000, respectively for the six months ended 30 April 2009 (six months ended 30 April 2008: £26,000 and £20,000; year ended 31 October 2008: £38,000 and £40,000). CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET as at 30 April 2009 30 April 2009 30 April 31 October 2008 2008 £'000 £'000 Note (unaudited) (unaudited) Non current assets Investments held at fair value through profit or loss Current assets Amounts due from brokers Other receivables Cash and cash equivalents Total assets Current liabilities Bank overdrafts Amounts due to brokers Other payables Net assets Equity attributable to equity holders Ordinary share capital Share premium account Special reserve Capital redemption reserve Capital reserves Revenue reserve Page 54 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. £'000 (audited) 111,112 ------- 172,587 ------- 92,515 ------ 1,028 2,158 ----3,186 ----114,298 ------- 1,555 283 ----1,838 ----174,425 ------- 3,290 283 2,673 ----6,246 ----98,761 ------ (180) (522) ---(702) ---113,596 ======= (1,118) (4,077) (648) -----(5,843) -----168,582 ======= (4,080) (391) -----(4,471) -----94,290 ====== 12,187 23,223 181,347 53 (97,120) (6,094) 12,087 21,878 181,347 53 (40,318) (6,465) 12,187 23,223 181,347 53 (116,015) (6,505) Total equity Net asset value per ordinary share 6 ------113,596 ======= ------168,582 ======= -----94,290 ====== 46.60p ====== 69.73p ====== 38.68p ====== CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the six months ended 30 April 2009 Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 April 30 April 31 October 2009 2008 2008 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Net cash outflow from operating activities before financing activities (519) ---- Financing activities Shares issued Issue costs ---- Net cash inflow from financing activities (Decrease)/increase in cash Effect of foreign exchange rate changes Change in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at start of period Cash and cash equivalents at end of period (2,612) ---499 ---- (275) ---1,958 (14) ---- ---(519) 499 -----(2,113) 1,944 ----1,669 4 ---- (32) ------ (515) (2,145) 1,646 2,673 ----- 1,027 ----- 1,027 ----- 2,158 ===== (1,118) ====== 2,673 ===== (23) ---- RECONCILIATION OF NET RETURN BEFORE FINANCE COSTS AND TAXATION TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 April 30 April 31 October 2009 2008 2008 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Page 55 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gain/(loss) before taxation (Gains)/losses on investments held at fair value through profit or loss including transaction costs Net movement in investments by subsidiary 19,369 (4,531) (80,195) (18,895) 4,079 79,776 - (29) (29) (Increase)/decrease in other receivables (742) 30 80 Increase/(decrease) in other payables 131 (2,563) (2,820) Decrease/(increase) in amounts due from brokers 3,290 (Decrease)/increase in amounts due to brokers Net movement in investments at fair value through profit or loss Taxation on investment income included within gross income Dealing losses Net cash outflow from operating activities (497) (2,232) (3,900) 3,399 3,402 294 (2,441) 1,924 (66) ---- (88) 29 ------ (210) 29 ---- (519) ==== (2,612) ====== (275) ==== Notes to the HALF YEARLY FINANCIAL announcement 1. Principal activity The principal activity of the Company is that of an investment trust company within the meaning of section 842 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. The principal activity of the subsidiary, BlackRock New Energy Trading Company Limited, is investment dealing. Basis of preparation The half yearly financial statements have been prepared using the same accounting policies as set out in the Company's Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 October 2008 and in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34. The taxation charge has been calculated by applying an estimate of the annual effective tax rate to any profit for the period. 2. Income Page 56 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Six months Six months Year ended ended Ended 30 April 30 April 31 October 2009 2008 2008 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Income from investments: UK listed dividends Overseas listed dividends Fixed interest income Other income: Deposit interest Dealing losses Total income 24 463 227 ---714 ---- 14 293 249 ---556 ---- 62 934 430 ----1,426 ----- 12 ---12 ---726 ==== 50 (29) ---21 ---577 ==== 88 (29) ----59 ----1,485 ===== Dealing profits/(losses) are presented after deducting transaction costs incurred on the purchase and sale of investments. 3. Investment management and performance fees Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 April 30 April 31 October 2009 2008 2008 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Investment management fees Write back of prior years' VAT Total 546 (526) ---20 === 804 ---804 === 1,466 ----1,466 ===== The investment management fee is levied at a rate of 1% of gross assets per annum and is charged wholly to revenue. The Investment Manager is also entitled to a performance fee equal to 15% of the increase of the Company's net assets above a threshold of either 10% per annum or the MSCI World Developed Markets Index (capital return in Sterling terms), whichever of the two is higher. The performance related fee will only be paid to the extent that the NAV per share at the year end is higher than the NAV per share at 28 April 2006 (55.58p), and also higher than the opening NAV per share at the start of the current financial year. In addition, the benchmark index was changed from the FTSE World Index to the MSCI World Developed Markets Index (both on a capital return basis in Sterling terms) with effect from 28 April 2006. No performance fee was accrued for the six months ended 30 April 2009, Page 57 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. the six months ended 30 April 2008 or the year ended 31 October 2008. 4. Other expenses Six months ended 30 April 2009 £'000 (unaudited) Six months ended 30 April 2008 £'000 (unaudited) Year ended 31 October 2008 £'000 (audited) 63 58 120 10 4 48 107 --232 === 9 4 45 102 --218 === 21 4 91 187 --423 === Administration fee Auditor's remuneration: - audit services - other services* Directors' emoluments Other administration costs *Other audit services for the period ended 30 April 2009 relate to the review of the half yearly financial statements. 5. Dividend The Board has not declared an interim dividend. 6. Consolidated earnings and net asset value per ordinary share Total revenue and capital returns per share are shown below and have been calculated using the following: Six months Six months ended ended 30 April 30 April 2009 2008 (unaudited) (unaudited) Year ended October 2008 (audited) Net revenue return attributable to ordinary shareholders (£'000) (525) Page 58 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. 411 (485) 31 Net capital return attributable to ordinary shareholders (£'000) 18,895 (4,079) ------ ------ 19,306 (4,564) ------ ------ 113,596 168,582 ------- ------- 243,750,000 241,255,495 243,750,000 241,750,000 (79,776) ------- Total earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders (£'000) (80,301) ------Equity shareholders' funds (£'000) 94,290 ------ The weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during each period, on which the return per ordinary share was calculated, was: 242,449,454 The actual number of ordinary shares in issue at the end of the period, on which the net asset value was calculated, was: 243,750,000 Revenue return per share Page 59 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. 0.17p (0.20p) (0.22p) Capital return per shares 7.75p (1.69p) ----- ----- 7.92p (1.89p) ====== ====== Net asset value per share 46.60p 69.73p 38.68p Ordinary share price 31.75p 42.25p 71.75p ====== ====== Number Nominal value £'000 300,000,000 ----------- 15,000 ------ 243,750,000 ----------- 12,187 ------ (32.90p) ---Total earnings per share (33.12p) ======= ====== 7. Ordinary share capital Authorised: Ordinary shares of 5p each Issued and allotted, called up and fully paid: At 1 November 2008 Page 60 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. At 30 April 2009 243,750,000 =========== 12,187 ====== 8. Publication of non-statutory accounts The not Act and financial information contained in this half yearly financial report does constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 435 of the Companies 2006. The financial information for the six months ended 30 April 2009 2008 has not been audited. The information for the year ended 31 October 2008 has been extracted from the latest published audited financial statements, which have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The report of the auditors on those financial statements contained no qualification or statement under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006. 9. Annual Results The Board expects to announce the annual results for the year ended 31 October 2009, as prepared under IFRS, in mid December 2009. Copies of the annual results announcement can be obtained from the Secretary on 020 7743 3000. The annual report should be available at the beginning of January 2010, with the Annual General Meeting being held in February 2010. 10. Copies of the half yearly financial report will be posted to shareholders by 19 June 2009. Copies will also be available to the public from the Company's registered office at 33 King William Street, London EC4R 9AS, and on BlackRock Investment Management's website at www.blackrock.co.uk/its. 33 King William Street London EC4R 9AS 12 June 2009 Independent Review Report to BlackRock New Energy Investment Trust plc Introduction We have been engaged by the Company to review the condensed set of financial statements in the half yearly financial report for the six month period ended Page 61 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. 30 April 2009 which comprises the Consolidated Income Statement, Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity, Consolidated Balance Sheet, Consolidated Cash Flow Statement, Reconciliation of Net Return before Finance Costs and Taxation to Net Cash Flow from Operating Activities, and the related notes 1 to 10. We have read the other information contained in the half yearly financial report and considered whether it contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the condensed set of financial statements. This report is made solely to the Company in accordance with guidance contained in International Standard on Review Engagements 2410 (UK and Ireland) "Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity" issued by the Auditing Practices Board. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company, for our work, for this report, or for the conclusions we have formed. Directors' responsibilities The half yearly financial report is the responsibility of, and has been approved by, the Directors. The Directors are responsible for preparing the half yearly financial report in accordance with the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority. As disclosed in note 1, the annual financial statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as adopted by the European Union. The condensed set of financial statements included in this half yearly financial report has been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 'Interim Financial Reporting' as adopted by the European Union. Our responsibility Our responsibility is to express to the Company a conclusion on the condensed set of financial statements in the half yearly financial report based on our review. Scope of review We conducted our review in accordance with International Standard on Review Engagements (UK and Ireland) 2410, "Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity" issued by the Auditing Practices Board for use in the United Kingdom. A review of interim financial information consists of making enquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review procedures. A review is substantially less in scope than an audit performed in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) and consequently does not enable us to obtain assurance that we would become aware of all significant matters that might be identified in an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion. Page 62 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Conclusion Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes are to believe that the condensed set of financial statements in the half yearly financial report for the six month period ended 30 April 2009 is not prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with IAS 34 'Interim Financial Reporting' as adopted by the European Union. Ernst & Young LLP London 12 June 2009 200906121112PR_NEWS_UKDISCLO_0067.xml Document PRNDIS0020090612e56c002bd Page 63 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,531 words 11 June 2009 05:23 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Page 64 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Page 65 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day Page 66 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Page 67 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090611 092345 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Page 68 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Thailand - Special Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day MONDAY, JULY 13 Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings Page 69 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Page 70 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Page 71 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Page 72 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday Page 73 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Page 74 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Page 75 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 76 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090611 092408 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Page 77 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day Page 78 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 Page 79 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance Page 80 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day Page 81 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Page 82 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary Page 83 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday Page 84 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 85 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090611 092436 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings Page 86 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Page 87 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Page 88 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Page 89 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Page 90 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Page 91 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Malaysia - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Page 92 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas Page 93 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Page 94 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Page 95 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090611 092509 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090611e56b000pc Page 96 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,730 words 9 June 2009 10:58 PM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day Page 97 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Page 98 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Page 99 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday France - Whit Monday Page 100 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday Page 101 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday Page 102 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Page 103 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090610 025856 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Page 104 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Thailand - Special Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day MONDAY, JULY 13 Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 14 France - Bastille Day Iraq - Republic Day SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings Page 105 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Page 106 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Page 107 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Page 108 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Page 109 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Page 110 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) Page 111 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090610 025924 GMT] Page 112 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings Page 113 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Page 114 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 Page 115 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej Page 116 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Page 117 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Page 118 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day France - Armistice Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Page 119 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Page 120 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090610 025947 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 121 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Page 122 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day Page 123 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Page 124 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Page 125 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Page 126 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Page 127 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Malaysia - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Page 128 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day Page 129 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Page 130 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Page 131 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090610 030017 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090610e56a0004b Page 132 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Background Notes : Gambia, The (06/09) 3,858 words 8 June 2009 State Department Press Releases And Documents STDP English Copyright (c) 2009 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. State Department Press Release Background Notes : Gambia, The (06/09) The flag of The Gambia is three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green. PROFILE OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of The Gambia Geography Area: 11,300 sq. km. (4,361 sq. mi.); less than half the size of Maryland. Cities: Capital--Banjul (pop. 34,828 excluding suburbs; 2003 census provisional). Terrain: Flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by low hills. Climate: Tropical; hot rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May). People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Gambian(s). Population (2008): 1.7 million. Page 133 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Annual growth rate (2008 est.): 2.724%. Ethnic groups (2003 census): Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Sarahule 9%, Serere 7.8%, Krio/Aku Marabout 1.8%, Manjago 0.8%, Bambara 0.7%, other Gambians 1.2%, no declaration 0.3%. Non-Gambians 12.9% of the population. Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 8%, other 2%. Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Jola, Sarahule, other indigenous languages. Education: Years compulsory--up to age eight. Attendance--69% primary, 35% secondary. Adult literacy-37.8%. Health: Life expectancy--57 yrs (2005 est.). Infant mortality rate (2005)-- 97/1,000. Access to safe drinking water (2004)--urban 95%, rural 77%. Work force (400,000): Agriculture--70%; industry, commerce, services--24%; government--6%. Government Type: Republic. Independence: February 18, 1965. Constitution: January 16, 1997. Branches: Executive, legislative, and judicial. Subdivisions: Capital and six divisions. Political parties: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), United Democratic Party (UDP), National Reconciliation Party (NRP), National Convention Party (NCP), Peoples Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM), and the Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP). Page 134 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Economy GDP (2008): $808 million. Annual growth rate (2008): 5.9%. Per capita income (2008): $496. Natural resources: Seismic studies indicate the possible presence of oil and gas offshore. Services: 58.50% of GDP, 2007. Agriculture (32.80% of GDP, 2007): Products--peanuts, rice, millet, sorghum, fish, palm kernels, vegetables, livestock, forestry. Industry (8.70% of GDP, 2007): Types--peanut products, construction, telecommunications, brewing, soft drinks, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metal working, clothing and textile manufacturing, food processing. Trade: (2007 est.): Principal exports--$14.5 million: 43.33% groundnut products, 25.18% fish and fish preparations, 2.43% cotton, 11.18% fruits and vegetables, 0.17% hides and skin, 6.191% re-exports, and others 11.52%. Major markets--France 48.85%, Senegal 22.62%, Netherlands 10.21%, United States 7.02%, Germany 3.46%, and Japan 3.05%. Principal imports--$345.7 million including food and beverages, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, and minerals and fuel. Major suppliers-- Denmark, United States, China, Germany, U.K., Cote d'Ivoire, and Netherlands. Official development assistance (ODA) received from all sources (2001): $50.9 million. U.S. economic aid received (FY 2007): $88,000 in grassroots projects and assistance to democracy and human rights programs. PEOPLE AND HISTORY A wide variety of ethnic groups live in The Gambia with a minimum of intertribal friction, each preserving Page 135 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. its own language and traditions. The Mandinka tribe is the largest, followed by the Fula, Wolof, Jola, and Sarahule. Approximately 3,500 non-Africans live in The Gambia, including Europeans and families of Lebanese origin. Muslims constitute more than 90% of the population. Christians of different denominations account for most of the remainder. Gambians officially observe the holidays of both religions and practice religious tolerance. More than 63% of Gambians live in rural villages (1993 census), although more and more young people come to the capital in search of work and education. Provisional figures from the 2003 census show that the gap between the urban and rural populations is narrowing as more areas are declared urban. While urban migration, development projects, and modernization are bringing more Gambians into contact with Western habits and values, the traditional emphasis on the extended family, as well as indigenous forms of dress and celebration, remain integral parts of everyday life. The Gambia was once part of the Ghana Empire and the Songhai Empire. The first written accounts of the region come from records of Arab traders in the 9th and 10th centuries A.D. Arab traders established the trans-Saharan trade route for slaves, gold, and ivory. In the 15th century, the Portuguese took over this trade using maritime routes. At that time, The Gambia was part of the Kingdom of Mali. In 1588, the claimant to the Portuguese throne, Antonio, Prior of Crato, sold exclusive trade rights on The Gambia River to English merchants; this grant was confirmed by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I. In 1618, King James I granted a charter to a British company for trade with The Gambia and the Gold Coast (now Ghana). During the late 17th century and throughout the 18th, England and France struggled continuously for political and commercial supremacy in the regions of the Senegal and Gambia Rivers. The 1783 Treaty of Versailles gave Great Britain possession of The Gambia, but the French retained a tiny enclave at Albreda on the north bank of the river, which was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1857. As many as 3 million slaves may have been taken from the region during the three centuries that the transatlantic slave trade operated. It is not known how many slaves were taken by Arab traders prior to and simultaneous with the transatlantic slave trade. Most of those taken were sold to Europeans by other Africans; some were prisoners of intertribal wars; some were sold because of unpaid debts, while others were kidnapped. Slaves were initially sent to Europe to work as servants until the market for labor expanded in the West Indies and North America in the 18th century. In 1807, slave trading was abolished throughout the British Empire, and the British tried unsuccessfully to end the slave traffic in The Gambia. Page 136 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. They established the military post of Bathurst (now Banjul) in 1816. In the ensuing years, Banjul was at times under the jurisdiction of the British governor general in Sierra Leone. In 1888, The Gambia became a separate colonial entity. An 1889 agreement with France established the present boundaries, and The Gambia became a British Crown Colony, divided for administrative purposes into the colony (city of Banjul and the surrounding area) and the protectorate (remainder of the territory). The Gambia received its own executive and legislative councils in 1901 and gradually progressed toward self-government. A 1906 ordinance abolished slavery. During World War II, Gambian troops fought with the Allies in Burma. Banjul served as an air stop for the U.S. Army Air Corps and a port of call for Allied naval convoys. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt stopped overnight in Banjul en route to and from the Casablanca Conference in 1943, marking the first visit to the African Continent by an American president while in office. After World War II, the pace of constitutional reform quickened. Following general elections in 1962, full internal self-government was granted in 1963. The Gambia achieved independence on February 18, 1965, as a constitutional monarchy within the British Commonwealth. Shortly thereafter, the government proposed conversion from a monarchy to a republic with an elected president replacing the British monarch as chief of state. The proposal failed to receive the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution, but the results won widespread attention abroad as testimony to The Gambia's observance of secret balloting, honest elections, and civil rights and liberties. On April 24, 1970, The Gambia became a republic following a referendum. Until a military coup in July 1994, The Gambia was led by President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who was re-elected five times. The relative stability of the Jawara era was first broken by a violent, unsuccessful coup attempt in 1981. The coup was led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang, who, on two occasions, had unsuccessfully sought election to parliament. After a week of violence which left several hundred dead, President Jawara, in London when the attack began, appealed to Senegal for help. Senegalese troops defeated the rebel force. In the aftermath of the attempted coup, Senegal and The Gambia signed the 1982 Treaty of Confederation. The result, the Senegambia Confederation, aimed eventually to combine the armed forces of the two nations and to unify economies and currencies. The Gambia withdrew from the confederation in 1989. In July 1994, the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) seized power in a military coup Page 137 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. d'etat, deposing the government of Sir Dawda Jawara. Lieutenant Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, chairman of the AFPRC, became head of state. The AFPRC announced a transition plan for return to democratic civilian government. The Provisional Independent Electoral Commission (PIEC) was established in 1996 to conduct national elections. The transition process included the compilation of a new electoral register, adoption of a new constitution by referendum in August 1996, and presidential and legislative elections in September 1996 and January 1997, respectively. Foreign observers did not deem these elections free and fair. Retired Col. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh was sworn into office as President of the Republic of The Gambia in November 1996. The PIEC was transformed to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in 1997 and became responsible for registration of voters and conduct of elections and referenda. In late 2001 and early 2002, The Gambia completed a full cycle of presidential, legislative, and local elections, which foreign observers deemed free, fair, and transparent, albeit with some shortcomings. President Yahya Jammeh, who was re-elected, took the oath of office again on December 21, 2001. The APRC maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly, particularly after the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections. President Jammeh was re-elected for a third five- year term on September 22, 2006 with 67% of the vote. The UDP received 27% of the vote, and instead of boycotting future elections, vowed to take part in the 2007 National Assembly elections. In the January 2007 parliamentary elections the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) won 42 of the available 48 elected seats. GOVERNMENT The 1970 constitution, which divided the government into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, was suspended after the 1994 military coup. As part of the transition process, the AFPRC established the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) through decree in March 1995. In accordance with the timetable for the transition to a democratically elected government, the commission drafted a new constitution for The Gambia, which approved by referendum in August 1996. The constitution provides for a strong presidential government, a unicameral legislature, an independent judiciary, and the protection of human rights. Local government in The Gambia varies. The capital city, Banjul and the much larger Kanifing Municipality have elected town and municipal councils. Five rural divisions exist, each with a council containing a majority of elected members. Each council has its own treasury and is responsible for local government services. Tribal chiefs retain traditional powers authorized by customary law in some instances. Page 138 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Principal Government Officials President--Yahya Abdulaziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh Vice President--Isatou Njie-Saidy Ambassador to the United States--Neneh Macdouall-Gaye UN Representative--Omar Touray The Gambia maintains an embassy at 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 905, Washington, DC 20005. Tel. (202) 785-1399. Its UN mission is located at 820 2nd Avenue, Suite 900-C, New York, NY 10017. Tel. (212) 949-6640. DEFENSE The Gambian national army numbers about 1,900. The army consists of infantry battalions, the national guard, and the navy, all under the authority of the Department of State for Defense (a ministerial portfolio held by President Jammeh). Prior to the 1994 coup, the Gambian army received technical assistance and training from the United States, United Kingdom, People's Republic of China, Nigeria, and Turkey. With the withdrawal of most of this aid, the army has received renewed assistance from Turkey and new assistance from Libya and others. The Gambia allowed its military training arrangement with Libya to expire in 2002. Members of the Gambian military participated in ECOMOG, the West African force deployed during the Liberian civil war beginning in 1990. Gambian forces have subsequently participated in several other peacekeeping operations, including, inter alia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, and Timor-Leste. The Gambia contributed 150 troops to Liberia in 2003 as part of the ECOMIL contingent. In 2004, The Gambia contributed a 196-man contingent to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur, Sudan. As of June 2009, The Gambia was contributing 279 peacekeepers to seven UN missions (UNAMID in Darfur, UNMIT in Timor-Leste, UNMIS in Sudan, UNMIL in Liberia, UNOCI in Cote d'Ivoire, and MINURCAT in Central African Republic). Responsibilities for internal security and law enforcement rest with the Gambian police under the Inspector General of Police and the Secretary of State for the Interior. POLITICAL CONDITIONS Page 139 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Before the coup d'etat in July 1994, The Gambia was one of the oldest existing multi-party democracies in Africa. It had conducted freely contested elections every 5 years since independence. After the military coup, politicians from deposed President Jawara's People's Progressive Party (PPP) and other senior government officials were banned from participating in politics until July 2001. The People's Progressive Party (PPP), headed by former president Jawara, had dominated Gambian politics for nearly 30 years. After spearheading the movement toward complete independence from Britain, the PPP was voted into power and was never seriously challenged by any opposition party. The last elections under the PPP regime were held in April 1992. Following the coup in July 1994, a presidential election took place in September 1996, in which retired Col. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh won 56% of the vote. The legislative elections held in January 1997 were dominated by the APRC, which captured 33 out of 45 seats. In July 2001, the ban on Jawara-era political parties and politicians was lifted. Four registered opposition parties participated in the October 18, 2001, presidential election, which the incumbent, President Yahya Jammeh, won with almost 53% of the votes. The APRC maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly in legislative elections held in January 2002, particularly after the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections. President Jammeh won the September 2006 elections with 67% of the vote while the opposition alliance won a total of 27%. In the January 2007 parliamentary elections, Jammeh's APRC won 42 of the available 48 seats. While both the September and January elections were declared credible, several sources have reported increased oversight of journalists in the preceding months. A failed coup in March 2006 had a major effect on The Gambia's political climate. Since then President Jammeh has taken farreaching steps to maintain power. ECONOMY The Gambia has a liberal, market-based economy characterized by traditional subsistence agriculture, a historic reliance on groundnuts (peanuts) for export earnings, a re-export trade built up around its ocean port, low import duties, minimal administrative procedures, a fluctuating exchange rate with no exchange controls, and a significant tourism industry. Agriculture accounts for roughly 30% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs about 70% of the labor force. Within agriculture, peanut production accounts for 6.9% of GDP, other crops 8.3%, livestock 5.3%, fishing 1.8%, and forestry 0.5%. Industry accounts for approximately 8% of GDP and services Page 140 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. approximately 58%. The limited amount of manufacturing is primarily agricultural-based (e.g., peanut processing, bakeries, a brewery, and a tannery). Other manufacturing activities include soap, soft drinks, and clothing. Previously, the U.K. and other EU countries constituted The Gambia's major domestic export markets. However, in recent years Senegal, the United States, and Japan have gained fair proportions of Gambian exports. In Africa, Senegal represented the biggest trade partner of The Gambia in 2007, which is a defining contrast to previous years that saw Guinea-Bissau and Ghana as equally important trade partners. Globally, Denmark, the United States, and China have become important source countries for Gambian imports. The U.K., Germany, Cote d'Ivoire, and Netherlands also provide a fair share of Gambian imports. Gambia's trade deficit for 2007 was $331 million. FOREIGN RELATIONS The Gambia followed a formal policy of nonalignment throughout most of former President Jawara's tenure. It maintained close relations with the United Kingdom, Senegal, and other African countries. The July 1994 coup strained The Gambia's relationship with Western powers, particularly the United States, which until 2002 suspended most non-humanitarian assistance in accordance with Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act. Since 1995, President Jammeh has established diplomatic relations with several additional countries, including Libya, Taiwan and Cuba. The Gambia plays an active role in international affairs, especially West African and Islamic affairs, although its representation abroad is limited. As a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Gambia has played an active role in that organization's efforts to resolve the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone and contributed troops to the community's ceasefire monitoring group (ECOMOG) in 1990 and (ECOMIL) in 2003. It also has sought to mediate disputes in nearby GuineaBissau and the neighboring Casamance region of Senegal. The Government of The Gambia believes Senegal was complicit in the March 2006 failed coup attempt. This has put increasing strains on relations between The Gambia and its neighbor. The subsequent worsening of the human rights situation has placed increasing strains of U.S.- Gambia relations. U.S.-GAMBIAN RELATIONS U.S. policy seeks to build improved relations with The Gambia on the basis of historical ties, mutual respect, democratic rule, human rights, and adherence to UN resolutions on counter-terrorism, conflict diamonds, and other forms of trafficking. Following The Gambia's successful presidential and legislative elections in October 2001 and January 2002, respectively, the U.S. Government determined that a Page 141 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. democratically elected government had assumed office and thus lifted the sanctions it had imposed against The Gambia in accordance with Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act as a result of the 1994 coup. U.S. assistance supports democracy, human rights, girls' education, and the fight against HIV/AIDS. In addition, the Peace Corps maintains a large program with about 100 volunteers engaged in the environment, public health, and education sectors, mainly at the village level. Relations with the U.S. have not been improved significantly due to the human rights and freedom of press shortcomings, which resulted in the suspension of The Gambia's compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in June 2006. The Gambia became eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on January 1, 2003. As of 2008, the United States exported $29 million of goods to The Gambia and imported about $1 million of goods. Principal U.S. Officials Ambassador--Barry Wells Deputy Chief of Mission--Brian Bachman Peace Corps Country Director--Michael McConnell The U.S. Embassy in The Gambia is situated in Fajara on Kairaba Avenue, formerly known as Pipeline Road. Tel: [220] 4392856; fax [220] 4392475). The Peace Corps office also is on Kairaba Avenue near the embassy. (Tel. [220] 4392466). The international mailing address for the embassy is American Embassy, PMB 19, Kairaba Avenue, Banjul, The Gambia. TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable. Page 142 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http: //www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are also available at http: //www.travel.state.gov. For additional information on international travel, see http: //www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml. The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security conditions. Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-4074747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada. The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1- 888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays. Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http: //wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found at http: //wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx. Further Electronic Information Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http: //www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http: //www.osac.gov Page 143 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more. STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank. Document STDP000020090608e5680002x Page 144 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,730 words 4 June 2009 06:09 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day Page 145 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Page 146 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Page 147 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday France - Whit Monday Page 148 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday Page 149 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday Page 150 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Page 151 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090604 100902 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Page 152 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Thailand - Special Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day MONDAY, JULY 13 Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 14 France - Bastille Day Iraq - Republic Day SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings Page 153 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Page 154 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Page 155 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Page 156 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Page 157 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Page 158 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) Page 159 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090604 100954 GMT] Page 160 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings Page 161 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Page 162 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 Page 163 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej Page 164 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Page 165 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Page 166 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day France - Armistice Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Page 167 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Page 168 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090604 101115 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 169 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Page 170 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day Page 171 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Page 172 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Page 173 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Page 174 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Page 175 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Malaysia - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Page 176 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day Page 177 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Page 178 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Page 179 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090604 101145 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090604e564000qd Page 180 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,730 words 2 June 2009 05:40 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day Page 181 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Page 182 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Page 183 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday France - Whit Monday Page 184 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday Page 185 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday Page 186 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Page 187 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090602 094004 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Page 188 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Thailand - Special Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day MONDAY, JULY 13 Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 14 France - Bastille Day Iraq - Republic Day SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings Page 189 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Page 190 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Page 191 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Page 192 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Page 193 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Page 194 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) Page 195 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090602 094026 GMT] Page 196 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings Page 197 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Page 198 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 Page 199 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej Page 200 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Page 201 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Page 202 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day France - Armistice Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Page 203 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Page 204 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090602 094050 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 205 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Page 206 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day Page 207 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Page 208 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Page 209 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Page 210 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Page 211 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Malaysia - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Page 212 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day Page 213 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Page 214 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Page 215 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090602 094113 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090602e562000l2 Page 216 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,721 words 28 May 2009 05:27 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day Page 217 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Page 218 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Page 219 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Page 220 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Page 221 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Page 222 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Page 223 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090528 092753 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Thailand - Special Holiday Page 224 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day MONDAY, JULY 13 Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day Page 225 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Page 226 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Page 227 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Page 228 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day Page 229 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Page 230 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Page 231 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090528 092821 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 232 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 233 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Page 234 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Page 235 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Page 236 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Page 237 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day Page 238 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day Page 239 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Page 240 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090528 092839 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 241 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 Page 242 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day Page 243 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Page 244 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Page 245 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Page 246 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Page 247 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Malaysia - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Page 248 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Page 249 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Page 250 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or Page 251 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090528 092907 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090528e55s0010p Page 252 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,742 words 26 May 2009 05:29 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Lebanon - Martyr's Day Syria - Martyrs Day Page 253 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Page 254 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Page 255 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday Page 256 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Page 257 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Page 258 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day Page 259 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090526 092947 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) Page 260 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Thailand - Special Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day MONDAY, JULY 13 Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Page 261 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Page 262 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Page 263 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Page 264 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic Page 265 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Page 266 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Page 267 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Page 268 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090526 093010 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 269 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Page 270 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Page 271 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Page 272 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Page 273 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Page 274 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary TUESDAY, NOV 17 Page 275 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) Page 276 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Page 277 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090526 093032 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Page 278 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Page 279 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 280 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Page 281 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Page 282 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Page 283 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Malaysia - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Page 284 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas Page 285 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Page 286 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Page 287 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090526 093110 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090526e55q000k9 Page 288 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Relishing the Idea of a Post-Castro Cuba By Elliot Wilson 1,848 words 25 May 2009 Barron's B 44 English (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Meet the forrest gump of Cuban Communism, Oscar Espinosa Chepe. Like the character played by Tom Hanks in the 1994 film, Chepe has spent the past half-century having the good (as well as the bad) fortune of being wherever the action is. A proud, upright figure, Chepe was a young guerrilla leader in Fidel Castro's army when the rebels came out of the mountains and seized power from the corrupt Fulgencio Batista 50 years ago this January. Twice he rose high in the government, but twice he also challenged official dogma and fell from grace. Now he is a pro-American economist in Havana, living in the shadowlands of the dissident community and telling his life story. In the early 1960s, after graduating from the University of Havana, Chepe joined Cuba's elite economic advisory team. He was immediately sent to Pyongyang, North Korea, where he spent a year traversing the country and chatting regularly with Kim Il-sung, the country's self-styled "Great Leader." Chepe describes North Korea as being even then a "terrible, crazy, awful place," where the people ate grass and leaves. Kim, having decreed that his countryfolk were all vegetarians, imported cattle from Cuba for his own personal consumption. In 1965, Chepe told Fidel Castro that his entire economic policy -- collectivizing farmland, relying on Soviet foreign aid and following Marxism to the letter to ensure all Cubans were equally poor -- was rubbish. Evidently in a good mood that day, Castro declined to chop off his head, choosing instead to ship off the recalcitrant young man to the west of the island, where he spent three years collecting bat dung in a cave, then shoveling manure on a pig farm. After being politically rehabilitated in the early 1970s, Page 289 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Chepe was let back into the political sheepfold and told to help run the country's Sugar Ministry. He became a diplomat and worked on economic and scientific issues for Cuba with Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Hungary, and between 1979 and 1984 he was the economic counselor at the Cuban embassy in Belgrade. But Chepe says Castro noticed him at the embassy during a trip to Belgrade in 1984, remembered him as a "troublemaker" and ordered him home at once. Chepe hasn't been outside Cuba since. He went to work at the Central Bank of Cuba, where he headed up tourism and domestic trade, before being fired in 1996, again for questioning official economic dogma. He continued writing and studying, and for five years until 2001 he had his own radio show, "Chatting with Chepe," heard in both Cuba and Miami. He lost the show, and his physical freedom, in one of Cuba's periodic crackdowns on dissidents. British and American diplomatic pressure gained his release, officially on grounds of ill health, after he had served 19 months of a 20-year sentence. He was in Cuba's very own Guantanamo Bay prison -- a nastier version of the American prison of the same name. Clearly Chepe is unrepentant, for he recently talked openly to a foreign journalist in the Comedor de Aguiar, the grandest restaurant in the grandest hotel in Havana, the Nacional. The food there is terrible, as always since the revolution, but the conversation was five-star. His second wife, Miriam, an engaging, attractive woman who speaks English more fluently than her husband, accompanied Chepe, who chomped away on oysters and a rib-eye steak. Both Chepe and his wife ate easily and talked openly, discussing Cuba's manifold economic and political woes. What does he think of Castro? "Fidel Castro is just an enormous ego," says Chepe. "He sees communism not as a movement to aspire to, but as a great tool to accomplish what he wanted to achieve, which is everlasting power and, if possible, to rule the world. He isn't ideological -- he just wants the power." How did Castro react when he had his economic wisdom rubbished by an underling? "He didn't yell, but he was very upset and his voice got very loud and his eyebrows very bushy indeed," says Chepe. "He told me that I was wrong, and I told him that all I was expressing to him was what I had learned at the University of Havana. Usually people said what Castro wanted to hear. You were supposed to acquiesce, but I was just being honest to my beliefs." Three years spent alone among Cuba's pigs and bats gave Chepe time to think. In the 1970s, he saw the country's economy falter and start to shrink. Cuba had literally nothing to sell but sugar. Not even the Albanians would buy its shoddily made tractors. "Fidel Castro said we would go beyond capitalism, and we did, but we went in the wrong direction," says Chepe. "What we got was much worse." Page 290 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "I'm not a Communist anymore," he adds. "I lost faith in the revolution more than 30 years ago. The Castro regime is Taliban-like in its thinking. They don't want change. Like the Taliban, they know that if they change anything, it will lead to political change, and they are scared of that." The new American president, Barack Obama, may provide the change the Castros say they want: an end to Washington's trade embargo and possibly formal diplomatic relations. Paradoxically, such kind treatment could de-legitimize the Castros. The embargo has provided them with a perfect catch-all excuse as to why, after more than 50 years of economic and social revolution, Cuba is the world's 137th-richest economy, ranked below Albania and Swaziland. In 1958, Cuba ranked 22nd in per capita gross domestic product, close to Italy. Stephen Wilkinson, an academic at the International Institute for the Study of Cuba at London Metropolitan University, says the Castro regime would face "a bewildering challenge to its identity" if the trade ban was lifted, while former Spanish Premier Jose Maria Aznar believes a lifting of the embargo would force Castro out of office in less than three months. In a way, the embargo already is broken, and Castro has become embarrassingly dependent on the one country he continues to pillory. Thanks to a U.S. law passed in the 1990s, Cuba now imports nearly 40% of its food and most of its telecommunications equipment directly from American firms. Cuba cozies up to any foreign nation bearing hard cash. China's leaders have promised $4 billion in food aid, and Russia is sniffing around. But no other country wields quite the same clout in modern Cuba as oil-rich Venezuela, with its leader, Hugo Chavez. Castro and Chavez have been close for years. After Chavez was released from a two-year spell in jail in 1994, Castro gave him a base and financial support. Now Cuba and Venezuela help one another. Venezuela ships 96,000 barrels of oil a day to Cuba. Havana pays less than $20 for each barrel of crude -- a generator of significant savings when a freemarket barrel costs $50, and a stone-cold steal when it retailed at $150. In return, Cuba ships tens of thousands of doctors and nurses to Venezuela's poorest regions, providing Chavez with a working national health service. Around 40,000 Cuban doctors are working overseas -- three-quarters in Venezuela, and the rest at hospitals from China, India and Pakistan to Malaysia, Nigeria and South Africa. Cuban heart doctors are on duty in hospitals in Riyadh, Dubai and Doha. European governments hire Cubans to staff hospitals in their former colonies. The doctors-for-hard-cash plan works well: In 2007 the fledgling industry earned Cuba $6 billion, more Page 291 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. than the $4 billion earned from nickel and oil combined. Health services have become Cuba's leading export, overtaking tourism. (Cuba continues to develop oil resources of its own, and may have 20 billion untapped barrels.) Cuba now trains about 30,000 doctors a year -- more than any European nation. It costs less than $10,000 to train an eye or cancer doctor in Cuba, compared with a minimum of $250,000 in America. Last year, 100 medical trainees traveled to Cuba from poor American states, including Mississippi and Alabama, paid for by a group called Pastors For Peace. It is a source of great pleasure and propaganda for Cuba that a small, impoverished nation offers universal health coverage to its citizens while nearly 50 million Americans lack basic medical insurance. Cuban doctors' foreign assignments do mean fewer doctors at home, though. There are reports of civil unrest in poorer areas of the island as health-service quality declines. And Cuban medics abroad are hardly free to travel. Most of what each medic earns is retained by the state or kept in a secure account in order to prevent doctors defecting while on duty. Fidel Castro didn't trust his own medical service for himself: A Spanish doctor was summoned when Castro's life was in danger. Earlier this decade, Chepe again found himself incarcerated. In 2001, Cuba's leading dissident, Oswaldo Paya Sardinas, founded an organization called the Barilla Project, intended to force a vote on the island's future leadership. Under Cuba's constitution, a petition with 10,000 signatures can force a referendum. Chepe, a Barilla Project member from the outset, reckons that more than 20,000 signatures had been received when the police arrived. The authorities accused Chepe of holding $13,600 in U.S. currency and of working with the U.S. Interests Section, America's de facto embassy in Cuba. Chepe denied and still denies the charges. Although Chepe's sentence of imprisonment in Cuba's Guantanamo was cut short because of pressure from the U.S., Britain and the United Nations, he suffered from jaundice and kidney failure, brought on by poor diet and infected drinking water. He does say, though, that he was comparatively well-treated. Others from the Barilla Project who were jailed -- in what was the first major political crackdown since 1989 -- were brutalized by fellow prisoners on the order of prison guards. Judging by his appetite at the Comedor de Aguiar restaurant, Chepe is again hale and hearty. There is a twinkle in his eyes as he talks, particularly when he mentions Barack Obama. Here, he declares, is an American president able to fight the Cuban leader merely by doing the right thing, and by breaking down Page 292 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. walls rather than building new ones. "Castro is so worried about Obama," says Chepe. "For so many years they have had this enemy, America. Castro has been able to tell the people that American Marines will come to the island and kill them all. This lie won't work anymore. Obama could mean the end for Castro." The Forrest Gump of Cuba -- a man who may again be in the right place at the right time -- would like to see that. --For Barron's subscription information call 1-888-BARRONS ext. 685 or inquire online at http://www.barronsmag.com/subscription/subscription.html. Document B000000020090523e55p0000w Page 293 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,745 words 20 May 2009 11:45 PM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Lebanon - Martyr's Day Syria - Martyrs Day Page 294 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Page 295 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Page 296 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday Page 297 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Page 298 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie Page 299 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day Page 300 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090521 034502 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Page 301 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Thailand - Special Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day MONDAY, JULY 13 Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 302 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Page 303 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day Page 304 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Page 305 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Page 306 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Page 307 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 308 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 309 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090521 034533 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 310 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Page 311 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day Page 312 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City Page 313 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Page 314 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Page 315 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary Singapore - Deepavali (Observed) TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Page 316 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Page 317 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090521 034555 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 318 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Page 319 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Page 320 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 321 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Page 322 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Page 323 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Page 324 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Malaysia - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Page 325 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Page 326 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day Page 327 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------- Page 328 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090521 034741 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090521e55l0005z Page 329 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,717 words 19 May 2009 05:00 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Lebanon - Martyr's Day Syria - Martyrs Day Page 330 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Page 331 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Page 332 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday Page 333 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Page 334 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 Page 335 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Page 336 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090519 090016 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Page 337 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Thailand - Special Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar Page 338 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday Page 339 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Page 340 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day Page 341 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Page 342 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 343 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Page 344 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday Page 345 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090519 090046 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday Page 346 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Page 347 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day Page 348 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day Page 349 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Page 350 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) Page 351 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary Singapore - Deepavali (Observed) TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) Page 352 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Page 353 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090519 090116 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 354 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 355 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Page 356 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 357 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Page 358 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Page 359 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Page 360 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Page 361 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Page 362 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Page 363 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or Page 364 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090519 090153 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090519e55j000mn Page 365 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,717 words 14 May 2009 04:57 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Lebanon - Martyr's Day Syria - Martyrs Day Page 366 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Page 367 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Page 368 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday Page 369 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Page 370 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 Page 371 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Page 372 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090514 085729 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Page 373 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day Thailand - Special Holiday TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar Page 374 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday Page 375 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Page 376 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day Page 377 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Page 378 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 379 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Page 380 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday Page 381 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090514 085756 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday Page 382 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Page 383 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 Belarus - October Revolution Day China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day Page 384 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day Page 385 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Austria - National Holiday Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Page 386 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) Page 387 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary Singapore - Deepavali (Observed) TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) Page 388 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Albania - Small Bajram Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Page 389 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090514 090136 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 390 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 391 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Page 392 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 393 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Page 394 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Page 395 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Page 396 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Page 397 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Page 398 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Page 399 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or Page 400 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090514 090236 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090514e55e001a2 Page 401 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Interfax Russia & CIS Military Weekly 43,573 words 8 May 2009 12:51 PM Interfax: Russia & CIS Military Weekly RSSMIL English (c) 2009 Interfax Information Services, B.V. MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-ФМТ) - Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov, who is visiting Moscow to attend Russia-EU energy talks, does not see why he should not return to Brussels. "Why not?" he said in reply to an Interfax question on Thursday. Meanwhile, NATO decided to expel two Russian diplomats from the Russian mission at the alliance. The Western media said that one of the diplomats was Chizhov's son. BRUSSELS. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The NATO secretary general has announced the cancelled accreditation and expulsion from Belgium of two staff members of the Russian mission at the alliance the mission's senior adviser and political desk chief Viktor Kochukov and mission attache and executive secretary Vasily Chizhov, Russian Permanent Representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told Interfax on Thursday. "They are accused of espionage incompatible with the diplomatic status," he said. The alliance explained the move "with the recently increased intelligence activity of Russia at the NATO structures," he said. Rogozin described the accusations as "far-fetched, irresponsible and provocative." "NATO personnel know well that the aforesaid diplomats did not involve the activity incompatible with their professional status," he said. Kochukov is well known to the alliance, as he has been working for the Russian mission for many years and maintaining permanent contacts with the NATO international secretariat and heads of national Page 402 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. delegations, Rogozin said. As for Chizhov, he is a young staff member in charge of organizational, personnel and protocol issues at the alliance, he said. "The claims [made to these employees] are senseless and unfounded," Rogozin said. BRUSSELS. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will react to a decision by NATO to have members of the Russian mission to the North Atlantic alliance, Viktor Kochukov and Vasily Chizhov, expelled from Belgium for alleged espionage, Russian permanent envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday. "I want to say that, in line with established diplomatic practice, this act will not remain unanswered," Rogozin told Interfax. He said he had reported the incident to Russia's political leadership. BRUSSELS. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Permanent Representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin has described the declared expulsion of two staff members of the Russian mission at NATO as a provocative act targeted to disrupt the emerging thaw in Russia-NATO relations. "What is more, I view [this declaration] as a crude demarche aimed to thwart the ministerial conference [planned within the Russia-NATO Council framework with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on May 19]," Rogozin told Interfax. NATO accused Russia of intensified espionage at NATO structures and the involvement of mission staff members Viktor Kochukov and Vasily Chizhov in such activities. There are forces in NATO "wishing to seed doubts" about the expediency of full-scale resumption of Russia-NATO relations, Rogozin said. "Someone in the NATO administration or, probably, in certain member countries are displeased with the active Russian position on practically every track of negotiations with the West - arms control, missile defense and the planned reset of Russia-U.S. relations," Rogozin said. Certain forces in the West are displeased with the beginning active interaction between the Russian and U.S. presidents, in particular, in the further reduction of strategic offensive armaments, he noted. Page 403 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Thus, these forces in the alliance "have taken unprecedented crude steps aimed to unbalance Russia," Rogozin said. "The announced exercises in Georgia were their first attempt. Now they make totally unfounded claims against our diplomats," he said. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia expressed surprise at NATO's condemnation of Thursday's agreements between Russia, on the one hand, and Abkhazia and South Ossetia, on the other, on jointly guarding the Abkhaz and South Ossetian borders. "Attention has been paid in Moscow to a statement by the official spokesman of NATO to the effect that the agreements on join efforts in guarding the borders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia are in breach of some supposed agreements. This is a surprising point to make as Russia has not signed any truce agreements with anyone in that region," Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said in a statement posted on the ministry website. "The only agreement that we comply with is the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan, which is primarily violated by Georgia itself, which does not wish to withdraw its troops and armaments and has all these months been building up its military presence in zones bordering Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Nesterenko said. The Medvedev-Sarkozy plan is a road map for solving problems caused by the August 2008 conflict in Georgia that was agreed by the Russian and French presidents, Dmitry Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy. "Moreover, despite the obvious problems of internal processes in Georgia and instability in zones bordering Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the NATO bloc plans to go ahead with its military exercise in this very unstable region," he said. Russia's border control accords with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, signed in Moscow, "are designed to strengthen security and stability in the region," the spokesman said. "These agreements cannot inhibit the current search for acceptable formats for international presence." MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is to pay a working visit to Japan on May 11-13, the government's press service said on Monday. "The program of the visit will be dominated by negotiations with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and meetings with leading representatives of the business circles, including participation in an authoritative Russian-Japanese business forum and meetings with influential political figures of Japan," the press service said. Page 404 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Economic problems, with a focus on the search for new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan in areas such as energy, including nuclear power, information and telecommunication technologies, transport, space and investment" will be high on the agenda of Putin-Aso talks, it said. The Russian and Japanese prime ministers are also "expected to discuss other issues of mutual interest," the press service said. They plan to "sign intergovernmental documents on the development of cooperation in a wide range of important practical areas of bilateral ties," it said. Putin is also expected to address a conference of Russian and Japanese governors. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said was "outraged and disgusted" by NATO's decision to expel two permanent representatives to NATO, including his son Vasily, and that his son would hopefully cope with the situation psychologically. "It is a flagrant and outrageous provocation, which makes me indignant and disgusted. I am sure its initiators were well aware what his staff were in fact doing, including my son. And if they were not, they are bad professionals. But I think they knew," Chizhov told Interfax on Monday. "Apparently, those who initiated it, wanted to damage Russia-NATO relations, which were driven into a deadlock in the second half of last year through no fault of ours. If they hoped this would damage me in some way or another, they miscalculated," he said. GORKI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - President Dmitry Medvedev has instructed Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to negotiate with foreign colleagues a procedure of prosecuting pirates, including a plan to form an international criminal court. "This problem must be looked at from the angle of Russian law and litigation, and also from the angle of forming an international practice of handling such cases," Medvedev told Chaika at his suburban residence. "Foreign colleagues could be contacted jointly with other agencies concerned and with the Foreign Ministry, to see how persons guilty of piracy could be prosecuted," Medvedev said. "All options must be considered, including the formation of an international court," the Russian president said. Page 405 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Not infrequently, the states breeding piracy remain inert and, in fact, very often connive at such crimes, which affects a huge number of people, a large number of shipping companies and, simply, the interests of states," he said. "We have captured these pirates and we must understand now how to handle them. They could be tried by various laws, and this is an international issue which will perhaps need to be discussed at a conference, or, maybe, an independent international court will have to be formed. We are ready to do this work jointly with foreign colleagues. I have discussed this with my partners," Medvedev said. Russian naval crews are in contact with foreign crews, he said. "But instead of military operations - we won't be found lacking skills to teach anyone a lesson - we need to legally assess what is happening," the Russian president said. IZHEVSK, Udmurtia. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - A chemical weapons scrapping facility in the village of Kizner, Russia's internal republic of Udmurtia lacks funding, Udmurtia's President Alexander Volkov said. "Actually the situation with Kizner has become complicated because federal financing was reduced, and this affected our facility," Volkov told a news conference on Monday. Another similar project in the town of Pochep, Bryansk region was prioritized, he said. "However, there is still a chance to get funds thanks to foreign assistance which is also provided under this [chemical weapons scrapping] program," Volkov said. Notwithstanding the difficulties the construction of the Kizner facility should be completed by the deadline "provided by both the program and the international convention," he said. Speaking about the funding of other facilities, Udmurtia's president said: "There will be no reduction in financing of social facilities." According to Volkov, a decision on redesigning the chemical weapons scrapping facility in the town of Kambarka, at which the scrapping activities had been completed, for civilian purposes will be made within two years. "The recycling of reactive masses which should be removed and the cleaning of the premises will be underway at Kambarka for two years. Simultaneously, we will work with the state customer of this program on the future of this enterprise," Volkov said. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will respond to the deportation from Belgium of two Russian Page 406 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. officials from the Russian permanent representation at NATO in the near future, sources told Interfax on Tuesday. Russia has already decided on its response to the NATO decision, which was officially approved by the Belgium Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, to cancel the accreditation of Viktor Kochukov, senior adviser of the representation, and Vasily Chizhov, the representation's attache and secretary, sources said. "Russia's reaction has already been worded and will be voiced," a source said. Official structures in Moscow are not disclosing the measures that are planned in response to the diplomats' deportation. At the same time, experts have said that the deportation of diplomats for activities incompatible with their status is usually "mirrored." In this case, that means that the Russian diplomats' deportation form Belgium may be followed by the deportation of Isabel Francois, director of NATO Information Bureau in Moscow, who holds a Canadian diplomatic passport, the source said. BARVIKHA. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has hailed the readiness of the new U.S. administration to discuss the deployment of the missile defense system in Eastern Europe. "I am satisfied that our U.S. partners are expressing a wish to discuss this issue, that there is no stubborn position that they will deploy this system regardless of anyone," Medvedev said during a meeting with Spravedlivaya Rossiya activists on Tuesday. "We should move towards creating a comprehensive protection system, and such systems exist in Russia and some other friendly states," Medvedev said. "The deployment of U.S. missile defense systems in Europe does not strengthen anything, but only causes tension," he said. "Missile defense systems are not the best idea proposed by the previous U.S. administration, to put it mildly, an idea that was adopted by-passing even some NATO and EU institutions," Medvedev said. "It is good that this causes different emotions in Europe," Medvedev said. Medvedev admitted that Russia's initiative in the sphere of the new treaty on European security is "going difficultly." Page 407 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "But its essence is such that there is nothing to object," he said. "Security should be indivisible," Medvedev said. "Of course, our European colleagues are trying to see it with a microscope, but it is normal, we are ready for discussion," he said. "In general, it is a good idea and it should be promoted," he said. BRUSSELS. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Statements by Georgian political and military authorities that Russian special services are allegedly involved in the military mutiny in Georgia are ridiculous and absolutely unfounded, Russia's envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said. "Of course we have slowly begun to get accustomed to mad accusations by Georgian political and military authorities that if there is hail or thunderstorms, this is all Moscow's work," Rogozin told Interfax on Tuesday. Floods, problems with Borjomi mineral water and so on can continue this way, he said. "It can be said that both the Georgian army and Georgian nationhood are undergoing complete destruction, and the reason is again Saakashvili's mad policies," Rogozin said. Rogozin said he was certain that holding NATO military exercises in this situation, just as by stubbornly reiterating regrets that it is impossible to cancel them, in fact means fostering the collapse of Georgia together with possible destabilization of the situation in neighboring regions. "That is why I think that it would be more adequate to hold the exercises in a regular insane asylum," Rogozin said. Russia's envoy to NATO also said that he would like to draw attention of the alliance's high-ranking officials to the fact that "Moscow views this decision as a provocative." NATO should think at least over the refusal of all CSTO member states to take part in "this absolutely doubtful 'campaign' which inspires unrest, mutinies and provocations," Rogozin said. Serbia and Moldova made a quite rational decision not to put at risk their civil and military personnel and Page 408 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. not to send them to Georgia at this troubled time, he added. "As far as we are concerned, we will closely watch that this military horseplay near the territory of Russia, as well as South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in no way influences the security of our citizens," Rogozin said. According to earlier reports, a tank battalion mutinied at the Mukhrovani military base, which is also the home of the Georgian special forces, on Tuesday. The Georgian Interior Ministry announced the same day that it had exposed a military conspiracy and arrested several high- ranking officers of the Georgian Defense Ministry. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin has called for a prompt meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at level of ambassadors. "I have informed my colleagues that I would like to call a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at level of ambassadors as soon as possible to discuss just one important issue. I would like to ask one question: who is interested in a regress of out relationship and why are they interested in it? Who is trying to make the same mistakes over and over again and why?" Rogozin said on Vesti-24 television on Tuesday. "We should discuss that first and the other issues will be discussed later. As for the ministerial meeting, I will say once again that Moscow finds it inappropriate to hold it now," he said. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Asked by Interfax to comment on Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's recent statements on an alleged "Russian trail" in recent developments in Georgia, on the Black Sea Fleet's claimed presence in the Georgian waters and on an alleged strengthening of the Russian military units in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a source in the Kremlin said in a clipped phrase, "He must see a doctor!" MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - By accusing Russia of provocation, the Georgian leadership is once again trying to hold Russia responsible for its internal political problems, a high-ranking Russian Foreign Ministry official has said. "Georgia's latest accusations addressed to Russia are a sign of the Georgian leadership's sick imagination and irresponsible behavior," Russian State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told Interfax on Tuesday. "Something that we traditionally worry about is happening today: The Georgian leadership is trying to put the blame for its internal political problems on Russia and the Russian armed forces. Instead of Page 409 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. maintaining dialogue inside the country, the Georgian leadership is trying to bring absolutely nonsensical charges against Russia," Karasin said. "We actually learned about the latest events in Georgia from the Americans, who informed us through diplomatic channels," he said. "The Georgian leadership should behave responsibly and seriously. It is another question whether it is capable of taking such steps, but this is not our issue," Karasin said. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The 22nd Combined-Arms Army will be disbanded by June 1 as part of the current overall restructuring of Russia's military, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. Those of the 22nd Army's more than 400 commanding officers who have reached retirement age would be discharged from the military, and the others would receive new postings, the spokesman told InterfaxAVN. The army's commander, Maj. Gen. Sergei Yudin, would await a decision on his future from the defense minister. The main forces of the 22nd Army, which is headquartered in Nizhny Novgorod, would stay in the Moscow Military District, to which the army belongs. "The Third Motorized Infantry Division and the Kantemir Tank Division will be reorganized to become brigades and will remain part of the Moscow Military District," the spokesman said. "The work of closing the headquarters, control bodies and services of the 22nd Combined-Arms Army is in full swing in Nizhny Novgorod. The deadline for the disbandment of the army is June 1 of this year," he said. There are two combined-arms armies in the Moscow Military District, the 22nd and the 20th, which has its headquarters in Voronezh. The restructured Land Forces, to number 280,000 troops, will consist of about 80 brigades - 40 combined-arms, 20 missile and artillery, and some air defense, communications and radio-electronic combat brigades. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied any interference in Georgia's internal affairs, particularly the Tuesday events at the Mukhrovani military base, which, according to some Page 410 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Georgian officials, were masterminded by Russia. "We reaffirm once again that Russia is not interfering in Georgia's internal affairs in principle. We do not believe in scenarios imposed from the outside," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. "This is not the first time we have been groundlessly accused of interference," the statement says. "It is curious that the accusations have been increasingly more absurd each time. A lot has been said. However, the matter has not yet gone as far as claiming that Russia is trying to overthrow the Georgian government with the help of the Georgian armed forces," it says. The Foreign Ministry described Tbilisi's claims to this effect as "another anti-Russian sortie." "What is significant is the time Tbilisi has chosen for its new action - one day before the start of NATO exercises in Georgia," it said. Moscow has warned its partners that "this event is absolutely out of place in the tense internal Georgian and regional situation," the Foreign Ministry said. "Our warnings have not been listened to," it said. "What is happening now is exactly what we were worried about," the statement says. "The Georgian leadership immediately interprets uncontrolled internal political processes in Georgian society as inspired by a foreign enemy represented by Russia. This is an inappropriate way to resolve problems of its own society, not to mention that this happens in an explosive Caucasus region," it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is expected to announce its measures in response to the recent expulsion of two workers of the Russian Permanent Representation Office at NATO on Wednesday. Isabelle Francois, the director of the NATO Information Office in Moscow, and a worker of her office are likely to be deprived of diplomatic accreditation in Russia, a high-ranking Russian Foreign Ministry official told Interfax. Francois and her colleague are Canadian diplomats, who are also accredited with the Canadian Embassy in Russia as attaches, he said. "We will officially announce our measures immediately after presenting a relevant note, for which the Canadian ambassador will be called to the Russian Foreign Ministry tomorrow," the official said. Page 411 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The note will say that the said persons are deprived of diplomatic accreditation in Russia as a response measure. We will refrain from declaring them personae non gratae," he said. These steps on Russia's part are typical for diplomatic relations, he said. "We have not been initiators of such an approach. We have been forced to act this way," he said. Interfax could not obtain official comments on this information. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied any interference in Georgia's internal affairs, particularly the Tuesday events at the Mukhrovani military base, which, according to some Georgian officials, were masterminded by Russia. "We reaffirm once again that Russia is not interfering in Georgia's internal affairs in principle. We do not believe in scenarios imposed from the outside," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. "This is not the first time we have been groundlessly accused of interference," the statement says. "It is curious that the accusations have been increasingly more absurd each time. A lot has been said. However, the matter has not yet gone as far as claiming that Russia is trying to overthrow the Georgian government with the help of the Georgian armed forces," it says. The Foreign Ministry described Tbilisi's claims to this effect as "another anti-Russian sortie." "What is significant is the time Tbilisi has chosen for its new action - one day before the start of NATO exercises in Georgia," it said. Moscow has warned its partners that "this event is absolutely out of place in the tense internal Georgian and regional situation," the Foreign Ministry said. "Our warnings have not been listened to," it said. "What is happening now is exactly what we were worried about," the statement says. "The Georgian leadership immediately interprets uncontrolled internal political processes in Georgian society as inspired by a foreign enemy represented by Russia. This is an inappropriate way to resolve problems of its own society, not to mention that this happens in an explosive Caucasus region," it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday hailed a decision by Kazakhstan, Moldova, Armenia and Serbia to back out from planned NATO exercises in Georgia, exercises that Moscow strongly opposes. Page 412 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "We note that some countries have heeded our concerns in connection with these exercises and have decided not to take part in this dubious action," Igor Lyakin-Frolov told Interfax. NATO says the participants in the planned exercise as part of the alliance's partnership for Peace program, to go on until June 1, included nine NATO member states in addition to partners of the alliance. BRUSSELS. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Belgian Foreign Ministry has formally notified Russia about withdrawing accreditation from two Russian diplomats, Viktor Kochukov and Vasily Chizhov, who worked for the permanent mission of Russia to NATO, said Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin. "The note has been received," Rogozin told Interfax on Tuesday. The permanent mission of Russia to NATO received the formal note from the Belgian Foreign Ministry through diplomatic channels at 4:50 p.m. local time, he said. "Apart from containing a reference to the Geneva convention and a NATO paper stripping our two diplomats of accreditation, it says that they must leave Belgium, but does not stipulate special terms and how exactly this should be done," Rogozin said. The permanent mission is currently preparing a response to set departure deadlines for its employees, he said. The Russian diplomats must certainly be allowed enough time to prepare for the move and to get their families ready for it, he said. MOSCOW. April 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The apparent military coup attempt in Georgia on Tuesday was another provocative act by the Georgian leadership, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "I think this is another act of provocation in both the information and geopolitical fields. The current Georgian leadership has shown itself as a proponent of such provocations. I am convinced that this it is not a coincidence that this provocation was staged right before the NATO exercises in Georgia, which are to begin on May 6, despite all our warnings," Lavrov said in an interview with Western journalists, an excerpt from which Channel One television showed on Wednesday morning. The Georgian leadership announced the prevention of a military coup on Tuesday. Page 413 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. President Mikheil Saakashvili said the mutineers planned to thwart NATO military exercises beginning in Georgia on Wednesday. He also suggested that Russia might have been behind the failed coup. The mutiny broke out at a military unit stationed in Mukhrovani outside Tbilisi. The personnel of a special armor battalion declared their disobedience to the authorities but agreed to lay down their arms soon afterwards. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Canadian Ambassador to Russia Ralph Lysyshyn was invited to the Russian Foreign Ministry for a meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a Russian Foreign Ministry source told Interfax on Wednesday. "The ambassador was presented with a note on depriving head of the NATO Information Office in Moscow Isabelle Francois and another official from her office of accreditation," the source said. Francois and her colleague were Canadian diplomats, who were also accredited with the Canadian Embassy in Russia as attaches, a high-ranking Russian Foreign Ministry official told Interfax on Tuesday. "We will officially announce our measures immediately after presenting a relevant note, for which the Canadian ambassador will be called to the Russian Foreign Ministry tomorrow [Wednesday]," the official said. "The note will say that the said persons are deprived of diplomatic accreditation in Russia as a response measure. We will refrain from declaring them personae non gratae," he said. These steps on Russia's part are typical for diplomatic relations, he said. "We have not been initiators of such an approach. We have been forced to act this way," he said. The Russian Foreign Ministry had earlier confirmed the reception of an official note from the Belgian Foreign Ministry on depriving two members of the Russian Permanent Representation to NATO, Viktor Kochukov and Vasily Chizhov, of diplomatic accreditation. They were accused of spying activities incompatible with their diplomatic status, it said. Moscow described the accusations as trumped up and said it would not leave them unanswered. Russia suggested on Tuesday that it saw the organization of a Russia-NATO Council ministerial meeting Page 414 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. to be inappropriate at the present time. Analysts pointed to the fact that both the Belgian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Foreign Ministry chose a relatively mild measure in relation to the diplomats. "They have not been declared personae non gratae and have not been told to leave the country immediately within 24 hours but have been simply deprived of accreditation," an analyst said. "The Belgian Foreign Ministry found itself in a delicate situation and wanted to soften the demarche in relation to Russia as much as possible by choosing this method," an analyst said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow is sorry to declare that NATO Information Office head Isabelle Francois will have to leave the country, as she has done a lot to promote ties between Russia and the alliance, a Russian Foreign Ministry source told Interfax on Wednesday. "It is especially sad that Isabelle Francois, who personally has very good feelings toward Russia and has perhaps done quite a lot to help develop our ties, will have to leave," the source said. It was reported earlier that Canadian Ambassador to Russia Ralph Lysyshyn had been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry to be presented with a note on depriving Francois and another official from her office of accreditation. This step was taken in response to the deprivation of two Russian diplomats, Viktor Kochukov and Vasily Chizhov, who worked at the Russian Permanent Representation to NATO, of accreditation. "The matter implies an unfriendly step, which was unexpected and upsetting to us, because we had the impression that, following the summit in Kehl and Strasbourg, NATO really wanted to resume full-fledged cooperation with Russia," the source said. NEW YORK, United Nations. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will actively oppose any attempts by some nations to justify their fellow countrymen who fought on the side of the Nazis during the Second World War, Russian representative Igor Yevdokimov said at the United Nations headquarters in New York. "Historical memory is eroding in certain countries which are trying to justify their fellow countrymen, who fought under the same banner with the Nazis, with the high ideals of nationalist liberation movements," the Russian diplomat said on Wednesday. Now is the time to remind to those countries' leaders that such a policy disagrees with their commitments of UN member states, he said. Page 415 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Russia will take most decisive action, both bilaterally and internationally, in order to oppose any attempts to falsify and rewrite the history in favor of any political conjuncture, Yevdokimov said. The UN and its Department of Public Information (DPI) should pay more attention to the upcoming 64th anniversary of the World War II victory on May 9, he said. "There is no statute of limitation for the crimes of Nazi and their abettors, and we would like the DPI to pay more attention to this subject," the diplomat said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow has decided to deprive Isabelle Francois, the director of the NATO Information Office in Moscow, and its official Mark Opgenorth of diplomatic accreditation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "In response to an unfriendly act on the part of NATO in relation to officials from the Russian Permanent Representation to NATO, Russia has made a forced decision to deprive Isabelle Francois, the director of the NATO Information Office in Moscow and an attache of the Canadian Embassy to Russia, and Mark Opgenorth, another member of the office staff and an attache of the Canadian Embassy to Russia, of diplomatic accreditation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Canadian Ambassador to Russia Ralph Lysyshyn had earlier been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry to be informed about this decision, it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried have discussed the political situation inside Georgia in a telephone conversation. "The Russian party gave an appropriate assessment of the reasons for instability in this country," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report on Wednesday. "We have always dreaded events that are taking place in Georgia today. When tensions are running high in Georgian society amid an uncontrollable internal political situation, it is immediately interpreted by the Georgian authorities as a search for an external enemy represented by Russia," the ministry said. "It becomes a serious destabilizing factor in the region," it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has not stopped contacts with Hamas, although members of Page 416 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. this group will not take part in the Moscow conference on the Middle East peace process, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "As regards Hamas or any other group, I would like to say that the participants in the conference are states, and Hamas, as far as I know, has never questioned [Palestinian National Authority President] Mahmoud Abbas's mandate to hold negotiations on behalf of all Palestinians," Lavrov said in an interview published on the Russian Foreign Ministry website on Wednesday. At the same time, "we have not stopped our work with Hamas. We are maintaining contacts using different methods, including through our representatives in the region, and speaking with [Hamas leader] Khaled Mashaal on the telephone," Lavrov said. It is critical to restore Palestinian unity as soon as possible, he said. "I think it would be fundamentally important for all Palestinian groups to stand on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Arab Peace Initiative as a first step," Lavrov said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to discuss relations within the Russia-NATO Council and the situation in the South Caucasus with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during his upcoming visit to the U.S. "Certainly, we will discuss the entire range of our relations within the Russia-NATO Council and also the alarming situation in the South Caucasus, which is still in place chiefly because of provocative steps that the Georgian leadership has been taking from time to time," Lavrov said at a news briefing on Wednesday. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski agree that historic problems should not add tensions to contemporary relations between the two countries. "We discussed difficult matters related to our countries' history. We agree that historic problems should not affect the present and the future of our relations, not to mention burden these relations," Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Sikorski. "Historians should deal with history, and these issues should not be a problem," Lavrov said. A Russian-Polish commission on complex matters should meet in Moscow next week, he said. Page 417 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia has banned flights over its territory by an air company, which delivers supplies to the Swedish contingent of the coalition forces in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "It became known yesterday that Tbilisi had banned flights over Georgia by an air company which airlifts supplies to the Swedish contingent in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan," Lavrov said at a press briefing on Wednesday. "The flight were regular, but they have been banned under a laughable pretext - the absence of agreement on the Swedish side. This goes beyond all bounds," the Russian foreign minister said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow welcomes a trend toward warmer relations between Russia and the U.S., said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "A warmer atmosphere in Russian-American relations is a factor that we welcome. We have always favored an appropriate, mutually respectful, and equal dialogue with our U.S. partners, a dialogue that would embrace virtually all major international problems and help Moscow and Washington do some useful work, and a dialogue based on a joint analysis of the situation rather than some unilateral approaches that the Bush administration was given to," Lavrov said in an interview published on the Russian Foreign Ministry website on Wednesday. Moscow expects "the atmosphere that has been in place with the Barack Obama administration coming to power in the U.S. should promote this joint work in practice," he said. "We will see if this is true in the near future, in the course of preparations for a first summit of President Medvedev and President Obama planned for July this year in Moscow," he said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The participants in negotiations between Russia and the U.S. on strategic offensive weapons will not be able to reach an agreement on the entire spectrum of the problem, and therefore they should focus only on reducing these arms, Col. Gen. Viktor Yesin, a former chief of staff of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN), said in an interview with Interfax on Wednesday. "It appears to be quite reasonable at the present stage of the development of the agreements to focus only on the problems of reduction and limitation of strategic offensive weapons, including those which have non-nuclear warheads," Yesin said in comments on U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller's statement regarding prospects for the Russian-U.S. talks, which she made in an earlier interview with Interfax. Page 418 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The approaches toward negotiations with Russia on concluding a new treaty on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive weapons set out in Gottemoeller's interview "can only be welcomed," Yesin said. At the same time, "it would be wrong to expect that this agreement would cover all issues related to the parties' strategic weapons," Yesin said. "The time left before the end of the year is clearly not enough for this," he said. "It is critically important not to lose Moscow's and Washington's mutual desire to achieve practical results in the area of strategic offensive weapons" so that a new agreement should be signed by the end of 2009, he said. "It may well be not comprehensive, but this interim step is very important. Further progress on the path of expanding cooperation between Moscow and Washington on the entire spectrum of problems related to nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and limitation of strategic missile defense systems is unthinkable without it," Yesin said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - A majority of Russian citizens believe that people who deny the Soviet Union's contribution to the victory in World War II should be put on trial, said Olga Kamenchuk, who heads the media contacts department of the All Russian Center for Public Opinion Studies. "The results of our poll suggest that more than 50% of Russians, 60% to be precise, back the idea of introducing criminal liability for persons who negate [the Soviet Union's] contribution to the victory in World War II," Kamenchuk said in Moscow on Wednesday. Thirty-six percent of respondents support this idea completely, and 24% partially, she said. Twenty-six percent of those polled took the opposite view. The initiative enjoys the greatest support among Russians over 60 years old (71%), but it is approved of by less than 30% of citizens below 44 years of age, Kamenchuk said. The public opinion survey involved 1,600 people in 140 localities across Russia, she said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO's military maneuvers in the South Caucasus region represent Page 419 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. an act of support for Georgia's political bankrupt regime and are an obviously unfriendly step toward Russia, said academic Andrei Kokoshin, who is a State Duma deputy and former secretary of the Russian Security Council. "My opinion is that it is an unfriendly move in relation to Russia on the part of NATO countries amid today's conditions," Kokoshin told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. "If NATO really wants to establish mutually beneficial and equal relations with us, I would cancel such exercises or transfer them to another venue, if I were a member of the NATO bureaucracy and leadership," he said. Senior NATO officials have deliberately chosen to ignore the recent events that occurred in Georgia, when the authorities in Tbilisi announced that they had prevented a military coup in the country, the deputy said. "It is a certain act that is possibly aimed at supporting the current regime, which, on the one hand, is totally bankrupt, but, on the other hand, constantly demonstrates its absolute loyalty to Washington and the West. An alternative to it has not yet been created even among other pro-Western forces," he said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has described the expulsion of two Canadian diplomats from Russia as a logical response to similar steps that were earlier taken in relation to two officials from the Russian Permanent Representation to NATO. "These are the rules of the game, and our NATO partners, at least those who initiated the expulsion of our diplomats, could not have expected something else," Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Wednesday. At the same time, Russia is willing to continue cooperation with NATO, Lavrov said. "We want an appropriate, mutually beneficial, and mutually respectful partnership with the Euro-Atlantic alliance. We want appropriate, pragmatic, and mutually respectful work of the Russia-NATO Council based on the principles that were stipulated when this mechanism was established," he said. Talking about NATO-Georgian relations and the upcoming exercises in Georgia, Lavrov warned NATO against conniving with the Georgian regime. He pointed out, in particular, that Georgia recently denied a plane supplying the Swedish forces in Afghanistan from flying through its airspace. Page 420 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Surely, all this is interrelated - I mean both the exercises that are going on and a confirmation of the fact that the policy of connivance with the Tbilisi regime backfires on NATO itself," he said. Russia and NATO should stick to the principle of not improving their security at each other's expense, he said. "As for those who apparently want to bury this principle and ensure security in Europe not through dialogue but through unilateral decisions, they are probably behind the attempts not to allow these relations to normalize, including by way of provocations we have just mentioned," he said. BRUSSELS. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian envoy to NATO Dmitri Rogozin has spoken against getting obsessed with the conflict involving the expulsion two Russian diplomats from Belgium and Moscow's reply measures. "I believe a line should be drawn under the issue. We should not forget that Russia and NATO are involved in a dialogue on strategic security matters, therefore the attempt to send this cooperation down the drain will fail," Rogozin told Interfax on Wednesday. He placed the entire responsibility for the conflict on those who "organized this provocation to undermine the process of reviving Russian-NATO cooperation." However, the Russian side believes that these forces hoped for the expansion of the conflict, for escalating it, the envoy said. "If that is true, the party of peace in NATO and Russian diplomats must do their utmost to resume cooperation as soon as possible, to return to a normal political dialogue not clouded by such insinuations," Rogozin said. MOSCOW, May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has described as a provocation the situation surrounding Georgia's official reports on an exposed mutiny involving the Georgian military. "It is yet another provocation, I think. And I am absolutely certain it was not accidental that this provocation was conceived ahead of the NATO exercise in Georgia on May 6, disregarding all our warnings," Lavrov said in an interview with the Euronews television channel. "If this is an attempt to entangle members of the NATO exercise into a wrangle, provoked by this Page 421 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. particular statement by the Georgian government, this confirms yet again that we were 100% right when we cautioned those planning to hold the exercise against things leading to tensions," Lavrov said. Tbilisi earlier claimed that an attempted military mutiny involving high-ranking military officials and servicemen of the Mukhrovani base had been exposed in Georgia. NOVO-OGARYOVO. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ordered the formation of the Vega Concern, which will develop space intelligence and civil navigation gadgets. Putin announced his ordinance at the Wednesday meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov and asked him for details. Ivanov said that the concern would incorporate about 20 enterprises across Russia. "We will thus concentrate on the development of land, air and space-based intelligence and control systems for defense and civilian users," he said. The concern may work for high-tech civilian industries, such as navigation, Ivanov said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The date of departure of Canadian diplomats on the staff of the NATO information office in Moscow will depend on how long the Belgian side will give two staff members of the Russian representative office in NATO, deprived of accreditation, to leave. "The deadline for the departure of staff members of the NATO information bureau will depend on the decision on the date when the staff members of the Russian representative office in NATO return from Belgium," a Russian Foreign Ministry source told Interfax on Thursday. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Moscow had withdrawn diplomatic accreditation from head of the NATO information office in Moscow Isabelle Francois and office employee Mark Opgenorth. A statement, circulated by the Foreign Ministry, said that the decision had been made "in response to NATO's unfriendly move in relation to staff members of the Russian representative office in NATO." Francois and her colleague are Canadian diplomats, accredited as attaches at the Canadian embassy in Russia. The NATO leadership earlier announced that it was withdrawing accreditation from Viktor Kochukov, the Page 422 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Russian representative office's senior counselor and head of the political section, and Vasily Chizhov, the attache and executive secretary. Both were blamed for "spying, incompatible with the diplomatic status." The Russian side described these charges as far-fetched. NOVO-OGARYOVO. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - State defense procurements will amount to 1.3 trillion rubles in 2009, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov told Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. "State defense orders, including construction projects, fuel, lubricants, material property and food, will amount to 1.3 trillion rubles," he said. The Defense Ministry alone has ordered 322 billion rubles worth of machinery, Ivanov said. Last year's defense orders were met practically in full, he remarked. "We received 17 intercontinental ballistic missiles, four Iskander missile launchers, 52 T-90 tanks, 210 armored personnel carriers, 41 BMP-3 armored combat vehicles, 152 cannons and mortars and 34 S-400 missiles," he said. Also, 4,500 vehicles were supplied, and six Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers, 82 aircraft and 31 helicopters were modernized and repaired, Ivanov concluded. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia does not believe the EU is trying to bar it from participating in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement," Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov told Interfax. "We do not see such attempts as of yet," Denisov told Interfax. "The commonly recognized mediator in this issue is the so-called Minsk Group, which comprises officials from Russia, the U.S., and France. France is a member of the EU. For this reason, we do not see any contradictions here," he said. France is operating in accordance with the regulations coordinated within the EU, he said. Some media earlier reported that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan intend to meet in Prague on Thursday without Russian mediation and the main mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement will now be the EU. Page 423 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's position at the UN Security Council regarding the problem of North Korea will depend on the situation, but Moscow is unlikely to support sanctions against that country, said Yury Ushakov, a deputy head of the Russian government secretariat. "It will depend on the individual situation, but in principle we won't," Ushakov said at a news briefing in Moscow in the run-up to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan when asked what position Russia would assume if sanctions against North Korea are discussed at the UN Security Council. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - President Dmitry Medvedev has greeted WWII veterans holding the title of Hero of Soviet Union on the upcoming Victory Day and said Russia will always respond to attempts to misinterpret the essence of this event. The president invited the veterans to discuss preparations for the 65th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in the 1941-1945 war against Nazi Germany and talk about "how this victory was won, how it was assessed immediately following the Great Patriotic War, and how some try to interpret these events from time to time." "I believe we must react to such things," he said. The people in the Soviet Union proved in 1945 that "nobody can impose their will on them and that any aggression would meet a tough response." "I would like to say that this [the war and the victory in it] was perhaps the most important and the most complicated event in the past century," he said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is prepared for a constructive dialogue on the problem of a peace treaty with Japan during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to that country, but it does not have any "excessive expectations" on this account, Yury Ushakov, a deputy head of the Russian government secretariat, said at a news briefing in Moscow in the run-up to Putin's visit to Japan on May 11-13. "I would like to emphasize that we are prepared for a calm and constructive conversation on this subject and, which is very important, do not have any excessive expectations," Ushakov said. "We are prepared to discuss some hypothetical situations, but we are not prepared to part with the [Kuril] islands," Ushakov said. Page 424 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. There have been a number of statements in Japan about possible ways to resolve the problem of the Kuril Islands, including the possibility of "dividing the Kurils in half," which Tokyo has never supported officially, Ushakov said. "The goal of all this is perhaps to prompt us to make some hasty remarks and nothing else," he said. Russia's position is that no bilateral problem can hinder the development of the entire range of relations, no matter how complicated and sensitive it is for this or that party, he said. "We are prepared to discuss [these problems], especially considering that we cannot avoid discussing it, because the Japanese will anyway try to raise this issue, but at the same time we have to try to distance ourselves from some radical positions in discussing it," Ushakov said. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's military-technological cooperation with Iran does not go against any international agreements, and Russia only sells defense weapons to Iran, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "Anything that we sell to Iran is purely for defense purposes," Lavrov said at the Washington D.C. headquarters of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Friday. Lavrov reiterated that cooperation between Moscow and Tehran in this area fully complies with both Russian and international law. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thinks that favorable conditions for launching negotiations with Iran are forming. "I think that conditions for starting real talks on the basis of proposals on the negotiating table are forming. I have never said that we are against any pressure on Iran. I said that we see no reason in tough sanctions against Iran," Lavrov told a news conference after talks with U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton in Washington on Thursday. "If pressure is understood as effort aiming to persuade Iran to get to the negotiating table, them we actively make this effort," Lavrov said. "As to the Iranian nuclear program, it has many aspects, just as sanctions that are taken against Iran. But things are not that easy, there are collective decisions made by the UN Security Council, and they oblige all countries of the world to comply in a certain manner with and fulfill certain conditions. And there are Page 425 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. unilateral sanctions which the U.S. and European countries impose," the minister said. "We tell our partners that unilateral sanctions do not promote our collective actions. And we will adhere to agreements that are made in the '5 + 1' format," Lavrov said. Clinton told the same news conference that Washington is going to seek tougher sanctions against Iran, saying that the U.S. is creating evidence in order to make sanctions tougher, but it has yet to complete this process. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The United States has confirmed it is giving consideration to Russian proposals concerning missile defenses, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday. "As we have discussed today, the strategic review that the administration of President [Barack] Obama is conducting is going on and includes missile defense issues. Our American partners have confirmed to us that the proposals put forward by Russia are receiving consideration as part of this review. They include the well-known proposal that Vladimir Putin put forward in July 2007 and additional ideas that we handed over to our American counterparts as follow-ups to those proposals," Lavrov told a news conference in Washington after talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. One of the Russian proposals is an initiative for the joint use of Russian radar in Qabala, Azerbaijan, by Russia and the United States. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia would welcome the deployment of an OSCE mission in South Ossetia on conditions acceptable to Tskhinvali. "We would welcome this, of course if there are parameters acceptable to all those who will receive a relevant mission on their territory," Lavrov told a news conference after talks with U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton in Washington on Thursday. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hopes that barriers to resuming work of NATO-Russia Council (NRC) will be eradicated in the near future. "We hope that barriers to resuming the work of the NRC - and these barriers are artificial - will soon be eradicated," Lavrov told a news conference after talks with U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton in Washington on Thursday. Page 426 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The minister expressed hope that "this important structure will resume its work on the basis of the principles that were agreed on when it was created," the minister said. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The date for a planned U.S.-Russian summit is due to be announced "very soon," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday. "We came to an agreement to announce the specific date for this event very soon," Lavrov told a news conference in Washington after talks on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that talks with U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton in Washington on Thursday were productive. "We had productive talks which were dedicated to fulfilling instructions of the two presidents - President Medvedev and President Obama," Lavrov told a joint news conference with Clinton after the talks. An agreement on these instructions was reached at a meeting between the two presidents in London in April, the minister said. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - First results of Russian-U.S. talks on a new treaty on strategic offensive weapons will be presented to President Dmitry Medvedev and President Barack Obama during their meeting in Russia in July, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "We expect to hold several full-scale consultations between our negotiators in May and June and report about progress achieved to the two presidents when they meet in Moscow in early July," Lavrov said at the Washington D.C. headquarters of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Lavrov said he was sure that a new treaty on strategic offensive weapons "will certainly be among the priorities" at the meeting. There are quite good chances of developing a new agreement by the end of 2009, when the Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (START) will expire, Lavrov said. "We hope that we can work out a mutually acceptable language of a new treaty by the end of the year, although little time is left for this, and it is running out fast," he said. The new treaty should impose restrictions on both warheads and delivery vehicles, Lavrov said. "Judging by the first contacts, the U.S. side understands our position," he said. Page 427 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is willing to expand transit of cargo for the international forces in Afghanistan through its territory, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "We are prepared for expanding opportunities for transit," Lavrov said at the Washington D.C. headquarters of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Russia has agreements on transits of military cargo with France, Germany, and Spain, Lavrov said. "But, strictly speaking, any country participating in the international forces in Afghanistan can use these agreements to supply their troops," he said. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The strategic arms reduction issue is too important to be a pawn in the actions taken by this or that regime, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "Further restriction of strategic offensive arms is too important to both Russia and the U.S. and the whole world to be a pawn of actions taken by this or that regime anywhere on the Earth," Lavrov told a press conference in Washington. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said no one is allowed to doubt the heroism of the Soviet people in WWII and cautioned against attempts to falsify these events. "We should not turn a blind eye to the horrible truth of war. On the other hand, we will not allow anyone to doubt the heroism of our people," Medvedev said in his video blog. The most recent post in the presidential blog is dated May 7 and is entitled "On WWI, Historical Truth, and Our Memory." "We are seeing more and more of so-called history falsification. Many of you must have noticed that these attempts are becoming more and more cruel, evil and aggressive," the president said in his blog. "Essentially, we are in a situation when we have to defend historical truth and even have to prove once again the facts that have until recently seemed absolutely obvious," said Medvedev. "It's difficult, sometimes it's even unpleasant, but it has to be done," the president said. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - There might be a conspiracy against U.S. President Barack Obama inside NATO, said Russian Permanent Representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin. "We believe it is possible that there might be a conspiracy against Obama inside the North Atlantic Page 428 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. alliance," Rogozin said during a TV link from Brussels. "The difference between Obama and former U.S. President George W. Bush is too striking, and too many people don't like what Obama is saying," Rogozin said. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax) - Russia is preparing new compromise proposals on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty), Russia's envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said. "Recently just a week ago, we proposed to discuss Russia's new ideas on how this issue can be resolved," Rogozin said during a video conference from Brussels on Friday. "Actually, I was tasked to introduce for consideration of my colleagues in the NATO headquarters Russia's new ideas which could put an end misunderstanding, I introduced their [draft] yesterday. The document was passed to the U.S. side. The U.S. side is considering it, and we look at this hoping to overcome the stalemate," the envoy said. This proposal "proves that there is a considerable compromise and that there is considerable creativity in Russian negotiators," he said. "This once again proves that Russia, which maintains a moratorium on the CFE Treaty, has never doubted the extreme importance of maintaining arms control [mechanisms]," Rogozin said. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - A session of the Russia-NATO Council at the level of ambassadors will take place in May, but a date for the council's ministerial session has not yet been determined, Russia's ambassador at NATO Dmitry Rogozin said. "After my consultations with leading envoys, which are to begin today, we will agree to resume work at the level of ambassadors in order to discuss the political damage caused to relations between the Russian Federation and NATO because this issue cannot be ignored. We will then be able to determine a new date for a session at the ministerial level," Rogozin said during a TV ling-up from Brussels. Work at the level of Russia-NATO deputy envoys has never stopped, he said. "We have been working on a document that can help us create a new quality of cooperation within the Russia-NATO Council," he said. Senior diplomats of the envoys' offices have already discussed this matter twice this week, Rogozin said. Page 429 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will not bring political lawsuits against CIS member-countries that have decided to participate in NATO's military exercises in Georgia. "They are not co-signatories to collective security commitments that exist within the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization]. That is why we have no right to bring any political lawsuits against them, or to put forth any demands," Russia's NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin said during a TV link-up from Brussels. At the same time, Rogozin voiced regret over such decisions and said he doubts that it will help enhance security within the CIS. The Cooperative Longbow/Lancer military exercises started at the Georgian Defense Ministry's Vaziani base, 14 kilometers east of Tbilisi, on May 6 and will continue until June 1. They are taking place as part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program. Nine NATO member-nations and countries that are participants in the alliance's Partnership for Peace program, including Azerbaijan and Ukraine, plan to take part in the maneuvers. Kazakhstan, Moldova, Armenia and Serbia have refused to join the exercises, which have provoked a sharply negative response from Russia. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Servicemen leaving the Russian Armed Forces as part of the ongoing reform will be offered retraining for civilian jobs at the Defense Ministry's 57 universities starting from midMay, State Secretary and Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov told Interfax-AVN. "Starting from May 15, the Defense Ministry is to launch a special-purpose retraining program at military higher education institutions, during which servicemen will be able to receive training for 250 civilian jobs. All graduates of the retraining program will receive an appropriate state certificate confirming their new profession in compliance with the national standard," Pankov said on Monday. Eight civilian universities will run such retraining programs as well, the deputy defense minister said. "We plan to involve civilian educational institutions only in regions that do not have military higher education institutions," he said. Former servicemen will be able to enroll both in full-time and correspondence courses, he added. VLADIVOSTOK. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev, which Page 430 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. belongs to Russia's Pacific Fleet, is escorting its first group of ships passing through the Gulf of Aden, where Somali pirates continue to seize civilian vessels. The Pacific Fleet ship is escorting several merchant vessels traveling under flags of different countries, Pacific Fleet spokesman Roman Martov told Interfax. The vessels are moving toward the Bab el Mandeb (Gate of Tears in Arabic) Strait, he said. The captains of several vessels asked the Russian ship crew for permission to join the caravan, Martov said. They are the Stolt Jade from the Cayman Islands, the Wild Beast representing the Philippines, the Energy Puma from the Isle of Man, the Russian cargo vessel Cola, Denmark's Sea Birds, the DD Voyager traveling under Panama's flag, as well as the bulk cargo ships Radonezh and Agios Vartholomeos representing Liberia and Panama, respectively. There are groups of armed people specially trained to react to possible attacks by pirates aboard each vessel, the spokesman said. Before joining the caravan, the captains were trained to communicate and cooperate with the Russian warship. The aforementioned vessels are expected to pass through the Gulf of Aden's security corridor, which is nearly 1,000 nautical miles long, within the next few days. On its way back, the Pacific Fleet ship will also form a caravan of vessels and escort it through the security corridor in the Gulf of Aden, Martov said. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The last night rehearsal of the May 9 parade in Moscow will take place on Red Square in the small morning hours of Tuesday, and the dress rehearsal is planned for the morning of May 7, Moscow military district spokesman Col. Oleg Yushkov told Interfax-AVN on Monday. "The training of servicemen and military hardware on Red Square early on May 5 morning will be the last night rehearsal. The dress rehearsal will start at 10:00 a.m. on May 7," he said. More than 9,000 servicemen and 112 pieces of military hardware will take part in the May 4 rehearsal. No aircraft will participate in this rehearsal, the same as in the previous ones, he said. MOSCOW. April 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The crew of a Russian warship has released eight Iranian citizens seized by Somali pirates, says an Iranian embassy report received by Interfax on Monday. Page 431 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The Russian warship chased a pirate cutter and released eight Iranian citizens, who had been in captivity for more than 80 days," the embassy said. The embassy lauded the Russian release of the Iranian hostages. "The Iranian embassy in Moscow is seeking additional information about the Iranian citizens freed from pirate captivity," the embassy said. KALININGRAD. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - A Kamov KA-27 helicopter, belonging to Russia's Baltic Fleet, crashed into the sea on Monday, a source in the fleet headquarters told Interfax. "The accident occurred at around midday. The pilot of a KA-27 helicopter lost control of the aircraft while flying over the sea, and the helicopter fell into the sea about 10 kilometers from the coast," the source said. The pilot was supposed to train to land the helicopter on the deck of the patrol ship Yaroslav Mudry, which is currently undergoing sea trials, he said. The source said he knows nothing about the fate of the helicopter's crew. KALININGRAD. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The crew and the passengers on board the Baltic Fleet's KA-27 helicopter, which crashed on Monday over the sea, have been rescued, a source at the BF military investigation department told Interfax. "There were two crewmembers and three passengers on board the helicopter. All of them have been rescued. The helicopter was practicing landing on the Yaroslav Mudry patrol vessel," the source said. The department has opened a criminal case under Article 351 of the Russian Penal Code, "violation of military aircraft flight regulations resulting in grave consequences by neglect." KALININGRAD. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - A Kamov Ka-27 helicopter crashed while landing on the deck of a new warship, the Yaroslav Mudry, the Baltic Fleet's Military Investigation Department said in a press release. "The blades of a Ka-27 helicopter of a Baltic Fleet unit, based in the Kaliningrad region, struck against the Yaroslav Mudry's superstructure as the helicopter was landing at about noon on Monday. The Ka-27 fell Page 432 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. onto the deck and then slid down into the water and sank," the press release says. "The ship's services rescued the crew and the passengers - five people in all. The Yaroslav Mudry was undergoing at-sea testing, supervised by the Baltic shipyard Yantar, the manufacturer," it says. "Discussing the damage done to the new ship would be premature," the Yantar management told Interfax. "The shipyard director is in Baltiisk, where the ship will arrive to be examined by experts. But tentatively, the damage was not serious, because the helicopter had not fallen flat on the deck and did not catch fire. But some structures could have been smashed and the landing site damaged. Experts will analyze details," he said. The helicopter crashed around 10 kilometers from the coast, Interfax earlier reported. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian leadership's claim that the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been put on alert is not true, the Russian Navy command told Interfax on Tuesday. "The Black Sea Fleet is performing its usual service duties. The Black Sea Fleet's forces are at a routine level of preparedness," a Navy command spokesperson said. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - An anti-aircraft rocket launcher Kortik and the deck landing site were damaged when a Kamov Ka-27 helicopter crash-landed on the escort ship Yaroslav Mudry on Monday, a Russian Defense Ministry source told Interfax-AVN. "The worst damage was done to the right-side module of the Kortik rocket launcher. The helicopter site on the deck was partially damaged, too," the source said The crash is blamed on a blast of air, which pushed the helicopter as it was landing on the deck, he said. "Due to a blast of air the landing maneuver proceeded from the right-side board, not from the stern as required, which reportedly led to a crash," the source said. The blades of the Baltic Fleet's Ka-27 helicopter struck against the superstructure of the Yaroslav Mudry escort ship on landing on Monday, earlier reports said. The helicopter fell on the edge of the deck, slid down into the water and sank. The crew and the passengers - five people in all - were rescued. KALININGRAD. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Special vessels have been called in to lift the Baltic Sea Fleet's Ka-27 helicopter, which fell into the sea, a BF headquarters source told Interfax. Page 433 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Specialists will inspect the site where the helicopter sank before they lift the aircraft," the source said. The main thing here is to locate the whereabouts of the helicopter on the seabed with extreme accuracy, he said. "The depth in this area is between 50 and 60 meters, which should make it easier to search for and examine the object and subsequently lift it," he said. "Divers who can work at this depth will inspect and then strap the helicopter. The helicopter weighs 12 tonnes," the source said. "The weather in this part of the Baltic Sea on Tuesday allows the BF emergency and rescue forces to conduct the helicopter lifting operation," the source added. It was reported that while landing on the Yaroslavl Mudry patrol ship in the afternoon of May 4 the Ка-27 helicopter, owned by the BF anti-submarine squadron deployed in the village of Donskoye in Kaliningrad region, touched the topside of the ship with a propeller blade and as a result fell into the sea. The ship's on-duty and emergency rescue teams managed to rescue the helicopter crewmembers and passengers - in all, five persons. All of them were lifted on board the ship and are in a satisfactory condition. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The 22nd Combined-Arms Army will be disbanded by June 1 as part of the current overall restructuring of Russia's military, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. Those of the 22nd Army's more than 400 commanding officers who have reached retirement age would be discharged from the military, and the others would receive new postings, the spokesman told InterfaxAVN. The army's commander, Maj. Gen. Sergei Yudin, would await a decision on his future from the defense minister. The main forces of the 22nd Army, which is headquartered in Nizhny Novgorod, would stay in the Moscow Military District, to which the army belongs. "The Third Motorized Infantry Division and the Kantemir Tank Division will be reorganized to become brigades and will remain part of the Moscow Military District," the spokesman said. "The work of closing the headquarters, control bodies and services of the 22nd Combined-Arms Army is in full swing in Nizhny Novgorod. The deadline for the disbandment of the army is June 1 of this year," he Page 434 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. said. There are two combined-arms armies in the Moscow Military District, the 22nd and the 20th, which has its headquarters in Voronezh. The restructured Land Forces, to number 280,000 troops, will consist of about 80 brigades - 40 combined-arms, 20 missile and artillery, and some air defense, communications and radio-electronic combat brigades. ST.PETERSBURG. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The number of future conscripts from northwestern part of Russia wishing to do an alternative civil service (ACS) this fall, remains almost unchanged. "The number of such enthusiasts has risen from seven to ten over the past six weeks, and no significant increase of this figure is expected," Lt. Co. Yury Klyonov, aide to the Leningrad Military District (LMD) troops commander, told Interfax. "All applications have been examined and accepted by the army draft commissions," he said. "Almost all of them will be doing the alternative service at civil hospitals in the region. The biggest number of those wishing to have their conscription service replaced by ACS is in the Vologda region," Klyonov said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - An operational group of Russian security forces is to replace the combined federal forces in the North Caucasus, a source with the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax on Wednesday. "As the counter-terrorist operation regime in Chechnya has been lifted, the combined federal forces are to be disbanded by September 1. Instead of it, an operational group including servicemen from the Defense Ministry, the Interior Forces, and other security agencies is to be set up," it said. "The operational group is necessary in case a new counter-terrorist operation regime is imposed if the situation in Chechnya worsens," the source said. With the liquidation of the combined federal forces, other forces staying in Chechnya on a temporary basis will also be withdrawn, the source said. "This mainly concerns Interior Forces and some Defense Ministry units," it said. Page 435 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The withdrawal of the troops will require optimization of the central military commandant office and the reduction of the military prosecutor's office structure in Chechnya, the source said. "The implementation of these plans will certainly depend on the situation in the Chechen republic, which is now far from stabilization," the source said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - About ten Antonov An-12 and Ilyushin Il-18 aircraft equipped with special systems will be dispersing clouds over Moscow on May 9 during the Victory Day parade, Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik, aide to the Air Force commander-in-chief, told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. Between four and six airplanes will stay in the air at any time to ensure good weather conditions, he said. The airplanes have already landed at the Chkalov airfield near Moscow, where they will be equipped with special systems, Drik said. One of them will be equipped with liquid nitrogen spray systems, others with the reagent dispersion systems, he said. KRASNODAR. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to build a center for training Russian naval aviation pilots in Eisk, on the Azov Sea coast in Krasnodar Territory, a source at the town administration told Interfax on Wednesday. "Currently, we are deciding how much of land will be allocated for the Center," the source said. Russia felt the need to create a center for naval aviation pilot training after it lost the aviation testing and training center at the Novo-Fyodorovka airfield near Sakami in Crimea, Ukraine, as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The training equipment was developed specifically for practicing take-offs and landings on the aircraft carrier deck without an ejection seat. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Lieut. Gen. Valery Yevtukhovich has been dismissed from the post of Russian Airborne Troops commander for longevity of service, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax-AVN. "Airborne Troops staff chief Lieut. Gen. Nikolay Ignatov is now fulfilling the commander's duties," the spokesman said. On April 17, Yevtukhovich turned 55, which is the maximum age for service in the rank of lieutenant Page 436 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. general, he said. "The Airborne Troops' new commander is expected to be appointed after the celebrations marking Victory Day," he added. The most favored candidate for the post of Airborne Troops commander is Lieut. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov, who today heads the Armed Forces' chief military training and service department, the spokesman said. Gen. Shamanov, born in 1957, commanded a group of forces during the second Chechen campaign. Shamanov graduated from Ryazan's Paratroopers' School and commanded the 76th paratroopers' division. He served as governor of the Ulyanovsk region in 2000-2004. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Hero of the Soviet Union Gen. Valentin Varennikov died on Wednesday at the age of 85, Interfax-AVN was told at the Club of Military Leaders. "Varennikov died in the Burdenko military hospital where he was recovering after complex surgery which he underwent at the military- medical academy in St. Petersburg last January," a spokesman for the club said. Varennikov was a veteran of World War II and a participant in the Victory Parade in Moscow's Red Square in 1945. He acted as a military advisor in Angola, Syria, Ethiopia and Afghanistan. He was one of the organizers of the operations of army units involved in mitigating the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. At different times Varennikov was the commander of the Transcarpathian military district, first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces and Deputy Defense Minister of the Soviet Union. In August 1991 the general was arrested for his involvement in the coup attempt. In February 1994 he was granted amnesty but did not accept it and insisted on a trial. The Russian Supreme Court acquitted him. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry has revised the defense budget, given the current global economic crisis, said Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. "We have shaken up all items to see what we can lay aside for the moment or where we can economize. Page 437 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. It was a serious amount of work done," Serdyukov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta to be published on Thursday. Cuts will affect spending on specific and federal programs, and research and design projects. Spending on nuclear deterrence will remain as it is now, he said. "In this area nothing has been touched - neither research, nor experimental samples, nor, of course, modernization, or orders," Serdyukov said. Spending on salaries for the personnel, investment in housing and mortgage lending schemes for servicemen have not been cut, either. On the contrary, part of the money released will be put into building and buying apartments for servicemen, Serdyukov said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The May 9 parade dress rehearsal is over on Moscow's Red Square, an Interfax-AVN correspondent reported from the location. The three-stage rehearsal involved over 9,000 servicemen, 112 pieces of military hardware, 69 helicopters and jets. It started with the march of the color guard carrying the banner of the Russian Federation and the Victory Banner. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov inspected the parade. A march of the armed forces and Interior Ministry Forces servicemen and military school cadets through Red Square came next. The march was followed with the display of military hardware, including armored combat vehicles Tigr, BTR-80, BMD-4 and BMP-3, tanks T-90, Smerch volley fire systems, S-300 Favorite and S-400 Triumph missile launchers, and Topol mobile missile launchers. Helicopters and jets concluded the parade. Three Mil Mi-8 carrying flags of Russia, the Air Force and the Defense Ministry flew first. They were followed by air wings of Sukhoi Su-25 assault jets, Mikoyan MiG-31 fighters, Sukhoi Su-24 and Su-34 bombers, Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, Ilyushin Il-78 tank planes and Antonov An-124 'Ruslan' jumbo cargo plane. Aerobatics teams Vityazi and Strizhi ended the parade's aerial component. Moscow military district commander Col. Gen. Valery Gerasimov was in charge of the parade, while Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov inspected the forces. VLASIKHA (Moscow region). May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The service life of RS-20 Voyevoda (NATO codename Satan) heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles will be extended for eight to ten years, Russian Strategic Rocket Forces Commander Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov told the media on Thursday. Page 438 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The longer service life of RS-20V will preserve the world's most powerful missile for the Russian Strategic Missile Forces for another eight to ten years," he said. Meanwhile, the earlier modification of the rocket, RS-20B, will be decommissioned, Solovtsov said. "The service life of the older rocket, RS-20B, is nearing completion. The rocket will soon be decommissioned for the sake of nuclear security," he said. VLASIKHA (near Moscow). May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Strategic missiles with multiple warheads will be supplied to the Russian armed forces in 2009, Russian Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) Commander Nikolai Solovtsov told the press on Thursday. "This year, we plan to put on duty the first missile regiment with self-propelled multiple-warhead missile launchers," Solovtsov said. "The RVSN's switch to new stationary and mobile Topol-M missile systems will be continued in 2009," he said. "In all, six such launchers will enter combat duty," Solovtsov added. A second missile regiment, equipped with Topol-M mobile systems will finally enter combat duty at the Teikovo missile division, based in Ivanovo region in 2009, he said. "Work will continue in the Tatishchevskaya missile division in Saratov region to rearm the 6th missile regiment, equipped with silo- based Topol-M systems," said Solovtsov. VLASIKHA (Moscow region). May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Nuclear missiles will retain their significance in the foreseeable future, Russian Strategic Rocket Forces Commander Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov told the media on Thursday. "The nuclear status of the Russian Federation will remain in the foreseeable future until nuclear armaments stop being a deterrent as a result of scientific and technical progress or a new nature of international relations," he said. "In the short-term prospect, nuclear deterrence is bound to provide the necessary reserve of time and balance for reforming and modernizing the Russian armed forces," he said. Page 439 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. In the future the Russian strategic nuclear forces will fully correspond to the geo-strategic and economic position of the country, he said. "These forces, which possess global accessibility, a huge destructive potential and reasonable maintenance costs, substantially supplement the abilities of general forces regardless the vector of the threat and the makeup of the foe countries," he said. VLADIVOSTOK. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Cowpens guided missile cruiser of the U.S. Navy arrived in Vladivostok on Thursday. "The visit will last for five days," Pacific Fleet spokesman Roman Martov told Interfax. He said the visit was particularly important because it was paid shortly before the V-Day anniversary. "Our countries were allies in that war, and the Cowpens crew will pay tribute to the war veterans and the sacrifices Russia and the United States made for winning WW2," he said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry has accused the Ukrainian authorities of condoning the acts of vandalism against Soviet soldiers' graves in Ukraine. "What is now happening to soldiers' graves in western Ukraine, especially in Lviv, is hard to understand. Monuments to Soviet soldiers are being destroyed and damaged. This vandalism is unprecedented," Alexander Kirillin, the head of the Defense Ministry's department for honoring of the memory of those killed while defending the Fatherland, told a press conference in Moscow on Thursday. Kirillin said he is amazed by the "lack of any reaction from the authorities." Kirillin said the transfer of the Bronze Soldier from central Tallinn appears a civilized and cultured step as compared to the vandalism against military men's graves that is now occurring in Ukraine. The official said cases of vandalism against Soviet soldiers' graves have been committed by ultra-rightist movements in Hungary and Poland. "Monuments were stained with paint and covered with mud. But it was not the position of the authorities," said Kirillin. "Here [in Ukraine], our brotherly republic is manifesting a barbaric attitude to soldiers' monuments," said Kirillin. "But fascists and various bandit groups operating in Ukraine are being presented as heroes," he said. Page 440 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - A Russian warship will take part in the quadripartite Frukus 2009 naval exercises northwest of France on June 21-27, a source in the Russian Navy said. "The Severomorsk large anti-sub ship of the Russian North Fleet will take part in the drill together with warships of France, the United Kingdom and the United States," he said. The Severomorsk will visit the French seaport of Brest on June 19 in the course of the exercises, the source said. "The warships will have anti-terrorist practice and joint maneuvering," he said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - A Mongolian military delegation led by General Staff adviser Maj. Gen. Muugun Zhargal came to the Siberian military district on Thursday. The delegation will visit a military unit and meet with the military district commander, Col. Gen. Alexander Postnikov, to discuss military cooperation, a source at the military district press office told Interfax-AVN. The delegation will take part in celebrations of the Victory Day anniversary. Russian General Staff Chairman Gen. Nikolai Makarov visited Ulan Bator in late April. He agreed on the deliveries of Russian military hardware in exchange for meat. The Russian Defense Ministry will deliver $60 million worth of military hardware to Mongolia, including T72 tanks, BTR-60 armored combat vehicles, helicopters and air defense systems. Mongolia will supply 1,800 tonnes of mutton and 2,000 tonnes of beef to the Russian Far Eastern and Siberian military districts in 2009. Preparations for joint exercises, Darkhan, due in Mongolia this August was also discussed at the Ulan Bator negotiations. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Tupolev Tu-95MS missile carrying strategic bombers flew a patrolling mission above the Norwegian Sea and the Arctic Ocean on Thursday, tracked by NATO fighter jets, Russian Air Force spokesman Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN on Thursday. "Two Tu-95MS turboprop strategic missile-carrying aircraft flew a patrolling mission above the Norwegian Page 441 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Sea and the Arctic Ocean on May 7. The Russian aircraft were tracked by NATO fighter jets - a Norwegian F-16 pair, a Danish F-16 pair and two Tornado fighter jets of the UK Royal Air Force," he said. The crews practiced navigation in a featureless zone and did other exercises. Refueling was carried out with the use of Ilyushin Il-78 fuel tankers, Drik said. The Russian crews' flight time exceeded 15 hours, the spokesman said. "All Russian aircraft strictly observed the international rules regulating the use of air space over neutral waters, without violating the borders of other states," he said. TIRASPOL. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Col. Vyacheslav Sitchikhin has been appointed a new commander of the Russian forces in Transdniestria set up on the basis of the 14th army, of which Maj. Gen. Boris Sergeyev, the current commander of the Russian forces in Transdniestria, whose mission will soon expire, announced at a meeting with WWII veterans in Tiraspol on Thursday. The strength of the Russian military contingent in Transdniestria is currently estimated at about 1,000 people. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's Interior Troops have not yet received orders to reorganize their divisions that are part of the combined group of forces deployed in Chechnya, Col. Vasily Panchenkov, an aide to the Interior Troops commander, told journalists on Friday. "So far, no decisions have been taken regarding this issue. If appropriate documents to reorganize the established law enforcement system arrive, including those relating to the Interior Troops' participation in the combined group of forces [in Chechnya], these instructions will be fulfilled accurately and according to schedule," Panchenkov said. Interior Troops divisions currently stationed in the Chechen republic on a permanent basis are engaged in efforts to maintain public order and security together with officers of Chechnya's Interior Ministry, the colonel said. The authorities are exploring options to continue to maintain public order and security in Chechnya as part of plans to reorganize the headquarters of the combined group of forces in the North Caucasus and to cut down the group's numerical strength. An operational group of officials representing various Russian security services is expected to replace the Page 442 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. headquarters of the combined group of forces in the North Caucasus. The Defense Ministry's 42nd motorized rifle division and the Interior Ministry's 46th special operations brigade are now deployed in Chechnya on a permanent basis. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - More than twice as many airplanes and helicopters will take part in the May 9 military parade this year compared to last, Air Force Commander-in-chief Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told the press on Friday. "The parade in 2008 involved over 30 aircraft and helicopters and this year 69 units," he said. Namely the number of Ilyushin Il-78 tanker aircraft has been increased to three. Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu95 strategic bombers as well as Sukhoi Su-24 frontline bombers will be flying in refueling formation, Zelin said. "The army aircraft component was also increased. Seventeen helicopters were added to the parade, among them Mil Mi-26 heavy cargo helicopter, Kamov Ka-50 and Ka-52 multipurpose helicopters, Mi-28N chopper and the Berkut aerobatics team consisting of six Mi-24 helicopters," he said. The general said that the parade will feature a group of five Su-25 aircraft in V formation and a tactical air wing consisting of 10 aircraft of the Lipetsk center comprising Su-34, Su-24, Su-27 and MiG-29 warplanes. "The novelties of the air parade formation this year include the big family of army helicopters, the new tactical unit - the tactical air wing, and the increase in the number of Su-25 ground attack aircraft to five. In addition we will demonstrate complex and mixed combat formations," he said. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Two militants were killed in Grozny's Zavodskoi district on Sunday, a source with law enforcement agencies told Interfax. "Two members of illegal armed groups were found in the village of Chenorechye, Zavodskoi district, Grozny. Police blocked them. They opened gunfire when they were offered to surrender. Both militants were killed in the operation," the source said. Police officers or civilians were not injured in the operation, he added. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Police cars have come under fire in the outskirts of the village of Page 443 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bamut in Chechnya, a source in law enforcement told Interfax on Monday. Gunmen opened fire at cars carrying officers leaving for a search mission. One officer was killed and three others injured in the attack. The injured officers received medical assistance. Other police officers at the scene returned fire, the source said. Interfax has not obtained official confirmation of the report from law enforcers. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - An as yet unidentified individual has thrown a grenade into the yard of the house of the Novolaksk district administration head in Shushiya village in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, a source in law enforcement said on Monday. No one was killed or injured in the incident, but the building was slightly damaged, the source said. There has been no official confirmation of the report from officials of law enforcement services yet. ROSTOV-ON-DON. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - A Nazran resident died when unknown assailants opened fire at his vehicle. There were also two passengers in the attacked vehicle, a city police source told Interfax. "The incident occurred in the Barsuki municipality at about 8:45 p.m. on Sunday. The gunfire came from a passing vehicle. One died and two were injured," he said. "We have reason to believe the assailants killed a militant. The presumed militant's brother and the other passenger were injured lightly," he said. The search for the assailants is underway, he said. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Police have detained a member of an illegal armed group in the village of Alkhan-Kala, in Chechnya's Grozny district, a source with law enforcement told Interfax on Tuesday. "The militant was a member of the armed group led by Barayev from September 1996 to March 1997," the source said. In the village of Bamut, Achkhoi-Martan district, police detained two brothers who aided militants. "They Page 444 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. had been supplying food and medicines to members of the armed group led by Makhauri from November 2008 to present time," the source said. Another accomplice was detained in the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny, the source said. "He stored ammunition for members of the armed group led by Saidov from this January to May," the source said. TSKHINVALI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - A hand-made explosive device has been found and defused on the South Ossetian portion of the Transcaucasian Highway, the South Ossetian State Security Committee (KGB) said in a statement on Tuesday. "Officers of the South Ossetian KGB found a hand-made explosive device, [with an explosive power] equivalent to 600 - 800 grams of TNT at the Transcaucasian Highway portion near the village of Bagiata, Java district, South Ossetia in an investigative operation on May 4," the statement said. "Units of the South Ossetian Defense Ministry and the Russian Interior Troops who arrived on the scene defused the explosive device," it said. The South Ossetian KGB has information proving that "Georgian special services, which the country's supreme political leadership tasked to destabilize the situation in South Ossetia ahead of the election to the republican parliament scheduled for this May 31, are behind this." "Responsibility for arranging such activities is laid on Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili personally," the statement said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - A militant has been seized in the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny, a local police source told Interfax. "The militant was a member of the Beloyev gang in 1995-1997," he said. The detainee was carrying a Makarov pistol with 16 cartridges, he added. Another militant carrying a Makarov pistol with nine cartridges and three handmade grenades, was seized in Grebenskaya in the Shelkovskaya district. He had been a member of the Abulatipov gang since 2006, the source said. Page 445 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. NAZRAN. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Khamzat Tatrashvili, a high-ranking officer from the Ingush Interior Minister, sustained serious wounds as a car he was driving was blown up in the village of Ordzhonikidzevskaya in the Sunzha district of Ingushetia on Thursday. "Unidentified persons set off an improvised explosive device attached to the bottom of a Volga car driven by Khamzat Tatrashvili, a high-ranking Ingush Interior Ministry official, on Mezhdunarodnaya Street at about 5:00 p.m. He received serious injuries in the blast and has been hospitalized," the Investigative Committee department for Ingushetia told Interfax. A team of investigators is working at the scene. Tatrashvili's position and rank have yet to be clarified. A source from the Ingush Interior Ministry told Interfax that Tatrashvili was in serious condition in the hospital, and doctors were fighting to save his life. NAZRAN. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - As yet unidentified persons attacked a district police officer, shot and killed a local resident and planted bombs at a petrol filling station and on the gates of a private house in Ingushetia last night, a source in the republic's law enforcement services told Interfax. Unknown attackers armed with automatic weapons opened fire on a car belonging to a district police officer from Galashki village, Murat Kostoyev, on the outskirts of the village of Muzhichi at 1:00 a.m., the source said. Kostoyev sustained several injuries in the incident and was hospitalized. In a nearly simultaneous attack, unidentified persons broke into the house of farmer Musa Khatsiyev in the village of Arshty, took him out into the yard and shot him in the head, the source said. In a separate development, a car carrying several people pulled up in front of a petrol filling station in the village of Gazi-Yurt, in Ingushetia's Nazran district, at around 2:00 a.m., the source said. The persons planted an explosive device near a petrol pump and fled the scene. A filling station employee alerted the police to the incident, after which sappers defused the explosive device, he said. An improvised explosive device, which consisted of an artillery shell, was found on the gates of a private house in Nazran at 7:00 a.m., the source said. The house reported belongs to Zelimkhan Khautiyev, a former head of the Ingush presidential auditing department. Page 446 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The source said he did not rule out that the same criminal group could be behind the aforementioned crimes. In a separate development, an armed militant was killed in a clash in Chechnya's Achkhoi-Martan district, a spokesman for the Chechen Interior Ministry told Interfax on Friday. "Law enforcement officers spotted a member of an illegal armed group outside the village of Bamut near the Fortanga River. He [the militant] opened fire on policemen and officers of other agencies who were trying to detain him. They fired back, killing him," the spokesman said. Two OMON officers have been wounded in a blast in Dagestan's Khasavyurt district, the Dagestani Interior Ministry's press service told Interfax on Thursday. "The explosion occurred at 6 p.m. Moscow time in the suburbs of Khasavyurt at the intersection of the Makhachkala-Khasavyurt-Novolaki highways. Two OMON officers of the Dagestani Interior Ministry who were on guard at the intersection were wounded in the blast," the press service. NALCHIK. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Seven more people have been charged with hiding militants, with four of them having been convicted and three of them awaiting trials, head of the Kabardino-Balkaria's investigative committee Valery Ustov told a news conference on Friday. "One of these people worked as sanitary instructor with border troops, some of them were businessmen and one worked for the Pension Fund," Ustov said. Investigators are concerned over the situation with the militant underground especially in the Baksan and Elbrus district of Kabardino-Balkaria, he said. Asked about how many members there are in underground armed groups in this Russia's internal republic, Ustov said: "There are 50 people at most. Operative services constantly work in this area. This cannot carry on indefinitely." Seven militants, including leaders of the so-called Baksan Jammat, were killed in a special operation near the village of Gerpegezh, Chereksk district in February 2009, he said. "If the leaders of the Baksan Jamaat were killed, the same will happen to the Elbrus Jamaat," Ustov said. The investigation of a criminal case against extremists from the so-called Uravan Jamaat, who were Page 447 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. preparing terrorist attacks not only in Kabardino-Balkaria but also other regions in southern Russia, was completed, he said. "Seven people were arrested. They all stay at the Pyatigorsk pre-trial detention center [Stavropol territory]. It is easier to work with them there rather than in Kabardino-Balkaria," Ustov said. MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Prosecutor General's Office is concerned about the high rate of sexual crimes against minors in Russia. The rate of sexual violence against minors has grown by nearly 17 times in recent years, says a report from Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika posted at the Federation Council Legal and Court Affairs Committee on Thursday. There were 2,184 crimes of the sort in 2008 and only 129 in 2003. "These crimes result from the indifference of adults and crime control and prevention agencies. Staff members of guardian services are irresponsible sometimes, and the police do not respond quickly enough to family altercations," the report runs. MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - A total of 642 terrorist crimes were registered in Russia in 2008, which was less than in 2007, Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika said in a report posted at the Federation Council Legal and Court Affairs Committee on Thursday. Chaika will deliver his report at the house on Friday. The rate of terrorist crimes is on decline, he said, adding that stricter criminal laws were the reason. At the same time, the rate of registered terrorist crimes might not correspond to the reality, Chaika said. He said with the reference to the Federal Security Service that 97 terrorist crimes, including 50 terrorist acts in public places, were prevented in Russia last year. "The number of illegal armed groups and their members has stabilized in Russia," the prosecutor general said. A total of 522 crimes of the sort were registered last year, but only one person was prosecuted and convicted for funding an organized terrorist group. In the opinion of Chaika, the police were not quite efficient in the exposure and termination of terrorism funding. Page 448 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The material damage done to Russian military units and agencies as a result of crimes in the armed forces amounted to 1.6 billion rubles in 2008, says a report of Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika posted at the Federation Council Legal and Court Affairs Committee on Thursday. The prosecutor general will deliver the report at the house on Friday. "Officers were responsible for nearly three-quarters of corruption crimes. A total of 505 officers were prosecuted last year," the report runs. Military prosecutors have exposed corruption in nearly every sphere of the armed forces' activity. MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The spread of extremism has a destabilizing effect on Russian society, said Prosecutor General Yury Chaika. "The problem of the spread of extremism in Russia is one of the key factors which lead to growing social instability, breeds separatist moods in some of Russia's regions and pose a threat of a terror attack," the prosecutor general said in a report circulated among the members of the Federation Council committee on legal and judicial affairs. In 2008, the Prosecutor General's Office registered 17 murders motivated by ethnic, racial or religious hatred, it said. The situation around hate crimes and extremism is most critical in Moscow, Chaika said. MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Drug abuse remains rampant in Russia and drug-related crimes keep growing in number, the prosecutor general said. Last year 232,600 drug trafficking crimes were recorded in Russia. This was more than in 2007, Yury Chaika said in a report to the Committee on Legal and Judicial Affairs of the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. Drug-related crimes made up 7.2% of all offenses in 2008 compared with 6.5% the year before. "These statistics are evidence of a lack of any breakthrough changes in the level of drug abuse by the Russian population. The number of crimes caused by narcotic intoxication keeps increasing and grew last year," Chaika said. Some of Russia's regions, including Ingushetia, Karachayevo-Cherkesia and Chechnya, have a higher Page 449 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. drug trafficking rate than others, the prosecutor said. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian citizen Andrei Mogilyansky, charged with organizing 'sex tourism,' has pleaded guilty of crimes he committed in Russia in 2003-2004 at a court in the U.S., a source at the Russian Prosecutor General's Office Investigation Committee told Interfax on Monday. The American naturalization of Mogilyansky prevented his transfer to Russia, the source said that. According to the Investigation Committee, Mogilyansky confessed to illegal sexual actions as regards orphan girls younger than 16 at the Pennsylvania Eastern District Court on April 30. The court will pronounce a sentence before the end of July, the source said. "In 2002-2004 Mogilyansky conspired with Russian citizen Andrei Tarasov and some other individuals and formed a sex service network in Russia [called Berenika]. Orphan girls were hired as prostitutes. Tarasov and other accomplices of Mogilyansky were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment in Russia," the source said. "The exposure of Mogilyansky was a result of coordinated professional efforts of the two law enforcement systems: the Russian Prosecutor General's Office Investigation Committee [departments for Moscow and St. Petersburg], the St. Petersburg police, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency," he said. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The work of U.S. and Russian law enforcers to solve a recent 'sex tourism' case is an example of successful cooperation between the two countries, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle said. Between 2002 and 2004, Andrei Mogilyansky, a citizen of Russia and the United States, conspired with Russian citizen Andrei Tarasov and no less than three other persons to form a sex service ring in Russia, employing underage orphan girls as prostitutes. The illegal business, called Berenika, offered adult and underage girls to clients. Mogilyansky confessed his guilt to a U.S. court. Tarasov and other accomplices were sentenced in Russia in 2004. Tarasov is serving ten years in a Russian penitentiary. This is an exemplary case of successful cooperation between Russian and U.S. law enforcement, which shows what achievements both countries may have if they work together, the embassy cited the Page 450 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. ambassador as saying. The solution of this case is a result of an international inquiry supervised by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, the office of the immigration and customs attache at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, the Russian Prosecutor General's Investigation Committee and the St. Petersburg police, the embassy said. The U.S. court will pass a sentence in the Mogilyansky case in late July. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's Interpol national bureau has not yet received any documents from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding the search for Russian citizens suspected in the attack on Sulim Yamadayev, a former commander of Chechnya's elite Vostok security forces battalion, a spokesman for the Interpol bureau in Russia told Interfax on Monday. "So far, we have not received any requests from the UAE related to the search for the Russians included in the database of the Interpol General Secretariat," the spokesman said. The Russian authorities will not take any measures in relation to the aforementioned persons, he said. The people wanted by the Dubai police cannot be detained in the territory of Russia because they are Russian citizens, the spokesman said. Earlier reports said that the Interpol General Secretariat's database contained the surnames of seven Russian citizens accused of involvement in the attack on Yamadayev. International wanted persons' notices for State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov, Marvan Kimayev, Salvan Kimayev, Tirpal Kimayev, Zelimkhan Mazayev, Elimpasha Khatsuyev and Ramazan Musiyev have been posted on the Interpol website. According to media reports, ex-Vostok battalion commander Sulim Yamadayev died from a gunshot wound in Dubai on March 28. A criminal case has been opened following the killing. The Dubai police accuse seven Russian citizens of involvement in the crime. State Duma deputy Delimkhanov claims that all accusations against him are a "provocation." Meanwhile, Yamadayev's relatives say that the former Vostok battalion commander is alive and is being Page 451 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. treated at a Dubai clinic. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Ural customs officers have suppressed an attempt to smuggle parts of a Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft to the United Arab Emirates. "On April 30, 2009 officers of the Urals operative customs foiled an attempt of Andrei Sofin, born in the Chelyabinsk region, to smuggle parts of an Su-24 attack aircraft and its modifications from Russia to the UAE at the Koltsovo airport," a statement posted on the website of the Russian Prosecutor's General Office on Monday reads. Sofin stated in the customs declaration that he was carrying spares for tractors worth $2 million; however, it was established that the declared information was false, the statement reads. The investigative department of the Urals operative customs opened a criminal case on charges of smuggling military equipment. The court ordered to arrest Sofin before the trial. NIZHNY NOVGOROD. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - No one was hurt when three incendiary bottles were thrown at the headquarters of the Leninsky district police department in Nizhny Novgorod early on Tuesday. The attack was carried out at 3 a.m., Moscow time, a district police source told Interfrax. "One bottle was filled with gasoline and glue, another with kerosene and the third with diesel oil. The bombs detonated sparking a fire, which was put out quickly," the police spokesman said. No one was hurt in the attack, and the fire was put out by policemen, he said. "The assailants were not detained. Skinheads are blamed for the attack, who, according to intelligence, plan to hold what they call a Day of Wrath on May 5," the police officer said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has turned into the main target of the heroin aggression emanating from Afghanistan, head of the Russian Federal Anti-Drug Agency (FSKN) Viktor Ivanov told the State Duma on Wednesday. "Absolutely all of the heroin is coming to us from Afghanistan, our soft low underbelly, which thanks to transnational drug cartels turned into a drug farm with an absolute global monopoly, producing over 94% of all the world's opiates," Ivanov said. Page 452 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "We are dealing with a phenomenon where Russia is the main target of the heroin aggression," he said. "Each year Russia loses up to 30,000 young lives to the Afghan heroin," the FSKN chief said. Today we have every reason to "call the flow of Afghan opiates the second edition of opium wars," Ivanov said. In the middle of the 20th century "China, with its ancient civilization, essentially turned into a giant drug market and a total network of drug dens," he said. "All this led the ancient civilization to the brink of extinction," Ivanov said. "This critical situation requires us to make adequate assessments and decisions concerning the events occurring in Afghanistan and to carry out cause consequence analyses," he said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has seized 1,500 kilograms of heroin since the beginning of this year, the equivalent of two doses for every Russian, including infants, Director of the Federal AntiDrug Agency (FSKN) Viktor Ivanov told the State Duma on Wednesday. "The 1,500 kilograms of heroin seized since the beginning of the year include 300 million single-use doses and two doses per every Russian citizen, including infants," he said. "The amount of heroin and Afghan hashish seized by FSKN since the start of this year alone is twice as much as in 2008, and this increase reflects not only the growing efficiency of law enforcement efforts, but also the ever increasing pressure from Afghanistan," Ivanov said. Heroin is supplied to Russia by 180 Afghan drug cartels, each has its own trademark, some sort of a quality mark, the official said. Afghan drug cartels are located in the areas of responsibility of the U.S. and NATO troops, he said. "The nature of this heroin tsunami is geopolitical. Heroin production increase in Afghanistan amazingly corresponds to the growing number and concentration of troops in that country," the FSKN chief said. Therefore, resolving the Afghan drug problem requires "consolidated action of the entire global community represented in the United Nations," he said. Page 453 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Police are searching for a group of unidentified young people who attempted to set the Perovo Military Commissariat on fire by throwing Molotov cocktails into its windows in the early hours of Wednesday, a law enforcement source told Interfax on Wednesday. "Five young people pelted the commissariat's windows on Lazo Street with bottles containing flammable liquid. A total of five bottles were thrown," the source said. The liquid, however, did not catch alight, the source said. "Police are looking for the arsonists now. They are presumably members of an extremist youth group actively campaigning against the military draft," he said. There were reports on Tuesday, about a similar attack on the headquarters of the Leninsky district police department in Nizhny Novgorod, in which unidentified men threw three Molotov cocktails into the building in the early hours of Tuesday. The incident occurred at about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, a source with the Leninsky police department told Interfax. "The delinquents threw three bottles to the police department building, one of them containing petrol and glue, the second kerosene, and the third diesel fuel. This caused an explosion and a fire, which was quickly put out," the source said. Nobody was harmed in the incident, he said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Youth Human Rights Movement plans to stage a rally in Moscow in mid-May to protest police violence, member of the organizing committee Yulia Bashinova has announced. "We plan to hold a rally in Novopushkinsky Garden after May 17 against violence committed by police," Bashinova told Interfax on Thursday. An application will be submitted to the Moscow authorities these days, she also said. "Speakers will cite instances of police violence, committed against citizens, and violations of their rights by Interior Ministry personnel, as well as proposals on how the Interior Ministry should be reorganized," the human rights activist said. Page 454 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "We hope the rally will draw 1,000 - 2,000 participants. Perhaps we will be joined by members of the Free Radicals and Nashi movements," she said. The decision to stage a rally was made after the head of the Tsaritsyno police department Denis Yevsyukov opened fire on nine people, killing three of them, Bashinova said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Supreme Court has recognized the international religious organization Tablighi Jamaat as extremist and banned its activity in the Russian territory, thus granting the prosecutor general's motion, Prosecutor General's Office spokesperson Marina Gridneva told Interfax. According to the media, Tablighi Jamaat is considered a radical Islamic group and is sometimes described as "an invisible legion of Jihad." MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - A policeman was arrested in Moscow while he was accepting a $200,000 bribe, and the go-between who was passing over the bribe was also arrested, the investigation agency of Russia's prosecution service said. "The suspects had demanded this sum from an entrepreneur for stopping an audit of his firm and for returning computer equipment and documents [that had been seized]," agency spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax. Markin said the policeman holds the rank of major. MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - In 2009, the governmental defense order placed with the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) will not be reduced because of the crisis and will total around 60 billion rubles, USC President Vladimir Pakhomov told Interfax. "The head of government said at a session of the board of chief engineering designers in February that the Russian governmental defense order will not be reduced. It would be right to believe that it will remain unchanged for the USC companies, too," he said. USC was founded in June 2007. The company will be in charge of the whole shipbuilding cycle, from development and design to supply and post-sale guarantee and service, maintenance and disposal. The corporation includes three regional subsidiary holding companies in the northwest, north and east of the country. The corporation is in 100% federal ownership. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The integration of Russia's ammunition industry will help optimize Page 455 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. production and improve cooperation between companies, Vladimir Korenkov, general director of the Bazalt state owned research and production enterprise, told Interfax-AVN. "As you know, a total of five holdings are being established on the basis of head developers of ammunition. Bazalt is one of these developers. A holding specializing in aerial bombs, close combat weapons and mines is being created on its premises," Korenkov said on Monday. Some of the enterprises that will form the Bazalt-based holding are now preparing to issue stock, the general director of the Moscow-based company said. "Nearly half of these enterprises, including Bazalt, which is the head company, are federal state unitary enterprises. They are now undergoing an inventory of all of their assets, including material and territorial property," he said. This process is expected to finish in the autumn of 2009, Korenkov said. The future holding will incorporate more than ten enterprises, he added. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Moscow-based Bazalt Research and Production Center has designed specialized ammunition for the DP-64 grenade launcher. The ammunition transforms the launcher into an effective weapon against pirates, Bazalt Director General Vladimir Korenkov told Interfax-AVN. "We have broadened the range of ammunition for the DP-64 shoulder-held grenade launcher. From now on the grenade launcher can be used from civilian vessels," he said on Monday. The Navy uses the grenade launcher against raiders. The launcher has two types of ammunition: a flare that marks the targeting area and a projectile that detonates underwater and hits divers. "Now the grenade launcher has a fragmentation projectile, which detonates on a surface or a small vessel, and a non-lethal projectile filled with tear gas that may keep off pirates attempting to embark an attacked vessel," Korenkov said. International laws prohibit opening fire at persons, who pose a threat but do nothing, he said. "Under such circumstances the grenade launcher firing non-lethal projectiles is an efficient preventive measure against pirates," he said. Rosoboronexport has received applications for the DP-64 grenade launcher, which actually becomes a Page 456 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. dual-use weapon, Korenkov said. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Specialists of the Central Aero-Hydrodynamics Institute (TsAGI) and the Tupolev company are conducting certification trials intended to confirm the design service life of the structure of Tupolev Tu-334 regional airplanes. "The specialty of the Tu-334 resource tests was that the tests were carried out on a considerable scale [more than 20,000 flight cycles] before the beginning of the airplane's mass production," TsAGI said on Monday. "Trials are now continuing in order to experimentally confirm the design service life of the airplane's structure for 30,000 flights, which is equivalent to 45,000 flight hours," the institute said. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The mission of Russia's automatic research module Fobos Grunt to the Martian moon of Phobos is being delayed for two years, as the module is not ready, an informed source told Interfax-AVN on Monday. "The Fobos Grunt launch is delayed for two years due to technical problems. The Lavochkin Research and Production Center is technically unable to finish the works by the end of this year. The next convenient time for the launch will be in 2011," he said. Financial problems have nothing to do with the delay, the source said. "The funding is absolute, but the center lacks skilled personnel to complete the work on time," he noted. Meanwhile, Lavochkin spokesman Mikhail Sherstnev told Interfax he had no information about the delay of the mission. "We are on schedule. I have heard nothing about a delay," he said. The launch of Fobos Grunt was planned for October 2009. The vehicle is due to reach the Martian orbit in eleven months and land on Phobos in April 2011. It will take samples of Phobos soil and return to Earth. The return is planned for July 2012. The total duration of the mission is three years. Scientists hope that studies of the Phobos soil will help resolve some mysteries in the formation of the solar system. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Alexander Rybas has been appointed as the Director General of the Bazalt Research and Production Center, Rostekhnologii said on Monday. Page 457 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Russian Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Yuri Borisov introduced new Director General of the Bazalt Research and Production Center, Alexander Rybas, to the collective. The Industry and Trade Ministry appointed Rybas to the position on the recommendation of the Rostekhnologii State Corporation," says a corporation report received by Interfax-AVN on Monday. While introducing the new director general, Borisov said, "The new head of the center is bound to improve financial and economic indicators and to ensure unconditional fulfillment of state defense orders and export contracts." Another priority is "the more intensive formation of an integrated research and production entity of Rostekhnologii, which will develop prospective air bombs, close combat armaments, artillery projectiles and engineering munitions," he said. Bazalt will be the head organization of the future holding, the government said. Rybas is a Doctor of Economic Sciences, a Ph.D. and a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Rocketry and Artillery. He was in charge of the Tula Instrument Making Design Bureau in September 2006 - March 2009. Rybas increased the military exports of the Tula bureau from $280 million to $600 million while he was in office. IZHEVSK. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Rosoboronexport arms trader will assign funds to Izhmash machinebuilding concern for the fulfillment of its arms trade contracts using the manufacturer's promissory notes in the amount of $156.9 million as collateral, Interfax was told at Izhmash on Monday. The Izhmash annual shareholder meeting on April 22 approved the deal of transferring Izhmash common notes worth $156.9 million to Rosoboronexport as a guarantee of fulfilling its obligations under a commission deal. The Izhmash spokesman did not disclose how much Rosoboronexport would assign to the concern. KYIV. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has signed a contract with the state owned Malyshev Plant to upgrade 29 T-64 tanks and to transform them into Bulat combat vehicles, the ministry said on Monday. The Defense Ministry plans to spend more than 200 million hryvni, including 100 million hryvni in 2009, on the two-year T-64 modernization program. Page 458 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The plant is fully prepared to fulfill this state order. Troops have already received several large consignments of Bulat T-64 combat vehicles, which have been praised by the military. We have no doubt that the new order will be fulfilled successfully and according to schedule," said Mykola Belov, deputy general director of the Malyshev Plant. In 2007-2008, the Malyshev Plant sent 56 modernized T-64 Bulat combat vehicles to the first tank brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces' eighth army corps stationed in the Chernihiv region, the ministry said. The Malyshev Plant began modernizing T-64 tanks for the Defense Ministry in 2004. The upgraded version of such tanks is called Bulat. The modernization program was developed by the Morozov engineering design bureau in Kharkiv. The project also involves the Bronetekhnika Ukrainy (Armored Vehicles of Ukraine) company. CHELYABINSK. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The state corporation Rosatom plans to switch the state defense order, currently placed with the Mayak plutonium production facility in Ozyorsk in Chelyabinsk region to the Siberian Chemicals Combine in Seversk of Tomsk region before 2014, under a program to restructure the nuclear weapons complex, Ivan Kamenskikh, deputy general director of the Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, has said. The Siberian chemicals combine is a younger company possessing effective methods of deep burial of radioactive wastes, Kamenskikh told Mayak workers while visiting the plant. The Mayak management declined to comment. A source familiar with the situation told Interfax that, the Mayak management is alarmed by the relocation of the production to Siberia, which will lead to the closure of a plant employing 2,500 workers. "The situation is not simple today. Rosatom has worked out a timeframe for relocating the production to the Siberian chemicals plant. This will take 4-5 years. The timeframe has not been negotiated with Mayak," the source said. KALININGRAD. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The Yaroslav Mudry patrol vessel suffered minor damage because of a Ka-27 helicopter crash on Monday and will be commissioned for the Russian Navy on time, Igor Orlov, the general director of the Kaliningrad-based Yantar Shipyard, told Interfax. "We can say already now that, during the helicopter's crash and its falling overboard, the ship received Page 459 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. minor damage, which makes it possible for the crew and the commissioning team to continue the sea trials in full," he said. "The incident will not have any impact on the dates when the ship is to be commissioned for the Russian Navy, and the vessel will be commissioned in June, as was planned," Orlov said. "The slight damage to the upper deck will be repaired at the factory quite quickly," Orlov said. "The people are ready to do this job," he added. The Yaroslav Mudry is to join the Baltic Fleet in May or June this year. The vessel is armed with modern tactical weapons, including a ship-to-ship attack missile system, a medium- and short-range air defense missile system, an RBU-6000 jet mortar, and others. The ship will carry a Ka-27 helicopter armed with anti-submarine torpedoes, missiles, and depth bombs. Interfax reported earlier that a Ka-27 touched a deck structure with its rotor while landing and then fell into the sea and sank on Monday. The ship's rescue team saved the helicopter's five crewmembers and passengers. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's chief state expert assessment department has given its approval to plans to provide funds for a project aimed at overhauling and re-equipping the research and production facilities of the Information Satellite Systems company, based in Zheleznogorsk in Krasnoyarsk territory, the firm said in a press release on Wednesday. The project, which will enable Information Satellites Systems to begin building the Glonass-K satellite, will receive 2.37 billion rubles from the budget as part of the Global Navigation Satellite System federal program, the company said. "The technological program to upgrade the production base of Information Satellite Systems to enable it to manufacture the Glonass-K satellite was developed by specialists of the same enterprise. The project involves efforts to modernize the existing production and experimental facilities, to purchase advanced metal-processing equipment and to overhaul the utility systems," it said. TOMILINO, Moscow region. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - A new Russian space suit to be used during space walks will be developed in several years, Sergei Pozdnyakov, general director and general designer of the Zvezda research and production enterprise, told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. Page 460 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The first samples will appear in 2012, and the final version should be ready by 2015," Pozdnyakov said. The outer layer of the next series of space suits, which will be known as Orlan-MKS, will use polyurethane instead of rubber, he said. "Polyurethane is a very reliable and durable material. Its structure prevents a hole cut by some sharp object from getting bigger. This reliability will allow us to stop using a double outer layer and to make the new Orlan suit more flexible and comfortable," the Zvezda general director said. The new outer layer will help increase such space suits' service life to six-eight years and allow cosmonauts to use them during a larger number of space walks, he said. TOMILINO (near Moscow). May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Hermetically sealed capsules might replace spacesuits in the new Russian manned spaceship Rus, whose development will be over next year. "Some have proposed placing crewmembers, who are not involved in steering the spaceship, in hermetically sealed capsules instead of spacesuits. A crewmember will step in a capsule, zip it up and remain enclosed in it like in an egg at dangerous moments of the flight," Sergei Pozdnyakov, the general director and general designer of the Zvezda research and production company, told Interfax-AVN. But this is only an idea, he said. What all this will look like will become clear after the Zvezda receives protection and life-support standards for the crews of the new spaceship, he added. "We are waiting to receive the basic parameters of the spaceship - its size, the G effect and the flight time in the event of loss of pressure," said Pozdnyakov. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The production of Ilyushin IL-96 planes at the Voronezh aircraft company VASO will be continued, the Ilyushin-Finance Co has announced. "The potential market of Il-96 long-range planes of various modifications is estimated at 20 planes as a minimum in the coming ten years," Ilyushin-Finance Co.'s deputy general director and technical director Yury Ostrovsky told Interfax-AVN. "New customers are ordering these planes, in this country and abroad. VASO plans to manufacture 2-3 Il96's each year," he added. "Il-96-300 planes are used to fly top officials in Russia and abroad, demonstrating a reliable Page 461 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. performance," Ostrovsky said. NOVO-OGARYOVO. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov has reported production growth in the defense sector in the first quarter of this year. "Defense sector production grew by 2.1% year to year," he told Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. In fact, state defense orders are the best way to support the defense sector, so the orders have been placed quickly, he said. At the same time, the structure of products released by the defense sector has changed. The production of armaments and military hardware grew by 10%, while the output of civilian products dropped by approximately the same percentage, Ivanov said. ZVEZDNY GORODOK (Star City, Moscow region). May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Roman Romanenko (Russia), Franc De Winne (Belgium) and Robert Thirsk (Canada) will take Russia's Soyuz TMA-15 to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 27, the state interdepartmental commission announced on Thursday. Dmitry Kondratyev (Russia), Andrei Kuipers (the Netherlands) and Christopher Hadfield (Canada) are the backups, a source at the Russian mission control center told Interfax-AVN. Soyuz TMA-15 will take off at 2:35 p.m. Moscow time on May 27. "Soyuz TMA-15 will deliver the first crew, which will add to the ISS population rather than replace the existent crewmembers. Russia's Gennady Padalka is the commander of the current ISS crew. He will keep the position when the crew enlarges to six. At present he is working together with Michael Barratt (U.S.) and Koichi Wakata (Japan). MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Chkalov aircraft construction company in Tashkent (TAPO) plans to build the fist Ilyushin Atmosfera Il-114-100 aircraft next year, a source in the Russian military-industrial complex told Interfax. "These planes will be powered with Pratt&Whitney PW127H engines and will be fitted partially with foreign-made avionics equipment. The new plane will be used to study the Earth's atmosphere," the source said. Page 462 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The Ilyushin Aircraft Construction Complex has won a tender, organized by the Russian Hydrometeorological Service, to make two meteorological laboratories, based on the Il-114-100, he said. "Before the end of the year, Ilyushin will develop and issue the blueprints for the Atmosfera Il-114-100, and hand them over to TAPO, he said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Progress M-66 cargo ship filled with litter has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS), a source at the Russian mission control center told Interfax-AVN. "The spaceship will stay in orbit for the next two weeks. The Plasma Progress geophysical experiment will be conducted on board during the autonomous flight," the source said. Researchers will study plasma characteristics with the help of Russia's only incoherent scatter radar based in Irkutsk. The cargo ship will leave orbit on May 18 by a command of the mission control center and crash into designated areas of the southern Pacific. The Progress M-66 docked with the ISS on February 13, 2009. It delivered 2.5 tonnes of cargo and assisted in orbit correction of the ISS. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia could fail to finish its chemical weapons disarmament program by the deadline because a chemical arms disposal facility in the town of Pochep, the Bryansk region, did not begin operating according to schedule, said participants in a session of the State Duma's committee for natural resources, environmental management and ecology. The parliamentary committee discussed the government's report dealing with the implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction in 2008. According to the government's report, all major efforts scheduled for 2008 were completed. However, a Bryansk region facility designed to scrap chemical weapons has not yet started functioning, although the deadline has already passed, it said. Last year, the first segment of the aforementioned facility was built and the construction of its second section was launched, the report said. It could lead to delays in the implementation of Russia's Page 463 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. international commitments to dispose of chemical weapons, it said. MINSK. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The latest military developments will be displayed at the Milex-2009 exhibition in Minsk on May 19-22, first deputy chairman of the National Academy of Sciences' Presidium Pyotr Vityaz told a press conference on Thursday. "What we expect from this exhibition are agreements, or better contracts, for exporting our products, since our goal is to enter new markets, particularly in light of the global financial crisis," Vityaz said. Improved optoelectronic systems for working in low visibility under water and other conditions, as well as new unmanned aircraft models are among the items to be demonstrated at the show, he said. A number of projects are being implemented to create safe explosive substances, cryptographic protection, encoding system, voice simulation software, etc., he said. Scientists are constantly searching for new applications for nanotechnologies, he said. For his part, first deputy chairman of the Belarusian State Defense Industry Committee Pyotr Rogozhevsky told journalists that the exhibition will be attended by 12 formal delegations from foreign defense ministries. The Milex-2009 arms exhibition will be one of the biggest over the past decade, with a total area of 4,500 square meters, on which four countries - Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Belarus - will exhibit their military products. MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) has presented the proposals on the construction of a research vessel and icebreakers for Antarctic expeditions to Argentina, USC President Vladimir Pakhomov told Interfax. He said the proposals were drafted at the request of Argentina. The possibility of building vessels with Russian blueprints at local shipyards is under consideration, he said. "Cooperation proposals have also been made to Ecuador, Cambodia, Finland, Norway, France and Japan," he said, referring to civilian projects. Page 464 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The corporation is already cooperating with Venezuela and Cuba. The United Shipbuilding Corporation was established in June 2007. It will provide for the full shipbuilding cycle, from blueprints to delivery, warranty and post-warranty maintenance, repairs and disposal. The corporation is made up of three regional subsidiaries based in the northwest, the north and the east of Russia. The government has 100% stake in the corporation. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Deputy foreign, defense and finance ministers and deputy secretaries of security councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states will hold consultations in Moscow on May 7. There are over 30 items on the agenda, including documents that regulate the creation and functioning of the CSTO collective rapid reaction forces, a source at the CSTO Secretariat told Interfax-AVN on Monday. "The consultations will be held prior to a meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council, which is due in the middle of June," the source said. CSTO chiefs of state decided to form the collective rapid reaction forces at a meeting in Moscow in February. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's next cargo carrier Progress M-02M will need five days to reach the International Space Station (ISS), instead of the usual two, a spokesman for the Mission Control Center outside Moscow told Interfax-AVN. "The spacecraft is to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on May 7 and arrive at the ISS only on May 12," the spokesman said. The time of the cargo carrier's flight to the orbiting outpost has been increased deliberately, he said. "The Progress M-02M is the second spacecraft of our new series. The mission will include flight trials of the spaceship and tests of its systems. They will come as a follow-up to tests conducted at the end of last year, when the Progress M-01M flew to the ISS," he said. The cargo carriers of the new series have digital control systems. Their motion control and flight measurement systems have been upgraded, which has helped improve characteristics such as the spaceships' operational speed and lower the weight of equipment. The changes allow the new Page 465 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. spaceships to carry 80 kilograms more of supplies than their predecessors. Prior to the flight of the Progress M-01M cargo carrier, specialists assured the public that the use of digital technologies would improve the accuracy of dynamic operations during the spaceship's approach to the ISS. However, several accidents occurred. As the spacecraft was settling in its orbit, one of its approach pattern antennas failed to unfurl and assume its operational position in time. During the Progress M-01M's docking with the ISS, malfunctions were also reported in the Kurs automatic docking system. The Mission Control Center decided to move the spacecraft away from the space station and to dock it with the ISS manually. During the Progress M-01M's four-day flight to the ISS, specialists expressed several complaints about the functioning of the spacecraft itself and the operations of the earth-based measurement systems, said Vladimir Solovyev, head of the Russian ISS segment. He promised that the reasons for the defects would be found and dealt with. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's Progress M-66 cargo spaceship will have almost two weeks of an autonomous flight when it undocks from the International Space Station (ISS). The freighter will then have a controlled crash in the Pacific Ocean, a representative of the Russian mission control center told Interfax-AVN on Monday. "A new stage of the Plasma Progress experiment will be held during the autonomous flight. The experiment will study plasma physics," he said. The experiment aims to measure the density, size and reflective characteristics of plasma surrounding the spaceship when it turns on liquid-fuel engines. The researchers will study plasma with Russia's only incoherent scatter radar installed in Irkutsk. Progress M-66 will depart from the ISS at 7:18 p.m. Moscow time on Wednesday. It will drown in the Pacific on May 18. Before the spaceship undocks, it will be loaded with litter the ISS crews have been amassing for months. Astronauts Gennady Padalka (Russia), Michael Barratt (U.S.) and Koichi Wakata (Japan) will load the freighter with spent equipment and other litter and prepare it for undocking, the representative said. Litter will be loaded in strict compliance with a plan, which specifies the types of spent equipment and its weight. The mission control center needs to know the amount of cargo for the precise ballistic estimate of the ISS and Progress maneuvers. Hatches between Progress and the ISS will be closed on Tuesday Page 466 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. night, the source said. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Atomenergoprom has supplied to China its first shipment of uranium enrichment centrifuges made for the fourth phase of a plant being built in China with Russia's assistance, Atomenergoprom said in a press release. The goods were supplied under the contract signed between Atomenergoprom's 100%-owned company Tekhsnabexport and China Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation in August 2008. Gas centrifuges were made by the Kovrov Mechanical Plant and Tochmash, both controlled by Russkaya Gazovaya Tsentrifuga (Russian Gas Centrifuge). By now, three phases of the gas centrifuge plant, which used the Russian technology, have been completed and are operating in China. China undertook the use of supplied enriched uranium for the needs of the country's nuclear industry only. The first two phases of the plant on the site in Hangzhong were supplied in compliance with the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Russkaya Gazovaya Tsentifuga is 100% owned by Tekhsnabexport. It develops and manufactures gas centrifuges and auxiliary equipment for the separation of uranium isotopes. STAR CITY, near Moscow. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian cosmonauts, who previously had to wait in line for more than ten years to fly into space, will not be waiting this long from now on, after the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) was increased to six members. "Starting this year, we will send four Soyuz ships to the International Space Station and the line will move much faster," Yury Gidzenko, first deputy head of the cosmonaut training center, told journalists on Tuesday. "The young cosmonauts will spend half the time on the 'bench' my generation had to," said Sergei Volkov, a second-generation cosmonaut and acting commander of the center's cosmonauts team. "With four launches a year, the waiting time will be reduced from the eleven years we used to remain on the waiting list, to around five," he said. "New blood" will flow into the team soon, he also said. "The most recently recruited team is nearing state exams, after which our team will get a matching replenishment," he said. Page 467 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. There will no women in the replenishment. The Russian team currently has one woman, Yelena Serova, but she cannot hope for a fight to the ISS in any foreseeable future because she is not prepared for the flight, Gidzenko said, adding that there are no plans thus far to recruit any more women to the team. The Russian spaceships Soyuz, the only transport means to ferry crews to the ISS starting 2010, will have no room for tourists. "No space tourists are undergoing training at the center now," Gidzenko said. STAR CITY, Moscow region. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne and Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk are taking exams before flying to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday. "Today the main crew undergoes pre-flight examination training in the on-ground ISS training device and the backup ISS crew in the Soyuz spacecraft training device. The crews will exchange examination seats on Wednesday," a source with the Cosmonaut Training Center told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday. The backup crew comprises Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers and Canadian astronaut Christopher Hadfield. The astronauts will spend the whole day inside the simulators today and tomorrow, after which an interdepartmental commission, depending on examination results, will approve the crew that will fly to the ISS. Soyuz TMA-15 will take off from the Baikonur spaceport with another ISS expedition at 2.35 p.m. Moscow time on May 27. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukraine's aircraft firm ANTK Antonov could form a subsidiary in Russia to launch the commercial production of Antonov An-148 planes at the Voronezh joint-stock aircraft society VASO. ANTK Antonov's subsidiary could be set up in Russia in the near future, Yury Ostrovsky, deputy general director and technical director of the Ilyushin-Finance Co leasing company, told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday. Russia has a complete set of blueprints and a license to launch the serial production of An-148-100 aircraft, he said. Earlier reports said that the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) plans to have the first four An-148's made Page 468 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. at VASO in 2009, another seven in 2010, 12 in 2011, 20 in 2012, 32 in 20134 and 36 in 2014. UAC has invested 6.9 billion rubles in VASO over the past 18 months, including 3.3 billion rubles in a program to build an assembly line and to prepare the production of An-148's. UAC plans to put 7.5 billion rubles in the program to organize the serial production of An-148 planes in 2009. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The contract for modernization of five Ilyushin Il-38SD antisubmarine aircraft for the Indian Navy has entered the final stage. "The last, fifth modernized Il-38SD aircraft will be handed over to India in the nearest future," a source at the Russian defense industry told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday. "The fifth aircraft has been successfully tested by the manufacturer and is virtually ready to be delivered to the customer," he said. Two of the five modernized aircraft were handed over to India by the Russian Navy, the source recalled. "It was a compensation for the loss of two Indian aircraft as a result of an air collision in 2002," he said. The contract for the repair and modernization of five Il-38 aircraft in Russia was signed by Rosoboronexport in September 2002. According to unofficial estimates, it amounts to around $150 million. The modernized Il-38SD anti-submarine aircraft are fitted with the new "Sea Dragon" airborne search and sighting system, which includes an onboard radio electronic complex, an infrared sighting device and high-definition radars. The system is able to detect aerial targets at a distance of up to 90 kilometers and sea going targets at 320 kilometers. The system is capable of tracking 32 targets simultaneously. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Space Agency Roskosmos and Lavochkin Design Bureau are planning to launch the Phobos Grunt unmanned lander to Phobos, one of the satellites of Mars, this year, Roskosmos said in a press release posted on its website. "Creating this spacecraft is one of our biggest priorities. The schedule is tight, all work to create the Phobos Grunt space complex is in total agreement with the 2009 launch deadline," the statement said. The Phobos Grunt mission to deliver soil from the Mars' satellite is two years behind schedule because the spacecraft is not ready, a source familiar with the situation told Interfax-AVN earlier. Page 469 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The launch of Phobos Grunt has been postponed due to technical problems. Lavochkin Design Bureau is simply unable to complete the spacecraft physically before the end of the year. The next suitable "window" for the launch will open in 2011," the source said. According to the Lavochkin Design Bureau's website, the launch of Phobos Grunt is scheduled for 2009. Scientists hope that sample soil from the satellite of Mars will help clarify a number of questions about the formation of the solar system. ASTANA. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium will visit Baikonur in May to watch the launch of the Soyuz TMA 15 manned spacecraft. The announcement about the upcoming trip to Baikonur by Crown Prince Philippe was made by King Albert II of Belgium at his meeting with Kazakhstan's Ambassador Erik Utembayev in Brussels, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. It was reported that the Soyuz TMA 15 spacecraft is due to be launched from Baikonur on May 27 to deliver the ISS Expedition 20 crew led by Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne to the International Space Station (ISS). MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The participants of the 105-day scientific experiment simulating a mission to Mars have been inside the Mars mission mock-up for more than a month already, a source at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medical and Biological Problems (RAS IMBP) told InterfaxAVN. "One third of the way is completed. The six participants "are flying" further, leaving behind what is probably one of the most difficult stages - creating a real team," said Pavel Morgunov of RAS IMBP. Although the crew was formed and examined beforehand, some adjustments have been made as a result of work in isolation, he said. "But the scientists were lucky: the crew work well together. According to the crew's reports, initially time seemed to pass very slowly, but now they got used to it and have not even noticed how they "have flown" for over a month. They say initially there was a lot of mess, mistakes and inaccuracies in their work. Now it is all in the past. Work is well organized, they even have time for rest," Morgunov said. All the participants are feeling good, and have no complaints, he said. "We have already gathered scientific material and the material for the next "mission" to Mars, but the most complicated experiments Page 470 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. are still ahead," the IMBP official said. The 105-day preliminary experiment is conducted by the IMBP in Moscow on the ground test facilities simulating a spacecraft. Four volunteers from Russia and two from Europe are taking part in the experiment. They have lived isolated from the outside world since March 30. After the end of the experiment the participants will be rewarded. This experiment is part of the Mars-500 projects and precedes the 520-day simulation of a Mars mission with return to Earth. VLADIVOSTOK. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The U.S. Navy missile cruiser Cowpens is to enter the port of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East on May 7. The commander of the cruiser Cowpens is Captain Holly Graf, a spokesman for the U.S. Consulate General in Vladivostok told Interfax. It is a business visit, which will include a number of official and cultural events, sport matches and a visit to a children's medical rehabilitation center, the spokesman said. The U.S. ship's visit plays a special role because it comes ahead of Victory Day celebrations in Russia, he said. Our countries were allies during World War II, and the Cowpens crew plans to pay respects to all Russian and U.S. soldiers who fought during the war, he added. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - France's National Police Director General Frederic Pechenard and members of his delegation visited the base of the Russian Interior Troops' Independent Operational Division on Wednesday. "We are greatly interested in the experience of our Russian colleagues. That is why we will organize joint training exercises of Russian Interior Troops servicemen and officers of the French [National] Gendarmerie," Pechenard said. During their visit, officials of France's law enforcement services were shown the Interior Troops' weapons and military hardware, including new Vystrel armored escort vehicles and Tigr cross-country trucks. The chief of the French National Police praised the professionalism of division servicemen and the state- Page 471 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. of-the-art facilities of the Interior Troops' training center. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The drones Russia has bought in Israel will be delivered to the troops soon, said Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. "The deal is being formalized. The contract is there, we have made an advance payment and we are soon to get the first small batch," Serdyukov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta to be published on Thursday. The Defense Ministry decided to buy drones in Israel to study the experience of foreign producers and to see how this industry has been developing. The Russian Defense Ministry is particularly interested in light and medium drones, he said. The Russian military wants to find out whether Israeli drones are better than Russian, he said. ZVEZDNY GORODOK (Star City, Moscow region). May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) will prepare the groundwork for a prospective flight to Mars, Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk told a press conference at the Russian Cosmonaut Training Center. He said the new ISS crew would study characteristics of liquids and materials in zero gravity, as well as the influence of radiation on human bodies, which is of paramount importance for the prospective manned flight to Mars. Thirsk, Russia's Roman Romanenko and Belgium's Franc De Winne will go to the ISS from the Baikonur spaceport on May 27. The trio will join the current ISS crew of Gennady Padalka (Russia), Michael Barratt (U.S.) and Koichi Wakata (Japan). The Canadian astronaut said he would be the first man to test a new method of bone mass preservation in zero gravity. Apart from the traditional physical exercises, he will be taking special pills during his sixmonth stay in orbit. The ISS 20th and 21st crews will prepare the groundwork for the prospective flights to Mars, Thirsk said. He said the crew will conduct over 100 scientific experiments for various space agencies. The enlargement of the ISS crew from three to six will give more time for research, the Canadian said. Page 472 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Romanenko agreed with the statement. Starting from this year ISS crews will give more time to research, development and repairs, he said. De Winne described as the biggest experiment the six-member crew. The astronauts will have to tackle plenty of problems, as it is still a question how they may divide time assigned for physical training and communication with Earth, he said. Romanenko said they do not expect psychological problems in the six-member crew. He said that the six astronauts became very close during their pre-flight preparations. ST. PETERSBURG. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Severnaya Verf shipyard plans to launch the first couple of patrol ships modernized for Algeria - the Rais Hamidou and the Murat Rais - in early June, a shipyard source told Interfax. The ships will be delivered to the client in October-November 2009. In all, the shipyard is modernizing four warships for Algeria. Severnaya Verf is one of the largest shipyards in Russia focused on the construction of warships. BAIKONUR. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The launch of the ProtoStar-2 booster from the Baikonur cosmodrome (Kazakhstan), which was scheduled for May 14, has been rescheduled to May 16, a source in the cosmodrome told Interfax on Friday. The source said the launch was rescheduled due to technical problems with the booster that arose during the preparations for the May 14 launch. The booster is scheduled to be taken to the launch site on May 13, said the source. ProtoStar-2 will be the second satellite of the orbital group of the operator ProtoStar-2 and will ensure live broadcasts and other communication services on the territory of Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Under an agreement with ProtoStar, the Indonesian operator Indovision will provide direct broadcasting services through this satellite to Indonesia. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The environmental situation in places where chemical weapons are stockpiled and destroyed in Russia remains stable, the Russian government said in its annual report on the fulfillment of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use Page 473 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention) in 2008, which was discussed at the State Duma committee on natural resources and environment. In accordance with its international commitments, Russia is to destroy 45% (18,000 tonnes) of its chemical weapons by December 31, 2009, the committee's chairman Natalya Komarova said commenting on the outcome of the meeting. "This will mark the end of the fulfillment of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction," she said. The number of violations in the sphere of industrial security went down 20% in 2008 against 2007 and the number of violations in the sphere of environmental protection went down 2.5 times, the Russian government said in its report. At the same time, the meeting participants recalled that the meeting of the state commission on chemical disarmament held in the village of Leonidovka, Penza region, in April raised concerns about the delay in the construction of the social infrastructure in areas where chemical weapons are destroyed and the disposal of waste produced as a result of chemical weapons destruction. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian aviation industry has proposed the Airbus company to ship parts and elements of Airbus A 380 by Myasishchev 3M-T transport aircraft, a source in the Russian defense industry told Interfax-AVN. "We hope to get a reply from Airbus to our proposals in June," the source said. The 3M-T transport was developed from the Myasishchev 3M strategic bomber. Initially the aircraft was used to deliver elements of the Soviet Buran space shuttle to the Baikonur space port. Three 3M-T were built, with just two capable of flying and both being operational now. BISHKEK. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Kyrgyzstan is indignant at the activities of Uzbekistan on the Kyrgyz territory, a source at the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry told Interfax on Thursday. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry has protested to the Uzbek ambassador in Bishkek over the incident in the border village Chek in the Jalalabad region in southern Kyrgyzstan, where the Uzbek police held an illegal operation on April 19. Armed officers of the Uzbek police and the Uzbek Border Service "conducted an illegal search of homes of Kyrgyz residents in the Chek village under the disguise of a counter-terrorist operation," the source Page 474 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. said. "According to eyewitnesses, they checked the ids and searched the homes of only Kyrgyz citizens. The operation was accompanied with insults and rude threats to the searched individuals," the source said. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry described the incident as "impermissible and clearly provocative" and demanded that Uzbekistan "must give a legal evaluation to the actions of the police officers, who did wrong, and to punish the culprits." TBILISI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - A Georgian opposition leader told a rally outside the parliament headquarters on Thursday that Georgia's government had imported heavy weapons from Turkey and expressed fear that the alleged arms might be used against current opposition rallies. "The government is speaking about the need for dialogue but simultaneously heavy weapons are being imported into Georgia aboard a naval ship," Manana Nakebaya told the rally on Thursday. BAKU. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Azeri military servicemen will take part in a number of NATO events, including the Cooperative Longbow 2009 exercises in Georgia in May, the Azeri Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday. Azeri servicemen will take part in Cooperative Longbow 2009 in Tbilisi from May 8 to 20, and officials from the Azeri Defense Ministry will take part in a meeting of a NATO permanent group of logistics experts in Tbilisi on May 11-14. Azeri servicemen will also take part in exercises in Kyiv on May 11-15. Azeri officials will also participate in a meeting of chiefs of staff of NATO members and partner states in Brussels on May 6, and Azeri troops will be involved in the Eagle Resolve 2009 exercises in Doha, Qatar, on May 2-12. Baku will host an Azeri-U.S. bilateral cooperation planning conference on May 6-7. Azerbaijan will also participate in a conference to plan the Eternity 2009 exercises in Tbilisi on May 13-15. BAKU. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The current level of relations between Azerbaijan and NATO satisfies both parties, Azeri Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu said on Friday. Page 475 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "This cooperation has lasted for 15 years, and we have been able to establish ties and put them onto the right track over these years. We are cooperating with various bodies in the alliance under the Partnership for Peace program," Sabiroglu said at a press conference. This cooperation helps Azerbaijan bring its armed forces into line with international standards, and Azerbaijan so makes its contribution to security in the world, he said. "Cooperation between the republic and NATO satisfies both parties today," he said. The Azeri Defense Ministry is confident that cooperation with NATO will continue to develop, he said. As regards Azerbaijan's military cooperation with other countries, Sabiroglu noted that Azerbaijan has agreements on such cooperation with 30 countries and is negotiating the conclusion of similar documents with more than 20 other states. TBILISI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian parliament speaker said on Friday that Russia "keeps showing force, whereby it is seeking to force the West and NATO to stop cooperating with Georgia" but that Moscow "will be unable to achieve its purpose." "Large military forces are deployed along the Karachayevo-Cherkesian section of the Russian-Georgian border," David Bakradze told reporters. He was referring to the border between Georgia and the Russian republic of Karachayevo-Cherkesia. However, "the West and NATO continue to cooperate with Georgia, and the planned exercise on the premises of the Vaziani military base is confirmation of this," Bakradze said. The speaker claimed that the U.S. administration of President Barack Obama supports Georgia as much as the George W. Bush administration had done before it. TBILISI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia on Friday lashed out against an agreement on Thursday under which Russia pledged to join forces with Abkhazia and South Ossetia in controlling the two republics' border with Georgia. "The 'agreement' deals with the defense of the so-called national borders of what are occupied territories of Georgia. In actual fact, these 'treaties' are one more attempt on the part of Russia to build up military potential in the occupied Georgian territories and to legitimize their occupation," the Foreign Ministry said Page 476 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. in a statement. The statement described the accord as "a provocative move." Russia "once more draws a line between itself and the entire international community, and again brutally tramples on fundamental standards and principles of international law," it said. Russia signed its agreement with Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Moscow. KYIV. May 4 (Interfax-AVN)) - A vessel recently seized by Somali pirates has a crew of 24, all Ukrainian citizens, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vasyl Kyrylych told Interfax on Saturday night. "According to the Ukrainian embassy in Greece, Somali pirates seized the British-owned vessel Ariana that flies the Maltese flag in the small morning hours of May 2. The Foreign Ministry ordered the Ukrainian embassy in Greece to establish direct contact with the operating company. The company confirmed that the vessel had a crew of 24, all of them Ukrainian citizens," he said. "The Foreign Ministry ordered the Ukrainian embassies in Greece, the UK and Kenya to keep contact with the ship owner, the operating company and authorities of host countries for quickly receiving information about the assault details and freeing the Ukrainian sailors," Kyrylych said. Meanwhile, some media said that the pirates seized the vessel off shore the Seychelles, rather than near the Somali coast. DUSHANBE. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - No Victory Day parade will be held in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe this year, Defense Ministry spokesman Faridun Makhmadaliyev told Interfax on Monday. "This year's Victory Day parade has been replaced by wreath-laying ceremonies at the Eternal Flame and meetings with [World War II] veterans for a number of reasons," Makhmadaliyev said, declining to elaborate. However, a senior Defense Ministry official told Interfax on condition of anonymity that the main reason behind the cancellation of the Victory Day parade is the need to prune the budget due to the financial crisis, which has had a serious impact on the economy of Tajikistan. "The authorities decided to cut down expenses this year because there is not enough money for everything," the official said. Page 477 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The official, however, admitted that the parade could have been cancelled in response to an incident last year, when the Dushanbe police chief lost control of his car and crashed into the crowd, killing one person and injuring five others. "This incident had a serious effect on the latest decision to cancel the parade," he said. TBILISI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian opposition is preparing to put forth an ultimatum demanding President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation, and it is threatening to paralyze traffic on Georgia's key motorways if its demand are not met, said Opposition leader Gubaz Sanikidze. Opposition activists will block all eastern and western entrances to Tbilisi for one hour, Sanikidze told a rally in the Georgian capital on Monday. The opposition plans to bring traffic on motorways in the country's regions to a halt on May 8, Sanikidze said. On May 8, Saakashvili will be given 72 hours to agree to step down, the opposition leader said. The opposition will launch an indefinite road-blocking campaign if the Georgian president refuses to resign, he said. TBILISI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Foreign Ministry has asked the international community to respond to the massing of Russian forces in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "According to our information, which has been recently confirmed by Abkhaz separatist leader Sergei Bagapsh, up to 10,000 Russian servicemen and about 1,000 units of armor have amassed in the occupied territories of Abkhazia and so-called South Ossetia," Director of the Georgian Foreign Ministry's Political Department Zurab Kachkachishvili told a press briefing on Monday. "This concentration of forces is a gross violation of international agreements, so the Georgian Foreign Ministry appeals for a reaction from the international community," he said. The deployment of Russian servicemen in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is in progress in line with bilateral agreements recently signed between Russia and the two breakaway republics, which Russia recognizes as independent states. Approximately 3,200 servicemen will be deployed at each of Russia's military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian General Staff Chairman Nikolai Makarov said. Page 478 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The bases "will protect the interests of these republics and us in the region," he said. Also, border protection agreements signed by Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia on April 30 stipulate the establishment of a border department in the two republics. The department will be subordinated to Russia's border agency that operates in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. TBILISI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is to take part in the European Union's Eastern Partnership summit in Prague on May 7-8, Temur Kachkachishvili, director of the Georgian Foreign Ministry's political department, told a briefing on Monday. Georgia's delegation will also include Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze and State Minister for Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili, he said. The EU is to present its Eastern Partnership program in Prague on May 7. A summit on energy issues will be held in the Czech capital on May 8. The EU's Eastern Partnership program, which was confirmed on March 20, applies to six countries Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Belarus. It is aimed at promoting close political and business cooperation between the EU and the aforementioned states. TALLINN. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - A two day meeting of Estonian and Belarusian border guard chiefs which will see the signing of a cooperation protocol began in Tallinn on Monday, Director General of the Estonian Border Guard Board Col. Roland Peets told Interfax. "The cooperation protocol will allow the exchange of border statistics and information on the methodology of border protection," Peets said. "It is useful for each of the two different states to get acquainted with each other's border guard systems," he said. "Moreover, Belarus has a large high level dog breeding school, and Estonia is interested in its experience," Peets said. ASTANA. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Kazakh Deputy Defense Minister Bulat Sembinov discussed the implementation of the Kazakh-U.S. defense cooperation plan with U.S. Transportation Commander Gen. Duncan J. McNabb in Astana on Monday, the Kazakh Defense Ministry's press service reported. "The implementation of the first plan was successfully completed in 2008. This February we signed the cooperation plan for 2008 - 2012. Kazakh-U.S. defense and security cooperation reached significant Page 479 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. results within the framework of the first plan," Sembinov is quoted as saying in the statement. "The U.S. and Kazakhstan pursue the same goal - the strengthening of relations through further dialog and the expansion of military cooperation," the statement reads. BAKU. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Talks on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh can only start after refugees return to their homes, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told reporters on Tuesday. "If the population of the region is to return to their land, the territory around Nagorno-Karabakh must be liberated, people must return to this territory, the roads must be reopened cooperation launched and security guaranteed," he said. "If this does not happen and Azeris fail to return to Nagorno- Karabakh, no discussion of the status will be possible and no talks can be held on how a normal environment could be created in connection with this region," Azimov said. "A sequence is seen here, set by the logic of the process, not by us. Logic demands that," he said. Assessing the situation ahead of the talks between the Azeri and Armenian presidents in Prague on May 7, Azimov said that discussions are continuing on the draft, proposed by the co-chairmen [the basic principles of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]. "Some questions remain open, while others remain the subject of disagreement. On the whole, as previously, nothing is deemed negotiated before agreement is reached on all aspects. The work must continue based on these principles," the Azeri diplomat said. No 'arithmetic' can be involved in the talks on Nagorno-Karabakh and all territories must be liberated unequivocally, he said. "Nagorno- Karabakh will remain part of Azerbaijan. A concrete model will be developed for the co-existence of two communities in it," Azimov said. BAKU. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer gave a positive assessment of cooperation between the alliance and Azerbaijan and said that the further improvement of bilateral ties is possible. NATO and Azerbaijan have formed a solid foundation for the further development of their cooperation since 1994, Scheffer said in a video address to participants in the conference dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Azerbaijan's joining the alliance's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in Baku on Page 480 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Tuesday. Bilateral cooperation is not limited just to Azerbaijan's contribution to ensuring stability in Afghanistan; it also includes various reforms in the country, in particular bringing the Azeri Armed Forces in compliance with the NATO standards, the NATO secretary general said. Azerbaijan joined the program to make its security more predictable, Azeri deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said at the conference. Partnership under the program is an integral element of Azerbaijan's strategic course at integrating in the Euro-Atlantic space, Azimov said. YEREVAN. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Armenian troops will not take part in the NATO drills in Georgia due to start on Wednesday, May 6, diplomatic sources in Yerevan told Interfax. According to the sources, this report will be officially confirmed on Tuesday. Armenian Defense Minister Press Secretary Col. Seiran Shakhsuvarian has not so far confirmed the report to Interfax, saying that "one should wait for an official statement from the Armenian Foreign Ministry." TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The personnel of a Georgian tank battalion, based in Mukhrovani, have mutinied, Georgian Defense Minister David Sikharulidze said on Rustavi-2 television on Tuesday. "The battalion announced in the morning it will disobey the command," he said. There are several civilians with the rebellious military personnel at the base, the defense minister added. According to intelligence available to the Interior Ministry a larger-scale mutiny was being planned, Sikharulidze went on to say. "The mutiny is continuing. The rebellious battalion was told to stop it," he said. Talks were continuing with the mutineers, but "no concrete demands have been put forward," he added. Meanwhile, a NATO-Georgia military exercise under the Partnership for Peace program is set for May 6, earlier reports said. Page 481 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Koba Kobaladze, a former commander of the Georgian National Guard has been detained, Imedi television reported on Tuesday. Kobaladze is suspected of co-organizing the military mutiny, Imedi said. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian government could make use of the incident at the military base in Mukhrovani to thwart an opposition action in Tbilisi, said Mamuka Katsitadze, a Georgian opposition leader. "The government could declare a state of emergency and break up the rally in Tbilisi, using force," Katsitadze told reporters on Tuesday. "If the government does so to fight the opposition and uses force, the public will react appropriately," he said. Earlier reports said that a tank battalion, based in Mukhrovani, mutinied, and Georgian Defense Minister David Sikharulidze was quoted as saying that the situation was tense. Also on Tuesday, the Georgian Interior Ministry said a military conspiracy had been exposed and several suspected plotters had been detained. Meanwhile, the Georgian opposition has put off plans to blockade roads in the center of Tbilisi. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The mutiny by military personnel at the Mukhrovani base is an attempt to thwart the NATO exercises, due to begin in Georgia on May 6, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said. This mutiny also aims to foil a European Union summit, where an Eastern Partnership agreement is to be formalized, Saakashvili said, addressing Georgian citizens on Tuesday. "A group of ex-officers attempted to provoke unrest in the Mukhrovani battalion and the unrest is continuing. This is a threat to national security and to each citizen of Georgia. We view this as a very serous incident," the Georgian president said. DUSHANBE. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The United States will donate $9.426 million to Tajikistan to fund projects on combating illicit drug trafficking and maintaining law and order. Page 482 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. A respective agreement was signed between Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrohon Zarifi and U.S. Ambassador Tracy Ann Jacobson on Tuesday. The money will be used to renovate five frontier outposts on the Tajik border with Afghanistan and China, to support the border troops academy and to implement the project on protecting law and order, the U.S. diplomat told journalists after the signing ceremony. Also, the funding for the drug control agency, which has been financed by the United Nations and the U.S. for a decade now, will be increased. The U.S. started providing humanitarian aid to Tajikistan after it agreed to provide air corridors for the aircraft participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001. The U.S. aid for Tajikistan in 2008 stood at $33.7 million, or a third of the total aid sent to the republic during this period. This spring Tajikistan agreed to transit U.S. non-military cargo to the neighboring Afghanistan. Tajikistan remains the poorest country among the former Soviet republics. According to the World Bank, two-thirds of the country's population lives below the poverty line. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has called on the Russian administration not to exacerbate the situation in Georgia. "We have information that the Russian Federation wants to exacerbate the situation in Georgia. We are asking our northern neighbor to refrain from any provocations," Saakashvili said in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian military servicemen, who started a mutiny at the military base in Mukhrovani, have surrendered their arms, the country's interior ministry told Interfax. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili who held talks with the rebels has left the base, the ministry said. The organizers of the revolt have been detained. The military servicemen who participated in the revolt have been disarmed. Page 483 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The Mukhrovani base servicemen surrendered without resistance, the ministry said. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - One of the leaders of the Georgian opposition Nino Burdzhanadze does not believe the reports from the Georgian Interior Ministry that the military mutiny was planned. "Of course, I do not believe this video footage, because recently our public has learnt the lessons that all of this is absolute nonsense," she told journalists on Tuesday, commenting on the events at the Mukhrovani military base. However, the opposition does not have exact information about what happened at the military base in Mukhrovani, she said. "I can say for sure that I rule out that Georgian military servicemen were playing according to a Russian scenario as the Interior Ministry claims. By the way, these are the military who were fighting heroically in the Tskhinvali region, when their commander-in-chief fled," she said. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Several top Georgian Defense Ministry officers have been arrested for planning a coup in the country, the Georgian Interior Ministry announced. "A coup plot has been exposed," Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told a briefing on Tuesday. The arrested officers are charged with attempting a coup and involvement with the Russian special services, Utiashvili said. "The Interior Ministry has exposed a plot that was being prepared in some of the Defense Ministry's military units," he said. "The organizers were former high-ranking Defense Ministry officials. The preliminary investigation materials show that the plot was coordinated with the Russians and was aimed at disrupting the NATO training scheduled to take place in Georgia on May 6," Utiashvili said. The organizer of the coup is Giya Gvaladze, who was head of the special task unit Delta in the 1990s, Utiashvili said. The Interior Ministry has a video of Gvaladze talking to his followers about the planned coup. "The Russians will come to help us, a total of 5,000 people, who intend to liquidate such leaders as Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, Giga Bokeriya, Levan Ramishvili, Gigi Ugulava, and some other people," Page 484 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gvaladze says in the video. "If the coup is a success, Georgia will reunite with Russia. After that, Aslan Abashidze, Levan Mamaladze, and Levan Pirveli will come back," Gvaladze said in the video, adding that elections would be held in Georgia if the coup succeeded. In the video, Gvaladze said the coup was planned for Thursday and said that some of the military units were on his side. The Georgian Interior Ministry said the masterminds of the rebellion were planning to reintegrate Georgia into the CIS, which, as Gvaladze said in the video, would have happened after the incumbent government had been overthrown. "We will block the airport and blow up the railroad. The border with Turkey will be shut immediately, and the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia will be taken under control," Gvaladze said. "About $3 million should be brought to us from South Ossetia. We will put together a group of 300 people and will get full equipment. Our goal is to attack and eliminate a number of sites," he said. Gvaladze said, in particular, that the rebels were planning to destroy buildings of the Interior Ministry and the Rustavi 2 television company. "We will raze these buildings to the ground," he said. A Georgian Interior Ministry official said another leader of the coup, Koba Otaradze, is currently at large. A criminal case has been opened and an investigation is underway, the official said. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Interior Ministry has circulated video footage in which President Mikheil Saakashvili spoke with Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili after quelling a rebellion at the Mukhrovani military base and reprimanded him for excessive tolerance toward "criminal elements." "Liberalism has become dangerous here indeed. We can no longer tolerate the activities of former highranking military officers turned criminals. They gather for some parties, discuss some plans, and we look at all this not seriously enough," Saakashvili said. He urged Merabishvili to investigate the incident thoroughly, "so that no one should cherish illusions about committing military coups in Georgia." Page 485 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Saakashvili ordered that all those involved in the coup attempt be arrested. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Soldiers who were carrying rucksacks were put on buses and evacuated from Georgia's Mukhrovani military base, which was the site of a rebellion on Tuesday, Georgian media said, surmising those soldiers had been involved in the mutiny and were being moved to other army units. Georgian media said Interior Ministry special forces troops were at the Mukhrovani base currently. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia's Interior Ministry said in a statement that a rebellion at the country's Mukhrovani military base on Tuesday had been aimed at preventing a planned NATO-led military exercise in Georgia from going ahead and that "the organizers of the mutiny have confessed to that." One of the rebellion's suspected organizers has been arrested and two others were being looked for, the ministry said. TBILISI. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - More than 5,000 opposition supporters are rallying at this hour in the square in front of the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi. The latest events at the Mukhrovani military base have become the key topic of the opposition leaders at the rally, who dubbed it "a show." "The rebellion show staged by Saakashvili must be investigated by international experts, it is time for the shows staged by current authorities to be done with once and for all," one of the opposition leaders David Gamkrelidze said at the rally. TBILISI. May 6(Interfax-AVN) - Georgia's Interior Ministry said a rebellion at a Georgian military base on Tuesday had been aimed at preventing a planned NATO-led military exercise in the country from going ahead and that "the organizers of the mutiny have confessed to that." One of the suspected organizers of the rebellion at the Mukhrovani base has been arrested and two others were being looked for, the ministry said in a statement, describing the current situation at the base as "quiet and stable." "Around 23:00 on May 4, the Department of Constitutional Security of the Georgian Ministry of the Interior arrested Georgian citizen Maj. Gia Gvaladze, born in 1972, who served in the special forces of the Georgian Ministry of State Security in the 1990s," the ministry said. Page 486 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The search is on for Koba Otanadze, born in 1967, who is suspected of co-organizing the mutiny. His name occurs in records of the mutiny in the Mukhrovani military unit in 2001. Zaza Mushkudiani, a former chief of a ranger battalion of the Georgian Ministry of Defense who is a close friend of Gvaladze's, is also being looked for," it said. The ministry said the rebellion might have pursued other aims in addition to torpedoing the planned exercise, which is part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Operatives from the Georgian Interior Ministry's counterintelligence department detained military analyst Vakhtang Maisaya on suspicion of spying on Tuesday, Georgian media reported. Maisaya was detained at the state university, they said. Elene Magradze, Maisaya's wife, told journalists the counterintelligence operatives confiscated a computer and discs from their home in Tbilisi. She also said her husband was suspected of spying, although the Interior Ministry has not yet confirmed Maisaya's detention, nor has it commented on the reasons behind it. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Thirteen civilians were arrested and were being interrogated on suspicion of involvement in a rebellion on Tuesday at a military base near the capital Tbilisi, the Interior Ministry told reporters. Up to 500 members of the tank battalion that is stationed at the Mukhrovani base, the site of the mutiny, were in detention at another military base, Vaziani, also near Tbilisi, and, according to some sources, were also being questioned. Five officers who had run away from the Mukhrovani base after the rebellion were arrested. The search was on for another six officers. Police cordons were put up within a radius of 100 kilometers around Mukhrovani village to stop them escaping. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Lt. Col. Mamuka Gorgiashvili, the commander of the Mukhrovani Armor Battalion, whose servicemen reportedly attempted to commit a coup earlier on Tuesday, said in televised remarks broadcast by the Georgian Interior Ministry in the evening that he had received an order from the organizers of the rebellion in the morning to form an armor convoy and lead it toward Tbilisi. Page 487 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Koba Otanadze [whom the Georgian Interior Ministry considers the key organizer of the coup attempt] and several civilians visited the military unit and ordered that I lead my battalion to Tbilisi, where people and the opposition would be waiting for me. He also said I would receive a large sum of money after fulfilling this mission," Gorgiashvili said. YEREVAN. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Armenia will not take part in the military exercises under the NATO auspices in Georgia to take place on May 6-June 1, a source with the Armenian Defense Ministry told Interfax. "Proceeding from the circumstances in place, the Armenian Defense Ministry is announcing that its representatives will not take part in the NATO exercises in Georgia," it said. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian people will not forgive the country's leaders for last year's events in the Caucasus, and the regime of Mikheil Saakashvili will soon be replaced, said Nino Burdzhanadze, leader of the Democratic Movement - United Georgia, an opposition party. "Today the time has come for Georgian authorities to be punished for what they did last August. The authorities think they can cheat people easily, but the Georgian people will not forgive it to them," the former speaker said at the rally in front of the parliamentary building on Tuesday. Georgian people "will liberate the country and build a new Georgia, free and worthy one," she said. SUKHUMI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Abkhazia's foreign minister said in television program on Tuesday that Abkhazia would not allow the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) to conduct any activities on its territory unless UNOMIG drops "Georgia" from its name. Nor can Abkhazia accept phrases such as "Abkhazia, Georgia," and "de facto Abkhaz authorities," Sergei Shamba told Abkhaz State Television. "It's a hard process for them, while we are working to that end gradually, step-by-step. The last two resolutions of the UN Security Council used the formula 'UN Mission' due to our persistence. Now it is our goal to have other names that are unacceptable to us removed from use," Shamba said. "If the UN Security Council makes an incorrect decision [on the mission] on June 15, UNOMIG would be barred from Abkhazia, the minister said. Abkhazia would also boycott the "Geneva process," international talks in Geneva in seeking to put into practice agreements to remove the aftermath of the August 2008 war in Georgia, he said. Page 488 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Abkhazia does, however, need diplomatic contacts with major countries, Shamba said. "That's our prestige. We must show our viability in the international arena," Shamba said. As for a Russian-Abkhaz agreement on the joint control of the Abkhaz-Georgian border signed in Moscow on May 30, he said the reason for the accord was "that we have an aggressive neighbor." "Events that have been taking pace in the region since August last year have been evidence of this," he added. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - More than 5,000 opposition supporters are rallying at this hour in the square in front of the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi. The latest events at the Mukhrovani military base have become the key topic of the opposition leaders at the rally, who dubbed it "a show." "The rebellion show staged by Saakashvili must be investigated by international experts, it is time for the shows staged by current authorities to be done with once and for all," one of the opposition leaders David Gamkrelidze said at the rally. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - One of the leaders of the Georgian opposition Nino Burdzhanadze does not believe the reports from the Georgian Interior Ministry that the military mutiny was planned. "Of course, I do not believe this video footage, because recently our public has learnt the lessons that all of this is absolute nonsense," she told journalists on Tuesday, commenting on the events at the Mukhrovani military base. However, the opposition does not have exact information about what happened at the military base in Mukhrovani, she said. "I can say for sure that I rule out that Georgian military servicemen were playing according to a Russian scenario as the Interior Ministry claims. By the way, these are the military who were fighting heroically in the Tskhinvali region, when their commander-in-chief fled," she said. The rebellion of the armored tank battalion in Mukhrovani "looks like a clear provocation by the Georgian security forces," former Georgian ambassador to Russia Erosi Kitsmarishvili said live on the Ekho Moskvy radio. "I do not believe what Saakashvili-controlled media outlets are now saying, I do not even know whether Page 489 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. the mutiny has actually taken place at this base. No one is providing any picture. It could be a virtual mutiny," Kitsmarishvili said. This provocation is designed "to discredit the opposition which was going to step up its efforts in coming days," he said. "The NATO-Russian discussion of the recent drills in Georgia [also] played a part," he said. "Saakashvili is showing to the West that the whole world rose against him and he seeking patronage in that direction," Kitsmarishvili said. Georgi Khaindrava, one of the opposition leaders, said on the Ekho Moskvy radio that the military rebellion was "definitely" organized by Georgian authorities. "In fact, there was no mutiny there. Being aware that he is losing total control over his country, Saakashvili thought up this horror story," the opposition activist said. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The exercise organized by NATO as part of the Partnership For Peace program begins at the Georgian Defense Ministry's Vaziani base on Wednesday. The exercise will be held in two stages: a command post exercise and a field exercise. The multinational forces will practice their skills as a peacekeeping battalion, the Georgian Defense Ministry told Interfax. Officially the exercise opens on May 11 and ends on June 1. The exercise will involve 15 NATO members and partners, the ministry said. Moldova, Serbia, Kazakhstan and Switzerland declined to participate. "Contrary to the media reports, Georgia received no formal refusal from Armenia," the Georgian Defense Ministry said. Meanwhile, the exercise starts the day after the Georgian leadership announced about a foiled mutiny in the country. Rebellions were planning to disrupt the alliance's military drills, said Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Russia played a part in organizing the mutiny, he said. On hearing this statement, the Kremlin recommended that the Georgian leader "should see a doctor." Page 490 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Earlier Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had called the NATO exercise in Georgia a "provocation." Moscow hailed the refusal by some of the countries to participate in NATO's exercise in Georgia. Kazakhstan, Moldova, Armenia and Serbia said they will not participate. According to NATO, nine NATO members and four countries included in the Partnership For Peace program are planning to take part in the exercise which will continue until June 1. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's plan "to discredit the opposition by staging a military coup has failed," said Irakly Batiashvili, a former Georgian state security minister and now an opposition leader. "Everything was designed to link the presumed military coup to the opposition's protests with the demand of Saakashvili's resignation so as to demoralize the opposition, but this has led to the opposite results, as everybody perfectly understood the dirty methods used by the authorities, and society will surely consolidate with the opposition," Batiashvili said on the Maestro TV channel on Tuesday evening. "Georgian society has been insulted by the Saakashvili regime's provocations," he said. Batiashvili was arrested in 2006 on charges of providing "moral support" to the military coup in the Kodori Gorge of Abkhazia. The charges were based on a secertly recorded telephone conversation between Batiashvili and coup leader Emzar Kvitsiani, a presidential envoy to the Kodori Gorge, in which Batiashvili asked the mutineers to hold on and warned them against shedding blood. He spent over two years in prison. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian foreign minister Grigol Vashadze has suggested that the organizers of the military coup on Tuesday had ties with Russian special services, although he said he could not insist that these special services were directly involved in the coup attempt. "I cannot say whether Russian special services were directly involved in the coup. The investigation has to look into this," Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said in an interview published in the Wednesday issue of Kommersant. The coup organizers "have been noticed to have ties with Russian special services for a long time," Vashadze said. "The coup organizers themselves said about ties with Russian special services. There are records of their Page 491 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. conversations, which prove all this," Vashadze said. "They were distributing large sums of money denominated in U.S. dollars and euro among their supporters, and there can be no doubts that the money for the coup came exactly from Russia," he said. The Georgian leadership announced the prevention of a military coup on Tuesday. President Mikheil Saakashvili said the mutineers planned to thwart NATO military exercises beginning in Georgia on Wednesday. He also suggested that Russia might have been behind the failed coup. The Russian Foreign Ministry in response advised Saakashvili "to see a doctor." Russian President Dmitry Medvedev earlier branded the NATO exercises in Georgia as an act of provocation. ALMATY. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Officers of the Almaty branch of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee have dismantled the operations of a cross-border drug trafficking ring suspected of smuggling heroin produced in Afghanistan across Kazakhstan into China. The Kazakh special service has carried out a "large-scale, multi-phase international special operation code-named "Safari-Transit", some parts of which took place on the territory of China in close cooperation with the Social Security Ministry of China," the National Security Committee's Almaty department said in a press release on Wednesday. "During the operation, 19 members of an international criminal group were arrested between September 2008 and March 2009. Of them, nine were arrested in Almaty (three citizens of Mongolia, five Afghan citizens and one citizen of Ghana), and another ten in [the Chinese city of] Guangzhou (seven citizens of Nigeria, one citizen of Mongolia and one Uzbek citizen)," it said. More than 15 kilograms of smuggled heroin were confiscated in Kazakhstan and China as a result of the operation, it said. KYIV. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has dismissed Western media allegations that Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko and members acted improperly at Frankfurt airport in Germany. On May 4, the Interior Ministry's delegation was detained in the transit zone of Frankfurt airport during document checks and missed the flight, with the plane crew refused to take them on board, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Department for Public Relations and International Affairs told Interfax on Wednesday. Page 492 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. So the delegation decided to catch the next flight. "There were no handcuffs, no drunken conflict," the department said. Earlier, several foreign media outlets said that police detained Ukrainian Interior Minister Lutsenko and members of the Ukrainian delegation in a state of acute alcohol intoxication at Frankfurt airport. The plane captain refused to take off with such drunken passengers. In response, Lutsenko allegedly "took offense, started shouting and hurling his mobile phone." The captain called police and told them that the troublemaker claimed to be the Ukrainian interior minister. Police detained the tipsy passengers, one of whom, the 19-year-old son of the minister, Alexander, was incompliant and as a result was handcuffed, media reported. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Groups participating in NATO's military exercises, which will take place as part of the alliance's Partnership for Peace program, are arriving at the Georgian Defense Ministry's Vaziani base. The first stage of the May 11- June 1 event will include the Cooperative Longbow 2009 staff exercises at the Vaziani base, a spokesman for the Georgian Defense Ministry told Interfax. They will continue until May 19 and focus on headquarters operations, NATO procedures and partner-countries' compatibility during crisis management efforts at the level of multinational brigades, he said. The exercises will involve more than 200 officers from 15 NATO member-nations and partners. The Cooperative Lancer field exercises are to start at the Vaziani base on May 21. They will center on multinational forces' training as part of peacekeeping operations at the level of battalions and involve over 700 servicemen. YEREVAN. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The U.S. administration plans to help sort out relations between Armenia and Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan. "Secretary of State Clinton has described a statement made by the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Turkey on April 22 as historic. She also confirmed the U.S. position to continue helping reach a total settlement in Armenian-Turkish relations," a spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Interfax on Wednesday. Page 493 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. At their meeting in Washington, Clinton and Nalbandyan also discussed problems surrounding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and an upcoming meeting of the Armenian and Azeri presidents in Prague. "The U.S. secretary of state noted that the Karabakh conflict should be resolved peacefully, and the U.S., which co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group, will continue providing comprehensive assistance as part of efforts to reach accord between the parties and to solve this problem, which, according to Clinton, will open up new opportunities for development and steps to strengthen stability and security in South Caucasus," the spokesman said. The Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers said in April that a road map intended to help sort out bilateral relations would be drawn up. Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations because of the events in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, also known as the Armenian Genocide, as a result of which, according to various estimates, more than 1.5 million people were killed. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Moldova has thanked the Russian authorities for their position taken during the riots in Chisinau in April. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Andrei Stratan, who is Moldova's deputy prime minister and minister in charge of integration with Europe, in Moscow on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report on Wednesday. "Speaking on behalf of the [Moldovan] leadership, Stratan expressed his gratitude to Russia for its clear and explicit position voiced against the background of attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova," the ministry said. The Moldovan official also told the Russian authorities about efforts being made by the Moldovan government to bring the situation back to normal and to protect democratic reforms, it said. Lavrov and Stratan "made it absolutely clear that the extremist sortie in Chisinau deserves total condemnation," the ministry said. The Russian and Moldovan ministers also exchanged their views on the two countries' partnership and outlined ways to expand their political dialogue, the ministry said. Page 494 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The parties paid great attention to key problems of European security," it said. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian counterintelligence services have arrested a spy at the Georgian diplomatic mission to NATO in Brussels, President Mikheil Saakashvili said at a meeting with officers from the Georgian Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday. "The detainee passed information on the stationing of Georgian troops to the enemy during the August war last year," Saakashvili said. YEREVAN. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - There is no link between measures to sort out relations between Armenia and Turkey and the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian presidential press secretary Samvel Farmanyan told the local Mediamax news agency. "We have repeatedly stated that the problem of Karabakh conflict settlement efforts has not been addressed as part of the Armenian-Turkish negotiating process at any level," Farmanyan said on Wednesday. The president's press secretary also ruled out a possible trilateral meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey in Prague. "A trilateral meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey has not been arranged. Naturally, it will not take place. Moreover, such a possibility is ruled out," he said, referring to certain foreign media reports. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Head of the Georgian Institute of Political Sciences International Relations Department Vakhtang Maisaya has confessed to spying for Russia. "Maisaya, who has access to state secrets, was detained on suspicion of spying on charges of divulging states secrets," the Georgian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Maisaya confessed, the Interior Ministry said, that he had contacted Russian intelligence services through a professor he knew from Ukraine. Since then, he has been providing information to a Russian intelligence officer, according to the Georgian Interior Ministry. During the August conflict in the Caucasus Maisaya reported each hour on the location of Georgian troops, the amount of military hardware available and the places where the military was located, the Page 495 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Georgian Interior Ministry claimed. Maisaya was paid 7,000 euro each month for the intelligence provided, plus a bonus, the Interior Ministry's statement says. After the work done in August, Maisaya allegedly received 3,000 euro in an account with Basic Bank in Georgia. It was established, the Georgian Interior Ministry said, that Maisaya maintained contacts with representatives of foreign special services, and, taking their instructions, was preparing coded messages which contained state secrets, including military, political and economic data on replacements in the government and on state arms purchases. KYIV. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Five unarmed Ukrainian staff officers will take part in NATO military exercises in Georgia that are due to start on May 11 and finish on June 1, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said. As the officers will be unarmed, no permission is needed from the Ukrainian parliament for them to take part in the planned exercises, which are part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, the ministry told Interfax. Meanwhile, groups of exercise participants are arriving at the Vaziani military base in Georgia. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Interior Ministry released on Wednesday a video footage of the interrogation of the detained officers from the armored tank battalion, which rebelled at the Mukhrovani military base the day earlier. All the detained officers and civilians who served in the battalion a few years ago, said that the base commander, Mamuka Gorgiashvili, said during the morning lineup on May 5 that the battalion personnel was no longer under the government's control and was to prepare for a march in Tbilisi. It was clear from interrogations that the actual leader of the rebel battalion was Koba Otanadze, who was the base commander a few years ago, along with several civilians. The Georgian Interior Ministry said the day earlier that Col. Otanadze and several civilians managed to escape when a one-hour ultimatum was announced for the mutineers. The Interior Ministry announced a bounty of 50,000 lari ($30,000) for information about the whereabouts of the fugitive ex-officers Otanadze, Krialashvili and Amiridze. Page 496 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. KYIV. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has made the decision to continue all of the country's peacekeeping missions, said Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov. The Council's latest meeting centered on the funding for Ukrainian peacekeepers involved in missions abroad, Yekhanurov said at a press briefing on Wednesday. "I raised this issue at the latest meeting of the National Security and Defense Council. The Council's decision, to be formalized soon in a presidential decree, instructs the Cabinet to provide the relevant funding," he said. This means, he said, that the National Security and Defense Council wants all of Ukraine's peacekeeping missions to be fully continued. "Everything remains as it is now. Although, problems do exist over funding. The funding has been provided as required, but there are problems," the defense minister said. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Defense Ministry in a statement issued on Wednesday announced that the NATO exercises in the framework of the Partnership for Peace program will be held at Vaziani military base on May 6 through June 3. Servicemen from 16 NATO member and partner countries will be taking part: Azerbaijan, Albania, the United Arab Emirates, the USA, Great Britain, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Spain, Turkey, Canada, Macedonia, Moldova, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Croatia. A total of 1,100 servicemen will be involved, 203 of them officers. TBILISI. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Tbilisi riot police used rubber bullets and stones against protesters outside of the Georgian Interior Ministry, opposition leaders have told the press. Some protesters were allegedly injured by these bullets and stones. The injured include opposition leaders Levan Gachechiladze, Irakly Batiashvili, Bidzine Gegidze and Giya Maisashvili. TBILISI. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Dozens of people, injured in clashes in the square near the Georgian Interior Ministry's headquarters in Tbilisi on Wednesday evening, have been taken to various hospitals. Page 497 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The hospitals have switched to an emergency mode of work. The chief physician of the Gudushauri National Surgery Center told the press that 17 injured people had been admitted to the center, among them journalists and several opposition leaders. Another 15, including several opposition leaders, were taken to the republic clinical hospital. Most of the injuries were inflicted with blunt objects, deputy chief physician Irakly Rukhadze said. Twenty-two opposition activists, one journalist and six police officers were injured in an incident near the Tbilisi police headquarters and they were taken to hospitals. Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili has denied assertions by opposition leaders that riot policemen fired rubber bullets at opposition supporters near the Interior Ministry's Tbilisi headquarters. "Riot police did not use rubber bullets. The injuries were inflicted on opposition leaders and their supporters with truncheons after they attempted to break into the building," Utiashvili said on Utsnobi radio. Opposition activists threw stones at police, injuring several policemen, he claimed. Meanwhile, the opposition Georgian TV stations Kavkasia and Maestro aired videos showing unarmed people attacked with rubber and plastic bullets. BRUSSELS. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The general staff chiefs of NATO and Ukraine are upbeat about military cooperation. The attainment of interoperability with NATO armies and the introduction of mandatory standards for further participation in joint operations remain a prospective aspect of the Ukrainian armed forces' development, Ukraine's General Staff chief Serhiy Kyrychenko said, according to a statement by the Ukrainian mission in NATO in Brussels on Wednesday. "We cooperate strongly with the NATO strategic command in order to ensure the participation of an air unit and a radiation and chemical defense platoon in the next round of NATO reaction forces' rotation," he said. Kyrychenko also said that Ukrainian servicemen's participation in NATO operations provides them with Page 498 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. unique experience, which helps draw them closer to the present-day world standards. The corvette Ternopol is expected to be sent to join the Active Endeavor operation in the second half of 2009, he said. The meeting was chaired by the head of the NATO Military Committee Giampaolo Di Paola. TBILISI. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow is attempting to use the Georgian refusal to deny transit of a Russian plane to Afghanistan for discrediting Georgia as a NATO partner, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Georgian authorities had denied transit of cargo for the NATO Swedish contingent in Afghanistan, the ministry noted. "The Russian desk at the Swiss embassy in Georgia asked Georgia on April 16, 2009, for a transit flight of Russia's Aviacon Zitotrans en route from Constanta to Kabul for carrying Swedish cargo," the ministry said. "The Georgian authorities checked out the request with the Swedish side. A Swedish official did not confirm the alleged carrying of the Swedish cargo by the aforesaid airline," the ministry said. "Thus, the Russian airline was not permitted to enter Georgian air space," the ministry said. "The statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is an obvious attempt to mislead the international community. It is aimed at discrediting Georgia as a NATO partner," the ministry said. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The rapid reaction forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will have exercises in Russia and Kazakhstan in August-September 2009, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov said. "The first exercises of the newly formed collective rapid reaction forces will be held in Russia and Kazakhstan this August-September," he said. The exercises will be held in the bilateral format of Russia and Kazakhstan, CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semirikov added. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will not hold military exercises in the South Caucasus in response to the NATO-led drill in Georgia, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said in Moscow on Thursday. Page 499 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "We do not plan to respond," he said. He confirmed though that units of the newly formed collective rapid reaction forces of the organization would hold exercises in Russia and Kazakhstan this August-September. Collective forces of Russia and Belarus will have exercises simultaneously with the Russian-Kazakh drill, he said. As for the Armenian decision not to take part in the NATO-led exercises in Georgia, he said, such decisions are made independently. "Each member state [of the CSTO] makes independent decisions," Bordyuzha said. The CSTO is made up of six countries - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - A draft list of extremist and terrorist organizations was coordinated at consultations of deputy foreign, defense and finance ministers and deputy security council secretaries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member countries in Moscow on Thursday, CSTO press secretary Vitaly Strugovets told Interfax-AVN. "There are 31 organizations on the list," he said. The list was approved for the first time in November 2004 and included 22 organizations at the moment, Strugovets said. "More terrorist and extremist organizations have been added to national lists since then, so the CSTO list needed an update," he remarked. KYIV. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Black Sea Fleet must leave the territory of Ukraine by May 28, 2017, Ukrainian Defense Minister Yury Yekhanurov said. "Russia is unwilling to talk about preparations for withdrawing the Black Sea Fleet from Ukrainian territory. Tensions are being artificially fomented in Sevastopol about the need for Russia to pull out the Black Sea Fleet in 2017," Yekhanurov said in an article published in the Thursday issue of the People's Army newspaper. Page 500 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Our position is clear and unambiguous: In line with the 1997 agreement, the Russian Black Sea Fleet must leave Ukrainian territory on May 28, 2017," he said. Yekhanurov also mentioned the problem of suspension of the demarcation and delimitation of the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov. TBILISI. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The European Union's Eastern partnership initiative is a response to the August 2008 events in South Caucasus. "The Eastern Partnership initiative is really Europe's response to the August war and aggression, and we are becoming an institutional part of the EU," Saakashvili told journalists in Prague. Georgia now has a chance to form a free trade zone with the EU after the Eastern Partnership program was signed, to triple its exports to Europe, to create new jobs, to receive hundreds of million of investments, and to resolve the visa issue with the EU this year, the president said. "We are becoming a part of the new space. We left the CIS and were virtually hanging in mid-air, and now we are entering something that has a much larger market, far better welfare and prospects, that is why we think that this was a very decent response from Europe after the August war, but slightly delayed given events that happened and are happening," Saakashvili said. PRAGUE. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev met at the U.S. Embassy in Prague on Thursday, a Prague-based source told Interfax. Asked by Interfax before an EU Eastern Partnership summit to comment on the meeting results, Sargsyan said it passed "positively." Western media reported that U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza, who is also a cochair of the OSCE Minsk Group, attended the meeting behind closed doors between Aliyev and Sargsyan. Interfax reported earlier that the Azeri and Armenian leaders had agreed to hold another round of negotiations on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem in Prague on Thursday. The parties should continue coordination of key principles offered to them by the OSCE Minsk Group cochairs in Madrid in late 2007. Azerbaijan and Armenia confirmed that they had reached an understanding on a number of these principles but still disagree on the most sensitive issues. Page 501 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The stumbling block in the talks is Nagorno-Karabakh's legal status. Baku insists that the conflict be settled with Azerbaijan's territorial integrity preserved, with which most of the international community agrees, while Yerevan believes the settlement should be based on another principle of international law, i.e. nations' right to self-determination. YEREVAN. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Yerevan thinks that the Thursday meeting between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azeri President Ilkham Aliyev in Prague is useful, the Armenian presidential press service told Interfax. "The Armenian side assesses the Prague meeting as useful, which allowed the country to even more clarify the positions on the basic principles of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, as well as to approach the position on the certain issues," the press service said. The Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers were tasked to continue adjusting the main settlement principles and preparing the next meeting between the two leaders together with the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group on the basis of the 'Madrid proposals.' The opening of the Prague meeting of the two presidents was attended by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov, the Minsk Group co-chairmen, and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk. The meeting then proceeded in the tete-a-tete format and lasted over two hours. This has been the fourth meeting Sargsyan and Aliyev, since the former was elected Armenian president. WASHINGTON. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev are expected to discus prospects for settling the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh at a meeting in St. Petersburg, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "They will have another opportunity to meet on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum," Lavrov said at the Washington D.C. headquarters of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Moscow is hopeful for the settlement of the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said. "We view prospects for a settlement quite optimistically," he said. TBILISI. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - David Chantladze, a Georgian opposition supporter, lost his eye after Page 502 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. sustaining a rubber bullet injury in a clash with police on Wednesday, opposition leaders announced at a protest rally ongoing in front of the Georgian parliament building on Thursday. Georgian television channels showed Chantladze in the hospital following a surgery on Thursday. Giya Maisashvili, an opposition leader, is also in the hospital following the Wednesday incident. Maisashvili told journalists that a soldier shot a rubber bullet at his head from a close distance. "I heard commandos calling my name, and then one of them shot at me from 10-15 meters," he said. PRAGUE. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukraine does not intend to change its position regarding the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence on its territory until 2017, acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Khandohy said. "Why change it? The presence of the Black Sea Fleet here is regulated by the constitution, and we proceed from this. And we aren't going to change our decision," Khandohy said in Prague on Thursday. He said at the same time that Kyiv was interested in expanding contacts with Moscow. "The intensification of contacts, including on the top level, is among priorities in our relations with Russia. We are interested in meeting more and talking on all issues," Khandohy said. Asked by Interfax to comment on negotiations on the delimitation of the Azov-Kerch Strait, Khandohy said, "We are maintaining dialogue with Russia on this issue. We would probably want a more active dialogue, but we are maintaining dialogue. I would not say that one of us is obstructing the other," he said. BISHKEK. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The airbase belonging to the international coalition forces at the Kyrgyz airport of Manas will be fully withdrawn from Kyrgyz territory by August 18, 2009, a Kyrgyz government source told Interfax on Friday. "In line with a Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry note handed to the U.S. government, the full withdrawal of the Manas coalition airbase, which has been stationed at this airport since December 2001, must end on August 18," the source said. "Notification on this account has been forwarded to the U.S. side, and the last serviceman of the airbase must leave its territory on August 18," he said. Page 503 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. A Manas source had also told Interfax earlier that the base would be withdrawn from Kyrgyzstan by August 18, but the base is performing its routine transportation and refueling functions at the present time. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced the decision to close the airbase in early February 2009. At the end of February, the Kyrgyz parliament unilaterally terminated an agreement with the U.S. on the deployment of international antiterrorist coalition servicemen at the Manas airport to provide support to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. There are over 1,000 servicemen, chiefly from the U.S., and about 600 local civilian personnel at the airbase now. MINSK. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The European Union's Eastern Partnership program should not turn into a tool of rivalry for areas of influence but should serve the interests of all countries in the region, Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko said at a summit in Prague. The Belarusian delegation presented the country's official position on the development of interaction with the EU within Eastern Partnership at the summit's plenary session, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry told Interfax. "A statement made by the head of the delegation says that this initiative should be based on principles of equality and respect for each member-state's interests and specifics. The Eastern Partnership should not be turned into a tool of rivalry for areas of influence but should serve the interests of all countries of the region and rule out the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe," it said. The participants in the summit approved the final declaration, which stipulates key areas of cooperation between the EU and the partner states within the framework of this program. The declaration was drawn up with Belarus's active involvement and meets its national interests, it said. YEREVAN. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul have agreed to settle bilateral relations without preliminary conditions, the Armenian presidential press service told Interfax on Friday. "The Armenian and Turkish presidents assessed the Prague meeting positively. An agreement to respect Page 504 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. all earlier reached agreements and to advance on the track of settling Armenian-Turkish relations without preconditions and within reasonable time frameworks was reached," the press service said. This was the second meeting between the Armenian and Turkish presidents, which was attended by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, the press service said. There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, while the state border between the two countries was closed in 1993 at Turkey's initiative. On September 6, 2008 the Turkish president for the first time visited Yerevan at the invitation of the Armenian president. The two presidents then attended a soccer game between the Armenian and the Turkish national team as part of a qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup. The Armenian president returned a visit to Turkey in October 2009. TBILISI. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - A Tbilisi court has ruled that Koba Melikidze, who is accused of involvement in planning an assassination attempt on the country's Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, will remain in custody for two months. Melikidze was arrested after a gun was found in his apartment, a court spokesman told Interfax. The Tbilisi court also ruled in favor of the prosecutor office's request seeking a two-month custodial term for political scientist Vakhtang Maisaya, who was detained on espionage charges on May 5. "The court will hear this case behind closed doors," the spokesman said. Former Georgian Defense Minister Giya Karkarashvili reportedly provided the Interior Ministry with a videotape showing Melikidze asking Karkarashvili to help arrange an attack on Merabishvili. Karkarashvili accused the authorities of sending a provocateur to him in order to secretly record his reaction to an allegedly planned attack on a videotape. "I took counter-measures. I myself recorded this provocateur on a videotape and sent it to the Interior Ministry. But no response has been received," the ex-defense minister told journalists a few days ago. Following Karkarashvili's remarks, senior Interior Ministry officials thanked him for "exposing the terrorist," who was later arrested. Page 505 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Maisaya worked in the Georgian Foreign Ministry's department for contacts with NATO and Georgia's representative office at NATO until 2006. For the past three years, he has delivered lectures at Tbilisi State University and has frequently given televised interviews as a political expert. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said this week that Maisaya had had access to classified documents and had passed military data to the adversary during the conflict in August 2008. TBILISI. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Brig. Gen. Mamuka Kurashvili has been appointed deputy chief of the Georgina Armed Forces Joint Headquarters in line with the Georgina defense minister's order dated May 7, 2009, the Defense Ministry's press service reported. Prior to the appointment, Kurashvili was deputy chief of the Defense Ministry's general inspection. He was chief of peacekeeping forces of the Georgian Armed Forces Joint Headquarters in 2007 - 2008. SOLIGORSK. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Reports that Belarus allegedly plans to deliver S-300 air defense missile systems and Iskander tactical missile systems to Iran and Syria are "total nonsense," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told journalists on Friday. "It is total nonsense. I don't have a single contract or a project to sell these complexes," Lukashenko said. "We have no Iskander [systems], while S-300s are on combat duty," the Belarusian president said. "No one can sell any complexes or systems without my approval," he said. KYIV. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has called on international organizations to step up navigation security due to pirate attacks, which have become frequent lately. "Pirate attacks against peaceful vessels flying the flags of different countries and hostage-taking for ransom have become frequent lately. In total, Ukrainian citizens were taken hostage on 15 vessels over the past five years. Pirates currently hold 34 Ukrainian hostages. Sea piracy is turning into a high-yielding criminal business," Yushchenko said in his address to the UN, the EU, and NATO. "Confirming its international commitments to prevent illegal acts threatening marine navigation, Ukraine is calling on all entities under international law to considerably intensify their efforts and real common actions to fight piracy at sea," Yushchenko said in his address."There is an urgent need for the international community to create security corridors for protection against pirates and open additional Page 506 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. regional coordination centers to ensure navigation security, to give foreign military ships the right to follow pirates in territorial waters, to ensure armed security of trade vessels using sea routes commonly known as dangerous, and institute passive (non-aircraft) systems to protect civil vessels," said Yushchenko. TBILISI. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian parliament speaker David Bakradze told reporters on Friday he is ready to meet with opposition activists within a day's time. "We hail the opposition's readiness to begin dialogue with the authorities. In particular, the authorities and I are ready to meet with representatives of the non-government opposition today and begin dialogue on issues that concern everybody," said Bakradze. Bakradze said the opposition Alliance for Georgia, which is lead by Irakly Alasaniya, is ready to begin negotiations with the authorities without any ultimatums. On Thursday, the opposition leaders announced their readiness for a public meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, not the parliament speaker. TBILISI. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow is attempting to use the Georgian refusal to deny transit of a Russian plane to Afghanistan for discrediting Georgia as a NATO partner, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Georgian authorities had denied transit of cargo for the NATO Swedish contingent in Afghanistan, the ministry noted. "The Russian desk at the Swiss embassy in Georgia asked Georgia on April 16, 2009, for a transit flight of Russia's Aviacon Zitotrans en route from Constanta to Kabul for carrying Swedish cargo," the ministry said. "The Georgian authorities checked out the request with the Swedish side. A Swedish official did not confirm the alleged carrying of the Swedish cargo by the aforesaid airline," the ministry said. "Thus, the Russian airline was not permitted to enter Georgian air space," the ministry said. "The statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is an obvious attempt to mislead the international community. It is aimed at discrediting Georgia as a NATO partner," the ministry said. TSKHINVALI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - South Ossetia's leader said a Russian-South Ossetian agreement Page 507 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. on joint border control signed in Moscow on Thursday "is of vital significance for our people and guarantees the security of the national borders of the Republic of South Ossetia." "I believe that it is a necessary measure in seeking stability not only in South Ossetia and Abkhazia but also in the entire Caucasus region," South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said. Kokoity thanked Russia on behalf of South Ossetia's government and people "for constant help and support in building security, creating an environment for creation and construction, and developing our nation." Russia signed a similar agreement on Thursday with Abkhazia. TBILISI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - A senior Georgian police officer said on Friday that a man from South Ossetia was arrested in a Georgian village the day before who was "a member of a so-called militia" and allegedly tried to take a Georgian policeman hostage. Vadim Eloyev of South Ossetia's Akhalgori district penetrated the village on Thursday evening, and other armed men came with him, Vladimer Dzhugeli, police chief of Shida Kartli region, told reporters. "Eloyev was armed. He took a policeman hostage and had a grenade in his hand. It made no sense to hold any negotiations with him. Police were able to disarm him, however the other four who were with him escaped," Dzhugeli said. "Vadim Eloyev is a member of a so-called militia," the officer said. Dzhugeli said Russian and South Ossetian authorities and European Union monitors were immediately notified about Eloyev's arrest. The police chief said South Ossetia accused the Georgian police of abducting Eloyev. The officer expressed surprise at this. MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian troops have taken no action to increase their presence in the border areas of South Ossetia, including Akhalgori district, a Russian Defense Ministry official told Interfax-AVN on Saturday. "No movement of troops was planned or carried out in South Ossetia's border areas. All this is another provocation by the Georgian authorities aimed at distracting the country's population from the situation Page 508 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. within Georgia proper," the official said "The Russian military base located in South Ossetia has been on public holiday since 12 a.m. April 30. All military hardware is on the grounds, the personnel are on leave, except for those who are on duty," he said. TSKHINVALI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - In line with an agreement between Russia and South Ossetia, Russian border guards have begun protecting the borders of this republic, head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Regional Border Department for the Southern Federal District Nikolai Lisinsky told Interfax on Saturday. "Border troops command will be located in Tskhinvali proper, while others will be deployed along the whole border perimeter. Russian border troops that are already in South Ossetia have come up to the border," Lisinsky said. The introduction of Russian border troops to South Ossetia has nothing to do with the upcoming NATO exercise in Georgia, he said. "We have been preparing to get this matter solved at the request of South Ossetia's leaders for a long time, but were unable to start the mission until recently because there was no agreement," Lisinsky said. "The border must be securely closed and made unaccessible for enemies. The border must be transparent and accessible for those who seek peace with us, particularly in solving some social or economic problems. In other words, life must go on," he added. "To protect the border the latest modern equipment will be used, including video surveillance and detection systems and unmanned aircraft. Our plans do not include the creation of some barbed wire fences," he said. As for the number of the Russian border troops currently in South Ossetia, "they are enough to be able to accomplish their mission," Lisinsky said. TSKHINVALI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The first Russian boarder guards have entered South Ossetia and are monitoring the border with Georgia, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity confirmed to Interfax on Saturday. "Immediately after the agreement on joint border protection was signed in Moscow on Thursday the first Russian border guard were sent to South Ossetia," he said. Page 509 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Currently, Russian border guards are monitoring the situation on the border with Georgia and defining pressing tasks in guarding it," he said. "No additional forces not stipulated by the agreements between South Ossetia and Russia have been deployed in the republic," he said. TBILISI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Foreign Ministry has asked the international community to respond to the massing of Russian forces in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "According to our information, which has been recently confirmed by Abkhaz separatist leader Sergei Bagapsh, up to 10,000 Russian servicemen and about 1,000 units of armor have amassed in the occupied territories of Abkhazia and so-called South Ossetia," Director of the Georgian Foreign Ministry's Political Department Zurab Kachkachishvili told a press briefing on Monday. "This concentration of forces is a gross violation of international agreements, so the Georgian Foreign Ministry appeals for a reaction from the international community," he said. The deployment of Russian servicemen in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is in progress in line with bilateral agreements recently signed between Russia and the two breakaway republics, which Russia recognizes as independent states. Approximately 3,200 servicemen will be deployed at each of Russia's military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian General Staff Chairman Nikolai Makarov said. The bases "will protect the interests of these republics and us in the region," he said. Also, border protection agreements signed by Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia on April 30 stipulate the establishment of a border department in the two republics. The department will be subordinated to Russia's border agency that operates in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. SUKHUMI. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - There is no confrontation between Abkhaz and Russian soldiers who jointly protect the Abkhaz-Georgian border, commander of the Abkhaz State Security Service's border guard unit Zurab Margania said. "Russian and Abkhaz border guards jointly protect the state border in the Gali district and in the upper Kodori Valley," Margania told Interfax by phone on Monday. "Checkpoints of Abkhaz and Russian border guards are near each other, and there is no confrontation Page 510 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. between Abkhaz and Russian soldiers which Tbilisi dreams of," he said. Georgian media reports that Russian border guards ousted their Abkhaz colleagues from their checkpoints and took the border under their full control are provocation, he added. "Several Georgian trespassers were detained in an attempt to illegally cross the Abkhaz-Georgian border," he said. Moscow saw the signing ceremony of agreements on joint border protection with Abkhazia and South Ossetia at the highest level on April 30. STEPANAKERT. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Nagorno-Karabakh officials should take part in the negotiations on the Karabakh settlement, Karen Baburyan, a representative of the president of the self-proclaimed Republic, told Interfax on Tuesday. "Any document adopted without regard for the opinion and interests of Nagorno-Karabakh is a stillborn document," he said. Baburyan signed a document that marked the beginning of truce on May 5, 1994, when he was speaker of the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament. "Because Nagorno-Karabakh took part in the signing of the Bishkek protocol and reached a true in the Karabakh conflict area, the agreement turned out to be effective," he said. Pointing out that Nagorno-Karabakh de facto took part in the Bishkek talks as a full-fledged conflict party, Baburyan spoke in favor of resuming negotiations with Nagorno-Karabakh. Baburyan expressed concern about the intensification of the meditation role of Turkey and the recent statement made by the Turkish Foreign Ministry that six-party negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh involving the U.S., Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Switzerland are expected to be held soon. "Essentially, Azerbaijan's intention to change the current format of the negotiations by replacing France with the EU or Turkey is being realized," Baburyan said. TIRASPOL. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The Transdniestrian strategy at negotiations with Moldova will not depend on who will be in power in Chisinau, Transdniestrian Foreign Minister Vladimir Yastrebchak said on the local television channel TSV on Tuesday. Page 511 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Transdniestria is closely watching the formation of new Moldovan authorities, expecting the appointment of Chisinau's representatives to the talks on the Moldovan-Transdniestrian conflict resolution, said the Transdniestrian foreign minister, commenting on the new Moldovan parliament. However, "the strategy of the Moldovan Republic of Transdniestria (MRT) in the relations with the Republic of Moldova (RM) does not depend on who exactly will be in power in that country," he said. Tiraspol's stance remains unchanged and is based on the people's will expressed at the referendum on September 17, 2006, when the independence of the MRT was favor by 97% of the Transdniestrian population, Yastrebchak said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied Georgia's claims that Russia has increased its military presence near the Georgian borders. "It would make sense to take a closer look at the deceitful claims that Russia has dramatically increased its military presence to influence the internal situation in Georgia. In fact, after the lifting of the precautionary measures that were taken in early April against the background of mass anti-governmental protests in Tbilisi, the level of the Russian military presence near the Georgian border has not been increased," the Foreign Ministry said in a Tuesday statement. The Russian military bases in South Ossetia and Abkhazia are functioning in a routine manner, it said. "After relevant agreements were signed recently, the servicemen of the Russian armed forces are being replaced by border guards at the South Ossetian and Abkhaz borders. Our measures to provide security of these republics are purely practical," it said. ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's border guard said the country's current tightened control of its borders with South Ossetia and Abkhazia is a routine measure that "has absolutely nothing to do" with a rebellion at a military base in Georgia on Tuesday. "Control of the border began to be tightened a week ago, and the main reason is its monitoring under intergovernmental agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Sergei Livantsov, spokesman for the Southern Federal District border guard force, told Interfax. "Border guard forces keep the entire length of the Russian-Georgian border under tightened control," he said. Page 512 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUKHUMI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Abkhazia's president on Tuesday said Georgia is building up armed forces on its border with Abkhazia but denied that either Abkhazia or Russia is moving extra military forces to the Georgian border. "Georgia is building up its forces on its border with Abkhazia. According to intelligence, there is an active movement of armed forces on the Georgian side," Sergei Bagapsh told Interfax. "It's hard for me to say what is the reason for this - either the latest events in Georgia or the forthcoming NATO exercises," he said. However, "there is no increase in either Abkhaz or Russian forces on our border with Georgia," Bagapsh said. "We are following our former routine in guarding our border." TSKHINVALI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - South Ossetia's Interior Ministry has expressed concerns over the revolt at the military base in Georgia and is closely watching events. "Of particular concern are the events occurring in Georgia these days. Certainly, being a law enforcement authority, our primary concern is the situation within South Ossetia. But what is happening in close proximity to our borders cannot leave us indifferent," South Ossetia's Interior Minister Valery Valiyev told Interfax. The current situation around South Ossetia is also very tense and poses a danger to the security of the republic, he said. "Who can guarantee that all this military coup show is not pursuing just one goal: to impose an emergency situation in the country. We are considering various possible scenarios of events and have already prepared an action plan if the situation gets worse," Valiyev said. The large-scale exercise planned by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Treaty Organization) in Georgia also raises concerns with South Ossetia's law enforcement and security authorities, because it is "nursing a real threat to South Ossetia's security," he said. "No one can guarantee that these drills are not a run up to another Georgian military aggression against South Ossetia," said the minister, adding that the European Union organizations have virtually abandoned their monitoring duties in this matter. SUKHUMI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Due to the exercise in Georgia the Abkhaz Armed Forces have been Page 513 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. put on permanent combat alert, and security has been stepped up on the Georgian-Abkhaz border, Gen. Anatoly Zaitsev, chief of the Abkhaz General Staff, told journalists in Sukhumi on Tuesday. "We do not know the ultimate aims of this exercise. The statements that are being made in relation to this exercise cannot be trusted. The Georgian authorities cannot be trusted, they are lying all the time. Saakashvili said that he was going to resolve all conflicts peacefully, there will be no violence or hostilities, yet he did start the war against South Ossetia. Is this not an example of deceit and guile which are considered a stratagem in Tbilisi?" Zaitsev said. "The situation compels us to step up security on the national border between Abkhazia and Georgia and to be on permanent combat alert," he said. The decision by the Georgian authorities to host a NATO exercise was short-sighted, Zaitsev said. "Although I am a military person and should not be making any political assessments, it is hard to for me rate it otherwise," he said. "The events near Tbilisi show that Georgia has failed as a state and can pose danger to its neighbors at any moment," Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba said. "The militarization of an ill-managed country has always been very dangerous," he said. TSKHINVALI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Security has been stepped in a number of places on the border between South Ossetia and Georgia due to the situation in Tbilisi, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said. "A number of our subdivisions on the border with Georgia have stepped up security to prevent Georgian provocations," Kokoity told Interfax on Tuesday. "The border situation is being fully monitored by both South Ossetian and Russian border guards, and at the moment it is relatively quiet," he said. "What happened in Georgia today is, of course, Mikheil Saakashvili's provocation. And this provocation is aimed first of all against Saakashvili's opponents in Georgia proper," Kokoity said. TSKHINVALI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The South Ossetian Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry are calling on the international community to stop arming Georgia and view the NATO exercises that started in Georgia on Wednesday as Western support for its extremist intentions, South Ossetian Foreign Page 514 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Minister Murat Dzhioyev told Interfax on Wednesday. "Our opinion is that the NATO exercises in Georgia pose a direct threat to security in the region. We view this as open demonstration of support for Georgia's military machinery on NATO's part," Dzhioyev said. Georgia committed armed aggression against South Ossetia in August 2008, and its results are still visible, Dzhioyev said. "Relations between Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia have not been settled since then," he said. "Holding exercises in these conditions, when Georgia has not given guarantees of the non-use of force against the neighboring states, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, means demonstrating Georgia's aggressiveness," Dzhioyev said. The South Ossetian authorities have declared their disagreement with the intention to hold exercises not far from the South Ossetian borders, "especially considering that we have repeatedly urged the international community, particularly the NATO countries, to stop arming Georgia," Dzhioyev said. "Unfortunately, our calls have not been heard," he said. "The exercises will be held against the background of instability in Georgia itself, which yesterday's events showed. No one can guarantee that the Georgian authorities will not use this situation and NATO's support for aggressive ends," he said. TSKHINVALI. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The second Georgian-South Ossetian meeting assisted by European monitors and Russian servicemen was thwarted through Georgia's fault. The meeting was due to discuss Caucasian normalization, a Tskhinvali source told Interfax-AVN on Thursday. "It was planned to hold the second meeting, the same as the first one, in the village of Ergneti, on the Georgian-Ossetian border. However, Georgia demanded that the meeting must take place in Gori. That was unacceptable for the South Ossetian delegation," he said. The quadripartite meetings are taking place in fulfillment of the Geneva agreements of February 2009 to discuss normalization in the Georgian-South Ossetian border zone. SUKHUMI. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian border guards will take control of all 168 kilometers of the ground Abkhaz-Georgian border from the upper Kodori Valley to the Pichora village in the Gali district, head of the border department of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Abkhazia Maj. Gen. Yury Page 515 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Zvirik told journalists in Sukhumi on Friday. "Another convoy of Russian border guards left to protect Abkhaz borders on Friday," Zvirik said. "Additional units will be deployed in order to fully protect the whole ground border between Abkhazia and Georgia in line with the developed plan to fulfill the agreement signed by the Abkhaz and Russian presidents on April 30," the general said. Zvirik did not specify the number of border guards, but stressed that their number of "enough to ensure security along the border." The building of border infrastructure between Abkhazia and Georgia will take no less than a month, he added. YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK. May 4 (Interfax) - The Taire fishing boat sailing under the flag of Cambodia was detained in the Russian economic zone in the Sea of Okhotsk on Sunday. An examination group of the Sakhalin coast guard of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) that went aboard the boat discovered fishing gear and about 7.5 tonnes of live opilio crab there, Interfax was told at the PR group of the Sakhalin coast guard department. "All crewmembers of the foreign fishing boat are Russian citizens. The vessel was escorted to Port Korsakov (south Sakhalin) for an investigation. The question of opening a criminal case of poaching is being decided," a press officer said. According to the Sakhalin boarder guards, last Friday the crew of a patrol craft detained the Atlas trawler sailing under the Russian flag in Kasatka Bay of Iturup Island last Friday. At the time of the inspection by boarder guards the Atlas was carrying about 44 tonnes of cod and one tonne of Alaska pollock while according to the coordinating center of the Sakhalin coast guard it was supposed to be carrying 48.5 tonnes of cod and 74 tonnes of pollock. However, according to the logs no fish products had been unloaded from the vessel, the press officer said. MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's statement about Russia concentrating its troops near the Georgian border are untrue and provocative, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Page 516 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The Georgian president's claims against Russia are clearly provocative and are mainly aimed at obtaining political dividends," a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday. Russia is not increasing its military presence near the Georgian borders, he said. "The subdivisions deployed at Russian military bases in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as Black Sea Fleet ships are doing their routine training. Neither our troops in Abkhazia or South Ossetia, nor warships are being increased in number," the defense official said. Russian subdivisions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are doing their service as normal, he said. The Russian Defense Ministry was commenting on Saakashvili statement that, "Russia has tripled its military presence in the occupied territories and almost all of Russia's Black Sea Fleet is in Georgia's waters." MOSCOW May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian border service does not plan to beef up troops on the border with Georgia in the wake of tensions in that country. "The forces and means available are sufficient to ensure the security of Russia's state border with Georgia. No decisions have been made to tighten security on the border in connection with tensions in Georgia," Federal Security Service spokesman Vadim Shibayev told Interfax on Tuesday. Border control in this region has always been tighter than usual, he said. Additional tasks, assigned to the Russian border guards comply with the agreement with Abkhazia and South Ossetia on the joint protection of the border with Georgia, Shibayev said. CHELYABINSK. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The security measures on the Russian national border are currently insufficient to shield the country from Afghan drug traffic, said Vladimir Kalanda, first deputy director of the Federal Anti-Drug Agency ( FSKN). "The quantity of Afghan heroin seized by Russia has increased by 37% since the start of the year. The quantity of seized heroin in the Chelyabinsk region has increased by 82%. If things continue to go that way, then we can say that Afghan heroin accounts for 90% or even 100% and not 30% of all heroin being consumed," Kalanda said at a session of the Chelyabinsk region anti-drug commission in Chelyabinsk on Wednesday. "Today, border security is not providing enough protection from Afghan heroin traffic. Many border Page 517 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. crossing stations have no proper equipment. Only 4% of all heroin was detected by border agents, the rest were detected by local police officers," he said. Apart from drug consumption, Russia has a problem with the prevention of drug addiction and accurate statistics, Kalanda said. "We cannot assess the actual level of drug addiction nationwide, we have no such statistics. Currently, we are using Western assessments which do not suit us. Meanwhile, the Afghan and Iranian statistics systems are more likely to suit us because by the number of heroin drug addicts Russia has come close to these countries," the FSKN first deputy director said. SUKHUMI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The border between Georgia and Abkhazia will be strengthened, said Yury Zvirik, the head of the Russian Federal Security Service's Border Department in Abkhazia. "Additional units will be deployed to ensure the security of the border and of the residents in the border districts," he said. "Two vehicles and eight people have been detained since the service began on Abkhazia's border with Georgia in the Gali district. All of these people and vehicles have been handed over to Abkhazia's State Security Service under a relevant agreement with the Abkhaz side," he said. Zvirik also said that border guard units would be deployed to protect the sea border. Russian border guards located in the Kodori Gorge are patrolling the border jointly with Abkhaz border guards, he said. "The presence of Russian border guards in Abkhazia complies with the intergovernmental agreement of April 30 on the joint patrolling of Abkhazia's state border," Zvirik said. "We have spotted helicopter flights and the movement of troops on the border from Georgia's side. I don't see any danger in this. In any case, we are prepared for anything," he said. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Foreign tourists doing a tour aboard a ship will not require an entry visa to come ashore in Russia for a brief time under papers signed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the premier said at a meeting with the head of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism, Anatoly Yarochkin, on Thursday. BAKU. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The French Foreign Ministry expects that a meeting between the Azeri and Armenian presidents in Prague on May 7 to address the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process should Page 518 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. help make significant progress in resolving this problem, the French Embassy in Baku said on Friday. France, which is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem along with the U.S. and Russia, is continuing to make active efforts to achieve a balanced and peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, the statement says. The meeting between the Azeri and Armenian presidents should continue the previous meetings in St. Petersburg in June 2008, in Moscow in November 2008, and in Zurich in January 2009, which passed in a constructive atmosphere, it says. WASHINGTON. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The United States is not going to renew the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty but believes that U.S.-Russian cooperation on missile defense is possible, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Verification, Compliance, and Implementation Rose Gottemoeller said. "I do not think we should go back to the past," Gottemoeller told Interfax in an interview, asked whether the U.S. is going to renew the treaty. The U.S., ignoring Russia's appeals, announced its unilateral withdrawal from the treaty in 2001 and officially left it in 2002. "[] because of the short timeline we have, it is very important to keep the focus on the START follow on negotiations. We have to focus like a laser light," she said, pointing out that U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev agreed on this in London. "But they also laid out an ambitious agenda at the presidential level to pursue major topics of interest to both countries. And one that received emphasis in the second document was cooperation on strategic defense missile systems," Gottemoeller said. BAKU. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia and Ukraine should enter NATO, said Hikmet Cetin, NATO senior civilian representative in Afghanistan and former speaker of the Turkish parliament. "Georgia and Ukraine should become NATO members and Georgia's admission to NATO should be sped up due to Russia's invasion of that country last year," Cetin told a press conference devoted to the 15th anniversary of Azerbaijan's joining the Partnership for Peace program, held in Baku on Tuesday. "NATO should give more attention to ensuring peace and security in the Southern Caucasus, where important energy projects are located," he said. Page 519 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The Russian invasion of Georgia showed what a threat frozen conflicts pose. The threat of war in the region will always be real until the Karabakh conflict and problems in Georgia are resolved," he said. There is a need for international support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries of the region that are currently facing threats, Cetin said. "As we can see, Moscow cannot accept the fact that it has lost its influence in the region. As a NATO country, Turkey intends to achieve the integration of the countries of the Southern Caucasus in the Alliance," he said. Araz Azimov, deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan, said that "NATO membership is not a panacea from all problems" and this issue should be approached cautiously. At the same time, he spoke in favor of continuing active cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO and the need to increase regional security. BAKU. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Turkey is not going to open the border with Armenia until the NagornoKarabakh settlement talks between Baku and Yerevan progress, Turkish Ambassador in Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic said. "There are no gaps in Azeri-Turkish relations. As [Turkish Prime Minister] Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said, the Turkish-Armenian borders will not be opened until the Karabakh settlement progresses," Kilic said. Erdogan's upcoming visit to Azerbaijan will focus on topics of mutual concern, "because brothers discuss all issues, including the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement," the ambassador said. "This will be a very important visit," he noted. Reports that talks on Azerbaijan's increasing gas price for Turkey will take place during the visit have nothing to do with reality, Kilic said. Erdogan is expected to arrive in Baku on May 13, Turkish media reported earlier. BRUSSELS. May 5 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO has expressed regret about Russia's decision to put off the Russia-NATO Council's ministerial meeting. Information has arrived on Russia's reluctance to hold the Council's ministerial meeting, a NATO Page 520 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. spokesman told Interfax on Tuesday. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer accepted this information with regret, the spokesman said. The planned ministerial meeting could provide a venue for raising various issues of extreme importance, he said. Russia and NATO will hopefully reach a mutual understanding and hold the Council's ministerial meeting after all in the near future, he added. Russia's NATO ambassador Dmitry Rogozin earlier said that Moscow deems it out of place in the current setting to hold a ministerial meeting of the Russia-NATO Council against the backdrop of military exercises in Georgia under a NATO aegis. BAKU. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia must play a greater role in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Hikmet Cetin, Turkey's former foreign minister and NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan. Russia is an important country in the region and it is an important factor in the region, Cetin told reporters in Baku on Tuesday. Therefore, Russia must necessarily join the Turkey-proposed Caucasus Stability Pact, he said. Cetin said he had been observing important rays of hope for settling the Karabakh conflict in Russia's policies. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev's latest visit to Moscow and his talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the Karabakh problem were important, he also said. Russia will hopefully make a significant contribution to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Cetin said. This conflict can only be settled through dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia with the participation of and support from the United States, Russia, Turkey and international organizations, he said. Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will hopefully make important steps in Prague to settle the problem, he said. The U.S., NATO, Russia and Turkey's greater role in this process will be useful, Cetin said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The deployment of Russian border guards at the Georgian borders with Abkhazia and South Ossetia is not a positive move and is a step back from the agreements reached last August, NATO Spokesman James Appathurai said on Echo Moskvy radio. Page 521 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Russia and other countries signed an agreement on indivisibility of borders, and NATO and the U.S. view the deployment of border guards as a not very positive step, Appathurai said on Wednesday. The NATO countries have not recognized and are not planning to recognize South Ossetia's and Abkhazia's independence, Appathurai said. Moreover, the NATO countries have recognized Georgia's territorial integrity and view these territories as part of Georgia, which constitutes a fundamental difference in the approaches taken by Russia compared to the overwhelming majority of other nations, he said. NATO hopes for dialogue on the issues on which it has disagreements with Russia and expects Russia to maintain such dialogue in the near future, Appathurai said. PRAGUE. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The European Union's foreign policy commissioner Benita FerreroWaldner argued on Thursday that the EU's Eastern Partnership program is not an attempt on the EU's part to establish new spheres of influence to the detriment of Russia but is a plan to provide financial and institutional help to several former Soviet republics. Speaking in Prague, venue of a planned Eastern Partnership summit, Ferrero-Waldner denied the EU is trying to rival Russia and said the EU had discussed the Eastern Partnership project with Russia. The non-EU member states of the Eastern Partnership are Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. The commissioner also said that in 2003 the EU had invited Russia to join the Union's Neighborhood Policy program but that the EU and Russia had opted to base their relations on a fundamental bilateral agreement. She said the EU and Russia are drafting such an agreement. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Steps to heighten tensions over NATO's military exercises in Georgia will only complicate the situation, the alliance's spokesman James Appathurai told Russia's Ekho Moskvy radio on Wednesday. These are just routine exercises that are held by NATO every year as part of its partnership program, Appathurai said, adding that Armenia hosted the alliance's exercises last year. Russia is also a member of this partnership program, and it has always been invited to such exercises, the spokesman said. Page 522 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The upcoming exercises have absolutely nothing to do with the events in South Ossetia last August, Appathurai also said. Arrangements for this NATO drill were made in the spring of 2008, long before the events that put a strain on Russia's relations with Georgia, the spokesman said. The upcoming exercises also have nothing to do with a recent mutiny in the Georgian army, either, he said. Addressing Russia's strongly negative attitude to NATO's exercises in Georgia, Appathurai said that the alliance finds it difficult to understand Russia's position on the issue. The European community had much more questions regarding Russia's decision to send its armed soldiers to patrol areas that belonged to Georgia and border it, the spokesman said. Appathurai also said he disagrees with the opinion that the exercises could cause military complications in the region. These exercises are completely transparent and open, he said. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Japan's new ambassador to Russia believes now is the right time to settle the territorial issue and backs a non-standard approach to this issue. "I have heard that a big parade will be held in Moscow this week to celebrate Victory Day. I am looking forward to taking part in this ceremony, but I have to say that we have an unresolved issue left from WWII. Over sixty years have passed since this war ended, but we have still not been able to settle this issue. On the other hand, Russia has the political will and an intention not to pass it on to future generations. Taking into account all this, it seems to me that it's time to resolve this problem." Japanese Ambassador to Russia Masaharu Kono said in an interview with Interfax given before the visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to Japan, which is scheduled for May 11-13. "The idea of a non-standard approach came from President Medvedev. Of course, Japan agrees with this approach and the leaders of the two countries have given instructions for this issue to be dealt with at a working level. Another important statement made by Mr Medvedev is his intention not to pass this territorial problem to the future generations. We are giving great attention to that, too," said the ambassador. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Japan's recently appointed ambassador to Russia, Masaharu Kono, has said he doubts that North Korea will agree to Russia's proposal to launch its satellites from Russian Page 523 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. territory. "I have learnt about this [Russia's] offer from media reports. But there has been no official confirmation. However, in my opinion, even if it [this proposal] is true, North Korea, given its state policy, wants to launch its rockets independently. That is why, if any other country suggests that North Korea should relocate its launches, Pyongyang will not agree to this proposal. But it is only my vision of the matter. I do not know how it was in reality," the ambassador told Interfax. The top Japanese diplomat spoke to Interfax ahead of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan on May 11-13. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov put forth his country's offer during a visit to the two Koreas. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia and Japan may signed a number of agreements, in particular on nuclear energy cooperation, within the framework of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan on May 11 -13. "We make every effort to sign agreements on a large number of spheres. For example, although we have yet to reach a final agreement, we are actively discussing an agreement on cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, on customs cooperation, as well as a program of preserving the eco-system off the Four Northern islands [a common name of the Southern Kuril Islands in Japan]. These are just a few examples," Japanese Ambassador to Russia Masaharu Kono told Interfax in an interview. Putin's visit to Japan will "add a new impetus to the development of political dialog," he said. "I think that our prime ministers will discuss three main spheres: the strengthening of cooperation on practical economic spheres, interaction on the international arena and political dialog on the signing of a peaceful treaty. Putin's visit will be a good opportunity to discuss these three subjects, and this is what the parties have been seeking," he said. "Since Medvedev was elected president, political relations between our countries reached a good pace within a year," the ambassador said. The leaders of the two countries are in particular expected o meet on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in July, Kono said. MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Sung Kim, who represents the U.S. in the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program, is expected to visit Moscow in the nearest future for consultations. "Sung Kim is arriving in the evening of May 12. There will be an exchange of opinions, we are not talking Page 524 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. about any sensations or breakthroughs," Russian Foreign Ministry official Grigory Logvinov, who is expected to meet with Sung Kim, told Interfax on Friday. The consultations will address the situation with North Korea's nuclear program, said the diplomat. In the meantime, U.S. special envoy on North Korea Steven Bosworth is expected to visit Russia in June, a source has told Interfax. Bosworth is expected to visit all countries involved in the six-party talks, including North Korea, U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton told a press conference in Washington. The situation with the North Korean nuclear program aggravated after the recent rocket launch by North Korea, which Pyongyang alleges was an artificial satellite launch. The UN Security Council then adopted a statement condemning that launch. In response to that North Korea announced its decision to withdraw from the six-party talks and resume the operation of its nuclear reactor in Yonben. North Korea also asked IAEA experts, who were in the country at that time, to leave. ### Document RSSMIL0020090522e55800001 Page 525 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Nigeria: Trade regulations 2,461 words 7 May 2009 Economist Intelligence Unit - ViewsWire EIUCP ViewsWire 57 English (C) 2009 The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Nigeria’s primary export markets are the United States, Spain, Brazil and France. Chief import sources are China, the US, the Netherlands and the UK. Nigeria’s exports consist primarily of crude oil, whereas most of its imports consist of manufactured goods, chemical products, machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals. Nigeria was a member of the Lome IV Convention, under which 72 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries (mostly former colonies) were affiliated with the European Union. Under the terms of the convention, industrial exports from these countries entered the EU free of duty and quantitative restrictions if they complied with certain rules of origin. Some agricultural products remain subject to restrictions but receive most-favoured-nation treatment. Lome IV expired in February 2000. Negotiations on new arrangements began in September 1998, and an interim agreement was signed at Cotonou, Benin in June 2000. This agreement, implemented in 2002, extended the present favourable terms for access to the EU market for another eight years. Nigeria is a member country of the Group of Fifteen (The G15 Summit Level Group of Developing Countries). This group was established during the ninth Summit of Heads of State/Government of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Belgrade in September 1989. The group, now with 18 member-countries, aims to achieve effective management of defined economic goals. Nigeria has reaped dividends from participation in the group by increasing trade with other members. Nigeria also belongs to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which aims to establish a common market among its members. However, the volume of formal trade between Nigeria and other ECOWAS countries is relatively small, at only 10% of the total trade of the member countries. Page 526 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) provides for reductions in customs duty until they are eliminated on approved manufactured products. Around 50% of the nearly 1,000 industrial products admitted under the trade scheme are manufactured in Nigeria. There have been impediments to fully implementing the ETLS, ranging from a poor network of roads to corruption in customs and ports. The Trans-West African Coastal Highway, an ECOWAS and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) initiative to link 15 West African countries from Nigeria to Mauritania, is expected to boost intraECOWAS trade. The highway was still under construction in April 2009. To avail itself of the ETLS programme, a company applies to the National Planning Commission, which confirms the claims on local content, plant capacity and related items before forwarding the application to ECOWAS headquarters. Companies registered under the scheme include Cadbury Nigeria (for confectionery and beverages), CarnaudMetalBox Nigeria, UAC Foods of Nigeria and PZ Industries (of Nigeria). However, companies complain that they cannot take advantage of the preferential tariffs because the institutional framework to implement the scheme is not yet in place. Furthermore, few bona fide manufacturers can compete favourably with the informal sector, which operates a well-run trading system. The Congress of the United States passed into law the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in mid-2000. Under this legislation, specified manufactured goods with predominantly local content and value added can be exported to the US at concessionary or zero-duty rates. However, the use of this opportunity has been limited, particularly concerning the export of non-oil products, because of the Nigerian government’s inability to reduce the country’s overdependence on the oil sector in the past and infrastructure challenges (such as the lack of roads and fully functioning ports) that hamper the export of such goods. Nigeria adheres to the Harmonised System of Customs Tariff. All duties apply on an ad valorem basis. In September 2008 the government modified its import regime and tariffs, and released a shorter list of restricted imports. Under the 2008–12 Nigeria Customs and Excise Tariff Book there are five tariff bands, ranging from 0% for necessities, such as educational material, to a fifth band of 35% for finished goods that are manufactured locally. The government believes the new book is a simpler version of the previous document and allows easier administration and facilitation of trade and industrial growth. While many earlier import prohibitions remain in force, some items have been removed from the list, including baby feeding bottles, health and energy drinks, and mosquito nets. These changes are part of a long-term plan to reform the country’s complex tariff regime, which began in October 2005 with a series of amendments to align Nigeria’s tariff regime more closely with the common Page 527 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. external tariff (CET) regime of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Though lower than the previous highest duty rate, it is clear that the current 35% import tariff still in place restricts trade. Moreover, the change may not significantly reduce smuggling through Nigeria’s porous borders. Nigeria has in place the Automated System for Customs Data Entry and Control (ASYCUDA). But certain factors affect its seamless implementation, including the visible dearth of computers needed for the smooth operation of the scheme and the lack of trained workers to use the computers effectively. Fundamental indicators: foreign trade Foreign trade (% growth) 2008 estimate 2009 forecast 2010 forecast Exports of goods and services –0.9 –3.3 1.6 Imports of goods and services 6.3 –3.5 –1.4 Foreign trade (% of GDP) Exports of goods and services 55.6 37.0 42.1 Imports of goods and services 33.4 40.3 38.7 Trade figures (US$ bn) Current-account balance 5.2 –13.8 –9.5 as a percent of GDP 2.9 –11.7 –7.3 Goods: exports fob 76.8 31.9 41.4 Goods: imports fob –45.1 –35.3 –36.4 Trade balance 31.8 –3.5 4.9 Services: credit 4.4 3.6 3.6 Services: debit –14.3 –9.1 –10.2 Services balance –10.0 –5.5 –6.6 Source: Economist Intelligence Unit, Country Forecast Nigeria, March 2009. Nigeria is a member of the World Trade Organisation and is aware that maintaining a permanent import-prohibition policy would violate its commitments and might attract retaliatory measures from trading partners. Since 2005 the government has reduced the number of items on its import prohibition list. Nevertheless as of April 2009 there were still a total of 26 categories of goods banned from entry. These include poultry, soap and detergents, footwear, bags, furniture and certain textiles, including African print, lace and carpets. Furthermore, there are also non-tariff hurdles, notably that all unbanned textile materials can be imported only through seaports in Lagos and Port Harcourt and through Lagos and Kano international airports. Protectionist sentiments remain strong in Nigeria, despite there being little evidence that non-tariff barriers have helped local industries. Instead, import prohibitions have encouraged smuggling through Nigeria’s porous borders. Even if import bans were successful in removing foreign goods from the market, local industries would still need to tackle the array of factors that now make them uncompetitive, including the lack of investment in machinery upgrades, dilapidated infrastructure and poor management. Page 528 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. With the implementation of the Automated System for Customs Data Entry and Control (ASYCUDA) and the installation of x-ray inspection machines at the ports, every importer must have an ASYCUDA number, issued by the Nigerian Customs Service. In addition, a local clearing agent is required for clearance of goods from the ports. Form M (visibles) documentation is required for statistical purposes and to aid import-duty assessment. Importers must process the Form M through any authorised commercial/merchant bank, whether or not the import is valid for foreign exchange. Labelling requirements do not pose a major problem, but health, safety and environmental standards are becoming increasingly significant issues for importers. Two entities that have gained in prominence in recent years are the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The SON issued guidelines in June 1996 for product-quality inspection and the provisional release of imported goods. If the SON receives a timely application along with other specified identification documents, the goods should be released within the 48-hour period approved by the government for clearing goods at the ports. NAFDAC regulates and controls import, export, manufacturing, advertisement, distribution and safe use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and chemicals. NAFDAC now requires that all such items to be imported for distribution in Nigeria must first be registered with it. The Central Bank of Nigeria announced in February 1999 that importers and exporters of regulated products would not be permitted to participate in the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market without proof of NAFDAC registration. NAFDAC guidelines also stipulate that labelling must be informative and accurate, and it sets minimum requirements in this respect. It also conducts inspections at the ports, for which it charges a nominal fixed fee. There is still demand from pressure groups for streamlining the functions of NAFDAC and SON to eliminate areas of conflict between the two bodies in their operations at the ports. To guard against sub-standard equipment, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approves any telecommunications equipment for use in Nigeria by any of the licensed private telecoms service providers. For this purpose, the NCC has installed a type-test laboratory at its facilities in Abuja. But with specialised high-technology equipment, such as for providers offering private network links or cellular systems, NCC officials will travel abroad to inspect and test the equipment at any convenient location at the proposed importer’s cost. The Nigerian Communications Act, passed in July 2003, grants the NCC its independence as the industry regulator. Importers must buy their foreign exchange from authorised dealers in the foreign exchange market. The exporter is allowed to hold export proceeds in an export domiciliary account or trade them through any bank of the exporter’s choice on the official forex market. The initial validity of an appropriate Form M for general goods is 180 days. Validity may be extended more than once by an authorised dealer if, with the extension, the validity of the Form M does not exceed the maximum of 360 days. Page 529 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. There are no special industry or favoured-nation provisions in Nigeria. Nigeria does not generally discriminate against imports from any country except in suspected cases of dumping or subsidies, when special import levies may be imposed. No quantitative restrictions or quotas apply to imports into Nigeria, and there are no prior-deposit requirements. The impediments to imports—mostly corruption at the ports—are being systematically addressed by the streamlining of personnel and administrative functions. Agricultural commodities destined for export are subject to export levies of up to 10%; exports of unprocessed cocoa beans (Nigeria’s second-largest export by value) are subject to a special 10% levy. The Central Bank of Nigeria collects these on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Export Commodities Co-ordinating Committee. The levies are government revenues used primarily for servicing Nigeria’s financial obligations to international commodity organisations to which it belongs. All exporters are liable for regular port charges. The Nigerian Export-Processing Zone Act (NEPZA) of 1992 empowers the president to designate areas as export-processing zones (EPZs). A planned EPZ in Olokola by the Ogun and Ondo state governments was still under construction in April 2009. Several free trade zones were launched in 2006 and 2007, including the Lekki Free-Trade Zone and Tinapa Business Resort, which was completed in October 2007. As of April 2009, there were EPZs operating or under construction in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states. There were 23 free zones in the country, of which 11 were operational. The head of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority has touted the establishment of EPZs as an effective medium to promote industrial development. The NEPZA’s benefits to enterprises within an EPZ include exemption from taxes, duties, foreign-exchange restrictions and import/export licence requirements. Such enterprises also enjoy a rent-free period during factory construction. Enterprises wishing to operate in the EPZ need to apply to the Nigerian Export-Processing Zones Authority. Required supporting documents include a feasibility study and evidence of available resources to execute the project. (For the latter, the track record of the project sponsor may suffice.) Companies in an EPZ may sell up to 25% of their production domestically on payment of import duty. EPZ rent, payable annually, is to be used to help fund the costs of national infrastructure projects. The Oil and Gas Free Zone, announced in 1996 pursuant to the Oil and Gas Export Free-Zone Act 8 of 1996, was inaugurated in March 1997 in the town of Onne (Rivers state), where a new deep-water port is being constructed. The law created an authority responsible for granting or cancelling licences to operate in the zone. DMS of the UK and Intels Services, an Italian port and marine oil-terminal-management company already offering port services at Onne, operate the zone. The Akwa Ibom state government is setting up a similar free-trade zone for the oil-and-gas sector. The Nigerian Export-Processing Zones Authority is receiving proposals from various state governments, including Lagos, for a zone along its coastline in Page 530 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lekki, Jigawa, Kwara, Borno and Oyo states. Licences are required to export petroleum products. Export is prohibited for a few items (such as rough and sawn timber, scrap metals, and raw hides and skins) for conservation reasons and to protect some local industries (like tanneries). In practice, significant amounts of hardwood logs are exported, particularly cut timber, which exporters classify as “completely knockeddown” furniture parts. Exports of unprocessed rubber latex and rubber lumps also are banned. As with wood, few bans are wholly effective. To encourage more non-oil exports, clients may use the Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate in lieu of cash to settle claims of beneficiaries under the manufacturer-in-bond scheme (MIBS). The grant given to exporters of processed products is 10% of annual export turnover. The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (Nexim), created in 1991, handles the government’s export-guarantee scheme, which protects non-oil exports against political risks. Exports may be made against bills for collection (that may be financed through the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market) or irrevocable letters of credit. Exports of crude oil are usually insured overseas under special arrangements. Nexim also provides export credit, related guarantees and refinancing of Nigerian banks’ short-term advances to exporters. Since the refinancing rate is set below the market rate for similar deposits, this facility improves lending banks’ margins on export finance while providing a subsidised rate to the exporter. vwvwmain20090507t1515000057; EIU ViewsWire 07 May 2009 (T15:15), Part 57 of 89 Document EIUCP00020090509e5570007t Page 531 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Nigeria: Licensing and intellectual property 3,883 words 7 May 2009 Economist Intelligence Unit - ViewsWire EIUCP ViewsWire 17 English (C) 2009 The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Foreign companies seeking to launch businesses in Nigeria often prefer to enter the market through licensing agreements with locally controlled companies rather than by establishing their own subsidiaries in the country. This reflects the difficulty of coping with frequent government policy shifts (usually implemented at very short notice) and the significant overhead costs to maintain a local subsidiary. Licensing is most prevalent among multinational pharmaceutical companies and is becoming customary in the high-tech sector, where numerous international brands are partnering with locally established firms to penetrate this new and rapidly growing market for information technology and communication products. Multinationals that have established local subsidiaries or affiliates also enter into licensing agreements to extend the local use of their trade names, trademarks and the manufacture of their products. These include Mercedes-Benz (Germany), Procter & Gamble (US) and Unilever (Netherlands/UK). Notable local licensees include the following: Boulos Enterprises, which imports, assembles and distributes various products for Suzuki (Japan); Cadbury Nigeria, which manufactures beverages under licence from Cadbury Schweppes (UK); General Motors Nigeria, which also imports, assembles and distributes various products (for instance, Chevrolet and Lumina cars); Nigerian Bottling Company, which bottles Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Five Alive brands of soft drinks under licence from Coca-Cola (US); and SCOA Nigeria, which assembles light pick-up vehicles under a licence from Peugeot (France). Patents, trademarks, copyrights and industrial designs are legally recognised. However, enforcement of intellectual-property rights in the courts is generally slow. The Business Software Alliance and IDC estimate that retail losses from software piracy totalled US$114m in 2007, an increase from US$100m in 2006. Page 532 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Most companies consider the damages awarded by the Nigerian courts to be far too small to be an effective deterrent. Sometimes, the most important victory is simply obtaining an official injunction, which is subsequently advertised in the local newspapers. Injunctions have in the past been issued to protect Araldite (Novartis of Switzerland); Betnovate products (GlaxoSmithKline of the UK); Bic ballpoint pens (France); Butterfly sewing machines (China); and Exhar’s Maloxine brand malaria tablets (Belgium). Offenders who breach injunctions can be jailed for contempt of court. Even with an injunction, however, the plaintiff must pursue a lengthy judicial process to determine the substantive issues in the case. But this situation is beginning to change. In 2005 the Nigerian Copyrights Commission (NCC) launched the Strategic Action Against Piracy (STRAP) campaign to combat piracy and establish a suitable environment for the management of the copyright system. The NCC’s STRAP officials have prosecuted offenders for copyright infringements. A landmark case was the prosecution in March 2007 of the chief executive officer of Multichoice Nigeria, Nigeria’s largest cable-television company, for broadcasting European football (soccer) matches without the consent of the copyright owners, Entertainment Highways. The NCC also promotes the teaching of intellectual-property matters at Nigerian universities and conducts special copyright training for law-enforcement agencies, namely, the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Customs Service. The copyright-related conventions to which Nigeria is signatory include the following: the Universal Copyright Convention; the International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organisations (Rome Convention); the Bern Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (Bern Convention); the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organisation, (WIPO Convention); the Agreement on Trade Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights, (TRIPs) within the framework of GATT; the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty; and the WIPO Copyright Treaty. The Copyright Optical-Discs Plants Regulations (2006) allows the NCC to exercise administrative and enforcement measures over the production processes of optical-discs manufacturers and replicating plants engaged in the replication and or duplication of copyrighted works. Property-right infringements are most common in the music, video and pharmaceutical industries, and they are fuelled by the availability of reproduction equipment, raw materials and a vast informal sector operating out of unlicensed premises and in some extremely remote parts of the country. The NCC estimates that nine out of every ten CDs, VCDs and DVDs sold in Nigeria are pirated. Once conferred, a patent gives the patentee the right to prevent the making, import, sale or use of the patented product; the stocking of the product for sale or use; and the application of the patented process. However, the scope of protection conferred by a patent is determined by the terms of the claims. This is interpreted by the descriptions (and plans and drawings, if any) that are included in the patent. Page 533 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The courts review any opposition to a patent. If they declare a patent null and void, they may also order the return of royalties. Although the courts tend to uphold patent rights, the judicial process is slow and awarded damages are not substantial; hence, relatively few companies bother to secure judicial protection. Most brand-name manufacturers have registered their marks in Nigeria. Nevertheless, trademark theft is not uncommon, and trademark owners have recourse only to the slow processes of the congested courts. Although the government has come under increasing pressure to act against patent and trademark piracy, the authorities have not yet responded with legislative revisions. Any eventual legislation would probably be based on the recommendations of government officials (specifically, the Nigerian Law Reform Commission’s working draft of a proposed law) in co-ordination with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria, a local pressure group of intellectual-property-law practitioners. Enforcement of legal provisions on copyrights is similar to that on patents and trademarks, that is, court action. As with patents and trademarks, the most powerful weapon appears to be a court injunction restraining the other party. When the substantive suit is finally determined, however, the court’s award of damages often barely covers the legal costs. This acts as a disincentive, preventing rights owners from seeking to enforce their rights. Conventions. Paris Convention; Universal Copyright Convention; Bern Convention; World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Convention; WIPO Copyright Treaty; WIPO Performance and Phonographic Treaty; Rome Convention. Basic laws. Patents and Designs Act (1970) Cap 344 LFN 1990; Trade Marks Act (1965) Cap 436 LFN 1990; Copyright Act (1988) Cap 68 LFN 1990 (amended by the Copyright Amendment Decree 96 of 1992); Copyright Optical Discs Plants Regulations (2006). Patents Duration. Twenty years from date of application. Patents cannot be renewed but must be maintained by paying annual maintenance fees. Priority claims. Because Nigeria is a Paris Convention country, foreign priority can be claimed if the application for the same was made not more than 12 months before the filing date in Nigeria. Page 534 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Novelty. An invention is considered new if it does not form part of the state-of-the-art and if it has not been made available to the public anywhere at any time prior to the date of application (or the foreign priority date, if not more than 12 months earlier). The invention may have been displayed at an official internationally recognised exhibition within six months prior to application date. Fees. Around US$60 for official fees; US$300–500 for attorney and other fees. Unpatentable. Plant or animal varieties, biological processes, inventions contrary to public order or morality, and scientific principles and discoveries. Compulsory licensing. Application may be made to the courts for a compulsory licence if, after four years from the patent application date or three years from the grant date (whichever is later), a patent is not worked in Nigeria, is insufficiently worked, work is prevented by importation or the patentee refuses to grant a licence on reasonable terms, thus harming development of industrial and commercial activities in Nigeria. Compulsory licences may also be granted if necessary to work a patent capable of being worked but which has not been so worked. Industrial designs and models In accordance with the Patents and Designs Act (1970) Cap 344 LFN 1990, industrial designs may be registered and protected for five years, and protection is renewable for two additional five-year terms. Fees. Around US$35 for official fees; US$300–500 for attorney and other fees. Trademarks Types. Only goods may be registered. Services may not be registered, though the proposed Industrial Property bill (2008) would allow such registration (when promulgated). Also under consideration in parliament is a bill to establish an Industrial Property Commission. The bill seeks, among other objectives, to improve existing legislation related to the recording, publishing and enforcement of trademarks. No further steps had been taken to pass these bills into laws as of April 2009. The international classification of goods now applies. Goods registered under the old classification are to be reclassified as soon as possible on payment of the necessary fees. Duration. Seven years from application, renewable for additional periods of 14 years thereafter. Page 535 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Legal effect. Registration confers legal rights. Fees. US$55 for official fees; US$300–500 for attorney and other fees. Not registrable. Marks that are similar or identical to a prior registered mark or a pending application; deceptive or scandalous matter; names of single chemical compounds. Copyrights Types and duration. The Copyright Act of 1988 covers six broad groups: (1) literary works, which encompass computer software; (2) musical works; (3) artistic works; (4) cinematographic films; (5) sound recordings; and (6) broadcasts. Performer’s rights and folklore are protected as neighbouring rights. For the first three types, protection is for a period expiring 70 years after the end of the year in which the author dies (or for a corporate author, 70 years after the end of the year in which the work was first published). However, protection for photographs (classified under artistic works) expires 50 years after the end of the year in which the work was first published. Protection for types 4–6 expires 50 years after the end of the year in which the work was first published, recorded or broadcast. Copyrights cannot be renewed. Legal effect. Copyright generally confers the exclusive right to control use of the work in Nigeria. Reciprocal extension of copyright protection is possible where Nigeria is a party to a relevant international agreement. The copyright owner has the right to claim authorship of the work, except when it is included incidentally or accidentally when reporting current events by means of broadcasting. The owner can also object and seek relief in connection with any distortion, mutilation or modification of the work, and any other derogatory action in relation to the work, where such action would be prejudicial to the author’s honour or reputation. Publishers, printers, producers or manufacturers of works in which copyright subsists must keep a register of all works produced by them, showing the name of author, title, year of production and the quantity produced. Any qualified person may apply to the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) for a licence to produce and publish a translation of a literary or dramatic work that has been published in printed or analogous forms of reproduction for teaching, scholarship or research. The NCC also maintains a databank on authors and their works. Notification to the NCC by the rights owner is necessary to obtain protection for the work. There are no fees for this service. Applications for patents, trademarks and industrial designs go to the Patents and Trademarks Registry. Page 536 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Patents. Patent applications in Nigeria must include the applicant’s full name and address and, if that address is outside the country, a Nigerian service address; a description that is sufficiently clear to enable a skilled person to put the invention into effect, with any relevant plans and drawings; a claim or claims; signed power of attorney (if the application is made by an agent); information on prior foreign application (if any); and, where desired, a declaration by the true inventor requesting to be mentioned as such in the patent and stating the holder’s full name and address. The official fees (around US$60) must be paid on submission of the application. The governing law does not provide for examination for novelty or patentability of an invention. Patent examinations are conducted for formal correctness only; patents are granted at the patentee’s risk as to existence of a prior patent. After the patent is granted, the registrar publishes notification of the grant, including a description of the patent. This process generally takes 2–4 months and is finalised with the certificate of registration (Letters Patent). Besides the official fees, other costs are generally US$300–500. The registration procedure is usually straightforward since there is no substantive examination process. Grant of a patent is not conditioned on its publication in the Federal Government Gazette; publication merely serves as notification to the public of the details of the patent as granted. In the past, the registrar published notifications of grant of patent in the gazette, usually 1–6 years after the grant. Because of administrative lapses, however, the Patents and Trademarks Registry has not published details of any grant in the gazette in more than ten years. Nevertheless, the absence of publication does not affect the validity of such patents. A provision for priority registration allows for filing an application to register a patent (within six months for a design and 12 months for an invention) after the same patent has been filed overseas. This confers on the registrant the same rights that would have applied if the patent were filed in Nigeria on the same day it was filed overseas. For example, a design patent filed in London on January 1st 2006 and then filed in Nigeria no later than July 1st 2006 enjoys protection in Nigeria as from January 1st 2006 if eventually registered. Priority is defined by the Paris Convention, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The provisions of the convention are incorporated into Nigerian law under the Patents and Designs (Convention Countries) Order of 1971. This order declares the 75 countries and jurisdictions listed as convention countries. Trademarks. A trademark application, which must be accompanied by a signed power of attorney, states the name, description, address and nature of the business of the proprietor of the mark and gives an address for the service of all correspondence on the applicant (usually the agent’s address). The application is examined for registrability and to confirm that the trademark does not conflict with any other Page 537 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. registered trademark or pending application. If the results of the search are positive, the registrar will issue an acceptance notification to the application (usually within three weeks of filing the application), and the mark will be forwarded for publication in the trademarks journal. Upon being advertised, anyone wishing to record an opposition to the registration of the mark has two months to do so. If no objection is raised, the Patents and Trademarks Registry will issue a certificate of registration, which provides conclusive evidence of the registration of the trademark. The official fee to register a trademark is US$55; other costs, including attorney fees, are US$300–500. Registration lasts for an initial term of seven years, renewable for consecutive 14-year terms. Ordinarily, the trademark-registration process should take no more than 12–18 months. However, because of the largely irregular publication of the trademarks journal and frequent disruption to staffing at the registry, the procedure has been known to last much longer even when no opposition is lodged against the application. Industrial designs and models. Registration for these applications is filed with the Patents and Trademarks Registry, and designs are published in an official gazette. The full process usually takes about three months. Official fees are around US$35; other costs run US$300–500. Copyrights. The Copyrights Act of 1988 (Cap 68 LFN) created the Nigerian Copyright Council on August 17th 1989. The council became known as the Nigerian Copyright Commission in 1996. There is no formal registration procedure for copyrights in Nigeria, since a copyright attaches automatically to a work on its creation. For evidentiary purposes, however, it is prudent for a rights owner to notify the Nigerian Copyrights Commission of ownership of the work, which the commission then notes in its records. There are no charges for this service. Obtaining absolute protection for copyright can be difficult. The high costs incurred in trying to curb the activities of pirates, even when ownership rights are clear, usually deter rights owners from pursuing remedies. Alcatel-Lucent (France) signed a multi-billion-dollar network-expansion agreement with Nigeria’s major telecommunications operator, Globacom, to expand the Nigerian company’s capacity from 30m to 45m subscribers in 2009. The deal involves network upgrade and deployment of high tech technology in Nigeria, including the linkage of 2G and 3G facilities. Globacom announced the agreement March 2009. Blue Label Telecom (South Africa) announced in February 2009 that it signed an exclusive agreement with Multi-Links, a Lagos-based telecommunications operator. Blue Label distributes cellular airtime and other electronic services via point-of-sales terminals, cellphones and the internet. The agreement will allow Blue Label distribution rights to all of Multi-Link’s products and services. Page 538 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Shenzhen Energy Group (China) and First Bank of Nigeria in November 2008 signed a preliminary agreement in October 2008 for the construction of a 3,000-mw gas-powered plant, estimated to cost US$2.4bn in Nigeria. First Bank will act as project financiers and advisers. GDP Ayurvedic University (US) in February 2009 signed an exclusive worldwide licence agreement with Professor Louis Nelson, a Nigerian chemist, for the commercialisation, sale and marketing of an antidiabetic herbal drug that he developed. Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments (OMIGPI), part of the South African Old Mutual Group, which is part of Old Mutual (UK), announced in April 2008 that it would partner with a Nigerian company, Cerberus, to create a waterfront development in the federal capital Abuja, worth US$300m– 500m. The project is to be completed by end-October 2009. New licensers typically identify the potential of local partners by assessing their handling of products with similar marketing characteristics. The existence of long-established trading companies and business conglomerates has substantially simplified this task for new licensers. Many simply approach all the major trading houses, then list those interested in the product that do not already distribute, manufacture or market competing brands. Other relevant factors may be the prospective licensee’s existing branch network, available transport for distributing products around the country, and financial and human resources. Good sources for information are bilateral chambers of commerce and Nigerian consulate offices in home countries. Local conglomerates are chosen most frequently as licensees for international brands. The following are some examples: AG Leventis Nigeria (Mercedes-Benz, Hoover); CFAO Nigeria (Otis Elevators, Mitsubishi and Renault); Mandilas (Electrolux, Carrier and Volkswagen); Paterson Zochonis Industries (Thermocool, Cusson’s Imperial Leather); SCOA Nigeria (Peugeot); John Holt (Yamaha); UAC of Nigeria (General Motors); and UTC Nigeria (Kenwood household products). The Patents and Trademarks Registry, the Designs Registry, and the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion are other avenues for interested parties to gather relevant information, particularly on terms of similar agreements. Licensers may not restrict their licensees’ freedom of action, except as necessary to safeguard patent rights. For example, limitations are permitted on the scope, extent, territory or duration of the agreement, but they may not go beyond what is necessary to protect patent rights. Tie-in clauses would presumably be allowed if patents could not operate without them. Page 539 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Although the Trade Marks Act of 1965 does not use the term “licensing”, it makes provision for registering a person other than the registered proprietor of a trademark as a registered user. This provision has been interpreted to permit the licensing of a trademark and to allow the registration of such licensee as a user of the mark. Under the Patents and Designs Act of 1970 (Cap 344 LFN 1990), licensing agreements must be registered with the Registrar of Patents to be effective against third parties. But only the licenser can institute civil proceedings; licensees may sue in their own name only after the licenser has unreasonably or negligently ignored a request to sue. Nevertheless, the licensee’s right does not prejudice the licenser’s right to intervene at any time in the court proceedings. The National Office of Industrial Property (NOIP) Act of 1979 set out requirements for companies to register any contract involving the right to use trademarks or patented inventions or covering the supply of any form of technical assistance. This includes technical expertise in the form of plans, diagrams, operating manuals or detailed engineering drawings; plant and machinery; and operating staff, managerial assistance or personnel training. The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), successor to NOIP, approves management contracts and technical-service agreements covering training, research and the transfer of technical know-how for all industries, including manufacturing, engineering and agriculture. According to central-bank guidelines, a maximum of 5% of project cost is now allowed for consulting fees, but this is limited to projects with very high technology content for which indigenous expertise is not available. NOTAP reports to have licensed 3,000 patent-rights agreements to date between Nigerian enterprises and foreign companies across all sectors. NOTAP was given the mandate in 1998 to commercialise locally developed research-and-development findings, inventions and innovations from research institutes, universities, polytechnics, private laboratories and workshops. The office has undertaken some initiatives to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria to make effective use of intellectual property through NOTAP’s Patent Information and Documentation Centre. Management-service agreements can also be registered with NOTAP, which issues a certificate of registration. Approval is granted to transfer fees only for technology-based projects for which indigenous expertise is not available. Service agreements for such joint ventures should include a programme for training Nigerians for eventual takeover. A company seeking to register its technology-transfer agreements must go through NOTAP, which may deny registration for agreements it finds unacceptable. Page 540 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Royalty and fee payments require prior permission from NOTAP. Permissible limits for licence or technical-service charges/royalties are 1–5% of net sales value. Approval for management-service agreements is limited to 1–5% of the Nigerian company’s net profit before tax. If the Nigerian company is not expected to generate a profit for some years (which is known as the gestation period and usually applies to agriculture), this is limited to 1–2% of net sales for the first 3–5 years. NOTAP charges a presentation fee of N10,000 and a registration fee of N35,000 for contracts valued at N1m–10m; N50,000 for contracts valued at N10m–20m; N100,000 for contracts valued at N20m–50m; N200,000 for contracts valued at N50m–100m; N300,000 for contracts valued at N100m–250m; N400,000 for contracts valued at N250m–500m; N500,000 for contracts valued at N500m–1bn; and N750,000 for contracts valued at N1bn and above. There is a penalty fee of N20,000 for every agreement that is not registered within 30 days after its effective commencement date. The banks will not facilitate remittances of foreign-currency payment for royalty or fees due to a licenser without proof of registration with NOTAP. vwvwmain20090507t1515000017; EIU ViewsWire 07 May 2009 (T15:15), Part 17 of 89 Document EIUCP00020090509e5570006p Page 541 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Nigeria: Competition and price regulations 1,006 words 7 May 2009 Economist Intelligence Unit - ViewsWire EIUCP ViewsWire 16 English (C) 2009 The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Nigeria has limited legislation to control restrictive trade practices. However, Section 100 of the Investments and Securities Act 45 of 1999 empowered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal High Court to review and withhold approval of corporate mergers and acquisitions that may restrain trade or create monopolies. Towards the end of the last military regime in 1998, the government repealed or amended 11 pieces of legislation that had inhibited competition or conferred monopoly on public enterprises in the petroleum, telecommunications, power and solid-minerals sectors. In anticipation of planned privatisations, the National Council on Privatisation established high-powered committees to advise on deregulating, unbundling and restructuring all of these sectors. However, progress has been slow. A few multinational companies substantially control manufacturing in Nigeria. For example, the cement industry is dominated by the Blue Circle Industries (UK) and its affiliates and trading partners; beverages and chocolate by Cadbury Nigeria (UK) and Nestle Nigeria (Switzerland); motorcycles by Suzuki and Honda (Japan); beer by Nigerian Breweries (an affiliate of Unilever/Heineken) and Guinness Nigeria (UK); and soft drinks by the Nigerian Bottling Company (franchisee of Coca-Cola of the US) and SevenUp Bottling Company (franchisee of Seven-Up and Pepsi, both of the US). The market dominance of these companies reflects the length of time they have operated in the country. They maintained their investments in the Nigerian market throughout the difficult military era when their competitors either pulled out or failed to enter. Their dominance is also testimony to the vast size of the multinational parent companies backing these Nigerian companies. In most instances of market domination by one or two large multinationals, several small-scale domestic producers also operate, Page 542 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. albeit with varying degrees of success. However, domestic and Asian companies are now challenging the dominant positions of multinational firms. For instance, imports of semi-processed milk and detergents from Asia are recording volumes that exceed those of the brands of the multinationals, which are losing customer loyalty. Monopolies are not legally defined under Nigerian law. The Investments and Securities Act 45 of 1999, the law that de facto covers monopolies, was not passed specifically to govern monopolies. Section 99 of the law empowers the Securities and Exchange Commission to deny mergers, acquisitions and corporate combinations only if such transactions would cause substantial restraint of competition or would create a monopoly. Examples abound of companies already dominant in particular manufacturing sectors that have extended their market dominance still further. For example, the Nigerian Dangote Group of Companies operates a chain of companies in the food (flour, rice, pasta, sugar), cement, transport and agriculture industries. The company dominates most of these sectors and uses its influence to lobby the government. Regulations on mergers are in the Investments and Securities Act 45 of 1999, the Securities and Exchange Commission guidelines on mergers and acquisitions, and the Lagos Stock Exchange guidelines on takeovers and mergers. Finance (Miscellaneous Taxation Provisions) Decree 55 of 1989 requires proposed mergers to be referred to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS; previously the Federal Board of Inland Revenue). The FIRS examines the tax implications or consequences of such transactions. The Investments and Securities Act of 1999 provides that corporate mergers must also be approved by the Federal High Court. Manufacturers may sell to whomever and at whatever prevailing market-determined price for their goods. Unauthorised dealers may be sued if they deal in merchandise originating from abroad and protected under a registered Nigerian trademark, logo or patent. Usually, unauthorised dealers are collectively sued in a class-action suit. The courts often grant an aggrieved plaintiff an “Anton Pillar” order, empowering entry into warehouses or other designated places where such protected goods are kept. The Anton Pillar order also empowers the plaintiff in such a class-action suit to remove the offending goods for destruction. The Federal High Court has in the last few years granted several such orders and injunctive relief to restrain the unauthorised sale of protected products. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the foods and drugs regulator, conducted numerous raids during 2007 on producers believed to be selling sub-standard goods Page 543 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. to consumers. NAFDAC has been particularly harsh on retailers and producers selling poisonous toothpaste, which NAFDAC claims were being imported primarily from China and India. In September 2007 NAFDAC banned the import of toothpaste, after months of public outcry and numerous NAFDAC raids. In February 2009 the agency tightened controls on propylene glycol imports from India and China after 84 children died after consuming tainted teething syrup. Nigeria has had no laws to uphold resale-price maintenance, though trading companies have reportedly tried to exercise some control over their larger distributors. Hence, prices are seldom uniform throughout the country. The small traders who dominate retail supply outlets at the municipal level are generally free to set their own prices. There are no price-control laws for manufactured goods and products, but the government still regulates domestic fuel prices. Successive military and civilian governments have, since the mid-1990s, tried unsuccessfully to phase out costly fuel subsidies, especially during periods of high world oil prices. In February 2009 the government indicated that it will remove the subsidies at some point over they course of the year. The finance minister, Mansur Muhtar, told reporters that fuel subsidies cost the government approximately N1.6trn (US$11bn) over the past three years and N640bn (US$4.4bn) in 2008 alone. However, Nigeria’s powerful labour unions have warned that they will embark on nationwide industrial action if the government deregulates domestic fuel pricing. Previous fuel-price hikes have often been followed by widespread industrial actions that cripple economic activity in major cities and sometimes reduce oil production. In addition to petrol, the government also regulates the price of domestic air travel by placing a ceiling on the prices at which airlines can sell tickets. vwvwmain20090507t1515000016; EIU ViewsWire 07 May 2009 (T15:15), Part 16 of 89 Document EIUCP00020090509e5570006o Page 544 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Nigeria: Investment regulations 1,241 words 7 May 2009 Economist Intelligence Unit - ViewsWire EIUCP ViewsWire 15 English (C) 2009 The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), foreign direct investment (FDI) to Nigeria fell by 12.7%, to US$12.45bn, in 2007. However, FDI in Nigeria grew by 78.6% to US$10.1bn in the first half of 2008, when compared with level in the first half of 2007. Companies from the United States, South Africa and Europe account for most FDI in Nigeria, and the CBN reports that the oil-and-gas sector continues to receive the most inflows, followed by telecommunications, banking and solid minerals mining. A notable recent entrant into the Nigerian foreign investment picture is China, which is ravenous for energy commodities. For instance, China’s largest commercial bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, in March 2008 announced a deal with Nigeria’s Oceanic Bank to partner in export and trade finance. In May 2007 China launched the Nigerian Communication Satellite on behalf of Nigeria, after beating out 21 other bidders for the US$311m contract. The satellite is expected to boost broadcasting, phone and broadband Internet services for Africa, and it is part of Nigeria’s efforts to increase rural access to communications technology. This is Nigeria’s second foray into space, having launched a weather satellite in 2003 in partnership with Russia. India appears to be taking after China, but Indian presence is considerably smaller. Governments in Nigeria, including the Obasanjo and Yar’Adua administrations, have taken steps to create an environment that encourages FDI. Along with the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1995, which permits unhindered repatriation of foreign currency, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) Act of 1995 substantially eliminated discrimination against foreign investors. A provision permitting 100% foreign ownership in Nigerian entities lets existing investors build up controlling stakes. In 2003 the government reconstituted the NIPC’s governing council in the hope of attracting more local and foreign investments. The council consists of executives from top Page 545 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. foreign and domestic companies operating in the country. The government plans to continue to liberalise the investment climate by removing various bottlenecks to the free flow of FDI. These plans include repealing restrictive laws, improving security, signing investment-protection treaties, providing additional fiscal incentives, privatising utilities and fully equipping the export-processing zones. Nevertheless, poor infrastructure, political violence, and communal and religious disturbances in various parts of the country continue to discourage foreign investment. According to the World Bank’s 2009, Doing Business Report, which measures the overall ease of doing business in a country for the year up until June 2008, Nigeria ranked 118th out of 181 countries. While noting some improvements in areas like registration of new businesses, granting of construction permits and procedure at ports, the report observes that Nigeria is one of the most difficult places to register property. Completion of tax payment is also a prolonged process in the country causing further complications in running operations. The World Bank’s report noted that Nigeria has begun to enjoy the benefits from concessioning its container terminals to private operators, with the results that the clearing of goods at Apapa seaport is now a more efficient process. In November 2008 the government introduced a series of measures to improve operations of the ports to reduce cargo clearance time to 48 hours, from about two weeks. Two major business-friendly reforms in recent years include the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Act of 2007 and the Tax Reform Act of 2007, both passed in April 2007, which are designed to help enforce various federal tax laws in Nigeria. Prior to the passage of the two acts, Nigeria’s tax regime was widely considered inefficient, with many residents and corporations evading taxes without penalty. In February 2009, Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, chairman of the FIRS, stated that the service generated about N2.9trn in tax revenue in 2008, exceeding its N2.8trn target. FIRS generated N1.86trn in 2006. The chairman’s announcement thus calmed fears that the reforms would fail. Militant groups in the oil-producing Delta region have voiced concerns of feeling politically alienated and economically exploited; they have been responsible for numerous violent disruptions since the mid-1990s against the state, multinational companies and each other for control of oil wealth. Violent incidents against the staff of oil companies and kidnappings of foreign oil workers has escalated since early 2006. This has forced several oil companies to scale back production. The simmering unrest reached a new level of intensity in December 2005, when the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) began a series of attacks on oil facilities and their personnel. As of April 2009, an estimated 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude production were shut-in (ie, closed) as a result of the turmoil. In 2008 Nigeria produced an average of 1.9m bpd, its lowest since 1999; in February 2009 it pumped Page 546 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. 1.78m bpd. Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), operated by Royal Dutch Shell (UK/Netherlands) and Nigeria’s biggest and oldest producers, has been the worst hit by the violence in the Niger Delta, accounting for about 85% of shut-in oil. This is largely because the joint venture has a higher proportion of onshore fields than other producers. In September 2009, the company said that in the previous two years 200 of its employers and contractors had been kidnapped, while 11 people working for SPDC were killed in assaults or kidnappings in the same period. As problems continue to plague the oil industry, operators are looking to offshore (both coastal and deepsea) production and are proposing more investments in the natural-gas industry. Shell, Total (France) and Agip (Italy) jointly own the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Bonny. Chevron (formerly Chevron Texaco, of the US) and British Gas (UK) announced on January 1st 2005 that, in partnership with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (the national oil company), they will build a new LNG plant in Ondo state. This US$6bn plant will be the first large-scale investment by any major oil company outside the troubled Delta region. The plant is expected to begin production in 2012. In 2005 four members of the Economic Community of West African States (Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo) along with Shell and Chevron, began building the West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGP) project, a 680kilometre transport system designed to carry natural gas from Nigeria to markets in Benin, Ghana and Togo. The government now estimates that annual financial loss to gas flaring in Nigeria is about US$2.5bn; the WAGP project would help Nigeria better tap into its massive gas reserves. The pipeline was set to launch in December 2007, but recent pipeline vandalism and general instability in the Niger Delta delayed it. Initial gas flowed from Nigeria to Ghana in December 2008, but though completed, the pipeline was not fully operational as of April 2009. In 2008 Nigeria was approached by EU and Russian representatives interested in building a pipeline from Nigeria via Niger to Algeria to deliver gas to Europe. Several international firms have expressed interest in participating in the Trans-Sahara Pipeline Project, including Russia’s Gazprom, France’s Total and Shell. It is unclear how the project will develop as obstacles such as the 0ngoing security threats in the region stand in the way. vwvwmain20090507t1515000015; EIU ViewsWire 07 May 2009 (T15:15), Part 15 of 89 Document EIUCP00020090509e5570006n Page 547 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Interfax Russia & CIS Military Daily 13,095 words 6 May 2009 01:01 PM Interfax: Russia & CIS Military Daily RUSMIL English (c) 2009 Interfax Information Services, B.V. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied any interference in Georgia's internal affairs, particularly the Tuesday events at the Mukhrovani military base, which, according to some Georgian officials, were masterminded by Russia. "We reaffirm once again that Russia is not interfering in Georgia's internal affairs in principle. We do not believe in scenarios imposed from the outside," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. "This is not the first time we have been groundlessly accused of interference," the statement says. "It is curious that the accusations have been increasingly more absurd each time. A lot has been said. However, the matter has not yet gone as far as claiming that Russia is trying to overthrow the Georgian government with the help of the Georgian armed forces," it says. The Foreign Ministry described Tbilisi's claims to this effect as "another anti-Russian sortie." "What is significant is the time Tbilisi has chosen for its new action - one day before the start of NATO exercises in Georgia," it said. Moscow has warned its partners that "this event is absolutely out of place in the tense internal Georgian and regional situation," the Foreign Ministry said. "Our warnings have not been listened to," it said. "What is happening now is exactly what we were worried about," the statement says. "The Georgian leadership immediately interprets uncontrolled internal political processes in Georgian society as inspired by a foreign enemy represented by Russia. This is an inappropriate way to resolve problems of its own society, not to mention that this happens in an explosive Caucasus region," it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday hailed a decision Page 548 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. by Kazakhstan, Moldova, Armenia and Serbia to back out from planned NATO exercises in Georgia, exercises that Moscow strongly opposes. "We note that some countries have heeded our concerns in connection with these exercises and have decided not to take part in this dubious action," Igor Lyakin-Frolov told Interfax. NATO says the participants in the planned exercise as part of the alliance's partnership for Peace program, to go on until June 1, included nine NATO member states in addition to partners of the alliance. BRUSSELS. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Belgian Foreign Ministry has formally notified Russia about withdrawing accreditation from two Russian diplomats, Viktor Kochukov and Vasily Chizhov, who worked for the permanent mission of Russia to NATO, said Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin. "The note has been received," Rogozin told Interfax on Tuesday. The permanent mission of Russia to NATO received the formal note from the Belgian Foreign Ministry through diplomatic channels at 4:50 p.m. local time, he said. "Apart from containing a reference to the Geneva convention and a NATO paper stripping our two diplomats of accreditation, it says that they must leave Belgium, but does not stipulate special terms and how exactly this should be done," Rogozin said. The permanent mission is currently preparing a response to set departure deadlines for its employees, he said. The Russian diplomats must certainly be allowed enough time to prepare for the move and to get their families ready for it, he said. MOSCOW. April 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The apparent military coup attempt in Georgia on Tuesday was another provocative act by the Georgian leadership, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "I think this is another act of provocation in both the information and geopolitical fields. The current Georgian leadership has shown itself as a proponent of such provocations. I am convinced that this it is not a coincidence that this provocation was staged right before the NATO exercises in Georgia, which are to begin on May 6, despite all our warnings," Lavrov said in an interview with Western journalists, an excerpt from which Channel One television showed on Wednesday morning. Page 549 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The Georgian leadership announced the prevention of a military coup on Tuesday. President Mikheil Saakashvili said the mutineers planned to thwart NATO military exercises beginning in Georgia on Wednesday. He also suggested that Russia might have been behind the failed coup. The mutiny broke out at a military unit stationed in Mukhrovani outside Tbilisi. The personnel of a special armor battalion declared their disobedience to the authorities but agreed to lay down their arms soon afterwards. NEW YORK, United Nations. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will actively oppose any attempts by some nations to justify their fellow countrymen who fought on the side of the Nazis during the Second World War, Russian representative Igor Yevdokimov said at the United Nations headquarters in New York. "Historical memory is eroding in certain countries which are trying to justify their fellow countrymen, who fought under the same banner with the Nazis, with the high ideals of nationalist liberation movements," the Russian diplomat said on Wednesday. Now is the time to remind to those countries' leaders that such a policy disagrees with their commitments of UN member states, he said. Russia will take most decisive action, both bilaterally and internationally, in order to oppose any attempts to falsify and rewrite the history in favor of any political conjuncture, Yevdokimov said. The UN and its Department of Public Information (DPI) should pay more attention to the upcoming 64th anniversary of the World War II victory on May 9, he said. "There is no statute of limitation for the crimes of Nazi and their abettors, and we would like the DPI to pay more attention to this subject," the diplomat said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow has decided to deprive Isabelle Francois, the director of the NATO Information Office in Moscow, and its official Mark Opgenorth of diplomatic accreditation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "In response to an unfriendly act on the part of NATO in relation to officials from the Russian Permanent Representation to NATO, Russia has made a forced decision to deprive Isabelle Francois, the director of the NATO Information Office in Moscow and an attache of the Canadian Embassy to Russia, and Mark Opgenorth, another member of the office staff and an attache of the Canadian Embassy to Russia, of Page 550 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. diplomatic accreditation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Canadian Ambassador to Russia Ralph Lysyshyn had earlier been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry to be informed about this decision, it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried have discussed the political situation inside Georgia in a telephone conversation. "The Russian party gave an appropriate assessment of the reasons for instability in this country," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report on Wednesday. "We have always dreaded events that are taking place in Georgia today. When tensions are running high in Georgian society amid an uncontrollable internal political situation, it is immediately interpreted by the Georgian authorities as a search for an external enemy represented by Russia," the ministry said. "It becomes a serious destabilizing factor in the region," it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has not stopped contacts with Hamas, although members of this group will not take part in the Moscow conference on the Middle East peace process, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "As regards Hamas or any other group, I would like to say that the participants in the conference are states, and Hamas, as far as I know, has never questioned [Palestinian National Authority President] Mahmoud Abbas's mandate to hold negotiations on behalf of all Palestinians," Lavrov said in an interview published on the Russian Foreign Ministry website on Wednesday. At the same time, "we have not stopped our work with Hamas. We are maintaining contacts using different methods, including through our representatives in the region, and speaking with [Hamas leader] Khaled Mashaal on the telephone," Lavrov said. It is critical to restore Palestinian unity as soon as possible, he said. "I think it would be fundamentally important for all Palestinian groups to stand on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Arab Peace Initiative as a first step," Lavrov said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to discuss relations within the Russia-NATO Council and the situation in the South Caucasus with U.S. Secretary of State Page 551 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Hillary Clinton during his upcoming visit to the U.S. "Certainly, we will discuss the entire range of our relations within the Russia-NATO Council and also the alarming situation in the South Caucasus, which is still in place chiefly because of provocative steps that the Georgian leadership has been taking from time to time," Lavrov said at a news briefing on Wednesday. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski agree that historic problems should not add tensions to contemporary relations between the two countries. "We discussed difficult matters related to our countries' history. We agree that historic problems should not affect the present and the future of our relations, not to mention burden these relations," Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Sikorski. "Historians should deal with history, and these issues should not be a problem," Lavrov said. A Russian-Polish commission on complex matters should meet in Moscow next week, he said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia has banned flights over its territory by an air company, which delivers supplies to the Swedish contingent of the coalition forces in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "It became known yesterday that Tbilisi had banned flights over Georgia by an air company which airlifts supplies to the Swedish contingent in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan," Lavrov said at a press briefing on Wednesday. "The flight were regular, but they have been banned under a laughable pretext - the absence of agreement on the Swedish side. This goes beyond all bounds," the Russian foreign minister said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow welcomes a trend toward warmer relations between Russia and the U.S., said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "A warmer atmosphere in Russian-American relations is a factor that we welcome. We have always favored an appropriate, mutually respectful, and equal dialogue with our U.S. partners, a dialogue that would embrace virtually all major international problems and help Moscow and Washington do some useful work, and a dialogue based on a joint analysis of the situation rather than some unilateral Page 552 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. approaches that the Bush administration was given to," Lavrov said in an interview published on the Russian Foreign Ministry website on Wednesday. Moscow expects "the atmosphere that has been in place with the Barack Obama administration coming to power in the U.S. should promote this joint work in practice," he said. "We will see if this is true in the near future, in the course of preparations for a first summit of President Medvedev and President Obama planned for July this year in Moscow," he said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The participants in negotiations between Russia and the U.S. on strategic offensive weapons will not be able to reach an agreement on the entire spectrum of the problem, and therefore they should focus only on reducing these arms, Col. Gen. Viktor Yesin, a former chief of staff of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN), said in an interview with Interfax on Wednesday. "It appears to be quite reasonable at the present stage of the development of the agreements to focus only on the problems of reduction and limitation of strategic offensive weapons, including those which have non-nuclear warheads," Yesin said in comments on U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller's statement regarding prospects for the Russian-U.S. talks, which she made in an earlier interview with Interfax. The approaches toward negotiations with Russia on concluding a new treaty on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive weapons set out in Gottemoeller's interview "can only be welcomed," Yesin said. At the same time, "it would be wrong to expect that this agreement would cover all issues related to the parties' strategic weapons," Yesin said. "The time left before the end of the year is clearly not enough for this," he said. "It is critically important not to lose Moscow's and Washington's mutual desire to achieve practical results in the area of strategic offensive weapons" so that a new agreement should be signed by the end of 2009, he said. "It may well be not comprehensive, but this interim step is very important. Further progress on the path of expanding cooperation between Moscow and Washington on the entire spectrum of problems related to nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and limitation of strategic missile defense systems is unthinkable without it," Yesin said. Page 553 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied Georgia's claims that Russia has increased its military presence near the Georgian borders. "It would make sense to take a closer look at the deceitful claims that Russia has dramatically increased its military presence to influence the internal situation in Georgia. In fact, after the lifting of the precautionary measures that were taken in early April against the background of mass anti-governmental protests in Tbilisi, the level of the Russian military presence near the Georgian border has not been increased," the Foreign Ministry said in a Tuesday statement. The Russian military bases in South Ossetia and Abkhazia are functioning in a routine manner, it said. "After relevant agreements were signed recently, the servicemen of the Russian armed forces are being replaced by border guards at the South Ossetian and Abkhaz borders. Our measures to provide security of these republics are purely practical," it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - A majority of Russian citizens believe that people who deny the Soviet Union's contribution to the victory in World War II should be put on trial, said Olga Kamenchuk, who heads the media contacts department of the All Russian Center for Public Opinion Studies. "The results of our poll suggest that more than 50% of Russians, 60% to be precise, back the idea of introducing criminal liability for persons who negate [the Soviet Union's] contribution to the victory in World War II," Kamenchuk said in Moscow on Wednesday. Thirty-six percent of respondents support this idea completely, and 24% partially, she said. Twenty-six percent of those polled took the opposite view. The initiative enjoys the greatest support among Russians over 60 years old (71%), but it is approved of by less than 30% of citizens below 44 years of age, Kamenchuk said. The public opinion survey involved 1,600 people in 140 localities across Russia, she said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO's military maneuvers in the South Caucasus region represent an act of support for Georgia's political bankrupt regime and are an obviously unfriendly step toward Russia, said academic Andrei Kokoshin, who is a State Duma deputy and former secretary of the Russian Security Council. Page 554 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "My opinion is that it is an unfriendly move in relation to Russia on the part of NATO countries amid today's conditions," Kokoshin told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. "If NATO really wants to establish mutually beneficial and equal relations with us, I would cancel such exercises or transfer them to another venue, if I were a member of the NATO bureaucracy and leadership," he said. Senior NATO officials have deliberately chosen to ignore the recent events that occurred in Georgia, when the authorities in Tbilisi announced that they had prevented a military coup in the country, the deputy said. "It is a certain act that is possibly aimed at supporting the current regime, which, on the one hand, is totally bankrupt, but, on the other hand, constantly demonstrates its absolute loyalty to Washington and the West. An alternative to it has not yet been created even among other pro-Western forces," he said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has described the expulsion of two Canadian diplomats from Russia as a logical response to similar steps that were earlier taken in relation to two officials from the Russian Permanent Representation to NATO. "These are the rules of the game, and our NATO partners, at least those who initiated the expulsion of our diplomats, could not have expected something else," Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Wednesday. At the same time, Russia is willing to continue cooperation with NATO, Lavrov said. "We want an appropriate, mutually beneficial, and mutually respectful partnership with the Euro-Atlantic alliance. We want appropriate, pragmatic, and mutually respectful work of the Russia-NATO Council based on the principles that were stipulated when this mechanism was established," he said. Talking about NATO-Georgian relations and the upcoming exercises in Georgia, Lavrov warned NATO against conniving with the Georgian regime. He pointed out, in particular, that Georgia recently denied a plane supplying the Swedish forces in Afghanistan from flying through its airspace. "Surely, all this is interrelated - I mean both the exercises that are going on and a confirmation of the fact that the policy of connivance with the Tbilisi regime backfires on NATO itself," he said. Page 555 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Russia and NATO should stick to the principle of not improving their security at each other's expense, he said. "As for those who apparently want to bury this principle and ensure security in Europe not through dialogue but through unilateral decisions, they are probably behind the attempts not to allow these relations to normalize, including by way of provocations we have just mentioned," he said. KALININGRAD. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Special vessels have been called in to lift the Baltic Sea Fleet's Ka-27 helicopter, which fell into the sea, a BF headquarters source told Interfax. "Specialists will inspect the site where the helicopter sank before they lift the aircraft," the source said. The main thing here is to locate the whereabouts of the helicopter on the seabed with extreme accuracy, he said. "The depth in this area is between 50 and 60 meters, which should make it easier to search for and examine the object and subsequently lift it," he said. "Divers who can work at this depth will inspect and then strap the helicopter. The helicopter weighs 12 tonnes," the source said. "The weather in this part of the Baltic Sea on Tuesday allows the BF emergency and rescue forces to conduct the helicopter lifting operation," the source added. It was reported that while landing on the Yaroslavl Mudry patrol ship in the afternoon of May 4 the Ка-27 helicopter, owned by the BF anti-submarine squadron deployed in the village of Donskoye in Kaliningrad region, touched the topside of the ship with a propeller blade and as a result fell into the sea. The ship's on-duty and emergency rescue teams managed to rescue the helicopter crewmembers and passengers - in all, five persons. All of them were lifted on board the ship and are in a satisfactory condition. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The 22nd Combined-Arms Army will be disbanded by June 1 as part of the current overall restructuring of Russia's military, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. Those of the 22nd Army's more than 400 commanding officers who have reached retirement age would be discharged from the military, and the others would receive new postings, the spokesman told InterfaxAVN. Page 556 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The army's commander, Maj. Gen. Sergei Yudin, would await a decision on his future from the defense minister. The main forces of the 22nd Army, which is headquartered in Nizhny Novgorod, would stay in the Moscow Military District, to which the army belongs. "The Third Motorized Infantry Division and the Kantemir Tank Division will be reorganized to become brigades and will remain part of the Moscow Military District," the spokesman said. "The work of closing the headquarters, control bodies and services of the 22nd Combined-Arms Army is in full swing in Nizhny Novgorod. The deadline for the disbandment of the army is June 1 of this year," he said. There are two combined-arms armies in the Moscow Military District, the 22nd and the 20th, which has its headquarters in Voronezh. The restructured Land Forces, to number 280,000 troops, will consist of about 80 brigades - 40 combined-arms, 20 missile and artillery, and some air defense, communications and radio-electronic combat brigades. ST.PETERSBURG. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The number of future conscripts from northwestern part of Russia wishing to do an alternative civil service (ACS) this fall, remains almost unchanged. "The number of such enthusiasts has risen from seven to ten over the past six weeks, and no significant increase of this figure is expected," Lt. Co. Yury Klyonov, aide to the Leningrad Military District (LMD) troops commander, told Interfax. "All applications have been examined and accepted by the army draft commissions," he said. "Almost all of them will be doing the alternative service at civil hospitals in the region. The biggest number of those wishing to have their conscription service replaced by ACS is in the Vologda region," Klyonov said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - An operational group of Russian security forces is to replace the combined federal forces in the North Caucasus, a source with the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax on Wednesday. "As the counter-terrorist operation regime in Chechnya has been lifted, the combined federal forces are to Page 557 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. be disbanded by September 1. Instead of it, an operational group including servicemen from the Defense Ministry, the Interior Forces, and other security agencies is to be set up," it said. "The operational group is necessary in case a new counter-terrorist operation regime is imposed if the situation in Chechnya worsens," the source said. With the liquidation of the combined federal forces, other forces staying in Chechnya on a temporary basis will also be withdrawn, the source said. "This mainly concerns Interior Forces and some Defense Ministry units," it said. The withdrawal of the troops will require optimization of the central military commandant office and the reduction of the military prosecutor's office structure in Chechnya, the source said. "The implementation of these plans will certainly depend on the situation in the Chechen republic, which is now far from stabilization," the source said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - About ten Antonov An-12 and Ilyushin Il-18 aircraft equipped with special systems will be dispersing clouds over Moscow on May 9 during the Victory Day parade, Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik, aide to the Air Force commander-in-chief, told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. Between four and six airplanes will stay in the air at any time to ensure good weather conditions, he said. The airplanes have already landed at the Chkalov airfield near Moscow, where they will be equipped with special systems, Drik said. One of them will be equipped with liquid nitrogen spray systems, others with the reagent dispersion systems, he said. KRASNODAR. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to build a center for training Russian naval aviation pilots in Eisk, on the Azov Sea coast in Krasnodar Territory, a source at the town administration told Interfax on Wednesday. "Currently, we are deciding how much of land will be allocated for the Center," the source said. Russia felt the need to create a center for naval aviation pilot training after it lost the aviation testing and training center at the Novo-Fyodorovka airfield near Sakami in Crimea, Ukraine, as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The training equipment was developed specifically for practicing take-offs and landings on the aircraft Page 558 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. carrier deck without an ejection seat. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - About 70 planes and helicopters of the Russian Air Force will fly over Moscow's Red Square on Thursday May 7 as part of training for the May 9 Military Parade, Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN. "The aircraft will fly over Red Square from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at an altitude of around 300 meters and at a speed of up to 550 kilometers per hour. The parade flight time is about 6 minutes," the spokesman said. The training flight will involve Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic missile carrying aircraft, Tu-22 longrange bombers, Ilyushin IL-78 fuel tankers, an Antonov An-124 Ruslan, the largest commercially manufactured military-transport plane, Mikoyan MiG-29, MiG-31 and Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets, Su-24 and Su-34 tactical bombers, Su-25 attack aircraft, Mil Mi-26 and Mi-8 helicopters, as well as Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) and Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatics groups. An air display team flying Mi-24 Berkut helicopters, three refueling groups with air protection and Ka-50 and Ka-52 new multirole fire-cover helicopters, as well as a Mi-28N night-time anti-armor attack helicopter will make their debut parade appearance, Drik said. Flight safety will be given special attention during the training and final rehearsal of the air parade to be coordinated by Air Force Commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, Drik said. After the flight all planes will return to their bases to continue preparations for the May 9 parade. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Lieut. Gen. Valery Yevtukhovich has been dismissed from the post of Russian Airborne Troops commander for longevity of service, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax-AVN. "Airborne Troops staff chief Lieut. Gen. Nikolay Ignatov is now fulfilling the commander's duties," the spokesman said. On April 17, Yevtukhovich turned 55, which is the maximum age for service in the rank of lieutenant general, he said. "The Airborne Troops' new commander is expected to be appointed after the celebrations marking Victory Day," he added. Page 559 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. The most favored candidate for the post of Airborne Troops commander is Lieut. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov, who today heads the Armed Forces' chief military training and service department, the spokesman said. Gen. Shamanov, born in 1957, commanded a group of forces during the second Chechen campaign. Shamanov graduated from Ryazan's Paratroopers' School and commanded the 76th paratroopers' division. He served as governor of the Ulyanovsk region in 2000-2004. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has turned into the main target of the heroin aggression emanating from Afghanistan, head of the Russian Federal Anti-Drug Agency (FSKN) Viktor Ivanov told the State Duma on Wednesday. "Absolutely all of the heroin is coming to us from Afghanistan, our soft low underbelly, which thanks to transnational drug cartels turned into a drug farm with an absolute global monopoly, producing over 94% of all the world's opiates," Ivanov said. "We are dealing with a phenomenon where Russia is the main target of the heroin aggression," he said. "Each year Russia loses up to 30,000 young lives to the Afghan heroin," the FSKN chief said. Today we have every reason to "call the flow of Afghan opiates the second edition of opium wars," Ivanov said. In the middle of the 20th century "China, with its ancient civilization, essentially turned into a giant drug market and a total network of drug dens," he said. "All this led the ancient civilization to the brink of extinction," Ivanov said. "This critical situation requires us to make adequate assessments and decisions concerning the events occurring in Afghanistan and to carry out cause consequence analyses," he said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has seized 1,500 kilograms of heroin since the beginning of this year, the equivalent of two doses for every Russian, including infants, Director of the Federal AntiDrug Agency (FSKN) Viktor Ivanov told the State Duma on Wednesday. "The 1,500 kilograms of heroin seized since the beginning of the year include 300 million single-use doses and two doses per every Russian citizen, including infants," he said. Page 560 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "The amount of heroin and Afghan hashish seized by FSKN since the start of this year alone is twice as much as in 2008, and this increase reflects not only the growing efficiency of law enforcement efforts, but also the ever increasing pressure from Afghanistan," Ivanov said. Heroin is supplied to Russia by 180 Afghan drug cartels, each has its own trademark, some sort of a quality mark, the official said. Afghan drug cartels are located in the areas of responsibility of the U.S. and NATO troops, he said. "The nature of this heroin tsunami is geopolitical. Heroin production increase in Afghanistan amazingly corresponds to the growing number and concentration of troops in that country," the FSKN chief said. Therefore, resolving the Afghan drug problem requires "consolidated action of the entire global community represented in the United Nations," he said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Police are searching for a group of unidentified young people who attempted to set the Perovo Military Commissariat on fire by throwing Molotov cocktails into its windows in the early hours of Wednesday, a law enforcement source told Interfax on Wednesday. "Five young people pelted the commissariat's windows on Lazo Street with bottles containing flammable liquid. A total of five bottles were thrown," the source said. The liquid, however, did not catch alight, the source said. "Police are looking for the arsonists now. They are presumably members of an extremist youth group actively campaigning against the military draft," he said. There were reports on Tuesday, about a similar attack on the headquarters of the Leninsky district police department in Nizhny Novgorod, in which unidentified men threw three Molotov cocktails into the building in the early hours of Tuesday. The incident occurred at about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, a source with the Leninsky police department told Interfax. "The delinquents threw three bottles to the police department building, one of them containing petrol and glue, the second kerosene, and the third diesel fuel. This caused an explosion and a fire, which was quickly put out," the source said. Page 561 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Nobody was harmed in the incident, he said. KALININGRAD. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Yaroslav Mudry patrol vessel suffered minor damage because of a Ka-27 helicopter crash on Monday and will be commissioned for the Russian Navy on time, Igor Orlov, the general director of the Kaliningrad-based Yantar Shipyard, told Interfax. "We can say already now that, during the helicopter's crash and its falling overboard, the ship received minor damage, which makes it possible for the crew and the commissioning team to continue the sea trials in full," he said. "The incident will not have any impact on the dates when the ship is to be commissioned for the Russian Navy, and the vessel will be commissioned in June, as was planned," Orlov said. "The slight damage to the upper deck will be repaired at the factory quite quickly," Orlov said. "The people are ready to do this job," he added. The Yaroslav Mudry is to join the Baltic Fleet in May or June this year. The vessel is armed with modern tactical weapons, including a ship-to-ship attack missile system, a medium- and short-range air defense missile system, an RBU-6000 jet mortar, and others. The ship will carry a Ka-27 helicopter armed with anti-submarine torpedoes, missiles, and depth bombs. Interfax reported earlier that a Ka-27 touched a deck structure with its rotor while landing and then fell into the sea and sank on Monday. The ship's rescue team saved the helicopter's five crewmembers and passengers. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's chief state expert assessment department has given its approval to plans to provide funds for a project aimed at overhauling and re-equipping the research and production facilities of the Information Satellite Systems company, based in Zheleznogorsk in Krasnoyarsk territory, the firm said in a press release on Wednesday. The project, which will enable Information Satellites Systems to begin building the Glonass-K satellite, will receive 2.37 billion rubles from the budget as part of the Global Navigation Satellite System federal program, the company said. "The technological program to upgrade the production base of Information Satellite Systems to enable it Page 562 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. to manufacture the Glonass-K satellite was developed by specialists of the same enterprise. The project involves efforts to modernize the existing production and experimental facilities, to purchase advanced metal-processing equipment and to overhaul the utility systems," it said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian helicopter maker Vertolyoty Rossii is planning to open a transmission center at the facilities of the Perm-based Reduktor-PM, the company said in a press release, a copy of which was obtained by Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. The powers of the sole executive body of Aviatsionnye Reduktora E Transmissii - Permskiye Motory (the full company name of Reduktor-PM) were delegated to the managing organization, Vertolyoty Rossii, for a three-year period under an agreement effective from April 1, the statement said. "It was logical to single out from the "Perm cluster" a company with profound experience in manufacturing transmissions for helicopters," Vertolyoty Rossii's General Director Andrei Shibitov was quoted as saying in the statement. "Reduktor-PM is the leader in this field. It is this company that is involved in very many promising projects on helicopter construction. For the company to become more efficient we will implement a set of measures aimed to increase production facilities and to enhance the products' quality," Shibitov said Today's competitive environment is setting new requirements, the statement said. "Due to this Vertolyoty Rossi is forming the most optimal structure for cooperation in development and experimental studies in the field of transmissions. A two-stage program of Reduktor-PM's technical re-armament and restructuring has already been prepared," the statement said. Vertolyoty Rossii is a subsidiary of Oboronprom which is part of the Rostekhnologii state corporation. TOMILINO, Moscow region. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - A new Russian space suit to be used during space walks will be developed in several years, Sergei Pozdnyakov, general director and general designer of the Zvezda research and production enterprise, told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. "The first samples will appear in 2012, and the final version should be ready by 2015," Pozdnyakov said. The outer layer of the next series of space suits, which will be known as Orlan-MKS, will use polyurethane instead of rubber, he said. "Polyurethane is a very reliable and durable material. Its structure prevents a hole cut by some sharp Page 563 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. object from getting bigger. This reliability will allow us to stop using a double outer layer and to make the new Orlan suit more flexible and comfortable," the Zvezda general director said. The new outer layer will help increase such space suits' service life to six-eight years and allow cosmonauts to use them during a larger number of space walks, he said. TOMILINO (near Moscow). May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Hermetically sealed capsules might replace spacesuits in the new Russian manned spaceship Rus, whose development will be over next year. "Some have proposed placing crewmembers, who are not involved in steering the spaceship, in hermetically sealed capsules instead of spacesuits. A crewmember will step in a capsule, zip it up and remain enclosed in it like in an egg at dangerous moments of the flight," Sergei Pozdnyakov, the general director and general designer of the Zvezda research and production company, told Interfax-AVN. But this is only an idea, he said. What all this will look like will become clear after the Zvezda receives protection and life-support standards for the crews of the new spaceship, he added. "We are waiting to receive the basic parameters of the spaceship - its size, the G effect and the flight time in the event of loss of pressure," said Pozdnyakov. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The contract for modernization of five Ilyushin Il-38SD antisubmarine aircraft for the Indian Navy has entered the final stage. "The last, fifth modernized Il-38SD aircraft will be handed over to India in the nearest future," a source at the Russian defense industry told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday. "The fifth aircraft has been successfully tested by the manufacturer and is virtually ready to be delivered to the customer," he said. Two of the five modernized aircraft were handed over to India by the Russian Navy, the source recalled. "It was a compensation for the loss of two Indian aircraft as a result of an air collision in 2002," he said. The contract for the repair and modernization of five Il-38 aircraft in Russia was signed by Rosoboronexport in September 2002. According to unofficial estimates, it amounts to around $150 million. The modernized Il-38SD anti-submarine aircraft are fitted with the new "Sea Dragon" airborne search and sighting system, which includes an onboard radio electronic complex, an infrared sighting device and Page 564 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. high-definition radars. The system is able to detect aerial targets at a distance of up to 90 kilometers and sea going targets at 320 kilometers. The system is capable of tracking 32 targets simultaneously. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Space Agency Roskosmos and Lavochkin Design Bureau are planning to launch the Phobos Grunt unmanned lander to Phobos, one of the satellites of Mars, this year, Roskosmos said in a press release posted on its website. "Creating this spacecraft is one of our biggest priorities. The schedule is tight, all work to create the Phobos Grunt space complex is in total agreement with the 2009 launch deadline," the statement said. The Phobos Grunt mission to deliver soil from the Mars' satellite is two years behind schedule because the spacecraft is not ready, a source familiar with the situation told Interfax-AVN earlier. "The launch of Phobos Grunt has been postponed due to technical problems. Lavochkin Design Bureau is simply unable to complete the spacecraft physically before the end of the year. The next suitable "window" for the launch will open in 2011," the source said. According to the Lavochkin Design Bureau's website, the launch of Phobos Grunt is scheduled for 2009. Scientists hope that sample soil from the satellite of Mars will help clarify a number of questions about the formation of the solar system. ASTANA. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium will visit Baikonur in May to watch the launch of the Soyuz TMA 15 manned spacecraft. The announcement about the upcoming trip to Baikonur by Crown Prince Philippe was made by King Albert II of Belgium at his meeting with Kazakhstan's Ambassador Erik Utembayev in Brussels, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. It was reported that the Soyuz TMA 15 spacecraft is due to be launched from Baikonur on May 27 to deliver the ISS Expedition 20 crew led by Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne to the International Space Station (ISS). MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The participants of the 105-day scientific experiment simulating a mission to Mars have been inside the Mars mission mock-up for more than a month already, a source at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medical and Biological Problems (RAS IMBP) told InterfaxAVN. Page 565 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "One third of the way is completed. The six participants "are flying" further, leaving behind what is probably one of the most difficult stages - creating a real team," said Pavel Morgunov of RAS IMBP. Although the crew was formed and examined beforehand, some adjustments have been made as a result of work in isolation, he said. "But the scientists were lucky: the crew work well together. According to the crew's reports, initially time seemed to pass very slowly, but now they got used to it and have not even noticed how they "have flown" for over a month. They say initially there was a lot of mess, mistakes and inaccuracies in their work. Now it is all in the past. Work is well organized, they even have time for rest," Morgunov said. All the participants are feeling good, and have no complaints, he said. "We have already gathered scientific material and the material for the next "mission" to Mars, but the most complicated experiments are still ahead," the IMBP official said. The 105-day preliminary experiment is conducted by the IMBP in Moscow on the ground test facilities simulating a spacecraft. Four volunteers from Russia and two from Europe are taking part in the experiment. They have lived isolated from the outside world since March 30. After the end of the experiment the participants will be rewarded. This experiment is part of the Mars-500 projects and precedes the 520-day simulation of a Mars mission with return to Earth. VLADIVOSTOK. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The U.S. Navy missile cruiser Cowpens is to enter the port of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East on May 7. The commander of the cruiser Cowpens is Captain Holly Graf, a spokesman for the U.S. Consulate General in Vladivostok told Interfax. It is a business visit, which will include a number of official and cultural events, sport matches and a visit to a children's medical rehabilitation center, the spokesman said. The U.S. ship's visit plays a special role because it comes ahead of Victory Day celebrations in Russia, he said. Our countries were allies during World War II, and the Cowpens crew plans to pay respects to all Russian and U.S. soldiers who fought during the war, he added. Page 566 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - France's National Police Director General Frederic Pechenard and members of his delegation visited the base of the Russian Interior Troops' Independent Operational Division on Wednesday. "We are greatly interested in the experience of our Russian colleagues. That is why we will organize joint training exercises of Russian Interior Troops servicemen and officers of the French [National] Gendarmerie," Pechenard said. During their visit, officials of France's law enforcement services were shown the Interior Troops' weapons and military hardware, including new Vystrel armored escort vehicles and Tigr cross-country trucks. The chief of the French National Police praised the professionalism of division servicemen and the stateof-the-art facilities of the Interior Troops' training center. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Interior Ministry has circulated video footage in which President Mikheil Saakashvili spoke with Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili after quelling a rebellion at the Mukhrovani military base and reprimanded him for excessive tolerance toward "criminal elements." "Liberalism has become dangerous here indeed. We can no longer tolerate the activities of former highranking military officers turned criminals. They gather for some parties, discuss some plans, and we look at all this not seriously enough," Saakashvili said. He urged Merabishvili to investigate the incident thoroughly, "so that no one should cherish illusions about committing military coups in Georgia." Saakashvili ordered that all those involved in the coup attempt be arrested. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Soldiers who were carrying rucksacks were put on buses and evacuated from Georgia's Mukhrovani military base, which was the site of a rebellion on Tuesday, Georgian media said, surmising those soldiers had been involved in the mutiny and were being moved to other army units. Georgian media said Interior Ministry special forces troops were at the Mukhrovani base currently. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Several top Georgian Defense Ministry officers have been arrested for planning a coup in the country, the Georgian Interior Ministry announced. Page 567 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "A coup plot has been exposed," Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told a briefing on Tuesday. The arrested officers are charged with attempting a coup and involvement with the Russian special services, Utiashvili said. "The Interior Ministry has exposed a plot that was being prepared in some of the Defense Ministry's military units," he said. "The organizers were former high-ranking Defense Ministry officials. The preliminary investigation materials show that the plot was coordinated with the Russians and was aimed at disrupting the NATO training scheduled to take place in Georgia on May 6," Utiashvili said. The organizer of the coup is Giya Gvaladze, who was head of the special task unit Delta in the 1990s, Utiashvili said. The Interior Ministry has a video of Gvaladze talking to his followers about the planned coup. "The Russians will come to help us, a total of 5,000 people, who intend to liquidate such leaders as Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, Giga Bokeriya, Levan Ramishvili, Gigi Ugulava, and some other people," Gvaladze says in the video. "If the coup is a success, Georgia will reunite with Russia. After that, Aslan Abashidze, Levan Mamaladze, and Levan Pirveli will come back," Gvaladze said in the video, adding that elections would be held in Georgia if the coup succeeded. In the video, Gvaladze said the coup was planned for Thursday and said that some of the military units were on his side. The Georgian Interior Ministry said the masterminds of the rebellion were planning to reintegrate Georgia into the CIS, which, as Gvaladze said in the video, would have happened after the incumbent government had been overthrown. "We will block the airport and blow up the railroad. The border with Turkey will be shut immediately, and the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia will be taken under control," Gvaladze said. "About $3 million should be brought to us from South Ossetia. We will put together a group of 300 people and will get full equipment. Our goal is to attack and eliminate a number of sites," he said. Page 568 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gvaladze said, in particular, that the rebels were planning to destroy buildings of the Interior Ministry and the Rustavi 2 television company. "We will raze these buildings to the ground," he said. A Georgian Interior Ministry official said another leader of the coup, Koba Otaradze, is currently at large. A criminal case has been opened and an investigation is underway, the official said. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia's Interior Ministry said a rebellion at a Georgian military base on Tuesday had been aimed at preventing a planned NATO-led military exercise in the country from going ahead and that "the organizers of the mutiny have confessed to that." One of the suspected organizers of the rebellion at the Mukhrovani base has been arrested and two others were being looked for, the ministry said in a statement, describing the current situation at the base as "quiet and stable." "Around 23:00 on May 4, the Department of Constitutional Security of the Georgian Ministry of the Interior arrested Georgian citizen Maj. Gia Gvaladze, born in 1972, who served in the special forces of the Georgian Ministry of State Security in the 1990s," the ministry said. "The search is on for Koba Otanadze, born in 1967, who is suspected of co-organizing the mutiny. His name occurs in records of the mutiny in the Mukhrovani military unit in 2001. Zaza Mushkudiani, a former chief of a ranger battalion of the Georgian Ministry of Defense who is a close friend of Gvaladze's, is also being looked for," it said. The ministry said the rebellion might have pursued other aims in addition to torpedoing the planned exercise, which is part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Thirteen civilians were arrested and were being interrogated on suspicion of involvement in a rebellion on Tuesday at a military base near the capital Tbilisi, the Interior Ministry told reporters. Up to 500 members of the tank battalion that is stationed at the Mukhrovani base, the site of the mutiny, were in detention at another military base, Vaziani, also near Tbilisi, and, according to some sources, were also being questioned. Five officers who had run away from the Mukhrovani base after the rebellion were arrested. The search was on for another six officers. Police cordons were put up within a radius of 100 kilometers around Page 569 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mukhrovani village to stop them escaping. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Lt. Col. Mamuka Gorgiashvili, the commander of the Mukhrovani Armor Battalion, whose servicemen reportedly attempted to commit a coup earlier on Tuesday, said in televised remarks broadcast by the Georgian Interior Ministry in the evening that he had received an order from the organizers of the rebellion in the morning to form an armor convoy and lead it toward Tbilisi. "Koba Otanadze [whom the Georgian Interior Ministry considers the key organizer of the coup attempt] and several civilians visited the military unit and ordered that I lead my battalion to Tbilisi, where people and the opposition would be waiting for me. He also said I would receive a large sum of money after fulfilling this mission," Gorgiashvili said. YEREVAN. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Armenia will not take part in the military exercises under the NATO auspices in Georgia to take place on May 6-June 1, a source with the Armenian Defense Ministry told Interfax. "Proceeding from the circumstances in place, the Armenian Defense Ministry is announcing that its representatives will not take part in the NATO exercises in Georgia," it said. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian people will not forgive the country's leaders for last year's events in the Caucasus, and the regime of Mikheil Saakashvili will soon be replaced, said Nino Burdzhanadze, leader of the Democratic Movement - United Georgia, an opposition party. "Today the time has come for Georgian authorities to be punished for what they did last August. The authorities think they can cheat people easily, but the Georgian people will not forgive it to them," the former speaker said at the rally in front of the parliamentary building on Tuesday. Georgian people "will liberate the country and build a new Georgia, free and worthy one," she said. SUKHUMI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Abkhazia's foreign minister said in television program on Tuesday that Abkhazia would not allow the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) to conduct any activities on its territory unless UNOMIG drops "Georgia" from its name. Nor can Abkhazia accept phrases such as "Abkhazia, Georgia," and "de facto Abkhaz authorities," Sergei Shamba told Abkhaz State Television. "It's a hard process for them, while we are working to that end gradually, step-by-step. The last two Page 570 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. resolutions of the UN Security Council used the formula 'UN Mission' due to our persistence. Now it is our goal to have other names that are unacceptable to us removed from use," Shamba said. "If the UN Security Council makes an incorrect decision [on the mission] on June 15, UNOMIG would be barred from Abkhazia, the minister said. Abkhazia would also boycott the "Geneva process," international talks in Geneva in seeking to put into practice agreements to remove the aftermath of the August 2008 war in Georgia, he said. Abkhazia does, however, need diplomatic contacts with major countries, Shamba said. "That's our prestige. We must show our viability in the international arena," Shamba said. As for a Russian-Abkhaz agreement on the joint control of the Abkhaz-Georgian border signed in Moscow on May 30, he said the reason for the accord was "that we have an aggressive neighbor." "Events that have been taking pace in the region since August last year have been evidence of this," he added. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - More than 5,000 opposition supporters are rallying at this hour in the square in front of the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi. The latest events at the Mukhrovani military base have become the key topic of the opposition leaders at the rally, who dubbed it "a show." "The rebellion show staged by Saakashvili must be investigated by international experts, it is time for the shows staged by current authorities to be done with once and for all," one of the opposition leaders David Gamkrelidze said at the rally. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - One of the leaders of the Georgian opposition Nino Burdzhanadze does not believe the reports from the Georgian Interior Ministry that the military mutiny was planned. "Of course, I do not believe this video footage, because recently our public has learnt the lessons that all of this is absolute nonsense," she told journalists on Tuesday, commenting on the events at the Mukhrovani military base. However, the opposition does not have exact information about what happened at the military base in Mukhrovani, she said. "I can say for sure that I rule out that Georgian military servicemen were playing according to a Russian scenario as the Interior Ministry claims. By the way, these are the military who were fighting heroically in Page 571 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. the Tskhinvali region, when their commander-in-chief fled," she said. The rebellion of the armored tank battalion in Mukhrovani "looks like a clear provocation by the Georgian security forces," former Georgian ambassador to Russia Erosi Kitsmarishvili said live on the Ekho Moskvy radio. "I do not believe what Saakashvili-controlled media outlets are now saying, I do not even know whether the mutiny has actually taken place at this base. No one is providing any picture. It could be a virtual mutiny," Kitsmarishvili said. This provocation is designed "to discredit the opposition which was going to step up its efforts in coming days," he said. "The NATO-Russian discussion of the recent drills in Georgia [also] played a part," he said. "Saakashvili is showing to the West that the whole world rose against him and he seeking patronage in that direction," Kitsmarishvili said. Georgi Khaindrava, one of the opposition leaders, said on the Ekho Moskvy radio that the military rebellion was "definitely" organized by Georgian authorities. "In fact, there was no mutiny there. Being aware that he is losing total control over his country, Saakashvili thought up this horror story," the opposition activist said. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The exercise organized by NATO as part of the Partnership For Peace program begins at the Georgian Defense Ministry's Vaziani base on Wednesday. The exercise will be held in two stages: a command post exercise and a field exercise. The multinational forces will practice their skills as a peacekeeping battalion, the Georgian Defense Ministry told Interfax. Officially the exercise opens on May 11 and ends on June 1. The exercise will involve 15 NATO members and partners, the ministry said. Moldova, Serbia, Kazakhstan and Switzerland declined to participate. "Contrary to the media reports, Georgia received no formal refusal from Armenia," the Georgian Defense Ministry said. Meanwhile, the exercise starts the day after the Georgian leadership announced about a foiled mutiny in the country. Page 572 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Rebellions were planning to disrupt the alliance's military drills, said Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Russia played a part in organizing the mutiny, he said. On hearing this statement, the Kremlin recommended that the Georgian leader "should see a doctor." Earlier Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had called the NATO exercise in Georgia a "provocation." Moscow hailed the refusal by some of the countries to participate in NATO's exercise in Georgia. Kazakhstan, Moldova, Armenia and Serbia said they will not participate. According to NATO, nine NATO members and four countries included in the Partnership For Peace program are planning to take part in the exercise which will continue until June 1. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's plan "to discredit the opposition by staging a military coup has failed," said Irakly Batiashvili, a former Georgian state security minister and now an opposition leader. "Everything was designed to link the presumed military coup to the opposition's protests with the demand of Saakashvili's resignation so as to demoralize the opposition, but this has led to the opposite results, as everybody perfectly understood the dirty methods used by the authorities, and society will surely consolidate with the opposition," Batiashvili said on the Maestro TV channel on Tuesday evening. "Georgian society has been insulted by the Saakashvili regime's provocations," he said. Batiashvili was arrested in 2006 on charges of providing "moral support" to the military coup in the Kodori Gorge of Abkhazia. The charges were based on a secertly recorded telephone conversation between Batiashvili and coup leader Emzar Kvitsiani, a presidential envoy to the Kodori Gorge, in which Batiashvili asked the mutineers to hold on and warned them against shedding blood. He spent over two years in prison. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian foreign minister Grigol Vashadze has suggested that the organizers of the military coup on Tuesday had ties with Russian special services, although he said he could not insist that these special services were directly involved in the coup attempt. "I cannot say whether Russian special services were directly involved in the coup. The investigation has Page 573 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. to look into this," Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said in an interview published in the Wednesday issue of Kommersant. The coup organizers "have been noticed to have ties with Russian special services for a long time," Vashadze said. "The coup organizers themselves said about ties with Russian special services. There are records of their conversations, which prove all this," Vashadze said. "They were distributing large sums of money denominated in U.S. dollars and euro among their supporters, and there can be no doubts that the money for the coup came exactly from Russia," he said. The Georgian leadership announced the prevention of a military coup on Tuesday. President Mikheil Saakashvili said the mutineers planned to thwart NATO military exercises beginning in Georgia on Wednesday. He also suggested that Russia might have been behind the failed coup. The Russian Foreign Ministry in response advised Saakashvili "to see a doctor." Russian President Dmitry Medvedev earlier branded the NATO exercises in Georgia as an act of provocation. ALMATY. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Officers of the Almaty branch of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee have dismantled the operations of a cross-border drug trafficking ring suspected of smuggling heroin produced in Afghanistan across Kazakhstan into China. The Kazakh special service has carried out a "large-scale, multi-phase international special operation code-named "Safari-Transit", some parts of which took place on the territory of China in close cooperation with the Social Security Ministry of China," the National Security Committee's Almaty department said in a press release on Wednesday. "During the operation, 19 members of an international criminal group were arrested between September 2008 and March 2009. Of them, nine were arrested in Almaty (three citizens of Mongolia, five Afghan citizens and one citizen of Ghana), and another ten in [the Chinese city of] Guangzhou (seven citizens of Nigeria, one citizen of Mongolia and one Uzbek citizen)," it said. More than 15 kilograms of smuggled heroin were confiscated in Kazakhstan and China as a result of the operation, it said. Page 574 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. KYIV. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has dismissed Western media allegations that Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko and members acted improperly at Frankfurt airport in Germany. On May 4, the Interior Ministry's delegation was detained in the transit zone of Frankfurt airport during document checks and missed the flight, with the plane crew refused to take them on board, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Department for Public Relations and International Affairs told Interfax on Wednesday. So the delegation decided to catch the next flight. "There were no handcuffs, no drunken conflict," the department said. Earlier, several foreign media outlets said that police detained Ukrainian Interior Minister Lutsenko and members of the Ukrainian delegation in a state of acute alcohol intoxication at Frankfurt airport. The plane captain refused to take off with such drunken passengers. In response, Lutsenko allegedly "took offense, started shouting and hurling his mobile phone." The captain called police and told them that the troublemaker claimed to be the Ukrainian interior minister. Police detained the tipsy passengers, one of whom, the 19-year-old son of the minister, Alexander, was incompliant and as a result was handcuffed, media reported. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Groups participating in NATO's military exercises, which will take place as part of the alliance's Partnership for Peace program, are arriving at the Georgian Defense Ministry's Vaziani base. The first stage of the May 11- June 1 event will include the Cooperative Longbow 2009 staff exercises at the Vaziani base, a spokesman for the Georgian Defense Ministry told Interfax. They will continue until May 19 and focus on headquarters operations, NATO procedures and partner-countries' compatibility during crisis management efforts at the level of multinational brigades, he said. The exercises will involve more than 200 officers from 15 NATO member-nations and partners. The Cooperative Lancer field exercises are to start at the Vaziani base on May 21. They will center on multinational forces' training as part of peacekeeping operations at the level of battalions and involve over 700 servicemen. YEREVAN. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The U.S. administration plans to help sort out relations between Page 575 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Armenia and Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan. "Secretary of State Clinton has described a statement made by the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Turkey on April 22 as historic. She also confirmed the U.S. position to continue helping reach a total settlement in Armenian-Turkish relations," a spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Interfax on Wednesday. At their meeting in Washington, Clinton and Nalbandyan also discussed problems surrounding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and an upcoming meeting of the Armenian and Azeri presidents in Prague. "The U.S. secretary of state noted that the Karabakh conflict should be resolved peacefully, and the U.S., which co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group, will continue providing comprehensive assistance as part of efforts to reach accord between the parties and to solve this problem, which, according to Clinton, will open up new opportunities for development and steps to strengthen stability and security in South Caucasus," the spokesman said. The Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers said in April that a road map intended to help sort out bilateral relations would be drawn up. Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations because of the events in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, also known as the Armenian Genocide, as a result of which, according to various estimates, more than 1.5 million people were killed. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Moldova has thanked the Russian authorities for their position taken during the riots in Chisinau in April. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Andrei Stratan, who is Moldova's deputy prime minister and minister in charge of integration with Europe, in Moscow on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report on Wednesday. "Speaking on behalf of the [Moldovan] leadership, Stratan expressed his gratitude to Russia for its clear and explicit position voiced against the background of attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova," the ministry said. The Moldovan official also told the Russian authorities about efforts being made by the Moldovan Page 576 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. government to bring the situation back to normal and to protect democratic reforms, it said. Lavrov and Stratan "made it absolutely clear that the extremist sortie in Chisinau deserves total condemnation," the ministry said. The Russian and Moldovan ministers also exchanged their views on the two countries' partnership and outlined ways to expand their political dialogue, the ministry said. "The parties paid great attention to key problems of European security," it said. YEREVAN. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - There is no link between measures to sort out relations between Armenia and Turkey and the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian presidential press secretary Samvel Farmanyan told the local Mediamax news agency. "We have repeatedly stated that the problem of Karabakh conflict settlement efforts has not been addressed as part of the Armenian-Turkish negotiating process at any level," Farmanyan said on Wednesday. The president's press secretary also ruled out a possible trilateral meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey in Prague. "A trilateral meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey has not been arranged. Naturally, it will not take place. Moreover, such a possibility is ruled out," he said, referring to certain foreign media reports. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Head of the Georgian Institute of Political Sciences International Relations Department Vakhtang Maisaya has confessed to spying for Russia. "Maisaya, who has access to state secrets, was detained on suspicion of spying on charges of divulging states secrets," the Georgian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Maisaya confessed, the Interior Ministry said, that he had contacted Russian intelligence services through a professor he knew from Ukraine. Since then, he has been providing information to a Russian intelligence officer, according to the Georgian Interior Ministry. During the August conflict in the Caucasus Maisaya reported each hour on the location of Georgian troops, the amount of military hardware available and the places where the military was located, the Page 577 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Georgian Interior Ministry claimed. Maisaya was paid 7,000 euro each month for the intelligence provided, plus a bonus, the Interior Ministry's statement says. After the work done in August, Maisaya allegedly received 3,000 euro in an account with Basic Bank in Georgia. It was established, the Georgian Interior Ministry said, that Maisaya maintained contacts with representatives of foreign special services, and, taking their instructions, was preparing coded messages which contained state secrets, including military, political and economic data on replacements in the government and on state arms purchases. KYIV. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Five unarmed Ukrainian staff officers will take part in NATO military exercises in Georgia that are due to start on May 11 and finish on June 1, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said. As the officers will be unarmed, no permission is needed from the Ukrainian parliament for them to take part in the planned exercises, which are part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, the ministry told Interfax. Meanwhile, groups of exercise participants are arriving at the Vaziani military base in Georgia. TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Interior Ministry released on Wednesday a video footage of the interrogation of the detained officers from the armored tank battalion, which rebelled at the Mukhrovani military base the day earlier. All the detained officers and civilians who served in the battalion a few years ago, said that the base commander, Mamuka Gorgiashvili, said during the morning lineup on May 5 that the battalion personnel was no longer under the government's control and was to prepare for a march in Tbilisi. It was clear from interrogations that the actual leader of the rebel battalion was Koba Otanadze, who was the base commander a few years ago, along with several civilians. The Georgian Interior Ministry said the day earlier that Col. Otanadze and several civilians managed to escape when a one-hour ultimatum was announced for the mutineers. The Interior Ministry announced a bounty of 50,000 lari ($30,000) for information about the whereabouts of the fugitive ex-officers Otanadze, Krialashvili and Amiridze. Page 578 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUKHUMI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Abkhazia's president on Tuesday said Georgia is building up armed forces on its border with Abkhazia but denied that either Abkhazia or Russia is moving extra military forces to the Georgian border. "Georgia is building up its forces on its border with Abkhazia. According to intelligence, there is an active movement of armed forces on the Georgian side," Sergei Bagapsh told Interfax. "It's hard for me to say what is the reason for this - either the latest events in Georgia or the forthcoming NATO exercises," he said. However, "there is no increase in either Abkhaz or Russian forces on our border with Georgia," Bagapsh said. "We are following our former routine in guarding our border." TSKHINVALI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - South Ossetia's Interior Ministry has expressed concerns over the revolt at the military base in Georgia and is closely watching events. "Of particular concern are the events occurring in Georgia these days. Certainly, being a law enforcement authority, our primary concern is the situation within South Ossetia. But what is happening in close proximity to our borders cannot leave us indifferent," South Ossetia's Interior Minister Valery Valiyev told Interfax. The current situation around South Ossetia is also very tense and poses a danger to the security of the republic, he said. "Who can guarantee that all this military coup show is not pursuing just one goal: to impose an emergency situation in the country. We are considering various possible scenarios of events and have already prepared an action plan if the situation gets worse," Valiyev said. The large-scale exercise planned by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Treaty Organization) in Georgia also raises concerns with South Ossetia's law enforcement and security authorities, because it is "nursing a real threat to South Ossetia's security," he said. "No one can guarantee that these drills are not a run up to another Georgian military aggression against South Ossetia," said the minister, adding that the European Union organizations have virtually abandoned their monitoring duties in this matter. Page 579 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SUKHUMI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Due to the exercise in Georgia the Abkhaz Armed Forces have been put on permanent combat alert, and security has been stepped up on the Georgian-Abkhaz border, Gen. Anatoly Zaitsev, chief of the Abkhaz General Staff, told journalists in Sukhumi on Tuesday. "We do not know the ultimate aims of this exercise. The statements that are being made in relation to this exercise cannot be trusted. The Georgian authorities cannot be trusted, they are lying all the time. Saakashvili said that he was going to resolve all conflicts peacefully, there will be no violence or hostilities, yet he did start the war against South Ossetia. Is this not an example of deceit and guile which are considered a stratagem in Tbilisi?" Zaitsev said. "The situation compels us to step up security on the national border between Abkhazia and Georgia and to be on permanent combat alert," he said. The decision by the Georgian authorities to host a NATO exercise was short-sighted, Zaitsev said. "Although I am a military person and should not be making any political assessments, it is hard to for me rate it otherwise," he said. "The events near Tbilisi show that Georgia has failed as a state and can pose danger to its neighbors at any moment," Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba said. "The militarization of an ill-managed country has always been very dangerous," he said. TSKHINVALI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Security has been stepped in a number of places on the border between South Ossetia and Georgia due to the situation in Tbilisi, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said. "A number of our subdivisions on the border with Georgia have stepped up security to prevent Georgian provocations," Kokoity told Interfax on Tuesday. "The border situation is being fully monitored by both South Ossetian and Russian border guards, and at the moment it is relatively quiet," he said. "What happened in Georgia today is, of course, Mikheil Saakashvili's provocation. And this provocation is aimed first of all against Saakashvili's opponents in Georgia proper," Kokoity said. TSKHINVALI. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The South Ossetian Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry are calling on the international community to stop arming Georgia and view the NATO exercises that started Page 580 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. in Georgia on Wednesday as Western support for its extremist intentions, South Ossetian Foreign Minister Murat Dzhioyev told Interfax on Wednesday. "Our opinion is that the NATO exercises in Georgia pose a direct threat to security in the region. We view this as open demonstration of support for Georgia's military machinery on NATO's part," Dzhioyev said. Georgia committed armed aggression against South Ossetia in August 2008, and its results are still visible, Dzhioyev said. "Relations between Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia have not been settled since then," he said. "Holding exercises in these conditions, when Georgia has not given guarantees of the non-use of force against the neighboring states, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, means demonstrating Georgia's aggressiveness," Dzhioyev said. The South Ossetian authorities have declared their disagreement with the intention to hold exercises not far from the South Ossetian borders, "especially considering that we have repeatedly urged the international community, particularly the NATO countries, to stop arming Georgia," Dzhioyev said. "Unfortunately, our calls have not been heard," he said. "The exercises will be held against the background of instability in Georgia itself, which yesterday's events showed. No one can guarantee that the Georgian authorities will not use this situation and NATO's support for aggressive ends," he said. CHELYABINSK. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The security measures on the Russian national border are currently insufficient to shield the country from Afghan drug traffic, said Vladimir Kalanda, first deputy director of the Federal Anti-Drug Agency ( FSKN). "The quantity of Afghan heroin seized by Russia has increased by 37% since the start of the year. The quantity of seized heroin in the Chelyabinsk region has increased by 82%. If things continue to go that way, then we can say that Afghan heroin accounts for 90% or even 100% and not 30% of all heroin being consumed," Kalanda said at a session of the Chelyabinsk region anti-drug commission in Chelyabinsk on Wednesday. "Today, border security is not providing enough protection from Afghan heroin traffic. Many border crossing stations have no proper equipment. Only 4% of all heroin was detected by border agents, the rest were detected by local police officers," he said. Page 581 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Apart from drug consumption, Russia has a problem with the prevention of drug addiction and accurate statistics, Kalanda said. "We cannot assess the actual level of drug addiction nationwide, we have no such statistics. Currently, we are using Western assessments which do not suit us. Meanwhile, the Afghan and Iranian statistics systems are more likely to suit us because by the number of heroin drug addicts Russia has come close to these countries," the FSKN first deputy director said. ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's border guard said the country's current tightened control of its borders with South Ossetia and Abkhazia is a routine measure that "has absolutely nothing to do" with a rebellion at a military base in Georgia on Tuesday. "Control of the border began to be tightened a week ago, and the main reason is its monitoring under intergovernmental agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Sergei Livantsov, spokesman for the Southern Federal District border guard force, told Interfax. "Border guard forces keep the entire length of the Russian-Georgian border under tightened control," he said. BAKU. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia must play a greater role in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Hikmet Cetin, Turkey's former foreign minister and NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan. Russia is an important country in the region and it is an important factor in the region, Cetin told reporters in Baku on Tuesday. Therefore, Russia must necessarily join the Turkey-proposed Caucasus Stability Pact, he said. Cetin said he had been observing important rays of hope for settling the Karabakh conflict in Russia's policies. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev's latest visit to Moscow and his talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the Karabakh problem were important, he also said. Russia will hopefully make a significant contribution to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Cetin said. This conflict can only be settled through dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia with the participation of and support from the United States, Russia, Turkey and international organizations, he said. Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will hopefully make important steps in Prague to Page 582 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. settle the problem, he said. The U.S., NATO, Russia and Turkey's greater role in this process will be useful, Cetin said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The deployment of Russian border guards at the Georgian borders with Abkhazia and South Ossetia is not a positive move and is a step back from the agreements reached last August, NATO Spokesman James Appathurai said on Echo Moskvy radio. Russia and other countries signed an agreement on indivisibility of borders, and NATO and the U.S. view the deployment of border guards as a not very positive step, Appathurai said on Wednesday. The NATO countries have not recognized and are not planning to recognize South Ossetia's and Abkhazia's independence, Appathurai said. Moreover, the NATO countries have recognized Georgia's territorial integrity and view these territories as part of Georgia, which constitutes a fundamental difference in the approaches taken by Russia compared to the overwhelming majority of other nations, he said. NATO hopes for dialogue on the issues on which it has disagreements with Russia and expects Russia to maintain such dialogue in the near future, Appathurai said. MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Steps to heighten tensions over NATO's military exercises in Georgia will only complicate the situation, the alliance's spokesman James Appathurai told Russia's Ekho Moskvy radio on Wednesday. These are just routine exercises that are held by NATO every year as part of its partnership program, Appathurai said, adding that Armenia hosted the alliance's exercises last year. Russia is also a member of this partnership program, and it has always been invited to such exercises, the spokesman said. The upcoming exercises have absolutely nothing to do with the events in South Ossetia last August, Appathurai also said. Arrangements for this NATO drill were made in the spring of 2008, long before the events that put a strain on Russia's relations with Georgia, the spokesman said. The upcoming exercises also have nothing to do with a recent mutiny in the Georgian army, either, he said. Page 583 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Addressing Russia's strongly negative attitude to NATO's exercises in Georgia, Appathurai said that the alliance finds it difficult to understand Russia's position on the issue. The European community had much more questions regarding Russia's decision to send its armed soldiers to patrol areas that belonged to Georgia and border it, the spokesman said. Appathurai also said he disagrees with the opinion that the exercises could cause military complications in the region. These exercises are completely transparent and open, he said. Dear Subscribers, Monday May 11 will be a public holiday in Russia as the country celebrates Victory Day on May 9. We will be running a weekend service on May 11 and full coverage will resume on Tuesday May 12. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and wish you a happy holiday. Best wishes, Interfax Global Services editorial team ### Document RUSMIL0020090507e55600001 Page 584 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,088 words 5 May 2009 06:12 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** MONDAY, APRIL 27 Moldova - Memory Day South Africa - Freedom Day TUESDAY, APRIL 28 Israel - Memorial Day Page 585 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 Israel - Independence Day Japan - Showa Emperor's Day THURSDAY, APRIL 30 Vietnam - Unification Day FRIDAY, MAY 1 Albania - May Day Argentina - Labor Day Austria - Labour Day Belarus - Labour Day Belgium - Labour Day Brazil - Labour Day Bulgaria - Labour Day Burundi - International Labour Day Cameroon - Labor Day Central African Republic - Labor Day Chad - Labor Day China - Labour Day Comoros - Labor Day Congo Republic - Labor Day Costa Rica - Labor Day Croatia - Labour Day Page 586 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Cyprus - Labour Day Czech Republic - Labour Day Egypt - Banks Holiday Eritrea - Workers day Estonia - Spring Day Ethiopia - International Labour Day Finland - Labour Day France - Labour Day Gabon - Labor Day Gambia - Labor Day Germany - May Day Ghana - Labour Day Greece - Labor Day Guatemala - Labor Day Hong Kong - Labour Day Hungary - Public Holiday Iceland - Labour Day India - Maharashtra Day Iraq - Labour Day Ireland - Target System Holiday Italy - Labour Day Ivory Coast - Labour Day Page 587 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan People's Unity Day Kenya - International Labour Day Latvia - May Day Lebanon - Labour Day Lithuania - Labour Day Luxembourg - Labour Day Madagascar - Labour Day Malaysia - Worker's Day Malawi - Labour Day Mali - Labor Day Malta - Labour Day Mauritius - Labour Day Mauritania - Labor Day Mexico - Labour Day Moldova - Labour Day Morocco - Labour Day Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day Namibia - Worker's Day Netherlands - Labour Day Nigeria - Labour Day Norway - Labour Day Pakistan - Labour Day Page 588 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Panama - Labor Day Peru - Labor Day Philippines - Labour Day Poland - Labour Day Portugal - Labour Day Romania - Labour Day Russia - Labour Day Serbia - Labour Day Singapore - Labour Day Slovakia - Labour Day South Africa - Workers Day South Korea - Labour Day Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Labour Day Switzerland - Labour Day Syria - Labour Day Taiwan - Labour Day Thailand - National Labour Day Ukraine - Labour Days Venezuela - Labor Day Vietnam - Labour Day SUNDAY, MAY 3 Page 589 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bahrain - Labour Day Japan - Constitution Memorial Day MONDAY, MAY 4 Belarus - Public Holiday Bulgaria - Official Holiday Dominican Republic - Labor's Day Ireland - May Bank Holiday Japan - Greenery Day Latvia - Independence Day Namibia - Cassinga Day Ukraine - Labour Days United Kingdom - May Bank Holiday TUESDAY, MAY 5 Bulgaria - Official Holiday Ethiopia - Ethiopian Patriot's Day Japan - Children's Day South Korea - Children's Day Thailand - Coronation Day [20090505 101254 GMT] WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Lebanon - Martyr's Day Page 590 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Martyrs Day FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day Page 591 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Page 592 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Page 593 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Page 594 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. 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TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day Page 596 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090505 101637 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 597 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings Page 598 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day Page 599 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Page 600 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Page 601 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day Page 602 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Page 603 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mexico - Revolution Anniversary Singapore - Deepavali (Observed) TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor and Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday Page 604 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 605 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090505 102022 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Page 606 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception Page 607 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Page 608 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Page 609 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Page 610 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Page 611 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Page 612 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day Page 613 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Page 614 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Page 615 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090505 102623 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=5|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090505e555000nj Page 616 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Interviews ITU leader warns Geneva not to exploit delegates at Telecom show in October 1,528 words 1 May 2009 Global Telecoms Business GLOBTB English © Copyright 2009. Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC Hamadoun Touré: Telecom World will bring together at least 30 heads of states, many more ministers and 400 C-level industry heads Hamadoun Touré is excited that the International Telecommunication Union, which he leads, is bringing its big conference back to Geneva this year. But he is warning Geneva's hotel owners not to exploit the industry's executives when they arrive in October 2009 for what should be the biggest exhibition and conference in the telecoms industry. Touré, secretary general of the ITU, told Global Telecoms Business that his organisation — an agency of the United Nations — took away the ITU Telecom conference from Geneva after the 2003 event "because it was too expensive". Hotel owners were demanding delegates book for extended periods, and prices were high. The ITU moved the conference in protest in 2006 to Hong Kong in south-east Asia. Now, he's hoping the city of Geneva — where the ITU has been based for more than 50 years — has learned its lesson. "We have made a very good deal with Geneva," he says. "There will be no minimum stays." Nevertheless Touré has reduced his expectation of delegate numbers for the ITU Telecom event. Around 170,000 came to the biggest ever ITU show, held in Geneva in 1999, before the dotcom bubble burst. The organisation recorded just over 100,000 visitors across the seven days of the 2003 event, with a peak of 18,200 on the middle day, and three years later the Hong Kong event was down again, at 62,000. Page 617 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Touré was speaking to GTB at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where numbers were also down on previous years. At the close of the last day, the GSM Association reported 47,000 visitors over the four days, including delegates, exhibitors, contractors and media — compared with almost 55,000 in 2008, a fall of 14.5%. Given the economic crisis, he's cautious about giving numbers for the return to Geneva of Telecom World, the ITU's brand-name for its big event, held so close to the airport that some delegates never get any further into the city. "Telecom World will bring together at least 30 heads of states, many more ministers and as many as 400 C-level industry heads," says Touré. Among those taking part will be Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations. "We can't predict exactly how many people will come to Geneva. Clearly the global financial climate will limit people's ability to travel." And Telecom World, which takes place on October 5-9 2009, will be competing with a number of other big events in the September-October conference season. The International Engineering Consortium is bringing its Broadband World Forum to Paris — a conference more than an exhibition — on September 79. More seriously for the ITU, the US telecoms industry has just moved its Supercomm event, formerly booked for June, to October 21-23, barely two weeks after the global caravan of delegates, speakers and exhibitors is due in Geneva. "Telecom World will offer a unique global public-private platform to brainstorm strategies to smooth the road to recovery from the current financial crisis and thus we expect a very high calibre of attendees," says Touré. Given the experience of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, he is being realistic about the numbers, though. "We are predicting lower numbers." But he notes that MWC attracted "more ministers than ever before" and he is hoping for the same level of top politicians in Geneva in October. Among the heads of state and government he hopes to attract a significant number from the G8 leading economies, he says, "and from the Bric countries — Brazil, Russia, India and China — and South Africa and other developing countries, so we can have the CEOs and the policymakers to brainstorm ways out Page 618 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. from the crisis." Because of his position at the head of the oldest UN institution — founded in the 19th century, long before the UN itself — Touré has superb access to political and industry leaders. How does he see their response to the global crisis? "I'm sitting between the two, governments and the private sector," he agrees, "and I myself have worked in both sides, government and the private sector. I know that the two can work together — and they are working together. The rules are different but the have complementary roles." What are industry leaders telling him about the crisis, that they're not necessarily telling the rest of us? "Our industry is less affected than others," says Touré. There was the dotcom crash in 2001-02, and he feels that "you never see the same crisis happening twice in less than a decade in the same industry. It's simply not possible." There is still growing demand for telecommunications, he points out: for mobile services in developing countries, in particular. "The penetration of subscribers is about 13% now as opposed to countries like Finland where it's over 100%. You don't expect in Finland an increase in subscribers. You don't expect a big demand in handsets. Normal handset demand will go down in developed countries, while it will still go up in the developing world. I think the market will continue to adjust itself." It's a matter of appetite, he smiles: "The more you eat, the more you want. The more you use a mobile, the more you want. The more you find new applications, the more you want." Communications is a natural behaviour, "just like breathing": it will always be there. But operators still need finance in order to build infrastructure, and thanks to the financial crisis banks are less willing to provide finance. Touré disagrees: banks are willing to provide finance, he says, because even with ARPU of $1 operators can make money in emerging markets. "There are still profit margins that are there. The area is still profit-making, so banks will have less risk when they invest in operators." The doubt, he says, is whether operators are confident enough to continue to invest: it is a matter of confidence. That's one of the reasons the ITU is now publishing regular forecasts of the industry's progress, he says: the next is due in April 2009, and there will be a further report in October at the time of the ITU conference in Geneva. Page 619 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. These show "you need to invest in innovation, you need to invest in infrastructure, you need to invest in capacity building", says Touré. "Those three will continue to be areas of interest." But how do you get the right environment for that? "That's what I'm discussing with industry leaders, with governments, to see what we can do together," says Touré. How are regulators helping? "I don't want to call them regulators. They can be a catalyst. Good regulation will encourage investment and bad regulation will actively discourage investment." At meetings at MWC he was told of clear examples of countries where telecoms is growing strongly, he says: China, India, Brazil and Nigeria, just to name four. "There are two countries where there has not been growth. There has been a slowdown in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Operators were telling me about the effects of taxation." That's taxation on terminals and even on activating SIM cards, he says. That doesn't help the market, he says: "I intend to contact the minister in Pakistan. We have the opportunity to work with governments and the private sector and bring them together, and analyse things together to find the right solution." The goal is to stimulate the market, and "sometimes countries don't understand that by reducing tax by half you can still have the same revenue — you get more business". This is familiar territory for Touré: several years ago, when he headed the ITU's development arm, before he was secretary general, he organised a conference on taxation on information and communications technology. "We sent a report to the governments that taxation on ICT was not good for the industry — tax on computers, on laptops, on cellphones, is not good. Of course governments need a minimum tax in order to operate universal service and those things." But the value that governments get when their citizens have access communications and computers "is much higher than the monetary value of the tax — governments need to understand that". He bounds with confidence in the industry and the contribution it can make: "Our industry still makes money, including in developing countries. The Orange group made its highest profit last year in Senegal and Mali — and they are in how many countries around the world?" And in Senegal penetration is still only 30% "so they have a lot of room to grow". Meanwhile "Nigeria has had the highest growth in the world, and that wouldn't have happened if there weren't proper regulation there. It's as simple as that." Page 620 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. So he sees the crisis as an opportunity for telecoms. "Given the growth potential, we still can create new jobs." GTB Document GLOBTB0020090518e55100007 Page 621 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Background Notes : Botswana (05/09) 4,581 words 1 May 2009 State Department Press Releases And Documents STDP English Copyright (c) 2009 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. State Department Press Release Background Notes : Botswana (05/09) Flag of Botswana is light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center. PROFILE OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Botswana Geography Area: 582,000 sq. km. (224,710 sq. mi.), about the size of Texas. Cities (2001 census): Capital--Gaborone (pronounced ha-bo-ro-neh), pop. 186,007. Other towns-Francistown (83,023), Selebi-Phikwe (49,849), Molepolole (54,561), Kanye (40,628), Serowe (42,444), Mahalapye (39,719), Lobatse (29,689), Maun (43,776), Mochudi (36,962). Terrain: Desert and savanna. Climate: Mostly subtropical. People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Motswana (sing.), Batswana (pl.). Page 622 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Population (est.): 1.84 million. Annual population growth rate (2008): 1.434%. Ethnic groups: Tswana 79%; Kalanga 11%; Kgalagadi, Herero, Bayeyi, Hambukush, Basarwa ("San"), Khoi, whites 10%. Religions: Christianity 70%, none 20%, indigenous beliefs 6%, other 4%. Languages: English (official), Setswana, Ikalanga. Education: Adult literacy--81%. Health (2008): Life expectancy--50.6 years. Infant mortality rate-- 44.01/1,000. Work force (2005/2006 est.): 548,600 employed; total including unemployed, 651,500. Government Type: Republic, parliamentary democracy. Independence: September 30, 1966. Constitution: March 1965. Branches: Executive--president (chief of state and head of government), cabinet. Legislative--popularly elected National Assembly; advisory House of Chiefs. Judicial--High Court, Court of Appeal, local and customary courts, industrial labor court. Administrative subdivisions: Five town councils and nine district councils. Major political parties: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)--48 seats, Botswana National Front (BNF)--12 seats, Botswana Congress Party (BCP)--1 seat, Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM)--0 seats. Suffrage: Universal at 18. Page 623 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Economy Nominal GDP (2008): $14.025 billion. Real GDP growth rate: 3.5%. Per capita nominal GDP (2008): $7,343. Natural resources: Diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, soda ash, salt, gold, potash. Agriculture (1.6% of real GDP, 2007/2008): Products--livestock, sorghum, white maize, millet, cowpeas, beans. Industry: Types--mining (36% of real GDP, 2007/2008): diamonds, copper, nickel, coal; tourism, textiles, construction, tourism, beef processing, chemical products production, food and beverage production. Trade (2008): Exports--$5.127 billion f.o.b.: diamonds, nickel, copper, meat products, textiles, hides, skins, and soda ash. Partners--EU, South Africa. Imports--$3.931 billion f.o.b.: machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals, fuels. Major suppliers--South Africa, EU, and U.S. PEOPLE AND HISTORY The Batswana, a term also used to denote all citizens of Botswana, refers to the country's major ethnic group (the "Tswana" in South Africa), which came into the area from South Africa during the Zulu wars of the early 1800s. Prior to European contact, the Batswana lived as herders and farmers under tribal rule. In the 19th century, hostilities broke out between the Batswana and Boer settlers from the Transvaal. After appeals by the Batswana for assistance, the British Government in 1885 put "Bechuanaland" under its protection. The northern territory remained under direct administration and is today's Botswana, while the southern territory became part of the Cape Colony and is now part of the northwest province of South Africa; the majority of Setswana- speaking people today live in South Africa. Despite South African pressure, inhabitants of the Bechuanaland Protectorate, Basutoland (now Lesotho), and Swaziland in 1909 asked for and received British assurances that they would not be included in the proposed Union of South Africa. An expansion of British central authority and the evolution of tribal government resulted in the 1920 establishment of two advisory councils representing Africans and Europeans. Proclamations in 1934 regularized tribal rule and powers. A European-African advisory Page 624 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. council was formed in 1951, and the 1961 constitution established a consultative legislative council. In June 1964, Britain accepted proposals for democratic self-government in Botswana. The seat of government was moved from Mafikeng, in South Africa, to newly-established Gaborone in 1965. The 1965 constitution led to the first general elections and to independence in September 1966. Seretse Khama, a leader in the independence movement and the legitimate claimant to traditional rule of the Bamangwato, was elected as the first president, re-elected twice, and died in office in 1980. The presidency passed to the sitting vice president, Ketumile Masire, who was elected in his own right in 1984 and re- elected in 1989 and 1994. Masire retired from office in 1998. The presidency passed to the sitting vice president, Festus Mogae, who was elected in his own right in 1999. Mogae won a second term in elections held October 30, 2004 and stepped down in accordance with national term limits on March 31, 2008. On April 1, 2008 former Vice President Ian Khama assumed the presidency. The next general election is expected in October 2009. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS Botswana has a flourishing multiparty constitutional democracy. Each of the elections since independence has been freely and fairly contested and has been held on schedule. The country's minority groups participate freely in the political process. There are three main parties and a number of smaller parties. In national elections in 2004, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) won 44 of 57 contested National Assembly seats, the Botswana National Front (BNF) won 12, and the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) won 1 seat. Individuals elected by the National Assembly hold an additional 4 seats; the ruling BDP currently holds all 4. The opposition out-polled the ruling BDP in most urban areas. The openness of the country's political system has been a significant factor in Botswana's stability and economic growth. General elections are held every 5 years. The next general election is expected to be held in October 2009. The president has executive power and is chosen by the National Assembly following countrywide legislative elections. The cabinet is selected by the president from the National Assembly; it consists of a vice president and a flexible number of ministers and assistant ministers, currently 16 and 8, respectively. The National Assembly has 57 elected and 4 specially elected members; it is expanded following each census (every 10 years; the most recent was conducted in 2001). The advisory House of Chiefs represents the eight principal subgroups of the Batswana tribes, five members specially elected by the president, and 22 members elected from designated regions. The elected members hold office for a period of only 5 years whereas the eight principal chiefs are members for life. A draft of any National Assembly bill of tribal concern must be referred to the House of Chiefs for Page 625 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. advisory opinion. Chiefs and other leaders preside over customary traditional courts, though all persons have the right to request that their case be considered under the formal British-based legal system. The roots of Botswana's democracy lie in Setswana traditions, exemplified by the Kgotla, or village council, in which the powers of traditional leaders are limited by custom and law. Botswana's High Court has general civil and criminal jurisdiction. Judges are appointed by the president and may be removed only for cause and after a hearing. The constitution has a code of fundamental human rights enforced by the courts, and Botswana has a good human rights record. Local government is administered by nine district councils and five town councils. District commissioners have executive authority and are appointed by the central government and assisted by elected and nominated district councilors and district development committees. There has been ongoing debate about the political, social, and economic marginalization of the San (indigenous tribal population). The government's policies for the Basarwa (San) and other remote area dwellers continue to spark controversy. Principal Government Officials President--Lt. Gen. (ret.) Seretse Khama Ian Khama Vice President--Lt. Gen. (ret.) Mompati S. Merafhe Cabinet Ministers Finance and Development Planning--Baledzi Gaolathe Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation--Phandu T.C. Skelemani Environment, Wildlife and Tourism--Onkokame Kitso Mokaila Communications, Science and Technology--Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi Office of the President for Justice, Defense and Security--Dikgakgamatso R. Seretse Office of the President for Public Administration--Margaret Nasha Trade and Industry--Daniel Neo Moroka Page 626 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Minerals, Energy and Water Resources--Ponatshego Kedikilwe Lands and Housing--Nonofo E. Molefi Local Government--Ambrose Masalila Education and Skills Development--Jacob Nkate Health--Lesego E. Motsumi Works and Transport--Johnnie K. Swartz Labour and Home Affairs--Peter L. Siele Sports, Youth, and Culture--Gladys K. Kokorwe Agriculture--Christian De Graaff Ambassador to the United States--L. Caesar Lekoa Ambassador to the United Nations--Charles Ntwaagae Botswana maintains an embassy at 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036 (tel. 202-244-4990; fax 202-244- 4164). Its mission to the United Nations is at 103 E. 37th Street, New York NY 10017 (tel. 212-889-2277; fax 212-725-5061). ECONOMY Botswana has enjoyed one of the fastest growth rates in per capita income in the world since independence. Economic growth averaged 9% per year from 1967- 2006. The government has maintained a sound fiscal policy, despite three consecutive budget deficits in 2002-2004, and a negligible level of foreign debt. Foreign exchange reserves were estimated to be $9.2 billion in March 2009, equivalent to 28 months' cover of 2008 imports of goods and services. Botswana's impressive economic record has been built on the foundation of wisely using revenue generated from diamond mining to fuel economic development through prudent fiscal policies and a cautious foreign policy. However, due to the global economic downturn and decline in demand for diamonds, the Government of Botswana is Page 627 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. predicting a 50% decrease in state revenues in 2009. Government expenditures are predicted to remain close to 2008 levels with the government using credit and foreign capital reserves to cover the difference. Real GDP remained flat in 2005/2006, but the growth rate recovered to 6.2% in 2006/2007. The government recognizes that HIV/AIDS will continue to affect the economy and is providing leadership and programs to combat the epidemic, including free anti-retroviral treatment and a nationwide Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission program. Mining Debswana (formed by the government and South Africa's DeBeers in equal partnership) is the largest mining operation in Botswana. Several other mining operations exist in the country, including the Bamangwato Concessions, Ltd. (BCL, also with substantial government equity participation) and Tati Nickel. Since the early 1980s, the country has been the world's largest producer of gem-quality diamonds. Four large diamond mines have opened since independence. DeBeers prospectors discovered diamonds in northern Botswana in the late 1960s. The first mine began production at Orapa in 1972, followed by the smaller mines of Lethlakane and Damtshaa. What has become the single-richest diamond mine in the world opened in Jwaneng in 1982. The Orapa 2000 Expansion of the existing Orapa mine was opened in 2000. In December 2004, Debswana negotiated 25-year lease renewals for all four of its mines with the Government of Botswana. For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2007, diamonds accounted for 67% of total exports (down from a high of 84% in 2003/2004) and 28% of GDP. Diamond mining, however, is capital intensive and only accounts for approximately 5% of employment. In 2007, Debswana produced 33.8 million carats, down slightly from 34.3 million carats in 2006, but 2007 revenue was 18 billion pula (approximately U.S. $3 billion), a 3.5% increase from 2006. Diamond mining will continue to be the mainstay of Botswana's economy, with known current reserves sufficient for at least the next 20 years. As part of Botswana's drive to diversify and increase local value added within the mining sector, De Beers opened the Diamond Trading Center in 2008 to shift sorting, cutting, polishing, aggregating, and marketing to Gaborone from London. However, the current economic slowdown will greatly impact Botswana's diamond mining industry. The DeBeers group announced that the 2009 scheduled move of its diamond aggregation from London to Botswana will be postponed. Additionally, Debswana, a joint project between DeBeers and Botswana, will lay off over 1,000 workers in 2009 when it shuts down two of its mines for 12 months. Exploration for other kimberlite pipes continues. BCL, which operates a copper-nickel mine at Selebi-Phikwe, has had a troubled financial history but remains an important employer, although the life of the mine is expected to end in the next 5 to 10 years. Other copper-nickel mines include Tati Nickel near Francistown. Botash, the sole producer of soda ash in Page 628 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. the region and supported by substantial government investment, produced 265,000 tons of soda ash in 2005. Coal-bed methane gas has been discovered in the northeastern part of the country, estimated by the developers at a commercially viable quantity of 12 trillion cubic feet. Development of the gas fields has been slow, however. Tourism Tourism is an increasingly important industry in Botswana, accounting for approximately 10% of GDP in 2006. One of the world's unique ecosystems, the Okavango Delta, is located in Botswana. The country offers excellent game viewing and birding both in the Delta and in the Chobe Game Reserve--home to one of the largest herds of free-ranging elephants in the world. Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve also offers good game viewing and some of the most remote and unspoiled wilderness in southern Africa. Agriculture More than one-half of the population lives in rural areas and is largely dependent on subsistence crop and livestock farming. Agriculture meets only a small portion of food needs and contributes a very small amount to GDP-- primarily through beef exports--but it remains a social and cultural touchstone. Cattle raising in particular dominated Botswana's social and economic life before independence. The national herd is estimated between 2 and 3 million head, but the cattle industry is experiencing a protracted decline. Private Sector Development and Foreign Investment Botswana seeks to further diversify its economy away from minerals, which account for over 40% of GDP. Foreign investment and management are welcomed in Botswana. Botswana abolished foreign exchange controls in 1999, has a low corporate tax rate (15%), and no prohibitions on foreign ownership of companies. The country's inflation rate had remained stable and comparatively low over the 10 years preceding 2005. However, rising fuel and utility prices along with the government's 12.5% devaluation of the Pula in May 2005 resulted in a spike in inflation to 11.4% as of December 2005, which fell well outside the Bank of Botswana's target rate of between 4%-7%. Inflation as of November 2007 was 7.7%. The Government of Botswana was considering additional policies to enhance competitiveness, including a new Foreign Direct Investment Strategy and National Export Development Strategy. Botswana's parliament adopted both a Privatization Master Plan and a new Competition Policy that were aimed at Page 629 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. fostering economic diversification. With its proven record of good economic governance, Botswana was ranked as Africa's least corrupt country by Transparency International in 2008 (36th worldwide, ahead of many European and Asian countries). Botswana is consistently ranked by international organizations as among the freest economies in sub-Saharan Africa. In the 2008 Economic Freedom of the World report, Botswana was ranked 60th overall and third-highest in Africa, while the Heritage Foundation's 2008 Index of Economic Freedom ranked Botswana second in sub-Saharan Africa. In November 2005, Standard & Poor's once again assigned Botswana an "A" grade credit rating. This ranks Botswana as by far the best credit risk in Africa and puts it on par or above many countries in central Europe, East Asia, and Latin America. In February 2009, the outlook for Botswana was revised from "stable" to "negative"--a reflection of the pressure on the diamond industry and the predicted decline in revenues. U.S. investment in Botswana remains at relatively low levels. Major U.S. corporations, such as H.J. Heinz and AON Corporation, are present through direct investments, while others, such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Remax, are present via franchise. The sovereign credit ratings by Moody's and Standard & Poor's clearly indicate that, despite continued challenges such as small market size, landlocked location, and cumbersome bureaucratic processes, Botswana remains one of the best investment opportunities in the developing world. Botswana has a 90-member American Business Council that accepts membership from American-affiliated companies. Because of history and geography, Botswana has long had deep ties to the economy of South Africa. The Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), comprised of Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and South Africa, dates from 1910, and is the world's oldest customs union. Under this arrangement, South Africa has collected levies from customs, sales, and excise duties for all five members, sharing out proceeds based on each country's portion of imports. The exact formula for sharing revenues and the decision-making authority over duties--held exclusively by the Government of South Africa--became increasingly controversial, and the members renegotiated the arrangement in 2001. A new structure was formally ratified and a SACU Secretariat was established in Windhoek, Namibia. Following South Africa's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO, of which Botswana also is a member), many of the SACU duties are declining, making American products more competitive in Botswana. Botswana signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union in December 2007, and, as a member of SACU, it signed a preferential trade agreement in 2004 with Mercosur. In July 2008, SACU signed its first Trade, Investment and Development Cooperation Agreement (TIDCA) with the United States. SACU also has plans to negotiate free trade agreements with China, India, Kenya, and Nigeria. Botswana's currency--the Pula--is fully convertible and is valued against a basket of currencies heavily Page 630 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. weighted toward the South African Rand. Profits and direct investment can be repatriated without restriction from Botswana. The Botswana Government eliminated all exchange controls in 1999. The Central Bank devalued the Pula by 12.5% in May 2005 in a bid to maintain export competitiveness against the real appreciation of the Pula and restructured the exchange rate mechanism to a crawling peg system to ensure against future large-scale devaluations. Botswana is a member of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Gaborone hosts the SADC Secretariat's headquarters. SADC has a broad mandate to encourage growth, development, and economic integration in Southern Africa. SADC's Trade Protocol, which was launched on September 1, 2000, called for the elimination of all tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade by 2008 among the 11 signatory countries. The SADC free trade agreement based on the agreed tariff phasedown was launched at the August 2008 summit in South Africa. Zimbabwe's membership has limited SADC's opportunities for cooperation with the United States. Transportation and Communications A sparsely populated, semi-arid country about the size of Texas, Botswana has nonetheless managed to incorporate much of its interior into the national economy. An "inner circle" highway connecting all major towns and district capitals is completely paved, and the all-weather Trans-Kalahari Highway connects the country (and, through it, South Africa's commercially dominant Gauteng Province) to Walvis Bay in Namibia. A fiber-optic telecommunications network has been completed in Botswana connecting all major population centers. In addition to the government-owned newspaper and national radio network, there is an active, independent press (one daily and seven weekly newspapers). Two privately owned radio stations began operations in 1999, and a third began operations in 2008. In 2000, the government-owned Botswana Television (BTV) was launched, which was Botswana's first national television station. GBC is a commercially owned television station that broadcast programs to the Gaborone area only. Foreign publications are sold without restriction in Botswana, and there are 22 commercial Internet service providers. Three cellular phone providers cover most of the country. DEFENSE The president is commander in chief of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF). A defense council is appointed by the president. The BDF was formed in 1977 and has approximately 13,000 members. The BDF is a capable and well-disciplined military force. Following positive political changes in South Page 631 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Africa and the region, the BDF's missions have increasingly focused on border control and anti-poaching activities. The BDF is considered an apolitical and professional institution. FOREIGN RELATIONS Botswana puts a premium on economic and political integration in Southern Africa. It seeks to make SADC a working vehicle for economic development, and promotes efforts to make the region self-policing in terms of preventative diplomacy, conflict resolution, and good governance. Botswana joins the African consensus on most major international matters and is a member of international organizations such as the United Nations and the African Union (AU). Botswana has taken a leadership role within SADC advocating for a resolution of the crisis in Zimbabwe that fully reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people. U.S.-BOTSWANA RELATIONS The United States considers Botswana an advocate of and a model for stability in Africa and has been a major partner in Botswana's development since its independence. The U.S. Peace Corps returned to Botswana in August 2002 with a focus on HIV/AIDS-related programs after concluding 30 years of more broadly targeted assistance in 1997. Similarly, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) phased out a longstanding bilateral partnership with Botswana in 1996, after successful programs emphasizing education, training, entrepreneurship, environmental management, and reproductive health. Botswana, however, continues to benefit along with its neighbors in the region from USAID's Initiative for Southern Africa, now based in Pretoria, and USAID's Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub, headquartered in Gaborone. The United States International Board of Broadcasters (IBB) operates a major Voice of America (VOA) relay station in Botswana serving most of the African continent. In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) started the BOTUSA Project in collaboration with the Botswana Ministry of Health in order to generate information to improve tuberculosis (TB) control efforts in Botswana and elsewhere in the face of the TB and HIV/AIDS co-epidemics. Under the 1999 U.S. Government's Leadership and Investment in Fighting an Epidemic (LIFE) Initiative, CDC through the BOTUSA Project has undertaken many projects and has assisted many organizations in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana. Botswana is one of the 15 focus countries for PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, and received more than $230 million since the program began in January 2004 through September 2007. PEPFAR assistance to Botswana, which totaled $76.2 million in FY 2007, is contributing to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care interventions. The International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), situated just outside of Gaborone, is another example of bilateral cooperation. The academy, jointly financed, managed, and staffed by the Page 632 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Governments of Botswana and the United States, provides training to police and government officials from across the Sub-Saharan region. The academy's permanent campus, in Otse outside of Gaborone, opened March 2003. Over 3,000 law enforcement professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa have received training from ILEA since it began offering classes in 2001. Principal U.S. Officials Ambassador--Stephen J. Nolan Deputy Chief of Mission--Philip R. Drouin Office of Defense Cooperation--William Wyatt Centers for Disease Control--Dr. Margarett Davis International Board of Broadcasters--George Miller International Law Enforcement Agency--Stan Moran Peace Corps--Margaret McClure The U.S. Embassy is on Embassy Drive off Khama Crescent--P.O. Box 90, Gaborone (tel. 267-353-982; fax 267-356-947). ODC is located at the embassy. CDC is located on Lejara Road, Phase 2 in Gaborone. ILEA is located in Otse, about 30 minutes outside of Gaborone. The IBB station is located in SelebiPhikwe, about 400 kilometers northeast of Gaborone. TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable. Page 633 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http: //www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are also available at http: //www.travel.state.gov. For additional information on international travel, see http: //www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml. The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security conditions. Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-4074747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada. The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1- 888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays. Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http: //wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found at http: //wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx. Further Electronic Information Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http: //www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http: //www.osac.gov Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal Page 634 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more. STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank. Document STDP000020090504e55100001 Page 635 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 4,664 words 28 April 2009 05:26 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** MONDAY, APRIL 6 China - Tomb-Sweeping Day Philippines - Araw ng Kagitingan Thailand - Chakri Day Vietnam - Hung Vuong King's Day (sub) Page 636 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 Israel - Passover 1 Eve THURSDAY, APRIL 9 Argentina - Maudy Thursday Costa Rica - Holy Thursday Denmark - Holy Thursday Guatemala - Holy Thursday Iceland - Holy Thursday Indonesia - Legislative Election Iraq - Baghdad Liberation Day Israel - Passover 1 Mexico - Holy Thursday Norway - Holy Thursday Panama - Holy Thursday Peru - Maudy Thursday Philippines - Maundy Thursday Venezuela - Holy Thursday FRIDAY, APRIL 10 Argentina - Good Friday Austria - Good Friday Australia - Good Friday Belgium - Good Friday Page 637 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Holy Friday Brazil - Good Friday Cameroon - Good Friday Canada - Good Friday Costa Rica - Holy Friday Croatia - Good Friday Cyprus - Good Friday (Catholic) Denmark - Good Friday Dominican Republic - Holy Friday Estonia - Good Friday Finland - Good Friday France - Good Friday Gambia - Good Friday Germany - Good Friday Ghana - Good Friday Greece - Good Friday(Catholic) Guatemala - Holy Friday Hong Kong - Good Friday Indonesia - Good Friday Iceland - Good Friday India - Good Friday Ireland - Good Friday Page 638 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Italy - Good Friday Kenya - Good Friday Latvia - Good Friday Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Good Friday Malawi - Good Friday Malta - Good Friday Mexico - Holy Friday Namibia - Good Friday Netherlands - Good Friday New Zealand - Good Friday Nigeria - Good Friday Norway - Good Friday Panama - Holy Friday Peru - Good Friday Poland - Good Friday (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Portugal - Good Friday Philippines - Good Friday Singapore - Good Friday Slovakia - Good Friday South Africa - Good Friday Spain - Good Friday Page 639 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Sweden - Good Friday Switzerland - Good Friday United Arab Emirates - Good Friday (DGCX) United Kingdom - Good Friday United States - Good Friday Venezuela - Holy Friday SUNDAY, APRIL 12 Madagascar - Easter Malawi - Easter Sunday Namibia - Easter Sunday Nigeria - Easter Day MONDAY, APRIL 13 Albania - Catholic Easter Austria - Easter Monday Australia - Easter Monday Belgium - Easter Monday Central African Republic - Easter Monday Croatia - Easter Monday Chad - Easter Monday Cyprus - Easter Monday (Catholic) Czech Republic - Easter Monday Denmark - Easter Monday Page 640 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Easter Monday France - Easter Monday Gabon - Easter Monday Gambia - Easter Monday Germany - Easter Monday Ghana - Easter Monday Greece - Easter Monday(Catholic) Hong Kong - Easter Monday Hungary - Easter Monday Iceland - Easter Monday Ireland - Easter Monday Italy - Easter Monday Ivory Coast - Easter Monday Kenya - Easter Monday Latvia - Easter Monday Lithuania - Easter Monday Luxembourg - Easter Monday Malawi - Easter Monday Mali - Easter Monday Madagascar - Easter Monday Namibia - Easter Monday Page 641 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Netherlands - Easter Monday New Zealand - Easter Monday Nigeria - Easter Monday Norway - Easter Monday Poland - Easter Monday Portugal - Easter Monday Slovakia - Easter Monday South Africa - Family Day Spain - Easter Monday Sweden - Easter Monday Switzerland - Easter Monday Thailand - Songkran Festival United Kingdom - Easter Monday TUESDAY, APRIL 14 Bangladesh - Bengali new year's day Israel - Passover 2 Eve Thailand - Songkran Festival WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 Israel - Passover 2 Thailand - Songkran Festival FRIDAY, APRIL 17 Cyprus - Good Friday Page 642 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Ethiopian Good Friday Gabon - Womens' Day Greece - Good Friday Iraq - FAO Day Lebanon - Good Friday Serbia - Good Friday Syria - Independence Day United Arab Emirates - Good Friday (DIFX) SUNDAY, APRIL 19 Egypt - Easter Ethiopia - Ethiopian Easter MONDAY, APRIL 20 Albania - Orthodox Easter Bulgaria - Easter Monday Cyprus - Easter Monday Egypt - Sham El Nessim/Easter Monday Greece - Easter Monday Lebanon - Easter Monday Moldova - Easter Monday Romania - Easter Monday Serbia - Easter Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday Page 643 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, APRIL 21 Brazil - Tiradentes Cyprus - Easter Tuesday WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 South Africa - Public Holiday (Election Day) THURSDAY, APRIL 23 Iceland - Public Holiday Turkey - National Sovereignty and Children's Day FRIDAY, APRIL 24 Eritrea - Local Good Friday MONDAY, APRIL 27 Moldova - Memory Day South Africa - Freedom Day TUESDAY, APRIL 28 Israel - Memorial Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 Israel - Independence Day Japan - Showa Emperor's Day THURSDAY, APRIL 30 Vietnam - Unification Day [20090428 092626 GMT] FRIDAY, MAY 1 Albania - May Day Page 644 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina - Labor Day Austria - Labour Day Belarus - Labour Day Belgium - Labour Day Brazil - Labour Day Bulgaria - Labour Day Burundi - International Labour Day Cameroon - Labor Day Central African Republic - Labor Day Chad - Labor Day China - Labour Day Comoros - Labor Day Congo Republic - Labor Day Costa Rica - Labor Day Croatia - Labour Day Cyprus - Labour Day Czech Republic - Labour Day Egypt - Banks Holiday Eritrea - Workers day Estonia - Spring Day Ethiopia - International Labour Day Finland - Labour Day Page 645 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. France - Labour Day Gabon - Labor Day Gambia - Labor Day Germany - May Day Ghana - Labour Day Greece - Labor Day Guatemala - Labor Day Hong Kong - Labour Day Hungary - Public Holiday Iceland - Labour Day India - Maharashtra Day Iraq - Labour Day Ireland - Target System Holiday Italy - Labour Day Ivory Coast - Labour Day Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan People's Unity Day Kenya - International Labour Day Latvia - May Day Lebanon - Labour Day Lithuania - Labour Day Luxembourg - Labour Day Madagascar - Labour Day Page 646 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malaysia - Worker's Day Malawi - Labour Day Mali - Labor Day Malta - Labour Day Mauritius - Labour Day Mauritania - Labor Day Mexico - Labour Day Moldova - Labour Day Morocco - Labour Day Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day Namibia - Worker's Day Netherlands - Labour Day Nigeria - Labour Day Norway - Labour Day Pakistan - Labour Day Panama - Labor Day Peru - Labor Day Philippines - Labour Day Poland - Labour Day Portugal - Labour Day Romania - Labour Day Russia - Labour Day Page 647 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Serbia - Labour Day Singapore - Labour Day Slovakia - Labour Day South Africa - Workers Day South Korea - Labour Day Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Labour Day Switzerland - Labour Day Syria - Labour Day Taiwan - Labour Day Thailand - National Labour Day Ukraine - Labour Days Venezuela - Labor Day Vietnam - Labour Day SUDNAY, MAY 3 Bahrain - Labour Day Japan - Constitution Memorial Day MONDAY, MAY 4 Belarus - Public Holiday Bulgaria - Official Holiday Dominican Republic - Labor's Day Ireland - May Bank Holiday Page 648 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Japan - Greenery Day Latvia - Independence Day Namibia - Cassinga Day Ukraine - Labour Days United Kingdom - May Bank Holiday TUESDAY, MAY 5 Bulgaria - Official Holiday Ethiopia - Ethiopian Patriot's Day Japan - Children's Day South Korea - Children's Day Thailand - Coronation Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Lebanon - Martyr's Day Syria - Martyrs Day FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Page 649 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Page 650 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Page 651 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Page 652 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Page 653 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve Page 654 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul Page 655 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090428 092704 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day Page 656 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day Page 657 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Page 658 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day Page 659 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day Page 660 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Page 661 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Page 662 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 663 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090428 092736 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 664 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Page 665 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 Page 666 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Page 667 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Page 668 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Page 669 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Page 670 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary Singapore - Deepavali (Observed) TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Page 671 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Page 672 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090428 092815 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Page 673 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Page 674 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Page 675 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Page 676 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Page 677 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Page 678 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Page 679 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Page 680 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday Page 681 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Page 682 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090428 092844 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=5|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Page 683 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Document LBA0000020090428e54s00145 Page 684 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. ENVIRONMENT: Where That "Recycled" E-Waste Really Goes Inter Press News Service 1,289 words 26 April 2009 ISI Emerging Markets Africawire LQAF English © Copyright 2009. Internet Securities, Inc. All rights reserved. ENVIRONMENT: Where That "Recycled" E-Waste Really Goes By Stephen Leahy Migrant child from Hunan province sits atop one of countless piles of unrecyclable computer waste imported from around the world. Guiyu, China. Credit:© Basel Action Network UXBRIDGE, Canada, Nov 14 (IPS) - Is your old TV poisoning a child in China? Or your old computer contaminating a river in Nigeria? Without a law banning export of toxic electronic waste in the United States, there has been no way to know if old cell phones, computers or televisions originating there didn't end up in some poor village in the developing world, where desperate people pull them apart by hand to recover some of the valuable metals inside. A small group of people have now allied with a few responsible recyclers to ensure e-waste can be treated responsibly by creating an e-Stewards certification programme. Announced this week, e-Stewards are electronics waste recyclers that are fully accredited and certified by an independent third party. Such accreditation is crucial in an industry that often makes fraudulent claims. Currently even when ewaste (electronic trash) goes to a "green" recycler, the chances are high that toxic stuff from the developed world ended up in a huge pile in the middle of some village. The U.S. generates an estimated three million tonnes of electronic waste, such as cell phones and computers, each year. U.S. citizens bought some 30 million television sets this year and that number will be higher next year as all U.S. TV networks switch to digital broadcasts Feb. 17. So where do these old, unwanted TVs go? Page 685 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. One destination is Hong Kong, activists say. "I recently watched shipping containers loaded in the U.S. being opened on the docks in Hong Kong," said Jim Puckett, coordinator of the Basel Action Network (BAN), an NGO named for the treaty that is supposed to stop rich countries from dumping toxic waste on poor ones. "Inside they were packed with e-waste, including TVs and computer monitors," Puckett told IPS. Puckett estimated that 100 containers of e-waste arrive in Hong Kong every day and are then smuggled into China. "It's all coming from the U.S. and Canada but I couldn't see everything that was going on," he said. Much of this activity is illegal in China. But it is a very big and profitable industry so many officials in China and elsewhere are willing to look the other way, he said. Sixty Minutes, a prominent weekly U.S. news programme, aired an investigative documentary film this week about Puckett's claims and tracked shipping containers from U.S. recyclers to Hong Kong to villages in China like Guiyu. "We were in Guiyu over six years ago and conditions are far worse today," he said. The mountain of e-waste grows each day as new electronic devices are created to drive an economy rooted in endless growth. And consider that 85 percent of e-waste goes in landfills or is incinerated locally, contaminating the United States' groundwater and air. Millions more stockpiled computers, monitors and TV are sitting in basements, garages, offices and homes. So what's a responsible person to do with their e-waste in the face of government negligence, manufacturers' irresponsibility and recyclers' greed? "With little likelihood of a federal law under the [George W.] Bush administration we decided to work with the recycling industry," said Sarah Westervelt of BAN. Together with the Electronics TakeBack Coalition and 32 electronics recyclers in the United States and Canada, BAN announced an e-Stewards programme this week. It will be the continent’s first independently audited and accredited electronic waste recycler certification programme. Dumping of toxic e-waste in developing countries, local landfills and incinerators will be forbidden, as will the use of prison labour to process e-waste. Page 686 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. "Right now it's impossible for people to know which recycler is doing the right thing," Westervelt told IPS. Companies and organisations claiming to be green regularly misrepresent how the waste is being handled. "People are being duped by companies," she said. "Ninety percent of companies in my estimation are defrauding their clients," agreed Bob Houghton, president of Redemtech, an e-waste recycler and member of the e-Stewards programme. Many companies provide documents to companies or local governments claiming the e-waste has been processed safely but actually send it to the third world, Houghton said. When the U.S. city of Denver wanted an e-waste recycler, it insisted on a no-cost recycler, and that's how Denver's e-waste ended up in China, as featured in the 60 Minutes documentary, says Mike Wright, CEO of Guaranteed Recycling Experts in Denver. "It's impossible to recycle e-waste at no cost without exporting it," Wright told IPS. Wright's company didn't win the Denver contract for that reason, and that's why he's a very strong supporter of the e-Stewards programme, which provides proof and assurance the waste is being handled properly. "We want to see it up and running quickly," he said. Westervelt says the programme will be thoroughly tested throughout 2009 and fully operational by 2010. In the meantime, the public can find participants in the programme who have pledged to meet its stringent standards at e-stewards.org, she said. But what about electronics manufacturers' responsibility? In Europe they are obligated under law to take back their old products and recycle them properly. While no such law exists in Canada or the U.S., some TV companies such as Sony, LG and Samsung and a number of computer manufacturers such as Dell, Lenovo and Toshiba take back their products free of charge. Some others charge a fee. "With the digital conversion, a huge number of TVs will end up our dumps and overseas," said Barbara Kyle of Electronics TakeBack Coalition. The costs of handling and recycling usually outweigh the value of the materials recovered, so most companies do not want to take them back, Kyle said in an interview. Page 687 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. And there is the worry that those companies taking back their products will simply ship them to developing countries. "We're trying to get manufacturers to sign a commitment to act as if the U.S. is part of the Basel Convention," said Puckett. The 1992 Basel Convention was specifically set up to prevent transfer of hazardous waste, including ewaste, from developed to less developed countries. The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world that did not sign on to the convention. "So far only Sony has signed the commitment but we're hoping others soon will," he said. Some electronics manufacturers, especially those making low-end products, continue to bitterly oppose any export bans, as does the multi-billion-dollar scrap metal industry. As a result, Canada, the U.S. and Japan continue to oppose them as well or find ways around the Basel rules. Canada gets much of Puckett's wrath for its duplicity in pushing for the Basel agreement, and then creating loopholes in its laws and failing to prosecute when violators are caught red-handed. That leaves three or four ordinary people at BAN and few others to create a gold-standard recycling programme to solve the national embarrassment of exporting to toxic materials to faraway places that can't properly deal with it and are too poor to refuse it. Puckett hopes the new U.S. administration under Barack Obama will be more responsible and awaken some sense of responsibility in other countries. "It would be helpful if governments stepped up," he said. (END/2008) Document LQAF000020090426e54q0005n Page 688 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 4,664 words 24 April 2009 06:16 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** MONDAY, APRIL 6 China - Tomb-Sweeping Day Philippines - Araw ng Kagitingan Thailand - Chakri Day Vietnam - Hung Vuong King's Day (sub) Page 689 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 Israel - Passover 1 Eve THURSDAY, APRIL 9 Argentina - Maudy Thursday Costa Rica - Holy Thursday Denmark - Holy Thursday Guatemala - Holy Thursday Iceland - Holy Thursday Indonesia - Legislative Election Iraq - Baghdad Liberation Day Israel - Passover 1 Mexico - Holy Thursday Norway - Holy Thursday Panama - Holy Thursday Peru - Maudy Thursday Philippines - Maundy Thursday Venezuela - Holy Thursday FRIDAY, APRIL 10 Argentina - Good Friday Austria - Good Friday Australia - Good Friday Belgium - Good Friday Page 690 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Holy Friday Brazil - Good Friday Cameroon - Good Friday Canada - Good Friday Costa Rica - Holy Friday Croatia - Good Friday Cyprus - Good Friday (Catholic) Denmark - Good Friday Dominican Republic - Holy Friday Estonia - Good Friday Finland - Good Friday France - Good Friday Gambia - Good Friday Germany - Good Friday Ghana - Good Friday Greece - Good Friday(Catholic) Guatemala - Holy Friday Hong Kong - Good Friday Indonesia - Good Friday Iceland - Good Friday India - Good Friday Ireland - Good Friday Page 691 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Italy - Good Friday Kenya - Good Friday Latvia - Good Friday Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Good Friday Malawi - Good Friday Malta - Good Friday Mexico - Holy Friday Namibia - Good Friday Netherlands - Good Friday New Zealand - Good Friday Nigeria - Good Friday Norway - Good Friday Panama - Holy Friday Peru - Good Friday Poland - Good Friday (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Portugal - Good Friday Philippines - Good Friday Singapore - Good Friday Slovakia - Good Friday South Africa - Good Friday Spain - Good Friday Page 692 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Sweden - Good Friday Switzerland - Good Friday United Arab Emirates - Good Friday (DGCX) United Kingdom - Good Friday United States - Good Friday Venezuela - Holy Friday SUNDAY, APRIL 12 Madagascar - Easter Malawi - Easter Sunday Namibia - Easter Sunday Nigeria - Easter Day MONDAY, APRIL 13 Albania - Catholic Easter Austria - Easter Monday Australia - Easter Monday Belgium - Easter Monday Central African Republic - Easter Monday Croatia - Easter Monday Chad - Easter Monday Cyprus - Easter Monday (Catholic) Czech Republic - Easter Monday Denmark - Easter Monday Page 693 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Easter Monday France - Easter Monday Gabon - Easter Monday Gambia - Easter Monday Germany - Easter Monday Ghana - Easter Monday Greece - Easter Monday(Catholic) Hong Kong - Easter Monday Hungary - Easter Monday Iceland - Easter Monday Ireland - Easter Monday Italy - Easter Monday Ivory Coast - Easter Monday Kenya - Easter Monday Latvia - Easter Monday Lithuania - Easter Monday Luxembourg - Easter Monday Malawi - Easter Monday Mali - Easter Monday Madagascar - Easter Monday Namibia - Easter Monday Page 694 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Netherlands - Easter Monday New Zealand - Easter Monday Nigeria - Easter Monday Norway - Easter Monday Poland - Easter Monday Portugal - Easter Monday Slovakia - Easter Monday South Africa - Family Day Spain - Easter Monday Sweden - Easter Monday Switzerland - Easter Monday Thailand - Songkran Festival United Kingdom - Easter Monday TUESDAY, APRIL 14 Bangladesh - Bengali new year's day Israel - Passover 2 Eve Thailand - Songkran Festival WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 Israel - Passover 2 Thailand - Songkran Festival FRIDAY, APRIL 17 Cyprus - Good Friday Page 695 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Ethiopian Good Friday Gabon - Womens' Day Greece - Good Friday Iraq - FAO Day Lebanon - Good Friday Serbia - Good Friday Syria - Independence Day United Arab Emirates - Good Friday (DIFX) SUNDAY, APRIL 19 Egypt - Easter Ethiopia - Ethiopian Easter MONDAY, APRIL 20 Albania - Orthodox Easter Bulgaria - Easter Monday Cyprus - Easter Monday Egypt - Sham El Nessim/Easter Monday Greece - Easter Monday Lebanon - Easter Monday Moldova - Easter Monday Romania - Easter Monday Serbia - Easter Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday Page 696 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, APRIL 21 Brazil - Tiradentes Cyprus - Easter Tuesday WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 South Africa - Public Holiday (Election Day) THURSDAY, APRIL 23 Iceland - Public Holiday Turkey - National Sovereignty and Children's Day FRIDAY, APRIL 24 Eritrea - Local Good Friday MONDAY, APRIL 27 Moldova - Memory Day South Africa - Freedom Day TUESDAY, APRIL 28 Israel - Memorial Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 Israel - Independence Day Japan - Showa Emperor's Day THURSDAY, APRIL 30 Vietnam - Unification Day [20090424 101643 GMT] FRIDAY, MAY 1 Albania - May Day Page 697 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina - Labor Day Austria - Labour Day Belarus - Labour Day Belgium - Labour Day Brazil - Labour Day Bulgaria - Labour Day Burundi - International Labour Day Cameroon - Labor Day Central African Republic - Labor Day Chad - Labor Day China - Labour Day Comoros - Labor Day Congo Republic - Labor Day Costa Rica - Labor Day Croatia - Labour Day Cyprus - Labour Day Czech Republic - Labour Day Egypt - Banks Holiday Eritrea - Workers day Estonia - Spring Day Ethiopia - International Labour Day Finland - Labour Day Page 698 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. France - Labour Day Gabon - Labor Day Gambia - Labor Day Germany - May Day Ghana - Labour Day Greece - Labor Day Guatemala - Labor Day Hong Kong - Labour Day Hungary - Public Holiday Iceland - Labour Day India - Maharashtra Day Iraq - Labour Day Ireland - Target System Holiday Italy - Labour Day Ivory Coast - Labour Day Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan People's Unity Day Kenya - International Labour Day Latvia - May Day Lebanon - Labour Day Lithuania - Labour Day Luxembourg - Labour Day Madagascar - Labour Day Page 699 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malaysia - Worker's Day Malawi - Labour Day Mali - Labor Day Malta - Labour Day Mauritius - Labour Day Mauritania - Labor Day Mexico - Labour Day Moldova - Labour Day Morocco - Labour Day Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day Namibia - Worker's Day Netherlands - Labour Day Nigeria - Labour Day Norway - Labour Day Pakistan - Labour Day Panama - Labor Day Peru - Labor Day Philippines - Labour Day Poland - Labour Day Portugal - Labour Day Romania - Labour Day Russia - Labour Day Page 700 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Serbia - Labour Day Singapore - Labour Day Slovakia - Labour Day South Africa - Workers Day South Korea - Labour Day Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Labour Day Switzerland - Labour Day Syria - Labour Day Taiwan - Labour Day Thailand - National Labour Day Ukraine - Labour Days Venezuela - Labor Day Vietnam - Labour Day SUDNAY, MAY 3 Bahrain - Labour Day Japan - Constitution Memorial Day MONDAY, MAY 4 Belarus - Public Holiday Bulgaria - Official Holiday Dominican Republic - Labor's Day Ireland - May Bank Holiday Page 701 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Japan - Greenery Day Latvia - Independence Day Namibia - Cassinga Day Ukraine - Labour Days United Kingdom - May Bank Holiday TUESDAY, MAY 5 Bulgaria - Official Holiday Ethiopia - Ethiopian Patriot's Day Japan - Children's Day South Korea - Children's Day Thailand - Coronation Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Lebanon - Martyr's Day Syria - Martyrs Day FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Page 702 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Page 703 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Page 704 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Page 705 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Page 706 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve Page 707 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul Page 708 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090424 101728 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day Page 709 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day Page 710 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Page 711 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day Page 712 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day Page 713 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Page 714 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Page 715 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 716 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090424 101813 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 717 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. 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Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Page 718 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 Page 719 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Page 720 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Page 721 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Page 722 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Page 723 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary Singapore - Deepavali (Observed) TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Page 724 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Page 725 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090424 101844 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Page 726 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Page 727 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Page 728 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) TUESDAY, DEC 22 Eritrea - Market Holiday WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday Eritrea - Market Holiday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Page 729 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Page 730 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Page 731 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Page 732 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Page 733 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day SATURDAY, DEC 26 Eritrea - Market Holiday Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Eritrea - Market Holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday Page 734 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, DEC 29 Eritrea - Market Holiday Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Eritrea - Market Holiday Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Eritrea - Market Holiday Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Page 735 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090424 101935 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=5|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Page 736 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Document LBA0000020090424e54o001gs Page 737 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Background Notes : Gambia, The (04/09) 3,799 words 22 April 2009 State Department Press Releases And Documents STDP English Copyright (c) 2009 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. State Department Press Release Background Notes : Gambia, The (04/09) The flag of The Gambia is three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green. PROFILE OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of The Gambia Geography Area: 11,300 sq. km. (4,361 sq. mi.); less than half the size of Maryland. Cities: Capital--Banjul (pop. 34,828 excluding suburbs; 2003 census provisional). Terrain: Flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by low hills. Climate: Tropical; hot rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May). People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Gambian(s). Population (2008): 1.7 million. Page 738 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Annual growth rate (2008 est.): 2.724%. Ethnic groups (2003 census): Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Sarahule 9%, Serere 7.8%, Krio/Aku Marabout 1.8%, Manjago 0.8%, Bambara 0.7%, other Gambians 1.2%, no declaration 0.3%. Non-Gambians 12.9% of the population. Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 8%, other 2%. Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Jola, Sarahule, other indigenous languages. Education: Years compulsory--up to age eight. Attendance--69% primary, 35% secondary. Adult literacy-37.8%. Health: Life expectancy--57 yrs (2005 est.). Infant mortality rate (2005)-- 97/1,000. Access to safe drinking water (2004)--urban 95%, rural 77%. Work force (400,000): Agriculture--70%; industry, commerce, services--24%; government--6%. Government Type: Republic. Independence: February 18, 1965. Constitution: January 16, 1997. Branches: Executive, legislative, and judicial. Subdivisions: Capital and six divisions. Political parties: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), United Democratic Party (UDP), National Reconciliation Party (NRP), National Convention Party (NCP), Peoples Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM), and the Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP). Page 739 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Economy GDP (2007): $709 million. Annual growth rate (2007): 6.5%. Per capita income (2007): $454. Natural resources: Seismic studies indicate the possible presence of oil and gas offshore. Services: 58.50% of GDP, 2007. Agriculture (32.80% of GDP, 2007): Products--peanuts, rice, millet, sorghum, fish, palm kernels, vegetables, livestock, forestry. Industry (8.70% of GDP, 2007): Types--peanut products, construction, telecommunications, brewing, soft drinks, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metal working, clothing and textile manufacturing, food processing. Trade: (2007 est.): Principal exports--$14.5 million: 43.33% groundnut products, 25.18% fish and fish preparations, 2.43% cotton, 11.18% fruits and vegetables, 0.17% hides and skin, 6.191% re-exports, and others 11.52%. Major markets--France 48.85%, Senegal 22.62%, Netherlands 10.21%, United States 7.02%, Germany 3.46%, and Japan 3.05%. Principal imports--$345.7 million including food and beverages, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, and minerals and fuel. Major suppliers-- Denmark, United States, China, Germany, U.K., Cote d'Ivoire, and Netherlands. Official development assistance (ODA) received from all sources (2001): $50.9 million. U.S. economic aid received (FY 2007): $88,000 in grassroots projects and assistance to democracy and human rights programs. PEOPLE AND HISTORY A wide variety of ethnic groups live in The Gambia with a minimum of intertribal friction, each preserving Page 740 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. its own language and traditions. The Mandinka tribe is the largest, followed by the Fula, Wolof, Jola, and Sarahule. Approximately 3,500 non-Africans live in The Gambia, including Europeans and families of Lebanese origin. Muslims constitute more than 90% of the population. Christians of different denominations account for most of the remainder. Gambians officially observe the holidays of both religions and practice religious tolerance. More than 63% of Gambians live in rural villages (1993 census), although more and more young people come to the capital in search of work and education. Provisional figures from the 2003 census show that the gap between the urban and rural populations is narrowing as more areas are declared urban. While urban migration, development projects, and modernization are bringing more Gambians into contact with Western habits and values, the traditional emphasis on the extended family, as well as indigenous forms of dress and celebration, remain integral parts of everyday life. The Gambia was once part of the Ghana Empire and the Songhai Empire. The first written accounts of the region come from records of Arab traders in the 9th and 10th centuries A.D. Arab traders established the trans-Saharan trade route for slaves, gold, and ivory. In the 15th century, the Portuguese took over this trade using maritime routes. At that time, The Gambia was part of the Kingdom of Mali. In 1588, the claimant to the Portuguese throne, Antonio, Prior of Crato, sold exclusive trade rights on The Gambia River to English merchants; this grant was confirmed by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I. In 1618, King James I granted a charter to a British company for trade with The Gambia and the Gold Coast (now Ghana). During the late 17th century and throughout the 18th, England and France struggled continuously for political and commercial supremacy in the regions of the Senegal and Gambia Rivers. The 1783 Treaty of Versailles gave Great Britain possession of The Gambia, but the French retained a tiny enclave at Albreda on the north bank of the river, which was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1857. As many as 3 million slaves may have been taken from the region during the three centuries that the transatlantic slave trade operated. It is not known how many slaves were taken by Arab traders prior to and simultaneous with the transatlantic slave trade. Most of those taken were sold to Europeans by other Africans; some were prisoners of intertribal wars; some were sold because of unpaid debts, while others were kidnapped. Slaves were initially sent to Europe to work as servants until the market for labor expanded in the West Indies and North America in the 18th century. In 1807, slave trading was abolished throughout the British Empire, and the British tried unsuccessfully to end the slave traffic in The Gambia. Page 741 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. They established the military post of Bathurst (now Banjul) in 1816. In the ensuing years, Banjul was at times under the jurisdiction of the British governor general in Sierra Leone. In 1888, The Gambia became a separate colonial entity. An 1889 agreement with France established the present boundaries, and The Gambia became a British Crown Colony, divided for administrative purposes into the colony (city of Banjul and the surrounding area) and the protectorate (remainder of the territory). The Gambia received its own executive and legislative councils in 1901 and gradually progressed toward self-government. A 1906 ordinance abolished slavery. During World War II, Gambian troops fought with the Allies in Burma. Banjul served as an air stop for the U.S. Army Air Corps and a port of call for Allied naval convoys. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt stopped overnight in Banjul en route to and from the Casablanca Conference in 1943, marking the first visit to the African Continent by an American president while in office. After World War II, the pace of constitutional reform quickened. Following general elections in 1962, full internal self-government was granted in 1963. The Gambia achieved independence on February 18, 1965, as a constitutional monarchy within the British Commonwealth. Shortly thereafter, the government proposed conversion from a monarchy to a republic with an elected president replacing the British monarch as chief of state. The proposal failed to receive the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution, but the results won widespread attention abroad as testimony to The Gambia's observance of secret balloting, honest elections, and civil rights and liberties. On April 24, 1970, The Gambia became a republic following a referendum. Until a military coup in July 1994, The Gambia was led by President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who was re-elected five times. The relative stability of the Jawara era was first broken by a violent, unsuccessful coup attempt in 1981. The coup was led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang, who, on two occasions, had unsuccessfully sought election to parliament. After a week of violence which left several hundred dead, President Jawara, in London when the attack began, appealed to Senegal for help. Senegalese troops defeated the rebel force. In the aftermath of the attempted coup, Senegal and The Gambia signed the 1982 Treaty of Confederation. The result, the Senegambia Confederation, aimed eventually to combine the armed forces of the two nations and to unify economies and currencies. The Gambia withdrew from the confederation in 1989. In July 1994, the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) seized power in a military coup Page 742 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. d'etat, deposing the government of Sir Dawda Jawara. Lieutenant Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, chairman of the AFPRC, became head of state. The AFPRC announced a transition plan for return to democratic civilian government. The Provisional Independent Electoral Commission (PIEC) was established in 1996 to conduct national elections. The transition process included the compilation of a new electoral register, adoption of a new constitution by referendum in August 1996, and presidential and legislative elections in September 1996 and January 1997, respectively. Foreign observers did not deem these elections free and fair. Retired Col. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh was sworn into office as President of the Republic of The Gambia in November 1996. The PIEC was transformed to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in 1997 and became responsible for registration of voters and conduct of elections and referenda. In late 2001 and early 2002, The Gambia completed a full cycle of presidential, legislative, and local elections, which foreign observers deemed free, fair, and transparent, albeit with some shortcomings. President Yahya Jammeh, who was re-elected, took the oath of office again on December 21, 2001. The APRC maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly, particularly after the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections. President Jammeh was re-elected for a third five- year term on September 22, 2006 with 67% of the vote. The UDP received 27% of the vote, and instead of boycotting future elections, vowed to take part in the 2007 National Assembly elections. In the January 2007 parliamentary elections the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) won 42 of the available 48 elected seats. GOVERNMENT The 1970 constitution, which divided the government into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, was suspended after the 1994 military coup. As part of the transition process, the AFPRC established the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) through decree in March 1995. In accordance with the timetable for the transition to a democratically elected government, the commission drafted a new constitution for The Gambia, which approved by referendum in August 1996. The constitution provides for a strong presidential government, a unicameral legislature, an independent judiciary, and the protection of human rights. Local government in The Gambia varies. The capital city, Banjul and the much larger Kanifing Municipality have elected town and municipal councils. Five rural divisions exist, each with a council containing a majority of elected members. Each council has its own treasury and is responsible for local government services. Tribal chiefs retain traditional powers authorized by customary law in some instances. Page 743 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Principal Government Officials President--Yahya Abdulaziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh Vice President--Isatou Njie-Saidy Ambassador-designate to the United States--Tamsir Jallow UN Representative--Omar Touray The Gambia maintains an embassy at 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 905, Washington, DC 20005. Tel. (202) 785-1399. Its UN mission is located at 820 2nd Avenue, Suite 900-C, New York, NY 10017. Tel. (212) 949-6640. DEFENSE The Gambian national army numbers about 1,900. The army consists of infantry battalions, the national guard, and the navy, all under the authority of the Department of State for Defense (a ministerial portfolio held by President Jammeh). Prior to the 1994 coup, the Gambian army received technical assistance and training from the United States, United Kingdom, People's Republic of China, Nigeria, and Turkey. With the withdrawal of most of this aid, the army has received renewed assistance from Turkey and new assistance from Libya and others. The Gambia allowed its military training arrangement with Libya to expire in 2002. Members of the Gambian military participated in ECOMOG, the West African force deployed during the Liberian civil war beginning in 1990. Gambian forces have subsequently participated in several other peacekeeping operations, including, inter alia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, and East Timor. The Gambia contributed 150 troops to Liberia in 2003 as part of the ECOMIL contingent. In 2004, The Gambia contributed a 196-man contingent to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur, Sudan. Responsibilities for internal security and law enforcement rest with the Gambian police under the Inspector General of Police and the Secretary of State for the Interior. POLITICAL CONDITIONS Before the coup d'etat in July 1994, The Gambia was one of the oldest existing multi-party democracies in Africa. It had conducted freely contested elections every 5 years since independence. After the military Page 744 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. coup, politicians from deposed President Jawara's People's Progressive Party (PPP) and other senior government officials were banned from participating in politics until July 2001. The People's Progressive Party (PPP), headed by former president Jawara, had dominated Gambian politics for nearly 30 years. After spearheading the movement toward complete independence from Britain, the PPP was voted into power and was never seriously challenged by any opposition party. The last elections under the PPP regime were held in April 1992. Following the coup in July 1994, a presidential election took place in September 1996, in which retired Col. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh won 56% of the vote. The legislative elections held in January 1997 were dominated by the APRC, which captured 33 out of 45 seats. In July 2001, the ban on Jawara-era political parties and politicians was lifted. Four registered opposition parties participated in the October 18, 2001, presidential election, which the incumbent, President Yahya Jammeh, won with almost 53% of the votes. The APRC maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly in legislative elections held in January 2002, particularly after the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections. President Jammeh won the September 2006 elections with 67% of the vote while the opposition alliance won a total of 27%. In the January 2007 parliamentary elections, Jammeh's APRC won 42 of the available 48 seats. While both the September and January elections were declared credible, several sources have reported increased oversight of journalists in the preceding months. A failed coup in March 2006 had a major effect on The Gambia's political climate. Since then President Jammeh has taken farreaching steps to maintain power. ECONOMY The Gambia has a liberal, market-based economy characterized by traditional subsistence agriculture, a historic reliance on groundnuts (peanuts) for export earnings, a re-export trade built up around its ocean port, low import duties, minimal administrative procedures, a fluctuating exchange rate with no exchange controls, and a significant tourism industry. Agriculture accounts for roughly 30% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs about 70% of the labor force. Within agriculture, peanut production accounts for 6.9% of GDP, other crops 8.3%, livestock 5.3%, fishing 1.8%, and forestry 0.5%. Industry accounts for approximately 8% of GDP and services approximately 58%. The limited amount of manufacturing is primarily agricultural-based (e.g., peanut processing, bakeries, a brewery, and a tannery). Other manufacturing activities include soap, soft drinks, and clothing. Page 745 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Previously, the U.K. and other EU countries constituted The Gambia's major domestic export markets. However, in recent years Senegal, the United States, and Japan have gained fair proportions of Gambian exports. In Africa, Senegal represented the biggest trade partner of The Gambia in 2007, which is a defining contrast to previous years that saw Guinea-Bissau and Ghana as equally important trade partners. Globally, Denmark, the United States, and China have become important source countries for Gambian imports. The U.K., Germany, Cote d'Ivoire, and Netherlands also provide a fair share of Gambian imports. Gambia's trade deficit for 2007 was $331 million. FOREIGN RELATIONS The Gambia followed a formal policy of nonalignment throughout most of former President Jawara's tenure. It maintained close relations with the United Kingdom, Senegal, and other African countries. The July 1994 coup strained The Gambia's relationship with Western powers, particularly the United States, which until 2002 suspended most non-humanitarian assistance in accordance with Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act. Since 1995, President Jammeh has established diplomatic relations with several additional countries, including Libya, Taiwan and Cuba. The Gambia plays an active role in international affairs, especially West African and Islamic affairs, although its representation abroad is limited. As a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Gambia has played an active role in that organization's efforts to resolve the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone and contributed troops to the community's ceasefire monitoring group (ECOMOG) in 1990 and (ECOMIL) in 2003. It also has sought to mediate disputes in nearby GuineaBissau and the neighboring Casamance region of Senegal. The Government of The Gambia believes Senegal was complicit in the March 2006 failed coup attempt. This has put increasing strains on relations between The Gambia and its neighbor. The subsequent worsening of the human rights situation has placed increasing strains of U.S.- Gambia relations. U.S.-GAMBIAN RELATIONS U.S. policy seeks to build improved relations with The Gambia on the basis of historical ties, mutual respect, democratic rule, human rights, and adherence to UN resolutions on counter-terrorism, conflict diamonds, and other forms of trafficking. Following The Gambia's successful presidential and legislative elections in October 2001 and January 2002, respectively, the U.S. Government determined that a democratically elected government had assumed office and thus lifted the sanctions it had imposed against The Gambia in accordance with Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act as a result of the 1994 coup. U.S. assistance supports democracy, human rights, girls' education, and the fight against Page 746 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. HIV/AIDS. In addition, the Peace Corps maintains a large program with about 100 volunteers engaged in the environment, public health, and education sectors, mainly at the village level. Relations with the U.S. have not been improved significantly due to the human rights and freedom of press shortcomings, which resulted in the suspension of The Gambia's compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in June 2006. The Gambia became eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on January 1, 2003. Principal U.S. Officials Ambassador--Barry Wells Deputy Chief of Mission--Brian Bachman Peace Corps Country Director--Michael McConnell The U.S. Embassy in The Gambia is situated in Fajara on Kairaba Avenue, formerly known as Pipeline Road. Tel: [220] 4392856; fax [220] 4392475). The Peace Corps office also is on Kairaba Avenue near the embassy. (Tel. [220] 4392466). The international mailing address for the embassy is American Embassy, PMB 19, Kairaba Avenue, Banjul, The Gambia. TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable. For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http: //www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are also available at http: //www.travel.state.gov. For additional information on international travel, see http: Page 747 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. //www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml. The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security conditions. Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-4074747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada. The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1- 888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays. Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http: //wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found at http: //wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx. Further Electronic Information Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http: //www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http: //www.osac.gov Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more. STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis Page 748 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank. Document STDP000020090422e54m00009 Page 749 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Features World away from home Rowan Callick, Additional reporting: South Asia correspondent Amanda Hodge. 1,609 words 22 April 2009 The Australian AUSTLN 1 - All-round Country 13 English Copyright 2009 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved There are more than 11 million refugees in the world, but only a few are opting for Australia, reports AsiaPacific editor Rowan Callick ONE editorial warns apocalyptically of ``the coming flood of people''. Another calls xenophobia about refugees `òne of the major challenges facing the country'', although one that ``no political party dares to touch''. The first is from India, the second from South Africa. Australia is far from unique in being forced to grapple with the immense, intense issues surrounding refugees. This is a worldwide dilemma and one that does not involve only industrialised countries such as Australia. The biggest single category of refugees is internally displaced people: refugees within their own countries. The latest global report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are 11.4 million refugees, 82 per cent of them in developing countries. But the number of people seeking to shift to industrialised nations is markedly on the rise: it increased by Page 750 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. 12 per cent last year compared with 2007. About 383,000 asylum applications, from people in a variety of circumstances, were recorded in industrialised countries last year, about half the global total of all such applications. Australia received 4750 asylum applications: 19 per cent up on 2007, thus well above the average increase. Asia provides almost half the global applicants, Africa 30 per cent, Europe 13 per cent and the Americas 11 per cent. Iraq last year had the highest number of claimants for the third successive year, with 11per cent of the total (although its level of 40,500 new asylum claims was 10 per cent down on 2007), followed by Somalia and Russia with 6 per cent each, Afghanistan and China with 5 per cent each, and Serbia and Nigeria with 4 per cent. Where do the asylum-seekers wish to go? Not surprisingly, the US tops the list, with 49,000 applications, followed by Canada with 36,900, France with 35,200, Italy with 31,200 and Britain with 30,500. The US role has changed little in the 126 years since Emma Lazarus wrote her 1883 poem The New Colossus, which is engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty: ``Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,/Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me:/I lift my lamp beside the goldendoor.'' The industrialised countries receiving the most refugees last year were, in similar order to the targets of the asylum applicants: the US, Canada, France, Italy, Britain, Sweden, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and Norway. These vast flows of people across borders follow decades during which trade and investment barriers have been steadily eroded, allowing capital to shift in nanoseconds across the world, and the internet has broken through communication boundaries. It is inevitable that people would also wish to be on the move, for myriad reasons. It has helped that air travel -- the way many asylum-seekers arrive at their chosen destinations -- has become widely affordable. Australia's immediate neighbours largely have been exempt from this phenomenon, so far, apart from the half million New Zealanders, who have mostly come for work. Page 751 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. There have been displacements within Indonesia as a result of civil strife and natural disasters, but almost all the people on the move have shifted within the republic. Indonesia is not a party to the refugee convention and does not seek to become a processing centre for refugees. But its Government has adopted what it calls a humanitarian approach, which in fact runs contrary to the country's own laws, by permitting the UNHCR to become involved in determining the status of refugees. About 43 Melanesians from the Indonesian province of Papua arrived in Australia by traditional canoe three years ago, claiming persecution, and were granted refugee status, prompting a diplomatic crisis with Jakarta. But they were not followed by fleets of outriggers. And, surprisingly, few Papua New Guineans -- who live an even shorter canoe-ride away -- have drifted south seeking material opportunities largely denied them by their home country's economy. By far the biggest source of asylum applicants in Australia and New Zealand -- the data for the two are compounded in the latest UNHCR survey -- is China, with one-quarter of the total. This reflects the increasingly intense nature of the relationship between the countries, with large flows of students and tourists, and the continuing crackdowns of the Chinese authorities on beliefs and organisations beyond their control. Next come Sri Lanka and India, along with Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan and Zimbabwe, each at about 4 per cent. Pakistan has become a notorious people-smuggling hub and vital corridor for illegal immigrants from Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan seeking asylum from wars, religious and tribal persecution and economic hardship. But Zafar Iqbal, director of immigration with Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency, says Australia ``doesn't really figure'' in the illegal immigration racket rife in his country. ``The networks are not strong enough to make people reach Australia; it's not very easy,'' he says. ``There is a route via Malaysia to Indonesia, but mainly for Pakistani and Afghan illegal migrants [whose] aim is to reach Europe.'' The vast majority of those who move across the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan with the intention of seeking asylum in Europe use the well-trod route through Turkey and Greece. Turkey sends back tens of thousands of asylum-seekers every year. Page 752 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. So busy is the smuggling route through Turkey that the twice-weekly return flight from Islamabad to Istanbul is known colloquially as Con Air because of the hordes of miserable-looking Pakistani and Afghan immigrants being forcibly returned. Australia's geographic situation is unusual within the industrialised group, as it has no shared land border. This marks it out from the US, with which it shares similarities as a multicultural nation heavily dependent on migration. American attitudes to illegal immigration are also typically more ambiguous than those of Australians, in part because of the heavy dependence of sections of the US economy on migrant labour. The areas that are expected to generate increasing numbers of asylum-seekers in the near future include: * Afghanistan, with its continuing conflict. * Pakistan, as Talibanisation spreads, arousing intense anxiety among the country's substantial middle class. It is also the country that houses the largest number of refugees in relation to its economic capacity, most of them from Afghanistan. * Somalia, which continues to provide a model for the concept of the failed state. * Sri Lanka, as the drawn-out civil war appears to be entering its final stages. Many refugees go first to nearby India, but there is especially strong anxiety there about the Tamil Tigers, who assassinated Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. The arrest on a coastal road in Chennai last week of a Sri Lankan equipped with a GPS device, three mobile phones and a map aroused media concern, based on the suspicion that he could be a terrorist rather than a people-smuggler or refugee. * Zimbabwe, unless President Robert Mugabe relinquishes ultimate control more swiftly under the powersharing arrangement. The Canberra-based UNHCR regional representative Richard Towle says: `Ìnsecurity, persecution and conflict around the world are leading to greater numbers of people seeking asylum in industrialised nations, including Australia. For instance, conflicts in Afghanistan and Somalia have led to increases in asylum-seekers from those countries, while Iraq still remains the country that produces the largest number of asylum-seekers.'' Page 753 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Asylum-seekers tend to cluster in a limited number of countries. For instance, two-thirds of Russian asylum claims last year were lodged in Poland, France and Australia, while 57per cent of all Chinese claims were lodged in the US. More than half the 21,800 Somali asylum applicants were registered in Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden. And 60 per cent of Iraqi claims were lodged in Turkey, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. Italy, with its long Mediterranean coastline, was also the target of 40 per cent of Nigerian claims. All Mexican asylum applications were lodged in the US and Canada: surprisingly, 77 per cent in the latter. Anxious about the trends in people movement, representatives from 33 countries met in Bali last week at a conference, co-hosted by Australia and Indonesia, on the subject of People-Smuggling, Human Trafficking and Related Transnational Crimes. Burma, Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia formed an ad hoc group at the end of the conference ``to develop practical outcomes'' against people-smuggling. All 33 countries agreed to share more information and strengthen co-ordination in this task. A QUESTION OF STATUS THE UN defines an asylum-seeker as `àn individual who has sought international protection and whose claim for refugee status has not yet been determined''. A person becomes, legally, a refugee from the moment he or she fulfils the criteria set out in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The UN adds: ``The formal recognition of someone (as such) does not establish refugee status, but confirms it.'' It says ``the country of asylum is normally responsible for determining whether an asylum-seeker is a refugee or not''. ----- WORLD MIGRATION ----Asylum claims received by region .............................. 2008 ........ Change over 2007 Europe .................... 289,800 .... +13% US/Canada .............. 85,900 ..... +9% Page 754 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Australia/NZ ............. 5000 ........ +19% Japan/South Korea ... 2000 ........ +33% Total ........................ 382,700 ... +12% Asylum claims by region of origin 2008 Africa ......... 29.9% Europe ....... 12.8% Americas .... 10.8% Oceania ...... 0.1% Unknown* ... 1.5% * Includes stateless asylum-seekers Source: UNHCR AUS-20090422-1-013-600121 Document AUSTLN0020090421e54m00081 Page 755 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 4,637 words 21 April 2009 06:31 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited REUTERS DIARY OF WORLD HOLIDAYS This diary contains holiday data up to December 2009, and about a week of past holiday information to enable subscribers who have been away from their offices to check on recent events. Double-click in brackets for long-term holidays diaries: Americas [HOL1/DIARY], Asia [HOL2/DIARY], Europe [HOL3/DIARY], Middle East/Africa [HOL4/DIARY]. Alternatively click on <HOLIDAY> to retrieve dates by country. ************************************************************ 2009 MARKET HOLIDAYS ************************************************************ **** More countries will be added as and when available **** MONDAY, APRIL 6 China - Tomb-Sweeping Day Philippines - Araw ng Kagitingan Thailand - Chakri Day Vietnam - Hung Vuong King's Day (sub) Page 756 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 Israel - Passover 1 Eve THURSDAY, APRIL 9 Argentina - Maudy Thursday Costa Rica - Holy Thursday Denmark - Holy Thursday Guatemala - Holy Thursday Iceland - Holy Thursday Indonesia - Legislative Election Iraq - Baghdad Liberation Day Israel - Passover 1 Mexico - Holy Thursday Norway - Holy Thursday Panama - Holy Thursday Peru - Maudy Thursday Philippines - Maundy Thursday Venezuela - Holy Thursday FRIDAY, APRIL 10 Argentina - Good Friday Austria - Good Friday Australia - Good Friday Belgium - Good Friday Page 757 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Holy Friday Brazil - Good Friday Cameroon - Good Friday Canada - Good Friday Costa Rica - Holy Friday Croatia - Good Friday Cyprus - Good Friday (Catholic) Denmark - Good Friday Dominican Republic - Holy Friday Estonia - Good Friday Finland - Good Friday France - Good Friday Gambia - Good Friday Germany - Good Friday Ghana - Good Friday Greece - Good Friday(Catholic) Guatemala - Holy Friday Hong Kong - Good Friday Indonesia - Good Friday Iceland - Good Friday India - Good Friday Ireland - Good Friday Page 758 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Italy - Good Friday Kenya - Good Friday Latvia - Good Friday Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Good Friday Malawi - Good Friday Malta - Good Friday Mexico - Holy Friday Namibia - Good Friday Netherlands - Good Friday New Zealand - Good Friday Nigeria - Good Friday Norway - Good Friday Panama - Holy Friday Peru - Good Friday Poland - Good Friday (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Portugal - Good Friday Philippines - Good Friday Singapore - Good Friday Slovakia - Good Friday South Africa - Good Friday Spain - Good Friday Page 759 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Sweden - Good Friday Switzerland - Good Friday United Arab Emirates - Good Friday (DGCX) United Kingdom - Good Friday United States - Good Friday Venezuela - Holy Friday SUNDAY, APRIL 12 Madagascar - Easter Malawi - Easter Sunday Namibia - Easter Sunday Nigeria - Easter Day MONDAY, APRIL 13 Albania - Catholic Easter Austria - Easter Monday Australia - Easter Monday Belgium - Easter Monday Central African Republic - Easter Monday Croatia - Easter Monday Chad - Easter Monday Cyprus - Easter Monday (Catholic) Czech Republic - Easter Monday Denmark - Easter Monday Page 760 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Easter Monday France - Easter Monday Gabon - Easter Monday Gambia - Easter Monday Germany - Easter Monday Ghana - Easter Monday Greece - Easter Monday(Catholic) Hong Kong - Easter Monday Hungary - Easter Monday Iceland - Easter Monday Ireland - Easter Monday Italy - Easter Monday Ivory Coast - Easter Monday Kenya - Easter Monday Latvia - Easter Monday Lithuania - Easter Monday Luxembourg - Easter Monday Malawi - Easter Monday Mali - Easter Monday Madagascar - Easter Monday Namibia - Easter Monday Page 761 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Netherlands - Easter Monday New Zealand - Easter Monday Nigeria - Easter Monday Norway - Easter Monday Poland - Easter Monday Portugal - Easter Monday Slovakia - Easter Monday South Africa - Family Day Spain - Easter Monday Sweden - Easter Monday Switzerland - Easter Monday Thailand - Songkran Festival United Kingdom - Easter Monday TUESDAY, APRIL 14 Bangladesh - Bengali new year's day Israel - Passover 2 Eve Thailand - Songkran Festival WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 Israel - Passover 2 Thailand - Songkran Festival FRIDAY, APRIL 17 Cyprus - Good Friday Page 762 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Ethiopian Good Friday Gabon - Womens' Day Greece - Good Friday Iraq - FAO Day Lebanon - Good Friday Serbia - Good Friday Syria - Independence Day United Arab Emirates - Good Friday (DIFX) SUNDAY, APRIL 19 Egypt - Easter Ethiopia - Ethiopian Easter MONDAY, APRIL 20 Albania - Orthodox Easter Bulgaria - Easter Monday Cyprus - Easter Monday Egypt - Sham El Nessim/Easter Monday Greece - Easter Monday Lebanon - Easter Monday Moldova - Easter Monday Romania - Easter Monday Serbia - Easter Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday Page 763 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, APRIL 21 Brazil - Tiradentes Cyprus - Easter Tuesday WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 South Africa - Public Holiday (Election Day) THURSDAY, APRIL 23 Iceland - Public Holiday Turkey - National Sovereignty and Children's Day FRIDAY, APRIL 24 Eritrea - Local Good Friday MONDAY, APRIL 27 Moldova - Memory Day South Africa - Freedom Day TUESDAY, APRIL 28 Israel - Memorial Day WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 Israel - Independence Day Japan - Showa Emperor's Day THURSDAY, APRIL 30 Vietnam - Unification Day [20090421 103112 GMT] FRIDAY, MAY 1 Albania - May Day Page 764 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina - Labor Day Austria - Labour Day Belarus - Labour Day Belgium - Labour Day Brazil - Labour Day Bulgaria - Labour Day Burundi - International Labour Day Cameroon - Labor Day Central African Republic - Labor Day Chad - Labor Day China - Labour Day Comoros - Labor Day Congo Republic - Labor Day Costa Rica - Labor Day Croatia - Labour Day Cyprus - Labour Day Czech Republic - Labour Day Egypt - Banks Holiday Eritrea - Workers day Estonia - Spring Day Ethiopia - International Labour Day Finland - Labour Day Page 765 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. France - Labour Day Gabon - Labor Day Gambia - Labor Day Germany - May Day Ghana - Labour Day Greece - Labor Day Guatemala - Labor Day Hong Kong - Labour Day Hungary - Public Holiday Iceland - Labour Day India - Maharashtra Day Iraq - Labour Day Ireland - Target System Holiday Italy - Labour Day Ivory Coast - Labour Day Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan People's Unity Day Kenya - International Labour Day Latvia - May Day Lebanon - Labour Day Lithuania - Labour Day Luxembourg - Labour Day Madagascar - Labour Day Page 766 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malaysia - Worker's Day Malawi - Labour Day Mali - Labor Day Malta - Labour Day Mauritius - Labour Day Mauritania - Labor Day Mexico - Labour Day Moldova - Labour Day Morocco - Labour Day Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day Namibia - Worker's Day Netherlands - Labour Day Nigeria - Labour Day Norway - Labour Day Pakistan - Labour Day Panama - Labor Day Peru - Labor Day Philippines - Labour Day Poland - Labour Day Portugal - Labour Day Romania - Labour Day Russia - Labour Day Page 767 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Serbia - Labour Day Singapore - Labour Day Slovakia - Labour Day South Africa - Workers Day South Korea - Labour Day Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Labour Day Switzerland - Labour Day Syria - Labour Day Taiwan - Labour Day Thailand - National Labour Day Ukraine - Labour Days Venezuela - Labor Day Vietnam - Labour Day SUDNAY, MAY 3 Bahrain - Labour Day Japan - Constitution Memorial Day MONDAY, MAY 4 Belarus - Public Holiday Bulgaria - Official Holiday Dominican Republic - Labor's Day Ireland - May Bank Holiday Page 768 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Japan - Greenery Day Latvia - Independence Day Namibia - Cassinga Day Ukraine - Labour Days United Kingdom - May Bank Holiday TUESDAY, MAY 5 Bulgaria - Official Holiday Ethiopia - Ethiopian Patriot's Day Japan - Children's Day South Korea - Children's Day Thailand - Coronation Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Lebanon - Martyr's Day Syria - Martyrs Day FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Page 769 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Page 770 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Page 771 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Page 772 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Page 773 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve Page 774 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul Page 775 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090421 103142 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day Page 776 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day Page 777 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Page 778 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day Page 779 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day Page 780 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Page 781 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Page 782 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Gabon - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Ghana - Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (Subject to change) India - Ramzan Id Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Japan - Respect for the Aged Day Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 783 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Hari Raya Puasa (Holiday Subject to Change) Mali - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Malta - Independence Day Mauritania - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Morocco - Aid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Philippines - Eid al-Fitr (Holiday subject to change) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings [20090421 103215 GMT] TUESDAY, SEPT 22 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Independence Day Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Page 784 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Indonesia - Idul Fitri Festival Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Iraq - Eid El Fitr(Subject to lunar sightings) Japan - Citizen's Holiday Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Independence Day Nigeria - Eidel Fitri (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23 Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Indonesia - National Leave Japan - Autumnal equinox Day Page 785 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Oman - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Fitr (Subject to sighting of the moon) Qatar - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings THURSDAY, SEPT 24 Dominican Republic - Mercedes' Day South Africa - Heritage Day SUNDAY, SEPT 27 Ethiopia - Finding of the True Cross Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Eve MONDAY, SEPT 28 Bangladesh - Durga puja Czech Republic - St. Wenceslas Day India - Dasera Israel - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) THURSDAY, OCT 1 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Cyprus - Cyprus Independence Day Hong Kong - National Day Nigeria - Independence Day FRIDAY, OCT 2 Page 786 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day India - Gandhi Jayanti South Korea - Chuseok, Full Moon Festival SATURDAY, OCT 3 Iraq - Iraqi Independence Day MONDAY, OCT 5 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day TUESDAY, OCT 6 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Egypt - Armed Force Day Syria - October Liberation War WEDNESDAY, OCT 7 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Libya - Italian Evacuation Day THURSDAY, OCT 8 China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Day Croatia - Independence Day Peru - Angamos Battle SATURDAY, OCT 10 Kenya - Moi Day MONDAY, OCT 12 Argentina - Columbus Day Page 787 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - National Heroes Day Brazil - Our Lady of Aparecida Canada - Thanksgiving Day Costa Rica - Day of Indigenous Resistance Guatemala - Day of Indigenous Resistance Japan - Health and Sports Day Venezuela - Day of Indigenous Resistance TUESDAY, OCT 13 Burundi - Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore WEDNESDAY, OCT 14 Congo Republic - Educational Day Moldova - Day of the City MONDAY, OCT 19 Albania - Mother Teresa Day India - Diwali / Bhau Beej TUESDAY, OCT 20 Guatemala - Revolution Day Kenya - Kenyatta Day / Heroes Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 Burundi - Assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye FRIDAY, OCT 23 Hungary - Public Holiday Page 788 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Thailand - Chulalongkorn Day MONDAY, OCT 26 Hong Kong - Chung Yeung Festival Ireland - October Bank Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday New Zealand - Labour Day WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 Cyprus - Greek National Day Czech Republic - Independent Czechoslovak State Day Greece - National Holiday THURSDAY, OCT 29 Turkey - Republic Day SUNDAY, NOV 1 Central African Republic - All Saints Day Chad - All saint Day Gabon - All Saints Day Ivory Coast - All saints' day Madagascar - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOV 2 Brazil - All Souls Day Lithuania - Non Business Day Mauritius - Arrival of Indentured Labourers Page 789 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mexico - All Saint's Day Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day TUESDAY, NOV 3 Japan - Culture Day Panama - Independence from Colombia Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 4 Panama - Flag's Day Russia - Unity day THURSDAY, NOV 5 Panama - Patriotic Conmemoration in Colon City FRIDAY, NOV 6 Argentina - Bank Holiday Morocco - Marche Verte (Anniversary of the Green March) MONDAY, NOV 9 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Constitution Pakistan - Iqbal Day TUESDAY, NOV 10 Panama - Cry for Independence (Villa de los Santos) WEDNESDAY, NOV 11 Bermuda - Remembrance Day Poland - Independence Day THURSDAY, NOV 12 Page 790 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Comoros - Unification Day SUNDAY, NOV 15 Brazil - Proclamation of Republic Ivory Coast - Peace day MONDAY, NOV 16 Mexico - Revolution Anniversary Singapore - Deepavali (Observed) TUESDAY, NOV 17 Czech Republic - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Slovakia - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day WEDNESDAY, NOV 18 Latvia - Proclamation of Latvia Morocco - Fete de l'Independance (Independence Day) FRIDAY, NOV 20 Brazil - Black Consciousness Day MONDAY, NOV 23 Japan - Labor Thanksgiving Day THURSDAY, NOV 26 Mongolia - Proclamation of the People's Republic United Arab Emirates - Thanksgiving Day (DGCX) United States - Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, NOV 27 Page 791 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethiopia - Id Al Adeha (Arefa) Malaysia - Hari Raya Haji Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Singapore - Hari Raya Haji Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DGCX (half day)/Nasdaq Dubai) SATURDAY, NOV 28 Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Cameroon - Eid-ul Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(maybe changed to the nearest) Central African Republic - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Chad - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day. Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Gabon - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day) Gambia - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Ghana - Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (Subject to change) Iraq - Eid El Aadha(Subject to lunar sightings) Ivory Coast - Eid al-Adha Jordan - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Adha(Feast of Sacrifice) (subject to sighting of the moon) Mali - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day) Page 792 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mauritania - Independence Day Morocco - Aïd al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Pakistan - Eid-ul-Azha (Subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Syria - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday [20090421 103327 GMT] SUNDAY, NOV 29 Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-azha(subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - Eid-ul- Adha- Feast of the Sacrifice(may be changed to the nearest day Egypt - Eid El Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, NOV 30 Albania - National Liberation Day Bahrain - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Oman - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Philippines - Bonifacio Day Page 793 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Qatar - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Kurban Holiday United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Adha (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai)- Subject to lunar sightings TUESDAY, DEC 1 Albania - Independence Day Central African Republic - National Day Chad - Freedom and Democraty Festival Romania - National Day Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 2 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Adha (Subject to lunar sightings) United Arab Emirates - National Day (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai/DGCX) THURSDAY, DEC 3 United Arab Emirates - National Day (Nasdaq Dubai) FRIDAY, DEC 4 Ghana - National Farmers' Day MONDAY, DEC 7 Thailand - H.M. the King's Birthday Venezuela - Immaculate Conception's Day TUESDAY, DEC 8 Albania - Small Bajram Page 794 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina - Immaculate Conception Austria - Immaculate Conception Malta - Immaculate Conception Panama - Mother's Day Peru - Immaculate Conception WEDNESDAY, DEC 9 Kazakhstan - Eid al-Adha (Feas of the Sacrifice) THURSDAY, DEC 10 Namibia - International Human Rights Day Thailand - Constitution Day SATURDAY, DEC 12 Kenya - Independence Day SUNDAY, DEC 13 Malawi - National Tree Planting Day WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 Bahrain - National Day Bangladesh - Victory day Kazakhstan - Independance Day South Africa - Day of Reconciliation THURSDAY, DEC 17 Bahrain - National Day FRIDAY, DEC 18 Comoros - El am Hejir New Year(may be changed to the nearest day) Page 795 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iraq - Islamic New Year(Subject to lunar sightings) Lebanon - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Islamic New Year(subject to sighting of the moon) Malaysia - Awal Muharram Mauritania - El am Hejir New Year (may be changed to the nearest day) Qatar - National Day Syria - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, DEC 20 Bahrain - Islamic New Year Egypt - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) Jordan - Islamic New Year Oman - Islamic New Year (Subject to lunar sightings) WEDNESDAY, DEC 23 Japan - Emperor's Birthday THURSDAY, DEC 24 Austria - Christmas Eve Bulgaria - Christmas Eve Brazil - Christmas Eve Cyprus - Christmas Eve Czech Republic - Christmas Eve Denmark - Christmas Eve Eritrea - Christmas Page 796 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Estonia - Christmas Eve Finland - Christmas Eve Guatemala - Christmas Eve Hungary - Public Holiday Indonesia - National Leave Iceland - Christmas Eve Italy - Christmas Eve Latvia - Christmas Eve Lithuania - Christmas Eve Norway - Christmas Eve Philippines - Additional Special (non-working) Day Poland - Christmas Eve (Warsaw SE/New Connect/CeTo) Slovakia - Christmas Eve Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Christmas Eve FRIDAY, DEC 25 Albania - Christmas Argentina - Christmas day Austria - Christmas Day Australia - Christmas Day Belarus - Christmas Day Belgium - Christmas Day Page 797 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bermuda - Christmas Day Brazil - Christmas Day Bulgaria - Christmas Day Burundi - Christmas Day Canada - Christmas Day Cameroon - Christmas Day Central African Republic - Christmas Day Chad - Christmas Day Congo Republic - Christmas Day Costa Rica - Christmas Day Croatia - Christmas Day Cyprus - Christmas Day Czech Republic - Christmas Day Denmark - Christmas Day Dominican Republic - Christmas Day Estonia - Christmas Day Finland - Christmas Day France - Christmas Day Gabon - Christmas Day Gambia - Christmas Day Germany - Christmas Day Ghana - Christmas Page 798 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Greece - Christmas Guatemala - Christmas Day Hong Kong - Christmas Day Hungary - Christmas Iceland - Christmas Day India - Christmas Iraq - Christmas Day Ireland - Christmas Day Italy - Christmas Ivory Coast - Christmas day Kenya - Christmas Day Latvia - Christmas Day Lebanon - Christmas Day Lithuania - Christmas Day Luxembourg - Christmas Madagascar - Christmas Day Malawi - Christmas Day Mali - Christmas Day Malta - Christmas Day Mauritius - Christmas Mexico - Christmas Namibia - Christmas Day Page 799 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Netherlands - Christmas New Zealand - Christmas Day Nigeria - Christmas Day Norway - Christmas Day Panama - Christmas Pakistan - Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday Peru - Christmas Day Philippines - Christmas Day Poland - Christmas Portugal - Christmas Romania - Christmas Singapore - Christmas Slovakia - Christmas Day South Africa - Christmas South Korea - Christmas Day Spain - Christmas Day Sweden - Christmas Day Switzerland - Christmas Day Syria - Christmas Day United Kingdom - Christmas United States - Christmas Day Venezuela - Christmas Day Page 800 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. SATURDAY, DEC 26 Kenya - Boxing Day Malawi - Boxing Day Namibia - Boxing Day Nigeria - Boxing Day South Africa - Day of Goodwill SUNDAY, DEC 27 Pakistan - Benazir's Death Anniversary MONDAY, DEC 28 Australia - Boxing Day holiday Bangladesh - Muharram(subject to sighting of the moon) Bermuda - Boxing Day Canada - Boxing Day holiday Ireland - St. Stephens' Day New Zealand - Boxing Day holiday United Kingdom - Boxing Day holiday MONDAY, DEC 29 Bahrain - New Hijri year WEDNESDAY, DEC 30 Philippines - Rizal Day THURSDAY, DEC 31 Austria - Exchange Holiday Page 801 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Bangladesh - Bank holiday Brazil - Last Year's Day Cyprus - New Year's Eve Denmark - Ney Years Eve Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - New Years Eve Ghana - Revolution Day Guatemala - New Year's Eve Indonesia - Exchange Holiday Iceland - New Year's Eve Italy - Last Day of the Year Japan - Exchange Holiday Latvia - New Year's Day Lithuania - New Year's Day Norway - New Years Eve Philippines - Last Day of the Year Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - New Year's Eve Thailand - New Year's Eve -------------------------------------------------------RT users double-click on [IND/DIARY] for an index of all diaries. -------------------------------------------------------Enquiries to Customer Help Desks -- double-click on Page 802 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. <PHONE/HELP> for telephone numbers. Reuters Diary Desk tel +91 80 66771088 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event. [20090421 103558 GMT] WORLDHOLIDAYS/|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|R EULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=2|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=3|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=4|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|WORLDHOLIDAYS/=5|LANGEN|Table|C|D|E|M|O|U|MTL|GRO|SOF|OIL|DIA|G|RBN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS| REULB|GNS|RNP|PGE|PMF|chained Document LBA0000020090421e54l000yf Page 803 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. An in-depth look at the Russian press, April 20. 1,572 words 20 April 2009 RIA Novosti RVESEN English Copyright 2009 RIA Vesti. All Rights Reserved. MOSCOW, April 20 (RIA Novosti) Hungary suspects Surgutneftegaz of planning to block Nabucco project/ China beats Russia, West to Caspian energy resources/ Nigeria claims compensation from RusAl/ Russians get used to economic crisis Kommersant Hungary suspects Surgutneftegaz of planning to block Nabucco project Hungarian politicians consider the acquisition of a 21.2% stake in oil and gas company MOL by Russia's Surgutneftegaz as an attempt to hinder the implementation of the Nabucco gas pipeline project, where Hungary is a partner. The Russian company will be unable to influence decision-making at MOL, but will gain access to confidential information on the Nabucco project, planned to transport Central Asian gas to Europe bypassing Russia. Surgutneftegaz closed the deal to buy the stake in MOL from Austria's OMV last week. MOL owns 16.6% in the Nabucco Pipeline Consortium, also comprising OMV, Germany's RWE, Turkish Botas, Bulgarian Bulgargaz and Romanian Transgas. Zsolt Nemeth, head of the Hungarian parliament's foreign affairs committee, said Surgut bought a stake in MOL to get access to the Nabucco project. He said the Russian company's goal was to limit investment in Page 804 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. the project and to give competitive advantage to Gazprom's South Stream. A possible conflict of interest within the Nabucco project is increasing tensions created by the MOL deal. Surgut, which paid 1.4 billion euros for the stake, plans to process its crude at Hungarian refineries. However, MOL's managers said they consider Surgut only as an investor and are refusing to pay 2008 dividends. An extraordinary meeting of the MOL shareholders scheduled for April 23 will consider changes in the company's charter that will oblige nominal shareholders to disclose their beneficiaries. On April 9, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the Hungarian authorities' statements were aimed at "adding a non-existent political element to the actions of economic operators." However, Valery Nesterov of Troika Dialog said that Surgut could not have made the decision to buy into MOL without the Russian authorities' approval "in the light of their traditionally conservative policy regarding acquisitions in Europe." Lev Snykov of VTB Capital said Russia could not use MOL to block the construction of the Nabucco pipeline. The only thing Surgut can do is nominate a candidate for MOL's board of directors and thereby gain access to insider information regarding Nabucco. Vedomosti, Kommersant China beats Russia, West to Caspian energy resources China has issued a $10 billion loan to Kazakhstan. Half of that amount was provided by China's top oil firm CNPC to Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGaz, to enable the two companies to buy a third holding, MangistauMunaiGaz (MMG), on a parity basis from Indonesian Central Asia Petroleum. The new agreements between the two Asian countries, which effectively promoted China to the status of one of the largest foreign players in Kazakhstan's energy, demonstrate China's determination to put more effort in racing Russia and the West to the Caspian's energy resources. MMG is Kazakhstan's fourth largest privately owned oil company, which controls one third of the retail market for petroleum products. It owns 36 oil and gas fields with resources estimated at 812 million metric tons of oil equivalent and recoverable reserves at 194 million tons). Until January 2009, the company was officially owned by Central Asia Petroleum, and de facto by Rakhat Aliyev, former son-in-law of President Page 805 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Nursultan Nazarbayev. The other half of the loan, $5 billion, is being provided by China Eximbank (the Export-Import Bank of China) to Kazakhstan's Bank for Development for telecoms, transport, agriculture, and education projects. China will participate in the construction of the Balkhash thermal power plant and in the Western EuropeWestern China highway project. In 1997, China and Kazakhstan signed an oil and gas cooperation agreement, which made China a major player in Kazakhstan's energy sector. China financed the construction of an oil pipeline linking central Kazakhstan with China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In 2006, CNPC acquired for $4.18 billion PetroKazakhstan, a Canadian company developing oil and gas in Kazakhstan. China is pursuing a string policy of buying energy assets around the globe including Brazil, Venezuela, and Angola, said Leonid Vardomsky, head of the Center for CIS and Baltic Studies at the Institute of Economics. In February, China's Development Bank issued Russia's Rosneft and Transneft a $25 billion loan. Beijing is supporting the Kazakh government in exchange for "its go-ahead to further expand Chinese business in the country," said Valery Nesterov from Troika Dialog. Other foreign companies were also eyeing stakes in MMG, including Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of Russia's gas export monopoly. However, unlike Moscow or the West, China has international reserves worth $1.9 trillion, which enables it to make irresistible offers to Central Asian countries, despite the general economic downturn. Gazeta Nigeria claims compensation from RusAl A week ago, the military junta in Guinea announced plans to review a deal with Russian aluminum giant RusAl concerning the Friguia bauxite and alumina complex. The Russian company is now having similar problems with Nigeria, whose government has accused it of violating the terms of the Alscon deal. The loss of its Nigerian and Guinean assets could severely damage RusAl, as Friguia and Alscon are parts of a production chain that the Russian company has spent ten years developing. Page 806 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Its African assets ensure some 4% of RusAl's aluminum and over 5% of alumina production. RusAl became a majority shareholder of the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (Alscon) in February 2007, when it paid $250 million for a 77.5% stake in the company and pledged to invest another $150 million in its modernization within three years. The deal also stipulates creating 1,900 jobs, involving local small and medium-sized businesses, and dredging the Imo River to create transport infrastructure. Alscon's other shareholders are the Nigerian government (15%) and Germany's Ferrostaal AG (7.5%). However, the Nigerian government now claims that RusAl has not fulfilled its obligations. Nigeria's Bureau of Public Enterprises has set up a committee made up of five members of the National Council on Privatization to investigate and make recommendations to the Council on ways to address all issues associated with the delays in the dredging of the Imo River channel by RusAl by late April. According to the foreign media, Alscon cost $3.6 billion at the time of the deal, while the Russian company paid just $250 million. The Guinean authorities claim that RusAl paid $19 million for a $280-million facility. Both the African officials and the U.S. Bancorp Financial Investment Group (BFI Group) have called for the deals to be invalidated. BFI Group said RusAl bought the asset after its consortium with South Korea's Daewoo was denied the right to buy. BFI Group is demanding $2.8 billion in compensation from RusAl, but its complaints have not been supported by the courts, which ruled that the corruption complaints were not proven. Kommersant Russians get used to economic crisis Russians have got used to the tight economic situation, although they are unlikely to be able to survive it for more than a year, according to a forecast by the national sociological services following a public opinion survey carried out in the first quarter of this year. Even in March, 51% of Russia's assessed the general situation in the country as "extremely bad." However, in mid-April, the VTsIOM pollster said only 41% of respondents were so pessimistic. The number of respondents who said the situation was "normal" grew to 39% from 29%. Page 807 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. VTsIOM Director Valery Fedorov attributed the change in trend to people "getting used to the crisis." It happened because Russia so far has seen "no surge in crime, or a significant drop in living standards below the poverty line, or other horrors predicated earlier this year." The other reason, according to Fedorov, is the government making its stimulus and bailout policies public rather than adopting them in secret. "People like to hear that someone is taking care of the crisis," he added. On the other hand, practically all groups in the population regardless of their income said they would not be able to stick to their current lifestyles for more than a year. The unemployed see themselves as the most vulnerable group, because if they don't find jobs now, they will not survive for more than five months. Students seem the most confident, expecting to stick it for 15 months with their parents' support. Private company employees do not know what might happen nine months from now. Those working in the public sector do not expect a fall in living standards for another 11 months. Society is signaling to the government that its confidence is fading, said Boris Makarenko, head of the Center for Political Technologies think tank. However, people "will take anything, even economic experiments," as long as the government sticks to its social commitments. However, the government will be given limited time for experimenting. But this limited time should be enough to bail the country out, said Iosif Diskin, a Public Chamber member. He said the government had overestimated potential social tensions in the first place, but the crisis has proved far less devastating, apparently following the best-case scenario. RIA Novosti is not responsible for the content of outside sources. Document RVESEN0020090420e54k00106 Page 808 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. DIARY - World Market Holidays - to December 2009 3,929 words 20 April 2009 04:42 AM Reuters News LBA English (c) 2009 Reuters Limited FRIDAY, MAY 1 Albania - May Day Argentina - Labor Day Austria - Labour Day Belarus - Labour Day Belgium - Labour Day Brazil - Labour Day Bulgaria - Labour Day Burundi - International Labour Day Cameroon - Labor Day Central African Republic - Labor Day Chad - Labor Day Page 809 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. China - Labour Day Comoros - Labor Day Congo Republic - Labor Day Costa Rica - Labor Day Croatia - Labour Day Cyprus - Labour Day Czech Republic - Labour Day Egypt - Banks Holiday Eritrea - Workers day Estonia - Spring Day Ethiopia - International Labour Day Finland - Labour Day France - Labour Day Gabon - Labor Day Gambia - Labor Day Germany - May Day Ghana - Labour Day Greece - Labor Day Page 810 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Guatemala - Labor Day Hong Kong - Labour Day Hungary - Public Holiday Iceland - Labour Day India - Maharashtra Day Iraq - Labour Day Ireland - Target System Holiday Italy - Labour Day Ivory Coast - Labour Day Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan People's Unity Day Kenya - International Labour Day Latvia - May Day Lebanon - Labour Day Lithuania - Labour Day Luxembourg - Labour Day Madagascar - Labour Day Malaysia - Worker's Day Malawi - Labour Day Mali - Labor Day Page 811 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Malta - Labour Day Mauritius - Labour Day Mauritania - Labor Day Mexico - Labour Day Moldova - Labour Day Morocco - Labour Day Mongolia - Mother's and Children Day Namibia - Worker's Day Netherlands - Labour Day Nigeria - Labour Day Norway - Labour Day Pakistan - Labour Day Panama - Labor Day Peru - Labor Day Philippines - Labour Day Poland - Labour Day Portugal - Labour Day Romania - Labour Day Page 812 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Russia - Labour Day Serbia - Labour Day Singapore - Labour Day Slovakia - Labour Day South Africa - Workers Day South Korea - Labour Day Spain - Market Holiday Sweden - Labour Day Switzerland - Labour Day Syria - Labour Day Taiwan - Labour Day Thailand - National Labour Day Ukraine - Labour Days Venezuela - Labor Day Vietnam - Labour Day SUDNAY, MAY 3 Bahrain - Labour Day Japan - Constitution Memorial Day MONDAY, MAY 4 Page 813 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Belarus - Public Holiday Bulgaria - Official Holiday Dominican Republic - Labor's Day Ireland - May Bank Holiday Japan - Greenery Day Latvia - Independence Day Namibia - Cassinga Day Ukraine - Labour Days United Kingdom - May Bank Holiday TUESDAY, MAY 5 Bulgaria - Official Holiday Ethiopia - Ethiopian Patriot's Day Japan - Children's Day South Korea - Children's Day Thailand - Coronation Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Bulgaria - St. George's Day Japan - Substitute Holiday for Constitution Day Page 814 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Lebanon - Martyr's Day Syria - Martyrs Day FRIDAY, MAY 8 Czech Republic - Liberation Day Denmark - Great Prayer Day Slovakia - Day of victory over fascism Thailand - Wisakha Bucha Day SATURDAY, MAY 9 Bangladesh - Buddha Purnima Eritrea - Schuman Day Indonesia - Birthday of Buddha Singapore - Vesak Day MONDAY, MAY 11 Belarus - Public Holiday Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Russia - Public Holiday Ukraine - Public Holiday MONDAY, MAY 18 Canada - Victoria Day Page 815 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, MAY 19 Turkey - Youth and Sports Day WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Cameroon - National Day THURSDAY, MAY 21 Austria - Ascension Day Denmark - Ascension Day Cameroon - Ascension Cameroon - Sheep Festival Central African Republic - Ascension Estonia - Non Trading Day Finland - Ascension Day Iceland - Ascension Day Indonesia - Ascension of Christ Ivory Coast - Ascension Latvia - Non Trading Day Lithuania - Non Trading Day Luxembourg - Ascension Page 816 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Madagascar - Ascension Day Namibia - Ascension Day Norway - Ascension Day Sweden - Ascension Day Switzerland - Ascension Day FRIDAY, MAY 22 Denmark - Non Trading Day MONDAY, MAY 25 Argentina - May Revolution Day Bermuda - Bermuda Day Chad - Africa Day Ghana - Africa Day Jordan - Independence Day Lebanon - Resistance and Liberation Day Madagascar - Whit Sunday Pentecost Mali - Africa Day Mauritania - Africa Day Namibia - Africa Day United States - Memorial Day Page 817 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Kingdom - Spring Bank Holiday Venezuela - Lord's Ascension Day THURSDAY, MAY 28 China - Dragon Boat Festival Ethiopia - Downfall of the Dergue regime Hong Kong - Tuen Ng Festival Israel - Pentecost (Shavout) Eve Taiwan - Dragon Boat Festival FRIDAY, MAY 29 China - Dragon Boat Festival Nigeria - Democracy Day Taiwan - Adjusted Holiday MONDAY, JUNE 1 Austria - Whit Monday Central African Republic - Whit Monday Denmark - Pentecost Monday Gabon - Whit Monday Hungary - Whit Monday Page 818 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iceland - Pentecost Monday Ireland - June Bank Holiday Ivory Coast - Whit Monday Kenya - Madaraka Day Luxembourg - Whit-Monday Madagascar - Whit Monday New Zealand - Queens Birthday Norway - Pentecost Monday Switzerland - Whit-Monday FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Burundi - Pentecost FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Denmark - Constitution Day MONDAY, JUNE 8 Australia - Queen's Birthday - All states except West Australia Cyprus - Whit Monday Greece - Whit Monday Romania - Whit Monday Ukraine - Public Holiday Page 819 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Jordan - Army Day THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Austria - Corpus Christi Day Brazil - Corpus Christi Chad - Independence Day Croatia - Corpus Cristi Dominican Republic - Corpus Christie Libya - Evacuation Day Poland - Corpus Christi Day FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Philippines - Independence Day Russia - Independence Day SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Malawi - Freedom Day MONDAY, JUNE 15 Argentina - Flag Day Venezuela - Corpus Christie Page 820 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, JUNE 16 South Africa - Youth Day WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Iceland - Public Holiday FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Finland - Midsummer Eve Sweden - Midsummer Eve SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Eritrea - Martyres Day MONDAY, JUNE 22 Croatia - Antifascist Struggle Day TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Estonia - Victory Day Latvia - Midsummer Day Luxembourg - National Holiday WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Estonia - Midsummer Day Latvia - St John's Day Lithuania - Midsummer Day Page 821 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Venezuela - Carabobo Battle THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Croatia - Statehood Day FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Madagascar - Independence Day (Fetinny Fahaleovantena) MONDAY, JUNE 29 Malta - Feast of St Peter and St Paul Peru - St Peter and St Pauls Ukraine - Public Holiday Venezuela - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Central African Republic - National Prayer Day Congo Republic - Independence Day Guatemala - Army day [20090420 084220 GMT] WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Bangladesh - Half Day Bank Holiday (Market Holiday) Burundi - Independence Day Canada - Canada Day Page 822 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Ghana - Republic Day Guatemala - Banking Day Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Thailand - Mid Year Closing Day FRIDAY, JULY 3 United States - Independence Day (observed) MONDAY, JULY 6 Comoros - Independence Day Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day Lithuania - Statehood Day Malawi - Republic Day TUESDAY, JULY 7 Kazakhstan - Day of the Capital Thailand - Asarnha Bucha Day THURSDAY, JULY 9 Argentina - Independence Day Brazil - State Holiday Day TUESDAY, JULY 14 Iraq - Republic Day Page 823 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mongolia - The Third Day of National Naadam Holiday SUNDAY, JULY 19 United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension (Nasdaq Dubai)-Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, JULY 20 Comoros - Ascension of Mohammed Indonesia - Isra Mi'raj Japan - Ocean's Day Jordan - Prophet's Ascension (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Ascension of the Prophet(subject to sighting of the moon) United Arab Emirates - The Prophet's Ascension(DFM/ADX/DGCX)-Subject to lunar sightings WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Gambia - Revolution Day THURSDAY, JULY 23 Egypt - Revolution Day Libya - Reviolution Day Oman - Renissance Day FRIDAY, JULY 24 Venezuela - Simon Bolivar's Birthday Page 824 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, JULY 28 Peru - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Peru - Independence Day THURSDAY, JULY 30 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day Israel - Tisha Be'av Fast Day Morocco - Feast of the Throne FRIDAY, JULY 31 Bermuda - Emancipation Day & Somers Day MONDAY, AUG 3 Canada - Civic Day Iceland - Bank Holiday Ireland - August Bank Holiday WEDNESDAY, AUG 5 Croatia - National Thanksgiving Day FRIDAY, AUG 7 Ivory Coast - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 8 Page 825 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Iraq - Ceasefire Day(End of Iran/Iraq War) MONDAY, AUG 10 Singapore - National day (Observed) South Africa - Market Holiday TUESDAY, AUG 11 Chad - Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 12 Thailand - H.M. the Queen's Birthday THURSDAY, AUG 13 Bangladesh - Janmashtami(subject to sighting of the moon) Central African Republic - Independence Day FRIDAY, AUG 14 Guatemala - Feast of the Assumption Morocco - Fete Oued Eddahab (Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day). Pakistan - Independence Day SATURDAY, AUG 15 Cameroon - Assumption Central African Republic - Assumption Page 826 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Gabon - Assumption Gambia - Assumption Ivory Coast - Assumption Madagascar - Assumption Day SUNDAY, AUG 16 Gabon - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 17 Argentina - San Martin Day Gabon - Independence Day Indonesia - Independence Day Lithuania - Non Business Day TUESDAY, AUG 18 Gabon - Independence Day THURSDAY, AUG 20 Estonia - Restoration of Independence Hungary - Public Holiday Morocco - Revolution du Roi et du Peuple (Anniversary of the King and the People's Revolution). FRIDAY, AUG 21 Hungary - Public Holiday Page 827 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Morocco - King Mohammed's Birthday Philippines - Ninoy Acquino Day SATURDAY, AUG 22 Comoros - Start of Ramadan (May change) MONDAY, AUG 24 Mauritius - Ganesh Chaturthi Ukraine - Ukrainian Independence Day WEDNESDAY, AUG 26 Namibia - Heroes' Day THURSDAY, AUG 27 Moldova - Independence Day MONDAY, AUG 31 Kazakhstan - Public Holiday Malaysia - National Day Moldova - The day of the Native Language Philippines - National Heroes Day United Kingdom - Summer Bank Holiday TUESDAY, SEPT 1 Page 828 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Eritrea - Beginning of struggle Libya - National Day Slovakia - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2 Vietnam - National Day MONDAY, SEPT 7 Bermuda - Labour Day Brazil - Independence Day Canada - Labour Day United States - Labor Day TUESDAY, SEPT 8 Malta - Our Lady of Victories SUNDAY, SEPT 11 Eritrea - Ge'ez New Year Ethiopia - Ethiopian New Year TUESDAY, SEPT 15 Guatemala - Independence Day Slovakia - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 Page 829 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. Mexico - Independence Day THURSDAY, SEPT 17 Ivory Coast - Lailat al Qadr(subject to sighting of the moon) SATURDAY, SEPT 19 Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) SUNDAY, SEPT 20 Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr (subject to sighting of the moon) Comoros - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day) Egypt - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Ethiopia - Id Al Fater (Remedan) Iraq - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Israel - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Jordan - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Libya - Eid Al-Fitr (End of Ramdan) (subject to sighting of the moon) Saudi Arabia - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Singapore - Hari Raya Puasa (Observed on Monday, Sept 21) Syria - Eid El Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Turkey - Religious Ramadan Holiday Page 830 of 2567 © 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved. United Arab Emirates - Eid al-Fitr (DFM/ADX/Nasdaq Dubai) -Subject to lunar sightings MONDAY, SEPT 21 Albania - Big Bajram Bahrain - Eid Al Fitr (Subject to lunar sightings) Bangladesh - Eid-al-fitr(subject to sighting of the moon) Bulgaria - Official holiday Cameroon - End of Ramadan( May be changed to the nearest day) Central African Republic - End of Ramadan(may be changed to the nearest day) Chad - End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest d

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