#4 - JRL 7215
TV1 Review
www.1tv.ru
Compiled by Luba Schwartzman (luba_sch@hotmail.com)
Research Analyst, Center for Defense Information, Moscow office

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS,
Saturday, June 7, 2003

- Russian President Vladimir Putin held a working meeting on foreign and domestic policy. Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, Presidential Administration Head Aleksandr Voloshin, Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov, Minister of Internal Affairs Boris Gryzlov, Security Council Chairman Vladimir Rushailo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov and Federal Security Service Director Nikolai Patrushev attended.

- A forum of the supporters of the United Russia Party was held in Petrozavodsk. It was dedicated to the recent Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly and the development of ideas expressed in this document.

- Chechen Prime Minister Anatoly Popov reported that at least 20 people participated in yesterday's shoot-out in Argun. Deputy Military Commandant of Chechnya Ayud Yusupov and two of his men, as well as two civilians, died. Seven other people were injured. There are also losses on the side of the Chechen rebels.

- The personal driver of former Iraqi Ambassador to Russia Abbas Khalaf handed in his weapons -- 5 Kalashnikovs, 9 handguns and 1,500 pieces of ammunition. According to Interfax, he did so on the request of the Ambassador himself, who flew to Baghdad several days ago to participate in a conference for all Iraqi diplomatic representatives. Representatives of the Iraqi ambassy explain that the ambassador has not been recalled, and will return to Moscow.

- A state of emergency has been announced in the Krasnodar Krai. The drought has killed over 300,000 hectares of grains.

- President Putin sent his congratulations to writer and satirist Arkadii Arkanov on his 70th birthday.

- The traditional graduation ceremony for officers of the Moscow Military Institute was held on Red Square.

- Russian bard Aleksandr Dolskii celebrates his 65th birthday.

- The Russian National Soccer Team held its last practice before the match with Switzerland.

- The Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper published the text of the State Duma Resolution on the Amnesty in Chechnya. The document is effective as of today. It applies to all rebels and Ministry of Internal Affairs servicemen who committed ctimes after August 1, 1993.

Sunday, June 8, 2003

- The Russian and Kazakh Ministers of Defense discussed the perspectives of expanding bilateral military and military-technological cooperation and cooperation in the fight against international terrorism.

- Two Russian citizens -- Leonid Zaprudskii, born 1937, and his 8-year-old granddaughter --died in yesterday's car crash in Italy.

- The Progress freight spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It will deliver 330 liters of water, as well as research equipment, fuel, food and correspondence to the International Space Station.