Saturday, November 20, 2010

Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto airport back in operation


The Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta


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November 20, 2010 (KATAKAMI / THE JAKARTA POST) --- The Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta went back into operation on Saturday noon after authorities closed it down due to Mount Merapi's volcanic activities.

The Yogyakarta to Jakarta route via Solo, Blora, Semarang and Indramayu has been reopened.

Authorities directed flights to this northward route to avoid areas affected by Merapi's volcanic dust.

However, the Yogyakarta to Jakarta route via Cilacap and Indramayu remain closed.  (*)

Friday, November 19, 2010

Manisnya Pertemuan Medvedev - Ahmadinejad Di Tengah Ambisi Nuklir Iran


Presiden Rusia Dmitry Medvedev (kiri) berjabatan tangan dengan Presiden Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dalam pertemuan mereka di Baku (18 November 2010). Foto : Kremlin.Ru

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(KATAKAMI 19/11/2010) -- Siapa yang tak kenal dengan nama Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ? Pria brewokan kelahiran 28 Oktober 1956 ini adalah Presiden dari Republik Islam Iran.

Saat ini ia sedang menjalankan periode kedua pemerintahannya setelah terpilih kembali pada pemilihan umum kepresidenan tahun 2009 lalu.

Berbicara soal Ahmadinejad, berarti bicara tentang ambisi nuklir Iran yang mnemancing kecurigaan dan kemarahan hampir sebagian besar negara-negara barat.

Terutama Amerika Serikat dan Israel.

Ahmadinejad adalah figur yang sangat semaunya dalam berbicara.

Ia tak pernah punya rasa sungkan atau pakem-pakem diplomasi saat berbicara dalam forum-forum internasional.

Dua bulan lalu (September 2010) dalam forum sidang terbuka Majelis Umum Perserikatan Bangsa Bangsa ( 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly ), Ahmadinejad bisa dengan seenaknya mengatakan bahwa mayoritas orang mempercayai bahwa Amerika Serikatlah yang berada di belakang serangan 11 September 2001.

Pidato yang sangat seenaknya ini menyebabkan sejumlah delegasi dalam sidang Majelis Umum PBB melakukan walkout.

Bahkan Presiden Barack Obama secara reaktif menjawab tudingan ( klaim ? ) dari Presiden Ahmadinejad dengan mengatakan bahwa tuduhan itu adalah "sesuatu yang dapat menimbulkan kebencian". 

Istilah yang digunakan Presiden Obama menjawab klaim itu adalah : "Inexcuseable, offensive" and hateful".

Tapi "kegilaan" Presiden Ahmadinejad pada Amerika tak cuma ini, beberapa bulan sebelumnya Presiden Ahmadinejad juga pernah membuat heboh lewat pernyataannya saat ia mengatakan bahwa sebenarnya Osama Bin Laden berada di Washington.

Kontan saja omongan "asal-asalan" dari Presiden Ahmadinejad ini dibantah secara keras oleh Washington.

Presiden Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saat ia tiba di kota Qazvin sekitar 90 mil (140 kilometer) barat ibukota Teheran, Iran (Getty Images)

Dan Ahmadinejad seakan tak peduli pada reaksi Obama pasca pidato kontroversial di Sidang Majelis Umum PBB .

Bahkan dalam statusnya pada akun pribadinya di jejaring TWITTER, Ahmadinejad dengan cuek menuliskan sebagai berikut :

"Well, my material bombed at the UN again. This is the last I hire Michael Richards as my head speechwriter" (September 24, 2010).

Di hari yang sama, Ahmadinejad juga menyerang Perdana Menteri Israel Benjamin Netanyahu dalam wawancara di CNN.

Tidak tanggung-tanggung, Ahmadinejad menyebut PM Netanyahu sebagai pembunuh perempuan dan anak-anak.

Dan tuduhan yang sangat berani ini, dipertegas lagi oleh Ahmadinejad.

Dalam akun twitternya yang lain Ahmadinejad menuliskan sebagai berikut :


"I wasn't lying when I told CNN's Larry King that @Plaid_Netanyahu is a dictator"who should be tried for killing women and children." (September 24, 2010)

Berbeda dengan Presiden Obama, PM Netanyahu tidak mau menanggapi serangan terbuka lewat media yang dilakukan Presiden Ahmadinejad.

Bibi (panggilan Netanyahu) bagaikan "gunung es" yang barangkali menganggap omongan Ahmadinejad adalah sesuatu yang bersifat murahan dan tak perlu dijawab secara khusus,

Tetapi dalam sebuah media online di Israel, rakyat disana yang merasa perlu membela pemimpin mereka yang diserang oleh Presiden Iran menuliskan beragam komentar.

Bibi dibela oleh rakyatnya sendiri.



Perdana Menteri Israel Benjamin Netanyahu dalam pertemuannya dengan Sekjen PBB Ban Ki-moon di New York (8 November 2010). Salah satu pernyataan yang disampaikan PM Netanyahu saat ia berkunjung ke Amerika adalah cara terbaik untuk menghadapi dan mengatasi ambisi nuklir Iran adalah dengan melakukan SERANGAN MILITER. (Foto : Getty Images)

Diantaranya adalah menyayangkan CNN yang memberikan kesempatan bagi Ahmadinejad untuk diwawancarai.

Dan ada sebuah komentar berbahasa Inggris yang di muat di media online Israel HAARETZ yang singkat tetapi cukup pedas dari rakyat Israel untuk Ahmadinejad yaitu : "Look who's talking !"

Presiden Ahmadinejad memang termasuk salah seorang pengguna jejaring sosial Twitter yang cukup aktif.

Ia punya beberapa beberapa akun twitter.

Dan dalam akun twitter pribadinya yang manapun, topik yang paling sering disorot untuk diejek, disindir dan dikomentari dengan seribu satu macam "keanehan" adalah soal Amerika, Presiden Obama, Palestina dan Israel.

Tetapi Ahmadinejad juga menunjukkan "kegenitan yang sangat menggelikan" saat ia menjawab di Twitter kritikan dari sesama pemimpin dunia (dari kalangan perempuan) yaitu dari Presiden Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

"Oh, what's that? YOU'RE A WOMAN, I CAN'T HEAR YOU! I'm not listening, lalalalalalalala"  (October 22, 2010).

Atau pesan Ahmadinejad untuk Mantan Ketua DPR Amerika, Nancy Pelosi yang harus tersingkir dari kursi jabatannya pasca kemenangan Partai Republik yang mengantarkan JOHN BOEHNER sebagai pengganti Nancy Pelosi :


"Ex-speaker Pelosi, you can still "speak" at my house anytime. (wink wink) -M.A." (November 3, 2010).

Ahmadinejad adalah anak dari pasangan Ahmad dan Khanom.

Ia adalah anak ke-4 dari 7 bersaudara.

Tak selamanya ia bersikap arogan.


Dalam foto ini diambil pada Selasa, 9 November 2010, Presiden Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, kanan, menyambut Kardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, Presiden Dewan Kepausan untuk Dialog Antar Vatikan, di kantor kepresidenan di Teheran, Iran. (Foto : Getty Images)

Saat Paus Benediktus ke XVI secara tegas mengecam rencana Pendeta Terry Jones untuk membakar Al Quran pada bulan September 2010 lalu, hal ini mendapat pujian dari Presiden Ahmadinejad.

Ia menghargai Tahta Suci Vatican yang mengecam rencana gila yang provokatif tadi.

Ahmadinejad,  tumben-tumbennya bisa menuliskan pesan yang sangat santun pada akun twitternya mengenai hal itu :


"I thank Pope for condemning the Qu'ran burning which was to take place in Florida, USA not long ago. Much, much appreciated" (October 8, 2010).

Mungkin itulah sebabnya tanggal 9 November 2010 lalu, Presiden Ahmadinejad bersedia menerima kunjungan dari Utusan Paus Benediktus yaitu Kardinal Jean-Louis Tauran yang datang untuk menyampaikan surat khusus dari Paus untuk Presiden Iran.

Dan bagi Indonesia, Iran adalah negara sahabat yang selalu mendapat tempat khusus di hati sebab sama-sama memiliki latar belakang sebagai negara Islam.

Indonesia adalah negara yang berpenduduk Islam terbesar di dunia.

Indonesia tak pernah bergeser dari sikapnya jika menyinggung masalah program nuklir Iran yaitu tak setuju jika Iran dijatuhi sanksi yang sangat tidak berkeadilan tetapi Indonesia selalu mendukung secara tegas proses dialog dalam menyelesaikan krisis nuklir di Iran.


Presiden Rusia Dmitry Medvedev (kiri) dalam pertemuannya dengan Presiden Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad di Baku (18 November 2010). Foto : Kremlin.Ru

Dalam kunjungannya ke Baku pada pekan ini, Presiden Ahmadinejad menyerukan kepada negara-negara barat agar berhenti menekan Iran.

Desakan dari Ahmadinejad ini sangat bisa dipahami dengan akal sehat.

Bagaimana efektivitas diplomasi jika untuk menyelesaikan sebuah permasalahan yang sangat rumit semacam nuklir, jurus yang digunakan adalah jurus gertak yang sangat sinis disertai sanksi-sanksi yang sangat memusingkan kepala bagi Iran ?

Itu sebabnya, pertemuan antara Presiden Ahmadinejad dengan Presiden Rusia Dmitry Medvedev di Baku tanggal 8 November lalu sangat menyejukkan hati.

Rusia memainkan peranan yang sangat cantik dalam krisis nuklir Iran yang semakin suram.

Presiden Medvedev menyampaikan langsung kepada Presiden Ahmadinejad tentang pentingnya menjaga program nuklir di Iran sebagai sebuah program nuklir damai ( a peaceful Iranian nuclear programme ).

Pertemuan ini menjadi tolak ukur baru bahwa saat ini ada pemimpin dunia yang bisa melakukan kontak langsung dengan Iran dalam sebuah kerangka dialog yang sehat dan bersahabat.

Sikap saling serang di media-media internasional dari sejumlah pihak kepada Iran ( dan dibalas juga oleh Presiden Ahmadinejad lewat pernyataan-pernyataan yang jauh lebih "bringas" di media ) hanya akan membawa proses perundingan dalam mengatasi ambisi nuklir Iran ke lembah kekelaman.

Rusia membuktikan kemampuan mereka untuk menjadi kekuatan baru yang pantas disegani di dunia.

Lepas dari kepentingan perdagangan antar kedua negara yaitu Rusia dan Iran, tetapi Rusia juga harus selalu mengingat bahwa posisi strategis mereka ini harus tetap diarahkan pada prinsip perdamaian dan keamanan dunia yang berkelanjutan.


Perdana Menteri Rusia Vladimir Putin (kiri) dan Presiden Dmitry Medvedev. (File)

Baik Presiden Medvedev atau Perdana Menteri Putin, keduanya harus senantiasa membawa dan menempatkan Rusia sebagai tonggak yang akan selalu menjamin misi-misi perdamaian dan keamanan dunia terjaga dengan baik.

Rusia harus sangat selektif melakukan perdagangan senjata (misil) ke negara-negara manapun yang dapat menyalah-gunakan kecanggihan persenjataan itu untuk merugikan pihak lain.

Sangat menyejukkan hati saat Rusia ( lewat Presiden Medvedev ) bisa secara langsung bertemu dan berkomunikasi dengan pemimpin seradikal Presiden Ahmadinejad.

Ke depan, Rusia bisa menjadi kekuatan yang bisa mengimbangi dan meminimalisir kerasnya dorongan banyak pihak yang sudah sangat kehabisan kesabaran dan begitu geram pada Iran.

Rusia bisa menjadi pihak yang berperan maksimal untuk ikut menyelesaikan krisis nuklir di Iran, terutama jika semua saluran komunikasi dan lobi-lobi dari berbagai kekuatan diplomasi menjadi tersumbat.

Apalagi setelah bertemu dengan Presiden Ahmadinejad pada bulan November ini, Presiden Medvedev berencana untuk melakukan kunjungan ke Israel pada bulan Januari 2011 mendatang.

Topik soal Iran pastilah akan menjadi topik menarik untuk dibahas bila sudah bertemu dengan Israel.

Paling tidak, Presiden Medvedev bisa menyampaikan pada Presiden Shimon Peres dan Perdana Menteri Netanyahu agar Israel bersedia bersikap lebih "baik hati" dalam menghadapi masalah Iran.

Mau jadi apa dunia ini kalau sedikit-sedikit, serangan militer yang dijadikan langkah utama.

Mau jadi apa dunia ini kalau dalam menyelesaikan sebuah masalah penting seperti krisis nuklir ini, masing-masing negara besar dan kekuatan-kekuatan yang "super power" begitu mudah menjatuhkan sanksi demi sanksi.

Diplomasi seakan sudah tidak membutuhkan proses dialog.

Diplomasi seakan sudah tidak membenarkan proses damai.

Diplomasi, apakah pantas disebut sebagai diplomasi, jika kekuatan-kekuatan besar yang mempunyai peranan penting didunia ini sudah mengubah citra mereka menjadi singa yang siap menerkam siapa saja yang dianggap membangkang dan tak mau diatur ?

Jangan serang Iran, apalagi lewat serangan militer.

Sebab serangan itu hanya akan membuat rakyat Iran menjadi terancam dan hampir dapat dipastikan akan memakan korban jiwa yang tak berdosa dari kalangan sipil, perempuan dan anak-anak.

Dan janganlah ada arogansi-arogansi yang bersembunyi dibalik prinsip-prinsip keangkuhan sebagai negara atau kekuatan yang penuh superioritas ( super power) sehingga merasa pantas untuk menghajar negara lain.

Untuk apa ada Perserikatan Bangsa Bangsa ( UN ) Di dunia ini jika kekuatan diplomasi sudah kehilangan kekuatan-kekuatan lobi mereka yang berbasiskan perdamaian yang sesungguhnya.

Iran juga harus sangat terbuka pada kepedulian dunia internasional bahwa di zaman kekinian ancaman nuklir sebagai senjata pemusnah atau pembunuh massal adalah sesuatu yang sangat tidak dibenarkan.

Presiden Ahmadinejad juga harus mau bersikap lebih bersahabat kepada media massa asing yang ingin berkontribusi di Iran sebab para jurnalis tidak memiliki agenda-agenda propaganda yang licik.

Percayalah bahwa setiap jurnalis dan setiap media hanya membawa satu kepentingan yaitu pembawa informasi.

Please.


(MS)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Photostream : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev meets Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad


Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) walks with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during their meeting in Baku, November 18, 2010.
The two heads of state discussed Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues. The Russian President emphasised the importance of continuing Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme. The construction of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which was carried out by Russian specialists under IAEA control, is an example of effective cooperation in this sphere.
Dmitry Medvedev and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also discussed issues pertaining to trade and economic ties, as well as other areas of cooperation between Russia and Iran. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the third Caspian Summit. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Kremlin )

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (L) shakes hands with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Baku, November 18, 2010. World powers should stop threatening Iran if they want to achieve results at talks on Tehran's nuclear programme, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday. (Getty Images / REUTERS / Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Kremlin )

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shake hands during their bilateral meeting on the sidlines of a regional summit in Baku on November 18, 2010. The two heads of state discussed Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues, says Kremlin. The Russian President emphasised the importance of continuing Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme. The construction of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which was carried out by Russian specialists under IAEA control, is an example of effective cooperation in this sphere. Dmitry Medvedev and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also discussed issues pertaining to trade and economic ties, as well as other areas of cooperation between Russia and Iran. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the third Caspian Summit. (Photo by DMITRY ASTAKHOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) looks at his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a Caspian regional summit in Baku on November 18, 2010. Iranian President was to meet Medvedev during one of the lowest points in relations between the two traditional allies. Once a reliable backer of Tehran throughout the nuclear standoff, Moscow has scrapped a controversial missile deal with Iran and backed United Nations sanctions against the country, which Russia now admits is nearing the ability to develop a nuclear bomb. (Photo by DMITRY ASTAKHOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Government responsible over Sumiati abuse in Saudi Arabia, says Speaker of Indonesia People's Consultative Assembly


Taufik Kiemas, Speaker of Indonesia People's Consultative Assembly ( Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat / MPR)

November 18, 2010. Jakarta (KATAKAMI / THE JAKARTA POST) --- People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Taufik Kiemas has demanded that the government take responsibility for a recent case of maid abuse in Saudi Arabia. He also asked the relevant officials to directly tackle the problem.

Taufik said he regretted that the government had not learned from previous cases of abuse of maids and had not insisted on stricter regulations that would guarantee workers’ safety in Saudi Arabia. He said stricter regulations could be implemented in many other countries where Indonesians worked.

http://www.harianpelita.com/media/abig_1289838429.jpg
Photo: Sumiati


“I think this is the time for Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Muhaimin Iskandar and National Indonesian Workers Placement and Protection Agency head Jumhur Hidayat to take firm action. Please do something meaningful for our workers there,” he said.

An Indonesian worker by the name of Sumiati was recently sent to King Fahd Hospital in Saudi Arabia with severe wounds allegedly inflicted by her employer there. (*)

Indonesian Minister Heads to Saudi over Maid Torture


Indonesia's Women's Affairs Minister Mrs. Linda Agum Gumelar

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November 18, 2010. Jakarta (KATAKAMI / THE JAKARTA GLOBE) --- Indonesia's women's affairs minister will fly to Saudi Arabia on Friday to check on the investigation into the brutal torture of an Indonesian maid, the foreign minister said.

Linda Agum Gumelar will lead an inter-ministerial team to ensure justice for Sumiati Binti Salan Mustapa, 23, whose shocking injuries highlighted the abuse of female migrant workers in the Middle East.

"As ordered by the president (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono), justice must be upheld," foreign ministry spokesman Michael Tene told AFP.

Gumelar will visit Sumiati in a hospital in the Saudi city of Medina where she has been recuperating since November 8 from injures including deep cuts to her lips and face allegedly inflicted with scissors.


http://www.harianpelita.com/media/abig_1289838429.jpg
Photo : Sumiati


Amnesty International appealed to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states on Wednesday to do more to protect migrant domestic workers in the oil-rich kingdom.

The London-based human rights watchdog said the maid's treatment, which Yudhoyono on Tuesday described as "extraordinary torture," symbolized the plight of foreign workers in the region.

"Women who go to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to be domestic workers face abuse and exploitation," the watchdog's Middle East and North Africa director, Malcolm Smart, said.

"At the root of the problem is the failure of the governments of the Gulf states to uphold the rights of women migrant domestic workers.

"Workers from countries like Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka underpin the Gulf states' economies -- it is high time that they got a fair deal," he said.

Indonesia summoned Saudi ambassador Abdulrahman Alkhayat on Monday to express its deep concern.
The envoy on Thursday said what happened to Sumiati was "barbaric".

He said no arrests had been made as a result of the ongoing investigation, and rejected suggestions that such abuse was all-too common in his country, saying he would "pray to God" to prevent similar abuses in future.

"We haven't made any arrest and we have to wait for the result of the investigation," he told a news conference in Jakarta.

"There are more than one million Indonesian workers in Saudi. What happened to Sumiati is a very rare occurrence and we pray to God that this won't happen again."

Agence-France Presse

Photostream : IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi meets US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen

The IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi continued his work visit to North America and was hosted (Wednesday, Nov 17, 2010) at the Pentagon by the United States chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen. The photo show Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi during the respective playing of their national anthems at the Pentagon ceremony welcoming Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, after which both leaders addressed the media during a press availability. ( IDFSpokesperson.com / DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
The IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi continued his work visit to North America and was hosted (Wednesday, Nov 17, 2010) at the Pentagon by the United States chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen. The photo show Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi during the respective playing of their national anthems at the Pentagon ceremony welcoming Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, after which both leaders addressed the media during a press availability. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released) ( IDFSpokesperson.com / DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi (left) and United States chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen at the Pentagon, Nov. 17, 2010. Photo by: Embassy of Israel Press Office )
IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi (left) and United States chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen at the Pentagon, Nov. 17, 2010. Photo by: Embassy of Israel Press Office )

Photostream : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Baku


Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev (R) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (C) listen as the national anthems of the two countries are being played during a welcoming ceremony in Baku November 17, 2010. Azerbaijan pledged to deepen energy cooperation with neighbouring Iran on Wednesday, signing a memorandum of cooperation with Tehran on gas supplies and electricity swaps. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Vugar Amrullaev )

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev (R) greets his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at his residence in Baku November 17, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Vugar Amrullaev )

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev (R) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pose during their meeting in Baku November 17, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Vugar Amrullaev )

Russian, Iranian leaders to mend rift


File photo : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R) shakes hands with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) during their bilateral meeting in Dushanbe on August 28, 2008

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November 18, 2010 BAKU (KATAKAMI / CHANNEL NEWS ASIA) --- The presidents of Russia and Iran will meet in the Azerbaijani capital Baku Thursday hoping to mend an unprecedented breakdown in relations between the two traditional allies.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be among the leaders of five states littoral to the Caspian Sea meeting to address overlapping claims to the sea's vast energy riches.

But bilateral talks between Medvedev and Ahmadinejad scheduled for Thursday afternoon are sure to overshadow a summit that in previous meetings has ended with little progress.

The Kremlin Wednesday confirmed the highly anticipated bilateral meeting would take place on the sidelines of the summit.

A source in the Russian delegation said Medvedev understood the importance of the meeting with Ahmadinejad.

"We believe one needs to conduct negotiations, needs to talk, to try to convince," the source said.

Analysts have billed the meeting as a last chance to repair relations that were Tehran's most significant alliance with a major world power before the current crisis.

Russian-Iranian tensions came to the boil this September when Moscow -- after repeated delays -- officially dropped plans to supply Tehran with high-precision S-300 missiles and a batch of other sensitive arms.

Iran did little to hide its displeasure with Russia's reversal. Ahmadinejad this month accused Russia of falling "under the influence of Satan (the United States)" and selling out "to our enemies."

Russia has already backed a series of United Nations sanctions resolutions against the Islamic nation and Medvedev himself has voiced a growing sense of frustration with the persistent nuclear ambitions of Tehran.

"We are convinced that under the sanctions it is necessary to look for new incentives which will ensure greater cooperativity, constant cooperation with Iran including on nuclear issues and dialogue with it," Medvedev's top foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko said ahead of the meeting.

"The sanctions do not cover the entire volume and complex of ties with Iran. A significant part of cooperation does not fall and will not fall under the sanctions," he added.

The Caspian summit itself -- the third gathering of nations that also includes Azerbaijan and the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan -- was unlikely to make much progress on its most important dispute: how to split up the sea.

Iran insists on dividing the Caspian into five equal portions while the Azerbaijanis are angling for access that corresponds to each country's coastline. (*)

Death toll from Indonesia's volcano climbs to 275


File photo : Indonesian Elite Forces (KOPASSUS) and rescue team evacuate a victim of Mount Merapi eruption at Pejambon in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on November 8, 2010. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images)

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November 18, 2010. Indonesia (KATAKAMI / THE STRAITS TIMES) --- The number of people killed by a series of eruptions at Indonesia's most volatile volcano in recent weeks has risen to 275.

The National Disaster Management Agency said Thursday that the toll climbed after more than a dozen victims succumbed to their injuries - mostly severe burns.

Mount Merapi began unleashing torrents of hot gas, rock and other debris late last month after years of dormancy. The most significant blast came Nov. 5, the deadliest day at the mountain in decades.

The disaster agency said most of the 275 people were killed by searing gas clouds. Others died during panicked evacuations or from respiratory problems and other illnesses linked to the mountain. (*)



Top US, Israeli Military Leaders Meet Amid Iran Controversy


Chairman of the U.S.Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen (left) and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi

November 17, 2010 (KATAKAMI / VOA) --- The top U.S. and Israeli military officers met Wednesday amid some disagreement among senior leaders of the two countries on how best to pressure Iran to abandon its alleged nuclear weapons program.  The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, hosted his Israeli counterpart, General Gabi Ashkenazi at the Pentagon

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a "credible military threat" from the international community to convince Iran's leaders to abandon their nuclear program.  But U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates disagreed, saying in a separate appearance that international sanctions are having more impact than had been expected, and should be given more time to work.

On Tuesday at the Pentagon, Netanyahu's military chief, General Ashkenazi, agreed that the sanctions are having an impact, but questioned whether that will be enough.

"The real question here [is whether] it's sufficient enough to persuade the Iranians to change the course of action in terms of the nuclear program," said Ashkenazi. "And that has to be determined.  And we still have some time to watch it and see what will be the final outcome."

General Ashkenazi would not say how long he thinks the international community can wait before threatening or taking military action.

The top U.S. military officer, Admiral Mullen, said the military option has never been abandoned, but he echoed Secretary Gates' view that the sanctions are having a significant impact and should be given more time.

"I've certainly seen a body of evidence that indicates that the sanctions are taking their toll, much more rapidly than some had anticipated, more deeply," said Mullen. "They're very broadly supported.  These aren't just U.S. sanctions, they're UN sanctions."

Admiral Mullen said he has no doubt Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon, and said that would be a "disaster for the region," and an "incredibly destabilizing" development.

Iranian leaders consistently deny charges they are trying to develop a nuclear weapon. (*)

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to visit Russia, Tajikistan


File photo : Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) meets with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow, capital of Russia, Oct. 28, 2008.

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November 18, 2010 (KATAKAMI) --- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will pay official visits to Russia and Tajikistan from Nov. 22 to 25 at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Tajikistan Prime Minister Akil Akilov.

During the visits, Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the 15th Chinese-Russian prime ministers meeting and the ninth prime ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Source: Xinhua, People.Com.Cn

Mount Merapi evacuees start returning home




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November 18, 2010. Gunung Kidul (KATAKAMI / ANTARA) - A total of 1,625 evacuees of Mt Merapi have started leaving their shelters in Gunung Kidul regency, Yogyakarta, returning to their villages.

"The 1,625 evacuees started leaving their shelters on Sunday. They were part of the 11,714 refugees sheltering outside the main command post of the Gunung Kidul regency administration, known as Rest Area Bunder," Gunung Kidul regency administration spokesman Azis Shaleh said on the sidelines of monitoring the condition of the refugees at the shelters in Bunder, Playen, Gunung Kidul, Wednesday.

He said that the number of evacuees at the main command post at Rest Area Bunder had even increased from 730 to 747.

Azis did not know for sure what exactly made the refugees to return to their homes. Maybe they now felt safe following the announcement that the danger zone had been reduced, and many others wished to observe the Day of Sacrifice at their hometowns, he said.

He added that the home-going evacuees had already asked for permission from their coordinator or volunteers at the refugee command posts in each subdistrict.

One of the refugees of Cangkringan, Tugiman, said he preferred to stay at the Bunder refugees command post until an official statement on the safety of status of Mt Merapi.

"We have been moving several times from one place to other refugee camps so that we preferred to stay put until the government issued an official announcement on the safe status of Mr Merapi, and allow us to return to hour homes," he said. (*)

All Russia Invited To Help Name Vladimir Putin's New Puppy


Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hugs a Bulgarian shepherd dog, a present from his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov after their press conference in Sofia on November 13, 2010.  (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP/Getty Images)

November 17, 2010 (KATAKAMI / PostChronicle.Com) --- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has invited Russians to help him come up with a name for his new puppy, which he received as a gift from his Bulgarian counterpart over the weekend.

"Anyone who wishes to can send their suggestion of a male name for the prime minister's new dog to his site," a government statement said on its official website www.premier.gov.ru .
After Moscow and Sofia signed a series of accords to boost the South Stream gas pipeline, Putin was all smiles when Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov presented the Karakachan dog to the 58-year-old leader.

Putin, who has a black belt in judo and has cultivated a macho image, snuggled the fluffy, floppy-eared puppy of three months before gently planting a kiss on his snout.

The puppy will have to share the canine spotlight with Putin's beloved black Labrador Connie, who is 11.
Putin once boasted that Connie was bigger than former U.S. President George W. Bush's Scottish terrier Barney, according to Bush's memoir "Decision Points," published earlier this month.

"Of course, it is very important that they build their relationship," the government statement said of the dogs.  (*)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

PM David Cameron wishes royal couple “great joy”


Britain's Prince William (right) and his fiancée Kate Middleton


November 16, 2010 ( KATAKAMI / NUMBER 10.GOV) --- Prime Minister David Cameron has wished Prince William and Kate Middleton “great joy” following the news of their engagement.

Mr Cameron said he was sure the whole country would join him in wishing the couple well.

The PM said:
“I am delighted to hear this wonderful news. I am sure the whole country will join Samantha and me in wishing them great joy in their life together.” 

(*)

Medvedev, Ahmadinejad to meet in Baku


File photo : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev [right] speaks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during their bilateral meeting in Dushanbe on August 28, 2008 Photo: AFP/GETTY

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November 17, 2010 (KATAKAMI / RIA NOVOSTI) --- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will meet on Thursday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to discuss Iran's nuclear program, Kremlin aide Sergei Prikhodko said on Wednesday.

The two leaders will meet on the sidelines of the Caspian summit in Baku, Prikhodko said.

(*)

Wakapolri Jusuf Manggabarani : Walau Gaji Sederhana, Polri Jangan Lakukan Pelanggaran


Wakapolri Komjen. Polisi Jusuf Manggabarani


WAWANCARA EKSKUSIF

Dimuat juga di KATAKAMI.WORDPRESS.COM

Banyak Kali Cakap Kau Gayus, Jangan Pojokkan Institusi Polri & Kejaksaan

 
Jakarta 17/11/2010 (KATAKAMI) --- Mabes Polri kembali mendapat sorotan tajam dari masyarakat Indonesia pasca terkuaknya sebuah fakta yang sangat tidak lazim yaitu terdakwa kasus mafia pajak Gayus Halomoan Tambunan ( yang notabene sedang ditahan di Rutan Cipinang Cabang Mako Brimob (Kelapa Dua, Depok) ternyata bisa plesiran ke Bali untuk menonton pertandingan tenis internasional.

Untuk membicarakan masalah tersebut, disela-sela pelaksanaan sholat Ied Idul Adha dari jajaran Polri di Lapangan Bhayangkara Jalan Trunojoyo Jakarta Selatan, KATAKAMI.COM mendapatkan kesempatan untuk melakukan WAWANCARA EKSKLUSIF dengan Wakapolri Komjen. Polisi Jusuf Manggabarani pada hari Rabu (17/11/2010) siang.


Dan inilah hasil WAWANCARA EKSKLUSIF kami :






KATAKAMI  (K) : Selamat Hari Idul Adha, Pak Wakapolri. Mengenai kasus Gayus Tambunan, masyarakat kecewa pada Polri karena tahanan kelas kakap seperti Gayus bisa keluar masuk seenaknya dari Rutan Brimob. Bagaimana tanggapan dari Pak Wakapolri ?


JUSUF MANGGABARANI (JM) : Jadi semua kritikan yang disampaikan kepada kami adalah wujud dari perhatian dari seluruh masyarakat kepada Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia. Memang Polri dituntut untuk bekerja dalam koridor Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

Artinya, harus bisa bekerja sesuai dengan aturan tetapi dalam koridor Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

Sehingga Polri tidak bisa dipukul rata. Dalam kasus ini ada pertanggung-jawaban hukum yang harus dipertanggung-jawabkan oleh masing-masing anggota yang lalai dalam tugas. Pertanggung-jawaban itu harus dipertanggung-jawabkan oleh bersangkutan. Tidak mungkin Kapolri pergi ke tahanan dan ikut menjaga disana. Tidak mungkin juga Kapolri menghubungi masing-masing tahanan untuk bertanya kepada mereka, dimana kau sekarang ?

Jadi ada pertanggung-jawaban berdasarkan tatanan yang ada.


(K) : Baiklah kalau misalnya alasan dari Polri seperti itu. Tetapi pada faktanya, seseorang yang sedang disorot oleh publik karena kasus yang sangat kontroversial seputar mafia pajak ternyata bisa keluar masuk sampai 68 kali dari rutan yang dijaga oleh polisi. Bagaimana tanggapan Bapak ?


(JM) : Begini ya, kami adalah orang pertama yang akan menyatakan tidak setuju jika terjadi penyalah-gunaan wewenang yang menyalahi aturan hukum yang berlaku. Jadi jangan bilang bahwa Bapak Kapolri dan kami semua di Polri ini setuju dengan tingkah laku mereka. Kami adalah orang pertama yang paling tidak setuju !


(K) :  Oke, kalau memang benar para pimpinan di Mabes Polri memang tidak setuju kalau ada anggota yang menyalah-gunakan wewenang sehingga seorang tahanan semacam Gayus Tambunan bisa keluar masuk sampai 68 kali, apa tindakan tegas yang akan dilakukan sebagai pembenahan ke dalam internal Polri sendiri ?


(JM) : Kami ingatkan kepada anggota-anggota yang sudah berani melakukan tindakan yang sejauh itu, mereka harus siap mempertanggung-jawabkannya. Berani berbuat maka harus berani bertanggung-jawab. Sebab dalam melaksanakan tugas, ada aturan dan ketentuan yang harus dipatuhi. Jadi, siapapun yang terlibat dalam kasus ini harus siap mempertanggung-jawabkannya secara pidana. Dan harus bertanggung-jawab secara profesi.

( Catatan Redaksi : Seluruh petugas Rutan yang terlibat dalam kasus keluar-masuk Gayus Tambunan dari dalam rutan, saat ini diperiksa secara marathon oleh Tim Gabungan yaitu dari Reserse atau Bareskrim dan Divisi Propam atau Profesi & Pengamanan ).


(K) : Kebetulan, KATAKAMI.COM yang berulang-ulang kali menanyakan kepada pimpinan di Polri tentang rendahnya tingkat kesejahteraan dari para anggota Polri. Apakah para di Polri ini menyadari bahwa rendahnya gaji dari para anggota Polri yang membuat mereka menjadi rentan terhadap aksi suap. Contohnya ya dalam kasus Gayus Tambunan ini. Bisa kasih tanggapan Pak Wakapolri ?


(JM) : Tidak begitu. Jangan diartikan seperti itu. Keterbatasan dalam masalah kesejahteraan, jangan diidentikkan dengan pelanggaran. Semua anggota Polri harus memiliki ketabahan atas apa yang menjadi konsekuensi dari tugasnya.  Seperti makna dalam perayaan Idul kurban ini. Jadi Polri harus memiliki ketabahan kita dalam melaksanakan tugas dalam koridor Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

Jadi kami sebagai pimpinan di Polri perlu mengingatkan kepada semua anggota Polri, jangan karena kita mempunyai gaji yang sangat sederhana, gaji yang sederhana itupun bukan berarti tidak cukup, jangan dijadikan gaji yang sederhana itu sebagai pembenaran untuk melakukan pelanggaran dan penyelewengan seperti itu.


(K) : Pak Wakapolri, apalagi harapan yang bisa disampaikan kepada para anggota Polri agar ke depan jangan terulang lagi hal-hal yang memalukan seperti dalam kasus Gayus Tambunan ini ?


(JM) : Anggota Polri harus bisa memaknai perayaan Idul kurban ini dapat meningkatkan kesungguhan dan tanggung-jawabnya dalam menjalankan tugas. Dan melihat tugas-tugas itu sebagai ibadah dalam rangka pengabdiannya kepada Tuhan untuk menjaga keamanan dan ketertiban masyarakat, penegakan hukum, serta memberikan perlindungan, pelayanan dan pengayoman kepada masyarakat.



(K) : Baik, terimakasih Pak Wakapolri untuk wawancara ini.


(*)

Russian permanent representative at NATO Dmitry Rogozin says Russia will bring new ideas to Lisbon


Russia’s permanent representative at NATO, Dmitry Rogozin

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November 16, 2010 --- EURONEWS spoke to Russia’s permanent representative at NATO, Dmitry Rogozin in Brussels ahead of the NATO-Russia summit on Friday in Lisbon.

Euronews : Mr. Rogozin, what are you expecting Russia to bring to the Lisbon summit? Do you think the conditions now exist for closer co-operation between NATO and Russia?

“We are particularly hoping for the heads of the 29 member states in the NATO-Russia council to send a strong signal to their publics that the post cold-war climate has changed, and that Russia and NATO are now real partners.”

Euronews : What could that signal be?

“Above all it is honest talks on the questions where we share common positions, and those where we disagree. I think there’ll be three big questions in Lisbon. The first is the content of NATO’s new strategy.

The second is, well, we are looking for serious debate on missiles, on the risks, and on siting anti-missile defences in Europe. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has taken the initiative to invite Russia into this debate. The third is a debate on Afghanistan. It’s a common problem. Afghanistan represents a security threat, and the Russian Federation makes a serious contribution alongside NATO nations to help the Afghan people gain greater autonomy, acquire more skills, and thus become a more stable nation, and help stabilise an entire region.”

Euronews : In the past Moscow has been firmly opposed to NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia. Has this position changed, and if yes, under what conditions?

“Russia is formally opposed to any fresh eastward expansion of NATO. We do not want any foreign military infrastructure next to our borders. But the paradox is it’s not just Russia who is opposed to this. Ukraine doesn’t want to join NATO, while in the case of Georgia two and a half years ago NATO encouraged Georgia to take two completely mad military actions against two independent peoples, those of South Osettia and, even worse, the assassination of Russian UN troops.

I think this episode closed the question of Georgia’s NATO membership for a very long time to come. Of course, NATO keeps bringing it up, saying the door is open for both Georgia and Ukraine, but in fact anyone in the west paying serious attention to the subject knows their membership is further away than three years ago.”




Euronews : Europeans and Americans, when they talk about setting up an anti-missile shield in Europe, are convinced the danger will come form Iran. Does Moscow see the threat coming from there?

“In general we don’t like to point the finger at any nation and call it evil while maintaining we’re the good guys. It’s unfair. We don’t think military methods or threats can solve any problem. Iran has a democratic form of government, with real elections, so it’s not a tyrannical dictatorship.”

Euronews : How could Russia and NATO co-operate in the missile shield?

“I don’t want to second-guess what the Russian president will say in Lisbon. I think he’s ready for some serious talks on the nature of the global threat, we are completing our analysis before going to Lisbon. He is ready to suggest some interesting new ideas and Russian initiatives, and I think on this level the summit will be very constructive.”


Euronews :  NATO is still committed in Afghanistan. Is Russia going to participate, either directly or by ensuring a supply role?

“In Soviet times Russia was in Afghanistan, fighting a war, and we got sick of it. I think that soon NATO will be sick of it, too.”

(*)

Photostream : Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Engaged


Prince William and Kate Middleton pose for photographs in the State Apartments of St James Palace on November 16, 2010 in London, England. After much speculation, Clarence House today announced the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The couple will get married in either the Spring or Summer of next year and continue to live in North Wales while Prince William works as an air sea rescue pilot for the RAF. The couple became engaged during a recent holiday in Kenya having been together for eight years. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Prince William and Kate Middletonarrive to pose for photographs in the State Apartments of St James Palace on November 16, 2010 in London, England. After much speculation, Clarence House today announced the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The couple will get married in either the Spring or Summer of next year and continue to live in North Wales while Prince William works as an air sea rescue pilot for the RAF. The couple became engaged during a recent holiday in Kenya having been together for eight years. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Britain's Prince William (R) and his fiancée  Kate Middleton pose for photographers during a photocall to mark their engagement, in the State Rooms of St James?s Palace, central London, on November 16, 2010. Prince William will marry his girlfriend Kate Middleton next year, the royal family said Tuesday, in the biggest royal wedding in Britain since his parents Charles and Diana married in 1981. The announcement ended feverish speculation about when the second-in-line to the throne would wed, after a romance that has already lasted nearly eight years. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Britain's Prince William and his fiancée Kate Middleton react as they pose for photographers during a photocall to mark their engagement, in the State Rooms of St James?s Palace, central London on November 16, 2010. Britain's Prince William has given his fiancee Kate Middleton the engagement ring that belonged to his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, Clarence House said Tuesday. The blue sapphire and diamond ring was given to Diana by William's father, Prince Charles, when they became engaged in February 1981. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996 and she was killed in a car crash in Paris the following year. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Kate Middleton shows her engagement ring given by her fiance Britain's Prince William in London November 16, 2010. Britain's Prince William is to marry his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton next year, after an on-off courtship lasting nearly a decade, bringing months of speculation about his intentions to an end. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Arthur Edwards/POOL )

A picture released on November 16, 2010 of a close up of Kate Middleton's engagement ring, the fiancée of Britain's Prince William, as they pose for photographers during a photocall to mark their engagement, in the State Rooms of St James?s Palace, central London. Britain's Prince William has given his fiancee Kate Middleton the engagement ring that belonged to his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, Clarence House said Tuesday. The blue sapphire and diamond ring was given to Diana by William's father, Prince Charles, when they became engaged in February 1981. (Photo by ARTHUR EDWARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

REFILE - A pair of photographs show Kate Middleton (L), fiance of Britain's Prince William posing in London November 16, 2010 and William's mother Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing the same engagment ring in London in an August 28, 1996 file photo. Britain's Prince William is to marry his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton next year, after an on-off courtship lasting nearly a decade, bringing months of speculation about his intentions to an end. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Paul Hackett/Dan Chung )

Photostream : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev meets Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri


Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R) welcomes Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (L) at the Gorki presidential residence outside Moscow on November 16, 2010. Hariri announced late on November 15 in Moscow that Russia would offer Lebanon six combat helicopters, 31 tanks and 36 artillery pieces complete with ammunition and shells. (Photo by VLADIMIR RODIONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (L) meets with Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri (R) at the Gorki presidential residence outside Moscow November 16, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Alexander Natruskin)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, left, look at paintings during their meeting in the Gorki residence outside Moscow, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010. (Getty Images / AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Vladimir Rodionov, Presidential Press Service)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (L) visit the Gorki presidential residence outside Moscow on November 16, 2010. Hariri announced late on November 15 in Moscow that Russia would offer Lebanon six combat helicopters, 31 tanks and 36 artillery pieces complete with ammunition and shells. (Photo by VLADIMIR RODIONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Japanese PM says considering visit to Kuril Islands


Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan

November 17, 2010 (KATAKAMI / RIA NOVOSTI) --- Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Wednesday that a possible visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, called the Northern Territories by Japan, deserved careful consideration.

"Given how important the prime minister's visit [to the islands] is, it must be considered seriously. At the moment I do not have any concrete plans," Kan said in a speech to the Japanese parliament.

Earlier this month, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev aggravated a long-standing dispute over four of the islands, by becoming the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit one of them.

Both countries have laid claims to the islands since they were occupied by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II and the dispute has prevented them from signing a peace treaty to formally end wartime hostilities.

The Japanese premier reiterated Japan's stance on the status of the islands.

"Japan's principal position that the Northern Territories are part of our country and that the territorial dispute must be resolved through the signing of a peace treaty, has not changed," he said.

Last week Medvedev met with Kan during the APEC summit in the Japanese city of Yokohama. Medvedev invited Kan to visit "any part of Russia, including the Far East."

Kan said he "wanted to develop friendly relations between Russia and Japan on a basis of trust, as between two partners."

TOKYO, November 17