On May 16, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov announced that the official visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Belgium will take place on October 2-3, 2001. At the same time, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the visit is intended to be the culmination of bilateral relations between Russia and Belgium.

On May 16, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was awarded the highest public order of the Russian Federation - the Order of Peter the Great and the national Peter the Great Award, established by the Russian Foundation "Best Managers of the New Era". The order and prize were presented to the UN Secretary General by the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, Egor Stroev.

32 1 min. ... Baltasar Garzon has found a new victim This is the former Minister of Defense of Chile Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, known for his participation in the cases of Augusto Pinochet and Vladimir Gusinsky, signed an international search and arrest warrant for Hernan Brady, who served as Chile's Minister of Defense during the dictatorship of General Pinochet. With details especially for Kommersant - JUAN COBO, RIA Novosti correspondent in Spain.

20 1 min. ... Alexey Kudrin solves a selfish issue Yesterday in Moscow, representatives of leather and footwear companies held a rally in front of the Russian government building. They demanded a reduction in the export of raw hides and a ban on shuttle traders importing shoes duty-free into the country. Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin received the tanners and promised to support the industry. This means that shoes will soon become more expensive.

19 2 minutes. ... The police announced that they were ready to buy weapons from the population. At the same time, an action was announced for the forced seizure of weapons from those who keep them illegally Nikolay Lavrentyev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Illan holding: “Even if I had a gun hidden somewhere, I wouldn’t give it to the police.” Such actions, in my opinion, are good only in Chechnya, but in St. Petersburg they will not bring success.

On May 16, news agencies, citing senior officials of the American administration, reported that the date for the meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States had been practically agreed upon and could be announced on May 17 during the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to the United States. It is reported that a meeting between George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin may take place after the US President's European tour ends in mid-June.

51 2 minutes. ...

On May 16, American scientists from the Arkansas Medical Center reported that the development of the human brain practically does not stop until the age of 50. Research has shown that the so-called “white matter,” which is responsible for communication between different parts of the brain, continues to develop until an average of 48 years of age. Recent data allows us to refute the established opinion that human brain development stops at the age of 20.

12 1 min. ... Credit rates 05.15.01 Term (days) MIBOR (RUB) LIBOR ($) LIBOR (yen) LIBOR (euro) 1 5.92 4.36688 0.0625 4.57875 7 8.41 4.145 0.0625 4.58625 thirty 12.94 4.135 0.06875 4.59188 60 — 4.12 0.075 4.5825 90 16.61 4.10313 0.0775 4.56813 180 17.92 4.1 0.0875 4.48563 360 21.09 4.29 0.10875 4.43438 According to Reuters. Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 82 dated May 16, 2001, p. 6

25 1 min. ... Result Hockey NHL Championship. Play-offs 1/2 finals. Colorado--St. Louis 4:2 (Khavanov (St. Louis), 0+1); (Colorado leads the best-of-five series 2-0.) Basketball NBA Championship. Play-offs Second round. Western Conference. San Antonio--Dallas 105:87 (San Antonio won the best-of-four series with a score of 4:1). Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 82 dated May 16, 2001, p. 15

204 2 minutes. ... The witness dressed Colonel Budanov Yesterday the trial of Colonel Budanov resumed. Attempts to prove that the officer not only killed, but also raped the Chechen girl were unsuccessful. The meeting began with a warning issued to the lawyer of the injured party, Abdulla Khamzaev.

68 2 minutes. ... Extra-clean glass cleared in court From an investor Yesterday, the Vladimir Arbitration Court rejected appeals against its own decision, recognizing the agreement on the lease of equipment by an American company from JSC Quartz Glass Plant as void (Kommersant has repeatedly written about this conflict). Opponents of the Americans can now gain control of production. However, the parties are already negotiating to resolve the problem outside of court proceedings.

91 3 min. ... Opera with cancan elements The premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Un ballo in maschera" in a joint production of the Mariinsky Theater and the Italian Verdi Festival took place on January 31, 2000 in Parma. On Sunday it was shown in St. Petersburg. It became clear why the reception given to Valery Gergiev’s troupe in the composer’s homeland was so skeptical. "Un ballo in maschera" was presented in Verdi's hometown as part of a magnificent celebration of the national genius.

1K 11 min. ... Strip 042 Number No. 19 (323) dated 05/16/2001 Laundering aid Have you wondered where is the best place to launder money? Most likely no. But in Japan, in view of the urgency of this problem, they even designed special machines that remove dirt from banknotes in a matter of minutes. So what should those who cannot promptly travel to the Land of the Rising Sun do in order to restore soiled, torn and generally lost paper money?

8 1 min. ... Trades in bonds of federal subjects 05.15.01 Series Redemption Last (% of nominal) Volume (million rubles) YTM (% year) SPVB (St.