Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived today with an official visit to Cuba. At the airport, he was met by the Kubinsky leader Fidel Castro. During a four -day visit, the state of bilateral economic relations and the Kubinsky debt of Russia in the size of about $ 11 billion will be considered a state of bilateral economic relations. Putin is the first Russian president visiting Cuba. In 1989, the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev visited here.

The State Duma of Russia today considers the draft budget for 2001 in the latter - the fourth reading. Today's reading excludes the adoption of any amendments to the bill, only textual changes can be made to it. The budget is planned deficit. Revenues and expenses will amount to one trillion 193 billion rubles, the volume of the internal gross product - about 8 trillion rubles. An annual inflation is predicted at 12 percent, the average ruble exchange rate is 30 rubles per American dollar.

In the Pankisian gorge on the border with Chechnya, according to Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, the "Anti -Criminal Operation" continues. Parts of the internal troops of Georgia were introduced into the gorge, and in the Kakheti region, which includes the Akhmetsky district with the Pankis gorge, the landing brigade of the Armed Forces of Georgia was deployed, brought into full combat readiness.

The leadership of the Media-Most holding demanded from the General Prosecutor's Office of Russia to immediately send documentation in the case of Vladimir Gusinsky to law enforcement agencies. On Thursday, the Spanish judge Balthasar Garson refused to free Gusinsky from custody, citing the lack of materials. The Media-Most Holding believes that the Prosecutor General’s Office deliberately delays the sending of documents, interfering with justice.

The names of the laureates of the Russian National Theater Prize "Golden Mask" in some categories are announced. The prizes "For honor and dignity" were awarded to the actress of the St. Petersburg Bolshoi Theater named after Tovstonogov Alice Freindlich and the chief director of the Tatar State Academic Theater named after Kamal Marcel Salimzhanov.

US Secretary of State Madlin Albright insists that the current European quick response forces should be closely connected with the NATO Union. Speaking today in Brussels at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Albright emphasized that close relations between NATO and European forces are necessary - first of all, for the security of Europe itself. France actively acts for the independence of the European quick response forces from NATO. The United States and Türkiye sharply object to this.

Leading Marina Katys Marina Katys: Says Radio Liberty. On the air, the Ecological Program "Forbidden Zone". The microphone has the author and presenter of the program Marina Katys. In early December of this year, an interdepartmental commission was created in the Primorsky Territory to survey objects that have nuclear materials in circulation, as well as radioactive, explosive and potent substances.

Mikhail Sokolov: Says Radio Liberty. On the air, the weekly program "Elections 2000". The microphone is Mikhail Sokolov. Residents of Krasnoyarsk re -elected the mayor of the experienced business manager Peter Pimashkov. The unification of his supporters “for Krasnoyarsk” received 34 percent of the vote in the City Council, and the Communists 10. In Krasnoyarsk, the elections of the municipal representation are held as if according to a party principle.

The Union of Russian Journalists appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office with a complaint against Mikhail Lesin. The document says that Lesin violated the legislation, interfering in the activities of the media of the city of Sochi during the mayor’s election campaign. The letter claims that, on the instructions of the minister, the work of the Max-TV private television channel was stopped, and censorship was introduced on the state channel.

In Grozny, over the past day, the Russian military was attacked six times. As the Radio Liberty correspondent reports, the Ural military car was blown up on the bridge over the Sunzha River over the Sunzha River. According to the Chechen side, as a result of the explosion, three Russian troops died, five were injured. The Russian command does not report this incident.

Contrary to the forecasts that appeared on the eve that the budget could be returned to the third reading, the voting “for” was overwhelming - 308 deputies. The budget is planned to be deformable, the inflation rate will be 12 percent. The approximate alignment is this: the costs of defense will almost double the funds allocated for law enforcement, more than five times - for industry, construction and energy, and more than 10 times for agriculture.

Lev Roitman: Recently, in Moscow "Izvestia" the article "Weak pool" appeared, subtitles - "Is there enough women in the Russian government?" One of the co -authors of the article, and four of them, Alexander Sadchikov participates in our conversation with Maria Arbatova and Svetlana Aleksievich.

About nine o'clock lasted yesterday a fierce shootout in the Gaza Strip near the entrance to the Han Junis refugee camp. Four members of the Palestinian security forces were killed. The battle occurred near the Jewish settlement of Neva Decalim, where in the last days there were constantly attacks to the Israelis. Another Palestinian - a member of the Hamas group - was killed on the western coast of Jordan. Collisions with Palestinians have been going on for more than 10 weeks.

The program "Liberty Live" from Washington is conducted by Sergey Danilochkin: Since Tuesday, in one of the Washington suburbs, Frendship Hates, the most severe law in the United States has a law that limits smoking on the street. It provides for a fine of a hundred dollars for smoking or throwing tobacco products in public places. True, violators first receive a warning from law enforcement officers - the only thing.

The Constitutional Court of Romania rejected the appeal of the leader of the ultra -rationalists Corneliu Vadim Tudor with a demand to cancel the results of the presidential election that held in the country last Sunday. The court today will officially approve the results of the elections that have brought a convincing victory to the leader of the Social Democrats to Ion Ion Ionu. According to Tudor, these elections were the largest fraud of the 20th century.