Gazprom's second largest counterparty in Europe, the German company Wintershall, summed up its results for the year yesterday. The management of the company, which is part of the BASF concern, pins great hopes on the development of cooperation with Gazprom. However, it is not going to follow the example of its main competitor - E.ON Ruhrgas, which is not only a buyer, but also a major shareholder of the Russian monopoly.

Activists of the Katyn Committee held a picket at the Russian embassy in Warsaw, protesting Russia’s refusal to recognize the shooting of Polish officers as an act of genocide. In 1940, about 15 thousand Polish officers interned after September 17, 1939, when the USSR invaded Poland, were killed in the Katyn Forest near Smolensk, Tver and Kharkov. At the end of last week, Russia's chief military prosecutor, Alexander Savenkov, announced the completion of the investigation into the Katyn case.

The Swiss are studying all telephone conversations of Russian Kaloyev Russian Vitaly Kaloev (pictured) , the alleged killer of Skyguide air traffic controller Peter Nielsen, said goodbye to a psychiatric clinic in Rheinau, where he spent more than a year. By order of district prosecutor Pascal Gossner, Kaloev was transferred to the Peschwis prison in Regensdorf, to a separate cell in a special block for newcomers.

The American Exchange has agreed to interact with the MICEX and RTS Two leading Russian stock exchanges - MICEX and RTS - yesterday signed agreements of mutual understanding and cooperation with NASDAQ, the second American stock exchange after the New York Stock Exchange. The signing ceremony took place at the US Embassy.

A generating company will be created in the north-west on Sunday It seems that there are no more obstacles left for the long-awaited creation of a territorial generating company in the north-west (TGK-1). On Monday, the boards of directors of Kolenergo and Karelenergo approved the creation of TGK-1, and yesterday this issue was considered by the board of directors of Lenenergo.

The Minister of Education does not believe economists with diplomas from the Institute of Culture For now, Russian students do not have to fear the reduction of budget places in universities. The head of the Ministry of Education and Science, Andrei Fursenko, yesterday denied rumors about the allegedly planned dramatic commercialization of higher education.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announces an increase in arrests for tax crimes Despite all the attempts of the Cabinet of Ministers to optimize tax administration by establishing clear criteria for what is permitted for fiscal officials, the main scare of taxpayers remains in the legislation: articles of the Criminal Code punishing with imprisonment for up to five years for tax evasion or concealment of property from which they are collected.

Belarus wants to switch to the Russian currency from January 1, 2006 A single currency should be introduced on the territory of Russia and Belarus from January 1, 2006. This statement was made yesterday at a regular meeting of the Union State Council of Ministers by Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky. He referred to the will of the presidents of the two countries. For this will to come true, it was necessary to approve changes to the plan for introducing a single ruble.

Mikhail Prusak is one of the most experienced Russian governors. He has been leading the Novgorod region for almost a decade and a half. Mikhail PRUSAK spoke with journalist Lyudmila TIMOFEEVA about the consequences of changing the management system of Russian regions and social reforms - especially for Vremya Novostey. -- In Russia is changing dramatically control system. In other words, the screws are being tightened.

Lithuanian President criticized for May 9 Lithuanians have ambivalent assessments of the decision of their President Valdas Adamkus, who, together with Estonian President Arnold Ruutel, refused Vladimir Putin’s invitation to come to Moscow for the celebrations on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Victory. Let us remind you that from the Baltic countries only the President of Latvia, Mrs. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, decided to come to Moscow on May 9.

Yuri Luzhkov demands to rid yards of anti-ice reagents Despite the ongoing frosts and snowfalls, spring seems to have arrived in the offices of the capital's mayor's office. In any case, at yesterday's meeting of the Moscow government, city authorities already summed up the heating and snow removal seasons.

Ukraine has begun withdrawing its military contingent from Iraq. Yesterday, on two flights of the Il-76 military transport aircraft, the first group of 140 people who served in the mechanized company of the 72nd battalion near the city of Essaouira arrived in Nikolaev. Military equipment will be sent by sea through Kuwait. In the Iraqi province of Wasit, in the zone of operation of the Polish command, there are still about 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers left.

Two Russian couples are in the lead after the short program The World Championships in Moscow are gradually gaining momentum. Yesterday afternoon the dancers demonstrated the obligatory dance. After its execution, the winners of the gold medals of last year's world championship, our Tatyana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, are in the lead - 45.97 points.

The motives for blowing up a residential building in Arkhangelsk are still unclear Today marks exactly one year since a nine-story residential building was blown up in Arkhangelsk on Soviet Cosmonauts Avenue. Funeral services for the dead will be held in all churches in the region. The top officials of the region and the city, including Governor Nikolai Kiselyov, will lay flowers at the site of the tragedy, which claimed the lives of 58 people.

Today in Riga, radical youth organizations in memory of the Latvian SS Legion will lead their supporters in a march from the Museum of Occupation to the Freedom Monument. Events by former SS men are also planned in the port city of Liepaja, where the procession was organized by the Union of National Strength.