tass--2020-05-21--Russia’s state arms seller to offer hypersonic weapon tracking radar to foreign customers

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s state arms seller Rosoboronexport ( part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec ) has started promoting on international arms markets the 59N6-TE mobile radar capable of detecting hypersonic targets , the company ’ s press office reported on Thursday .
`` Today Rosoboronexport is bringing to the market the latest radar station capable of effectively detecting a wide range of advanced and future air objects , including hypersonic targets , '' the company ’ s press office quoted Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev as saying .
`` While developing the export @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of air defense systems for the provision of security of states was taken into account , as well as the needs of foreign customers in the expansion of the reconnaissance capabilities of their air defense units , '' he said .
Rosoboronexport expects high demand for the new station in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region , the Middle East and North Africa .
The 59N6-TE mobile three-dimensional station is an exclusively Russian-made product , which implies present-day Russian hardware components with digital processing and signal generation .
It is fully solid-state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jamming resistance , according to the data posted on the company ’ s website .
`` The 59N6-TE is a radar of medium and high altitude , having a decimeter wavelength range .
Apart from hypersonic targets , it also effectively detects aerodynamic and ballistic objects , '' the statement says .
The 59N6-TE radar provides for the measurement of the range , azimuth and altitude of aerial targets .
It is capable of detecting objects flying at a speed of up to 8 000 km/h at a range of up to 450 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 200 kilometers .
After detection , it exchanges radar information with C4I systems .
It operates in conditions of jamming and carries out direction finding of active noise jammers , Rosoboronexport said .
`` In a real time mode , it can simultaneously track no less than 1 000 objects and recognize 8 classes of targets , which includes selection of anti-radar missiles and warning its own combat crew of the danger of elimination , inter alia , by high precision munitions and homing missiles .
The 59N6-TE radar also includes equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in international radar recognition systems Mk-XA and ATC RBS , '' the company said .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) has started promoting on international arms markets the 59N6-TE mobile radar capable of detecting hypersonic targets, the company’s press office reported on Thursday.
"Today Rosoboronexport is bringing to the market the latest radar station capable of effectively detecting a wide range of advanced and future air objects, including hypersonic targets," the company’s press office quoted Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev as saying.
"While developing the export version of the radar, the growing role of air defense systems for the provision of security of states was taken into account, as well as the needs of foreign customers in the expansion of the reconnaissance capabilities of their air defense units," he said.
Rosoboronexport expects high demand for the new station in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and North Africa.
The 59N6-TE mobile three-dimensional station is an exclusively Russian-made product, which implies present-day Russian hardware components with digital processing and signal generation. It is fully solid-state and has high potential together with enhanced jamming resistance, according to the data posted on the company’s website.
"The 59N6-TE is a radar of medium and high altitude, having a decimeter wavelength range. Apart from hypersonic targets, it also effectively detects aerodynamic and ballistic objects," the statement says.
The 59N6-TE radar provides for the measurement of the range, azimuth and altitude of aerial targets. It is capable of detecting objects flying at a speed of up to 8 000 km/h at a range of up to 450 kilometers and at an altitude of up to 200 kilometers. After detection, it exchanges radar information with C4I systems. It operates in conditions of jamming and carries out direction finding of active noise jammers, Rosoboronexport said.
"In a real time mode, it can simultaneously track no less than 1 000 objects and recognize 8 classes of targets, which includes selection of anti-radar missiles and warning its own combat crew of the danger of elimination, inter alia, by high precision munitions and homing missiles. The 59N6-TE radar also includes equipment for the recognition of detected aerial targets in international radar recognition systems Mk-XA and ATC RBS," the company said.


tass--2020-05-21--Russia’s coronavirus recoveries jump eightfold since the start of May — TASS estimate

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s coronavirus recoveries have jumped from 11,619 to 92,681 since the @ @ @ @ @ to a TASS estimate based on data from the anti-coronavirus crisis center .
COVID-19 case @ @ @ @ @ less than 9,000 for 2nd day in a row Another 7,289 recoveries were recorded in @ @ @ @ @ The share of recovered patients in Russia nearly tripled in the past three weeks , @ @ @ @ @ 29.2 % .
At the same time , the number of new cases has grown @ @ @ @ @ The country ’ s coronavirus death data shows a similar trend with the national death @ @ @ @ @ 3,099 in the past three weeks .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Russia’s coronavirus recoveries have jumped from 11,619 to 92,681 since the start of May, according to a TASS estimate based on data from the anti-coronavirus crisis center.
COVID-19 case count in Russia grows by less than 9,000 for 2nd day in a row
Another 7,289 recoveries were recorded in the past 24 hours. The share of recovered patients in Russia nearly tripled in the past three weeks, rising from 10.9% to 29.2%.
At the same time, the number of new cases has grown from 106,498 to 317,554.
The country’s coronavirus death data shows a similar trend with the national death toll rising from 1,073 to 3,099 in the past three weeks.


tass--2020-05-21--Dollar slides to 70.98 rubles on Moscow Exchange, euro to 77.87 rubles

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/ TASS / .
At the opening bell on the Moscow Stock Exchange , the @ @ @ @ @ 0.2 % to 70.98 rubles on Thursday , according to the trading data at 10:00 @ @ @ @ @ price exceeds $ 36 per barrel for the first time since April 9 The last @ @ @ @ @ 71 rubles was on March 10 , 2020 .
In turn , the euro fell @ @ @ @ @ first time since March 6 , 2020 , reaching 77.87 rubles , which is 0.2 @ @ @ @ @ of the previous session .
As of 10:15 Moscow time , the dollar was trading @ @ @ @ @ -0.3 % ) , while the euro came in at 77.8 rubles .
( -0.3 @ @ @ @ @ ruble is strengthening following the rise in oil prices .
The cost for July Brent @ @ @ @ @ Stock Exchange ICE rose to $ 36.27 per barrel ( + 1.5 % ) , @ @ @ @ @ to $ 34.12 per barrel ( + 1.9 % ) .

MOSCOW, May 21. / TASS /. At the opening bell on the Moscow Stock Exchange, the dollar exchange rate dropped by 0.2% to 70.98 rubles on Thursday, according to the trading data at 10:00 Moscow time.
Brent oil price exceeds $36 per barrel for the first time since April 9
The last time the dollar dropped below 71 rubles was on March 10, 2020.
In turn, the euro fell below 78 rubles for the first time since March 6, 2020, reaching 77.87 rubles, which is 0.2% below the closing level of the previous session.
As of 10:15 Moscow time, the dollar was trading at 70.9 rubles. (-0.3%), while the euro came in at 77.8 rubles. (-0.3%).
The Russian ruble is strengthening following the rise in oil prices. The cost for July Brent Crude Futures on the London Stock Exchange ICE rose to $36.27 per barrel (+ 1.5%), and WTI crude oil rose to $34.12 per barrel (+ 1.9%).


tass--2020-05-21--Russia’s FSB busts transnational drug gang, seizes over 48 kg of heroin

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
The Russian Federal Security Service ( FSB ) , in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior , thwarted the activity of a transnational ethnic crime gang and shut down a network of inter-regional supply channels for large batches of highly concentrated Afghan heroin , the FSB press service told TASS Thursday .
`` During the joint operation over 48kg of heroin was seized , the illegal activity of five members of the transnational ethnic drug group was thwarted .
The Ministry of the Interior ’ s investigative agencies initiated 7 criminal proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the press service said .
The security agency disclosed that the gang involved nationals of several states , and that the operation was conducted in several stages .
During the first stage , an inter-regional drug courier was caught red-handed , as they sought to sell over 2kg of heroin in the Moscow Region .
Later , one of the active members of the group was apprehended in the Kaluga Region , that time about 13kg of heroin was confiscated .
During the final stage of the operation , which took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mastermind and several other active members were captured ; they possessed at least 33kg of heroin .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, thwarted the activity of a transnational ethnic crime gang and shut down a network of inter-regional supply channels for large batches of highly concentrated Afghan heroin, the FSB press service told TASS Thursday.
"During the joint operation over 48kg of heroin was seized, the illegal activity of five members of the transnational ethnic drug group was thwarted. The Ministry of the Interior’s investigative agencies initiated 7 criminal proceedings, the perpetrators were taken into custody," the press service said.
The security agency disclosed that the gang involved nationals of several states, and that the operation was conducted in several stages. During the first stage, an inter-regional drug courier was caught red-handed, as they sought to sell over 2kg of heroin in the Moscow Region. Later, one of the active members of the group was apprehended in the Kaluga Region, that time about 13kg of heroin was confiscated. During the final stage of the operation, which took place in May, the group’s mastermind and several other active members were captured; they possessed at least 33kg of heroin.


tass--2020-05-21--COVID-19 case count in Russia grows by less than 9,000 for 2nd day in a row

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
In the past 24 hours , 8,849 new coronavirus cases were registered in @ @ @ @ @ case count to 317,554 , the coronavirus prevention operational headquarters told journalists Thursday .
On @ @ @ @ @ 8,764 new cases .
The daily growth is 2.9 % , the same as one @ @ @

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. In the past 24 hours, 8,849 new coronavirus cases were registered in Russia, bringing the total case count to 317,554, the coronavirus prevention operational headquarters told journalists Thursday.
On Wednesday, the HQ reported 8,764 new cases. The daily growth is 2.9%, the same as one day before.
The fatality count grew by 127, reaching 3,099 people.


tass--2020-05-21--Moscow’s coronavirus recoveries exceed 40,000

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
Moscow ’ s coronavirus recoveries have risen by 3,746 to 40,682 , Deputy @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
`` Another 3,746 patients recovered in the past 24 hours .
The total @ @ @ @ @ reached 40,682 , '' she pointed out .
The deputy mayor emphasized that doctors prescribed @ @ @ @ @ the results of molecular genetic testing .
According to Rakova , additional tests are conducted @ @ @ @ @ who need to remain under medical observation receive the necessary recommendations before leaving the hospital @

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Moscow’s coronavirus recoveries have risen by 3,746 to 40,682, Deputy Mayor Anastasiya Rakova said on Thursday.
"Another 3,746 patients recovered in the past 24 hours. The total number of coronavirus recoveries have reached 40,682," she pointed out.
The deputy mayor emphasized that doctors prescribed treatment depending on symptoms and the results of molecular genetic testing. According to Rakova, additional tests are conducted to confirm recoveries. Patients who need to remain under medical observation receive the necessary recommendations before leaving the hospital.


tass--2020-05-21--Infortrend's Scale-out NAS Brings a Cost-effective Backup and Restore Solution

TAIPEI , May 21 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Infortrend® Technology , Inc. ( TWSE : 2495 ) , the industry-leading enterprise storage provider , developed a cost-effective backup and restore solution of massive amounts of enterprise data .
With both scale-out and scale-up expandability , it adds value for price-conscious data-rich applications , such as governmental institutions files backup , surveillance footages storing .
As a Veeam Ready Repository , CS can be as well deployed in IT environments applying virtualization technologies .
System crashes , human errors , malicious attacks , viruses , and physical disasters always happen unexpectedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overestimate the role of backup infrastructure with expandable capacity and reliable restore capabilities for ensuring business continuity .
EonStor CS scale-out NAS is expandable up to 144 nodes to achieve 100GBps overall throughput and 100PB capacity for large-scale backup requirements or connecting JBOD to expand capacity only for saving costs .
CS offers a rich selection of form factors , including high-density 4U 60-bay for space-constraint server rooms .
For high availability and data protection , CS provides not only Erasure code and Replica , but also exclusive Distributed mode , where a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without creating data copies .
In this mode , data protection is based on RAID , so only one node is required for initial deployment .
It considerably reduces TCO and increases capacity utilization by 30-50 % compared to Erasure code and Replica , respectively .
Tested with the latest Veeam Backup & Replication software , CS has achieved Veeam Ready Repository classification by exceeding performance requirements for Full Backup , Full VM Restore , Synthetic Full Backup , and Instant VM Recovery .
Veeam sits between virtual infrastructure and CS to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Enterprises applying virtualization technologies , like Veeam for VMware or Hyper-V VMs backups , can now choose CS .
Learn more about Backup and Restore solution Infortrend ( TWSE : 2495 ) has been developing and manufacturing storage solutions since 1993 .
With a strong emphasis on in-house design , testing , and manufacturing , Infortrend storage delivers performance and scalability with the latest standards , user friendly data services , personal after-sales support , and unrivaled value .
For more information , please visit www.infortrend.com Infortrend® and EonStor® are trademarks or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; other trademarks are the property of their respective owners .

TAIPEI, May 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Infortrend® Technology, Inc. (TWSE: 2495), the industry-leading enterprise storage provider, developed a cost-effective backup and restore solution of massive amounts of enterprise data. With both scale-out and scale-up expandability, it adds value for price-conscious data-rich applications, such as governmental institutions files backup, surveillance footages storing. As a Veeam Ready Repository, CS can be as well deployed in IT environments applying virtualization technologies.
System crashes, human errors, malicious attacks, viruses, and physical disasters always happen unexpectedly. Thus, it is difficult to overestimate the role of backup infrastructure with expandable capacity and reliable restore capabilities for ensuring business continuity. EonStor CS scale-out NAS is expandable up to 144 nodes to achieve 100GBps overall throughput and 100PB capacity for large-scale backup requirements or connecting JBOD to expand capacity only for saving costs. CS offers a rich selection of form factors, including high-density 4U 60-bay for space-constraint server rooms.
For high availability and data protection, CS provides not only Erasure code and Replica, but also exclusive Distributed mode, where a file is evenly distributed in each node without creating data copies. In this mode, data protection is based on RAID, so only one node is required for initial deployment. It considerably reduces TCO and increases capacity utilization by 30-50% compared to Erasure code and Replica, respectively.
Tested with the latest Veeam Backup & Replication software, CS has achieved Veeam Ready Repository classification by exceeding performance requirements for Full Backup, Full VM Restore, Synthetic Full Backup, and Instant VM Recovery. Veeam sits between virtual infrastructure and CS to provide fast and reliable backup of VM data. Enterprises applying virtualization technologies, like Veeam for VMware or Hyper-V VMs backups, can now choose CS.
Learn more about Backup and Restore solution
Learn more about Veeam Backup
Learn more about EonStor CS Scale-out NAS
About Infortrend
Infortrend (TWSE: 2495) has been developing and manufacturing storage solutions since 1993. With a strong emphasis on in-house design, testing, and manufacturing, Infortrend storage delivers performance and scalability with the latest standards, user friendly data services, personal after-sales support, and unrivaled value. For more information, please visit www.infortrend.com
Infortrend® and EonStor® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Infortrend Technology, Inc.; other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Winnie Tsai, +886-2-2226-0126 #8557, winnie.tsai@infortrend.com


tass--2020-05-21--Kremlin spokesman emphasizes accuracy of Russia’s coronavirus death data

According to an article on the CNBC website , Peskov `` hit back at claims that the Russian data was inaccurate and insisted to CNBC that Russia is not misreporting virus fatalities . ''
`` We conceal nothing , '' CNBC cited the Russian presidential spokesman as saying .
`` ( The ) cause of death is identified by autopsy .
It is autopsy that helps us count precisely , and on this basis ( a ) diversification of death causes happens .
That is the difference between Russia and many Western countries , where they do not do postmortem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 4,990,400 people have been infected worldwide and more than 324,900 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 308,705 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 85,392 patients having recovered from the disease .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 2,927 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

According to an article on the CNBC website, Peskov "hit back at claims that the Russian data was inaccurate and insisted to CNBC that Russia is not misreporting virus fatalities."
"We conceal nothing," CNBC cited the Russian presidential spokesman as saying. "(The) cause of death is identified by autopsy. It is autopsy that helps us count precisely, and on this basis (a) diversification of death causes happens. That is the difference between Russia and many Western countries, where they do not do postmortem examinations," Peskov emphasized.
Coronavirus pandemic
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
According to the latest statistics, over 4,990,400 people have been infected worldwide and more than 324,900 deaths have been reported.
To date, a total of 308,705 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 85,392 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 2,927 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-05-21--Hainan to enhance cooperation to develop trade in services

HAIKOU , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
This year China 's Hainan plans to significantly increase the scale of international trade in services by enhancing and expanding business contacts with other countries , reported the Hainan Daily newspaper citing local administration .
According to the authorities , currently Hainan has about 90 foreign partners the province cooperates with in this area .
“ Since April 2018 , when the Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the creation of a free trade zone on the island , the conditions for doing business have improved remarkably .
Due to the changes , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in services , ” a spokesperson for the local administration said at a press conference .
The official clarified that in 2018 and 2019 the number of participants in this market segment registered on Hainan increased by 58.9 % and 59.6 % , respectively .
Currently , Hainan enjoys the closest cooperation with Hong Kong ( a special administrative region of China , mentioned in a separately in national statistics on foreign trade ) , US , Singapore , Ireland and Canada .
According to the media outlet , they account for about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in provincial services .
“ In the first four months of 2020 , Hainan made significant progress in boosting both the export and import of innovative products .
This was especially noticeable in cooperation in the field of computer technology and the telecommunications sector , ” the representative of the administration noted .
According to official statistics , from January to April , the volume of international trade in services included in the list of new and promising products on Hainan grew by 6.4 % year-on-year .
This includes both operations in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as work to implement a wide range of commercial initiatives , carry out transactions on business offers , including cultural and entertainment programs , and contracts for the repair of modern equipment and household facilities .
Such activities account for approximately two-thirds of the island 's exports and imports in the relevant area .

HAIKOU, May 21. /TASS/. This year China's Hainan plans to significantly increase the scale of international trade in services by enhancing and expanding business contacts with other countries, reported the Hainan Daily newspaper citing local administration.
According to the authorities, currently Hainan has about 90 foreign partners the province cooperates with in this area.
“Since April 2018, when the Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the creation of a free trade zone on the island, the conditions for doing business have improved remarkably. Due to the changes, we have seen steady growth in the trade in services,” a spokesperson for the local administration said at a press conference.
The official clarified that in 2018 and 2019 the number of participants in this market segment registered on Hainan increased by 58.9% and 59.6%, respectively. Currently, Hainan enjoys the closest cooperation with Hong Kong (a special administrative region of China, mentioned in a separately in national statistics on foreign trade), US, Singapore, Ireland and Canada. According to the media outlet, they account for about 60% of the total foreign trade in provincial services.
“In the first four months of 2020, Hainan made significant progress in boosting both the export and import of innovative products. This was especially noticeable in cooperation in the field of computer technology and the telecommunications sector,” the representative of the administration noted.
According to official statistics, from January to April, the volume of international trade in services included in the list of new and promising products on Hainan grew by 6.4% year-on-year. This includes both operations in the field of finance and insurance, as well as work to implement a wide range of commercial initiatives, carry out transactions on business offers, including cultural and entertainment programs, and contracts for the repair of modern equipment and household facilities. Such activities account for approximately two-thirds of the island's exports and imports in the relevant area.


tass--2020-05-21--Thailand's top retail developer pushes strategic plan 'Reunite Thailand Together'

BANGKOK , May 21 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Central Pattana ( CPN ) , Thailand 's leader in shopping center and property development with its 33 malls nationwide under brands centralwOrld , CentralPlaza , CentralFestival , Central Phuket , and Central Village , Thailand 's first luxury outlet , pioneers proactive measures called 'Central 's Hygiene and Safety ' to keep shoppers safe from COVID-19 , while determining to push Thailand 's economy forward after the government eased some lockdown .
During the first week of the opening , measures such as screening , social distancing , contact-tracing application , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at malls to keep shoppers safe and resume their normal life .
Consumers are fully aware of this 'NOW Normal ' social discipline .
After Thailand 's loosen lockdown , the company has been trying to support the whole country to pull through this challenging time as it has always been taking part in creating jobs , building communities , and helping to boost economic growth .
To cushion the whole retail system , CPN has developed a national recovery plan -- 'Reunite Thailand Together ' covering three main strategies ; by encouraging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social discipline .
We have collaborated with our major business partners to develop new innovations to ensure shoppers ' safety such as body temperature measurement robots from 'AIS ' , UV-C robot at 'Central Food Hall and Tops ' , UV-C device to disinfect tried-on clothes at 'Uniqlo ' ; by continuing to invest around 15-20 billion baht per year for new major developments , as well as helping to support our tenants ' sale recovery , and offering rental discounts .
In addition , CPN plans to strengthen its Omnichannel to grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income for CPN 's and shop 's employees , and encouraging 'Thais for Thais ' projects to recover the economy by offering over 40,000 sq.m .
of free commercial space for farmers and SMEs nationwide .
Throughout its 40 years as Thailand 's leading retail and property developer , Central Pattana has seen the value of positivity , dynamism , and co-creation to imagine better futures for our customers , partners , employees , communities , and the environment .
Since the outbreak has started , it has been proactively implementing the social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talked and created viral in social media and reports from many global news agencies .

BANGKOK, May 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Central Pattana (CPN), Thailand's leader in shopping center and property development with its 33 malls nationwide under brands centralwOrld, CentralPlaza, CentralFestival, Central Phuket, and Central Village, Thailand's first luxury outlet, pioneers proactive measures called 'Central's Hygiene and Safety' to keep shoppers safe from COVID-19, while determining to push Thailand's economy forward after the government eased some lockdown. During the first week of the opening, measures such as screening, social distancing, contact-tracing application, cleaning hands and touchless experience were applied at malls to keep shoppers safe and resume their normal life. Consumers are fully aware of this 'NOW Normal' social discipline.
After Thailand's loosen lockdown, the company has been trying to support the whole country to pull through this challenging time as it has always been taking part in creating jobs, building communities, and helping to boost economic growth. To cushion the whole retail system, CPN has developed a national recovery plan -- 'Reunite Thailand Together' covering three main strategies; (1) Reassure Confidence by encouraging hygiene and safety standards as well as social discipline. We have collaborated with our major business partners to develop new innovations to ensure shoppers' safety such as body temperature measurement robots from 'AIS', UV-C robot at 'Central Food Hall and Tops', UV-C device to disinfect tried-on clothes at 'Uniqlo'; (2) Reopen Businesses by continuing to invest around 15-20 billion baht per year for new major developments, as well as helping to support our tenants' sale recovery, and offering rental discounts. In addition, CPN plans to strengthen its Omnichannel to grow sustainably together; (3) Rebuild Thailand's Economy by generating jobs and income for CPN's and shop's employees, and encouraging 'Thais for Thais' projects to recover the economy by offering over 40,000 sq.m. of free commercial space for farmers and SMEs nationwide.
Throughout its 40 years as Thailand's leading retail and property developer, Central Pattana has seen the value of positivity, dynamism, and co-creation to imagine better futures for our customers, partners, employees, communities, and the environment. Since the outbreak has started, it has been proactively implementing the social distancing practice, which have been positively talked and created viral in social media and reports from many global news agencies.
CONTACT: Tatthep, E-mail: hatatthep@cpn.co.th, +662-667-5555


tass--2020-05-21--CGTN: Five-Year Plans map out China's future development

BEIJING , May 21 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- China 's Five-Year Plan ( FYP ) system is formulated to make plans for economic and social development over the coming five years .
CGTN has recently launched an interactive page to review China 's Five-Year Plans since 1953 .
The first FYP started in 1953 .
A total of 13 five-year plans have been made and implemented except for a period of economic adjustment between 1963 and 1965 .
2020 is the last year of the 13th FYP .
Now China is drafting its 14th such document .
All eyes will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late May for more details to be released .
CGTN analyzed and visualized China 's FYPs in terms of their length , main targets and plans for industry , agriculture , health , governance , science and technology , environment , foreign trade and national defense .
The blueprint lays out detailed targets and guidelines covering economic , social , educational and environmental matters .
The primary objectives contain targets for economic growth , directions for economic reforms and industrial restructuring .
From the first to the 13th FYPs After the founding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1949 , China 's economy went through a recovery period .
In 1953 , the central government launched its first FYP ( 1953-1957 ) , which aimed at turning China from a agricultural country into an advanced industrial country with a focus on the development of the heavy industry .
The next five FYPs put emphasis on agricultural and industrial development .
The second FYP ( 1958-1963 ) carried on the industrial development centered on heavy industry .
The major tasks of the third one ( 1966-1970 ) were to develop agriculture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 1971-1975 ) set goals for output of agriculture and industry and investment in infrastructure .
The fifth FYP ( 1976-1980 ) set up a goal of building up an independent and relatively complete industrial system .
From the second to the fifth FYPs , the Chinese government was in an exploring period of setting up and implementing its own medium- to long-term development guidelines .
The goals went through constant adjustment along with the accumulated knowledge and experience .
China 's early FYPs once set specific production quotas , for instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early 1980s , as China was in the process of establishing a socialist market economy as part of its socialism with Chinese characteristics , the role of the plans has been relaxed , with most numerical targets abandoned .
The sixth FYP ( 1981-1985 ) mainly focused on adjustment and solving the problems of previous plans .
The interactive project analyzed the text of the first and the seventh to 13th FYPs as the full text of the second to sixth was not available .
The eight official documents involve 360,000 Chinese characters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each FYP , the first one is the longest , serving as foundation for future plans .
The seventh FYP ( 1986-1990 ) hatched up to build a foundation for a new socialist economic system with Chinese characteristics .
The eighth FYP ( 1991-1995 ) put industrial restructuring in priority , and further promoted the development of technology , education and foreign trade .
Major objective of the ninth FYP ( 1996-2000 ) included establishing preliminarily a socialist market economy and further upgrading industrial structure .
The 10th FYP ( 2001-2005 ) aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system and make significant progress in establishing a modern enterprise system in state-owned enterprises .
The 11th ( 2006-2010 ) proposed to optimize and upgrade the industrial structure and improve resource utilization .
The 12th ( 2011-2015 ) purposed to increase input in education and science and technology and set goals for environmental protection .
The 13th ( 2016-2020 ) put forward to use innovation to drive development .
In recent years , the plans have been not just economic in focus .
Much attention is also given to a wider range of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cutting carbon emissions and optimizing energy use - and to social welfare programs such as health security and job creation .

BEIJING, May 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- China's Five-Year Plan (FYP) system is formulated to make plans for economic and social development over the coming five years. CGTN has recently launched an interactive page to review China's Five-Year Plans since 1953.
Access CGTN's interactive page on Five-Year Plans: Designing the Future
The first FYP started in 1953. A total of 13 five-year plans have been made and implemented except for a period of economic adjustment between 1963 and 1965.
2020 is the last year of the 13th FYP. Now China is drafting its 14th such document. All eyes will be on China's annual Two Sessions in late May for more details to be released.
CGTN analyzed and visualized China's FYPs in terms of their length, main targets and plans for industry, agriculture, health, governance, science and technology, environment, foreign trade and national defense.
The blueprint lays out detailed targets and guidelines covering economic, social, educational and environmental matters. The primary objectives contain targets for economic growth, directions for economic reforms and industrial restructuring.
From the first to the 13th FYPs
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China's economy went through a recovery period. In 1953, the central government launched its first FYP (1953-1957), which aimed at turning China from a agricultural country into an advanced industrial country with a focus on the development of the heavy industry.
The next five FYPs put emphasis on agricultural and industrial development. The second FYP (1958-1963) carried on the industrial development centered on heavy industry. The major tasks of the third one (1966-1970) were to develop agriculture and strengthen basic industries. The fourth (1971-1975) set goals for output of agriculture and industry and investment in infrastructure. The fifth FYP (1976-1980) set up a goal of building up an independent and relatively complete industrial system.
From the second to the fifth FYPs, the Chinese government was in an exploring period of setting up and implementing its own medium- to long-term development guidelines. The goals went through constant adjustment along with the accumulated knowledge and experience.
China's early FYPs once set specific production quotas, for instance, for steel and grain. Since the early 1980s, as China was in the process of establishing a socialist market economy as part of its socialism with Chinese characteristics, the role of the plans has been relaxed, with most numerical targets abandoned.
The sixth FYP (1981-1985) mainly focused on adjustment and solving the problems of previous plans.
The interactive project analyzed the text of the first and the seventh to 13th FYPs as the full text of the second to sixth was not available. The eight official documents involve 360,000 Chinese characters.
In terms of the length of each FYP, the first one is the longest, serving as foundation for future plans.
The seventh FYP (1986-1990) hatched up to build a foundation for a new socialist economic system with Chinese characteristics.
The eighth FYP (1991-1995) put industrial restructuring in priority, and further promoted the development of technology, education and foreign trade.
Major objective of the ninth FYP (1996-2000) included establishing preliminarily a socialist market economy and further upgrading industrial structure.
The 10th FYP (2001-2005) aimed to build a relatively complete social security system and make significant progress in establishing a modern enterprise system in state-owned enterprises.
The 11th (2006-2010) proposed to optimize and upgrade the industrial structure and improve resource utilization.
The 12th (2011-2015) purposed to increase input in education and science and technology and set goals for environmental protection.
The 13th (2016-2020) put forward to use innovation to drive development.
In recent years, the plans have been not just economic in focus. Much attention is also given to a wider range of priorities including environmental protection - targets for cutting carbon emissions and optimizing energy use - and to social welfare programs such as health security and job creation.
Read original article: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-05-15/Five-Year-Plans-map-out-China-s-future-development-QvANs2JxVS/index.html
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Media Contact: Jiang Simin, jiang.simin@cgtn.com, +86-188-2655-3286


tass--2020-05-21--President of Russian Academy of Sciences says COVID situation in Russia unpredictable

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
The coronavirus situation in Russia is till unpredictable , President of the Russian @ @ @ @ @ told TASS .
`` The situation is very unpredictable in terms of the epidemic development @ @ @ @ @ easing quarantine measures is to be based on the mortality rate when we really see @ @ @ @ @ So far , the situation is risky because the mortality is not going down and @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. The coronavirus situation in Russia is till unpredictable, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Sergeyev told TASS.
"The situation is very unpredictable in terms of the epidemic development. The right approach to easing quarantine measures is to be based on the mortality rate when we really see that mortality is decreasing. So far, the situation is risky because the mortality is not going down and it causes serious concerns," he said.


tass--2020-05-21--Number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide exceeds 5 mln - TASS

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the globe has exceeded five million , according to TASS ’ estimates based on official statistics from countries , expert and media conclusions .
According to the latest update , as many as 5,000,890 people have contracted COVID-19 worldwide and 6.55 % of them , or 327,724 , have died .
The number of those infected has doubled in a span of one month .
Most of COVID-19 cases are reported from the United States , which accounts for nearly a third of all those infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the United States has more than 1,558,700 cases .
As many as 93,300 patients , or 5.99 % , have died .
Next is Russia , with 308,705 cases and 2,972 deaths .
Russia is followed by Brazil , which is currently demonstrating one of the world ’ s highest incidence growth rates , with 293,357 cases and 18,894 fatalities ( 6.44 % ) .
But the situation looks different when seen from the point of view of cases per 100,000 of the population .
In this case , countries with small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases - San Marino and Vatican City - take first places .
They are followed by Qatar , with 1.3 % of the population having the disease .
The United States is 12th from this point of view and Russia is fortysomething .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the globe has exceeded five million, according to TASS’ estimates based on official statistics from countries, expert and media conclusions.
According to the latest update, as many as 5,000,890 people have contracted COVID-19 worldwide and 6.55% of them, or 327,724, have died. The number of those infected has doubled in a span of one month.
Most of COVID-19 cases are reported from the United States, which accounts for nearly a third of all those infected. According to the New York Times, the United States has more than 1,558,700 cases. As many as 93,300 patients, or 5.99%, have died. Next is Russia, with 308,705 cases and 2,972 deaths. Russia is followed by Brazil, which is currently demonstrating one of the world’s highest incidence growth rates, with 293,357 cases and 18,894 fatalities (6.44%).
But the situation looks different when seen from the point of view of cases per 100,000 of the population. In this case, countries with small populations and a small number of infection cases - San Marino and Vatican City - take first places. They are followed by Qatar, with 1.3% of the population having the disease. The United States is 12th from this point of view and Russia is fortysomething.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.


tass--2020-05-21--Upgraded Borei-A nuclear-powered sub to be handed over to Russian Navy May 25 - source

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
A handover certificate for the Project 955A ( Borei-A ) first upgraded strategic nuclear-powered submarine Knyaz Vladimir will be signed on May 25 , a source in Russia ’ s defense sector told TASS on Thursday .
`` The submarine is currently undergoing underwater trials in the Whine Sea .
By the end of the week , it will be back at Sevmash ( the submarine ’ s manufacturer - TASS ) .
It is planned to sign a handover certificate on May 25 , '' the source said , adding that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag , i.e .
to put the ship in service in the Russian Navy , in mid-June .
Sevmash ’ s press service refrained from comments on the information from the source .
Another source in the sector told TASS earlier that the Knyaz Vladimir had set off for the White Sea from Severodvinsk for final trials .
Later , the Northern Fleet confirmed these reports , saying that the trials were meant to check the quality of the removal of problems exposed earlier .
The Knyaz Vladimir is the improved Project 955A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fourth generation of nuclear-powered subs built for the Russian Navy .
It was floated out in November 2017 .
According to the data of Russia ’ s Defense Ministry , the sub Knyaz Vladimir is less noisy and features improved maneuvering , depth and armament control systems .
The nuclear-powered sub Knyaz Vladimir has fully undergone state trials .
In the autumn of 2019 , it test-fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile .
Four more Borei-A submarines are at various stages of their construction .
Also , a contract has been signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this Project .
There are also plans to build two more Borei-A subs .
Project 955 and Project 955A submarines have been developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering ( part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation ) .
All Borei-class submarines carry 16 Bulava ballistic missiles .
They are also furnished with 533mm torpedo tubes .
Currently , three Project 955 nuclear-powered missile-carrying subs are operational in the Russian Northern and Pacific Fleets .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. A handover certificate for the Project 955A (Borei-A) first upgraded strategic nuclear-powered submarine Knyaz Vladimir will be signed on May 25, a source in Russia’s defense sector told TASS on Thursday.
"The submarine is currently undergoing underwater trials in the Whine Sea. By the end of the week, it will be back at Sevmash (the submarine’s manufacturer - TASS). It is planned to sign a handover certificate on May 25," the source said, adding that it is planned to hoist the St. Andrew flag, i.e. to put the ship in service in the Russian Navy, in mid-June.
Sevmash’s press service refrained from comments on the information from the source.
Another source in the sector told TASS earlier that the Knyaz Vladimir had set off for the White Sea from Severodvinsk for final trials. Later, the Northern Fleet confirmed these reports, saying that the trials were meant to check the quality of the removal of problems exposed earlier.
The Knyaz Vladimir is the improved Project 955A strategic missile-carrying underwater cruiser, which represents the fourth generation of nuclear-powered subs built for the Russian Navy. It was floated out in November 2017. According to the data of Russia’s Defense Ministry, the sub Knyaz Vladimir is less noisy and features improved maneuvering, depth and armament control systems.
The nuclear-powered sub Knyaz Vladimir has fully undergone state trials. In the autumn of 2019, it test-fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile.
Four more Borei-A submarines are at various stages of their construction. Also, a contract has been signed for building two more missile-carrying underwater cruisers of this Project. There are also plans to build two more Borei-A subs.
Project 955 and Project 955A submarines have been developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation). All Borei-class submarines carry 16 Bulava ballistic missiles. They are also furnished with 533mm torpedo tubes. Currently, three Project 955 nuclear-powered missile-carrying subs are operational in the Russian Northern and Pacific Fleets.


tass--2020-05-21--Pandemic won’t impact program to develop Arctic, Far East, assures ministry

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
The current optimization of the federal budget expenditures due to the coronavirus pandemic will have no serious impact on the implementation of state programs for the development of the Arctic and the Far East , with all key plans for 2020 being realized , the press service of the Russian ministry for the development of the Far East told TASS on Thursday .
Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Tuesday that some works under national projects and other programs planned for 2020 would probably be postponed and called for using these released funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans for 2020 concerning the development of the Far East and the Arctic will be implemented .
This optimization of spending will have no serious impact on the implementation of the state programs , '' the press service said .
According to the ministry , as proposed by the finance ministry , the 2020 spending on the state program for the socio-economic development of the Far Eastern Federal District by 1.3 billion rubles ( 18.252 million US dollars ) , or by 2.4 % The Russian government adopted amendments to the state program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal District to increase financing in 2020 by 22.7 % , or by 54 billion rubles ( 758.16 million US dollars ) .
Spending on the state program for the development of the Russian Arctic zone has not been reduced .
However the ministry did not rule out further adjustments .
`` Taking into account impacts of the novel coronavirus infection spread on the terms of the implementation of some plans , extra redistribution of funds within these state programs is possible , '' the ministry added .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. The current optimization of the federal budget expenditures due to the coronavirus pandemic will have no serious impact on the implementation of state programs for the development of the Arctic and the Far East, with all key plans for 2020 being realized, the press service of the Russian ministry for the development of the Far East told TASS on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Tuesday that some works under national projects and other programs planned for 2020 would probably be postponed and called for using these released funds on top priority tasks.
"All plans for 2020 concerning the development of the Far East and the Arctic will be implemented. This optimization of spending will have no serious impact on the implementation of the state programs," the press service said.
According to the ministry, as proposed by the finance ministry, the 2020 spending on the state program for the socio-economic development of the Far Eastern Federal District by 1.3 billion rubles (18.252 million US dollars), or by 2.4% The Russian government adopted amendments to the state program for the development of the Far Eastern Federal District to increase financing in 2020 by 22.7%, or by 54 billion rubles (758.16 million US dollars).
Spending on the state program for the development of the Russian Arctic zone has not been reduced. However the ministry did not rule out further adjustments. "Taking into account impacts of the novel coronavirus infection spread on the terms of the implementation of some plans, extra redistribution of funds within these state programs is possible," the ministry added.


tass--2020-05-20--Hainan officials obliged to better foreign languages skills by 2025

HAIKOU , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
The government of China 's Hainan province has adopted a plan for 2020-2025 , which states that the officials should better their foreign languages skills , the Hainan Daily newspaper reported .
The implementation of this program is directly related to the creation of a pilot free trade zone on the island and the expansion of the province 's trade , cultural and public relations with foreign countries , which increases the importance of public servants ' knowledge of foreign languages .
According to the approved plan , by 2025 , all public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 40 will be required to master the basic vocabulary and acquire the ability to communicate in a foreign language .
For officials over 40 , it will be enough to learn the simple phrases necessary for a beginner .
The authorities plan to compile and publish language training materials for officials , including , in particular , manuals such as “ 300 words in English ” and “ 300 words in Russian ” .
In April 2018 , President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the island province .
By 2050 , according to the authorities , the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy , developed tourism , top-notch scientific , technical and financial potential , and modern medicine .
The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan .
By 2025 , the Chinese government intends to create an `` international center for tourism and consumption '' on Hainan .
In order to do so , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural landscapes , thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels , which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline .
The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world .

HAIKOU, May 21. /TASS/. The government of China's Hainan province has adopted a plan for 2020-2025, which states that the officials should better their foreign languages skills, the Hainan Daily newspaper reported.
The implementation of this program is directly related to the creation of a pilot free trade zone on the island and the expansion of the province's trade, cultural and public relations with foreign countries, which increases the importance of public servants' knowledge of foreign languages.
According to the approved plan, by 2025, all public servants in the province under the age of 40 will be required to master the basic vocabulary and acquire the ability to communicate in a foreign language. For officials over 40, it will be enough to learn the simple phrases necessary for a beginner.
The authorities plan to compile and publish language training materials for officials, including, in particular, manuals such as “300 words in English” and “300 words in Russian”.
In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan.
By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world.


tass--2020-05-20--Hainan's capital ranked first on the list of China's cities with best air quality in April

HAIKOU , May 20 .
/TASS/ .
In April 2020 Hainan 's administrative center , the city of Haikou , ranked first among China 's major cities in air quality , according to a document published on the website of the Haikou Environmental Protection Agency .
`` In April 2020 Haikou took first place among 168 major cities of China in terms of air quality , '' the ministry said in a statement .
It is noted that in April , air quality in the administrative center of Hainan was described as `` excellent '' and higher .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to protect the ecology of the city and prevent air pollution .
Thus , for example , during the celebration of Qingming ( the day of the commemoration of the dead or Tomb-Sweeping Day ) in April 3-6 , local residents were banned from some rituals , in particular , to burn ritual ( paper ) money , to burn aroma sticks and incense .
According to the management , restrictive measures allowed to reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere of the city on holidays .
In March , Lhasa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Haikou took the second place .
These two cities have been competing for this title for several years : according to the 2019 ranking , Lhasa won the first place title and Hainan took second place at the time .
Haikou was the winner in 2018 though .
Currently , the Hainan authorities are taking active measures to preserve the unique nature of the region and protect its ecology : for example , in 2020 , Hainan plans to increase the number of electric vehicles and other cars running on new energy @ @ @ @ @

HAIKOU, May 20. /TASS/. In April 2020 Hainan's administrative center, the city of Haikou, ranked first among China's major cities in air quality, according to a document published on the website of the Haikou Environmental Protection Agency.
"In April 2020 Haikou took first place among 168 major cities of China in terms of air quality," the ministry said in a statement.
It is noted that in April, air quality in the administrative center of Hainan was described as "excellent" and higher. It is specified that local authorities are taking active steps to protect the ecology of the city and prevent air pollution. Thus, for example, during the celebration of Qingming (the day of the commemoration of the dead or Tomb-Sweeping Day) in April 3-6, local residents were banned from some rituals, in particular, to burn ritual (paper) money, to burn aroma sticks and incense. According to the management, restrictive measures allowed to reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere of the city on holidays.
In March, Lhasa was named best in air quality, and Haikou took the second place. These two cities have been competing for this title for several years: according to the 2019 ranking, Lhasa won the first place title and Hainan took second place at the time. Haikou was the winner in 2018 though.
Currently, the Hainan authorities are taking active measures to preserve the unique nature of the region and protect its ecology: for example, in 2020, Hainan plans to increase the number of electric vehicles and other cars running on new energy sources by 10,000 vehicles.


tass--2020-05-20--Top Russian diplomat reaffirms Russia’s willingness to help Middle East settlement

MOSCOW , May 20 .
/TASS/ .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has had a phone call with his Israeli @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s willingness together with its Middle East Quartet ( Russia , US , @ @ @ @ @ to assist relaunch of peace process through dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians , the Russian @ @ @ @ @ `` Foreign ministers exchanged opinions on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa @ @ @ @ @ the Middle Eastern settlement .
The Russian side underscored readiness together with other Quartet international @ @ @ @ @ process through direct dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians on internationally recognized basis , '' the @ @ @

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has had a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi to reaffirm Russia’s willingness together with its Middle East Quartet (Russia, US, EU, UN) partners to assist relaunch of peace process through dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, the Russian foreign ministry said Wednesday.
"Foreign ministers exchanged opinions on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa with an emphasis placed on the Middle Eastern settlement. The Russian side underscored readiness together with other Quartet international mediators to continue facilitating peace process through direct dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians on internationally recognized basis," the ministry noted.


tass--2020-05-22--Moscow coronavirus death toll rises by 73 to 1,867 - crisis center

MOSCOW , May 22 .
/TASS/ .
Another 73 patients with COVID-19 have died in Moscow , the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Friday .
`` In Moscow , 73 patients have died , who had a confirmed pneumonia diagnosis and a positive test for the coronavirus infection , '' the crisis center said .
A total of 1,867 people with a confirmed coronavirus infection have died in the capital .
According to the latest data , a total of 155,219 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Moscow , with 40,682 recoveries .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 5,101,500 people have been infected worldwide and more than 329,900 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 2,000,000 individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe .
To date , a total of 317,554 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 92,681 patients having recovered from the disease .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 3,099 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

MOSCOW, May 22. /TASS/. Another 73 patients with COVID-19 have died in Moscow, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Friday.
"In Moscow, 73 patients have died, who had a confirmed pneumonia diagnosis and a positive test for the coronavirus infection," the crisis center said.
A total of 1,867 people with a confirmed coronavirus infection have died in the capital.
According to the latest data, a total of 155,219 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Moscow, with 40,682 recoveries.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 5,101,500 people have been infected worldwide and more than 329,900 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 2,000,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, a total of 317,554 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 92,681 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 3,099 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-05-22--Over 235,000 coronavirus antibody tests carried out in Moscow

MOSCOW , May 22 .
/TASS/ .
More than 235,000 antibody tests for the novel coronavirus have been conducted in @ @ @ @ @ s Healthcare Department said on its website .
`` In total , more than 235,000 @ @ @ @ @ by the method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA ) .
Out of them , @ @ @ @ @ been conducted for patients of non-COVID hospital wards , '' the statement said .
ELISA @ @ @ @ @ for staff of medical organizations of the Healthcare Department .
Patients also pass these tests @ @ @ @ @ 15 , citizens are invited to clinics to undergo these tests as part of research @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Moscow also plans to conduct up to 10,000 ELISA tests for patients of @ @ @ @ @ Region .
Today more than 15,000 tests have been carried out for them , '' @ @ @ @ @ addition , more than 1.7 mln polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) tests , which @ @ @ @ @ in a human body , have been conducted in Moscow .

MOSCOW, May 22. /TASS/. More than 235,000 antibody tests for the novel coronavirus have been conducted in Moscow, the city’s Healthcare Department said on its website.
"In total, more than 235,000 tests have been carried out by the method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Out of them, more than 18,000 tests have been conducted for patients of non-COVID hospital wards," the statement said.
ELISA tests are conducted every week for staff of medical organizations of the Healthcare Department. Patients also pass these tests when hospitalized. Since May 15, citizens are invited to clinics to undergo these tests as part of research on immunity for the coronavirus.
"Moscow also plans to conduct up to 10,000 ELISA tests for patients of medical organizations in the Moscow Region. Today more than 15,000 tests have been carried out for them," the statement said.
In addition, more than 1.7 mln polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which allow to detect the virus in a human body, have been conducted in Moscow.


tass--2020-05-21--NATO confirms council meeting to discuss Open Skies Treaty on May 22

BRUSSELS , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
The NATO headquarters has confirmed the plan to hold a North Atlantic Council meeting on May 22 to address Washington ’ s unilateral decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies , a staffer of the NATO press service told TASS Thursday .
The alliance also expressed concern about the Russia ’ s alleged `` selective implementation of the Open Skies Treaty. ''
.
`` All Allies agree that arms control , disarmament , and non-proliferation make essential contributions to achieving the Alliance ’ s security .
At the 2018 Summit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their concern over Russia ’ s selective implementation of the Open Skies Treaty , and that this undermines our security .
In particular , we are concerned that Russia has restricted flights over certain areas .
Allies continue to consult closely on the future of the treaty and the North Atlantic Council will meet tomorrow to discuss the issue , '' the press service staffer noted .
The NATO headquarters refused to answer the question which member state put forward the initiative to convene the meeting , however , TASS sources note that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win support of NATO allies for its decision to withdraw from the treaty .
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the decision to quit the Treaty on Open Skies , that allowed participants to fly over any territories of the treaty signatories to supervise the military activity .
Giving the reasoning behind this decision , the US side cited alleged numerous violations committed by Russia , while Moscow rejects these accusation and lays counterclaims .
For instance , spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova underlined that Russia itself has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which were voiced before .

BRUSSELS, May 21. /TASS/. The NATO headquarters has confirmed the plan to hold a North Atlantic Council meeting on May 22 to address Washington’s unilateral decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, a staffer of the NATO press service told TASS Thursday.
The alliance also expressed concern about the Russia’s alleged "selective implementation of the Open Skies Treaty.".
"All Allies agree that arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation make essential contributions to achieving the Alliance’s security. At the 2018 Summit, NATO Heads of State and Government reiterated their concern over Russia’s selective implementation of the Open Skies Treaty, and that this undermines our security. In particular, we are concerned that Russia has restricted flights over certain areas. Allies continue to consult closely on the future of the treaty and the North Atlantic Council will meet tomorrow to discuss the issue," the press service staffer noted.
The NATO headquarters refused to answer the question which member state put forward the initiative to convene the meeting, however, TASS sources note that it was the United States who seeks to win support of NATO allies for its decision to withdraw from the treaty.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the decision to quit the Treaty on Open Skies, that allowed participants to fly over any territories of the treaty signatories to supervise the military activity. Giving the reasoning behind this decision, the US side cited alleged numerous violations committed by Russia, while Moscow rejects these accusation and lays counterclaims. For instance, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova underlined that Russia itself has complaints about the US regarding the treaty which were voiced before.


tass--2020-05-21--Moscow’s coronavirus situation positive - mayor

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin believes that the current coronavirus situation in the Russian capital is positive .
According to him , the newly confirmed infections have almost halved lately .
`` In Moscow , the coronavirus situation is rather positive : we see that 2,500-3,000 infections < … > are detected , while 50,000 polymerase chain reaction tests are conducted .
This is a lot , but the level last month was us detecting 6,000 infections at the peak .
Therefore , the level of detected infections halved , '' Sobyanin said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The mayor recalled that Moscow is also carrying out CT scans which is a large-scale program to detect the virus .
According to Sobyanin , the number of pneumonia patients is also going down , showing a positive dynamic .
`` Our hospitals are also admitting fewer and fewer patients , '' he added .
Sobyanin noted that the results of the first stage of program to screen population for immunity to the coronavirus infection will be drawn on Friday .
`` I think that infection specialists , scientists and doctors will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this screening , '' he said .
Sobyanin pointed out that thanks to the screening program , people in the active phase of the disease can be registered apart from those who already had the virus .
`` They are being dealt with now : they get retested and have medicine prescribed if there are disease symptoms and so on , '' he added .
On May 15 , Moscow declared a large-scale and free program to test Muscovites for coronavirus antibodies .
Up to 70,000 people will be invited to get tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 5,101,500 people have been infected worldwide and more than 329,900 deaths have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , over 2,000,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe .
To date , a total of 317,554 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 92,681 patients having recovered from the disease .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 3,099 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin believes that the current coronavirus situation in the Russian capital is positive. According to him, the newly confirmed infections have almost halved lately.
"In Moscow, the coronavirus situation is rather positive: we see that 2,500-3,000 infections <…> are detected, while 50,000 polymerase chain reaction tests are conducted. This is a lot, but the level last month was us detecting 6,000 infections at the peak. Therefore, the level of detected infections halved," Sobyanin said.
He lauded it as an important benchmark. The mayor recalled that Moscow is also carrying out CT scans which is a large-scale program to detect the virus.
According to Sobyanin, the number of pneumonia patients is also going down, showing a positive dynamic. "Our hospitals are also admitting fewer and fewer patients," he added.
Sobyanin noted that the results of the first stage of program to screen population for immunity to the coronavirus infection will be drawn on Friday.
"I think that infection specialists, scientists and doctors will take stock of the first stage of this screening," he said.
Sobyanin pointed out that thanks to the screening program, people in the active phase of the disease can be registered apart from those who already had the virus. "They are being dealt with now: they get retested and have medicine prescribed if there are disease symptoms and so on," he added.
On May 15, Moscow declared a large-scale and free program to test Muscovites for coronavirus antibodies. Up to 70,000 people will be invited to get tested every couple of days.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 5,101,500 people have been infected worldwide and more than 329,900 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 2,000,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, a total of 317,554 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 92,681 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 3,099 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-05-21--Russia has claims regarding US compliance with Open Skies Treaty, says diplomat

MOSCOW , May 21./TASS/ .
Russia has a number of concrete and formulated long ago claims regarding the US compliance with the Open Skies Treaty , Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday in comments on statements from the US about its claims against Russia .
`` Let me draw your attention - it is the Russian side that has clear and long-formulated claims against the Americans as to compliance with this agreement .
And today , right now , we will reiterate these claims , these thorny issues , '' she said .
`` We described [ them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February we put together on our resources all the claims that we had , making them publicly available .
These are far from all claims , but the most evident , '' Zakharova said in an interview with Rossiya-24 television .
`` For example , we said that since 2017 the US has tightened its approaches to fulfilling this treaty in regard to Russia and since January 2018 several restrictions have been imposed against our country .
This is the refusal to grant permission to depart from US rules of air traffic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedures for performing observation flights over the Hawaiian Islands by limiting maximum range of flights from Hickam airbase and the refusal to allow overnight stops on mainland US and many other things , '' the diplomat said .
Zakharova noted that this is an international treaty that `` has a format of implementation , has commitments of parties , which were confirmed on paper . ''
`` In view of this , this public debate or public commentaries , mildly speaking , are not enough to draw conclusions on US plans , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements there is the practice of fulfilling treaties and agreements , Zakharova stressed .
`` There are mechanisms of their implementation , namely , there is a respective commission , where one can come and announce claims .
There are also diplomatic channels , upon which we expect certain clarification of the US side in order to shape our attitude to their position .
This is routinely and normally done by diplomats .
I believe that after this we will formulate our approach , '' she said .
The Trump administration said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Open Skies Treaty .
Director of the Foreign Ministry ’ s Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov stressed that the attempts by the US to pass off the withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty as a reaction to Russia ’ s violations have absolutely no basis behind them .
The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in March 1992 in Helsinki by 23 member-nations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) .
It was drafted with Moscow ’ s active participation .
According to the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major tool of strengthening trust and security .
The Open Skies ’ main goals are to build transparency , render assistance in monitoring compliance with existing or future arms control agreements , broaden possibilities for preventing crises and managing crisis situations .
The accord establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants .
Now , the treaty has more than 30 signatory states .
Russia ratified the Treaty on Open Skies on May 26 , 2001 .
For the past several years , Washington has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a selective manner and of violating some of its provisions .
Russia has also put forward some objections regarding the way the United States has been implementing the agreement .
In 2017 , Washington imposed some restrictions on Russian observation flights over its territory .
Moscow came up with a tit-for-tat response some time later .

MOSCOW, May 21./TASS/. Russia has a number of concrete and formulated long ago claims regarding the US compliance with the Open Skies Treaty, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday in comments on statements from the US about its claims against Russia.
"Let me draw your attention - it is the Russian side that has clear and long-formulated claims against the Americans as to compliance with this agreement. And today, right now, we will reiterate these claims, these thorny issues," she said. "We described [them] in detail, in particular in February we put together on our resources all the claims that we had, making them publicly available. These are far from all claims, but the most evident," Zakharova said in an interview with Rossiya-24 television.
"For example, we said that since 2017 the US has tightened its approaches to fulfilling this treaty in regard to Russia and since January 2018 several restrictions have been imposed against our country. This is the refusal to grant permission to depart from US rules of air traffic and norms of aviation security and changing special procedures for performing observation flights over the Hawaiian Islands by limiting maximum range of flights from Hickam airbase and the refusal to allow overnight stops on mainland US and many other things," the diplomat said.
Zakharova noted that this is an international treaty that "has a format of implementation, has commitments of parties, which were confirmed on paper." "In view of this, this public debate or public commentaries, mildly speaking, are not enough to draw conclusions on US plans," she explained.
Besides public debate and statements there is the practice of fulfilling treaties and agreements, Zakharova stressed. "There are mechanisms of their implementation, namely, there is a respective commission, where one can come and announce claims. There are also diplomatic channels, upon which we expect certain clarification of the US side in order to shape our attitude to their position. This is routinely and normally done by diplomats. I believe that after this we will formulate our approach," she said.
The Trump administration said on Thursday that it would withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty. Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov stressed that the attempts by the US to pass off the withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty as a reaction to Russia’s violations have absolutely no basis behind them.
The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in March 1992 in Helsinki by 23 member-nations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It was drafted with Moscow’s active participation. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the treaty is a major tool of strengthening trust and security. The Open Skies’ main goals are to build transparency, render assistance in monitoring compliance with existing or future arms control agreements, broaden possibilities for preventing crises and managing crisis situations. The accord establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants. Now, the treaty has more than 30 signatory states. Russia ratified the Treaty on Open Skies on May 26, 2001.
For the past several years, Washington has been accusing Moscow of carrying out the accord in a selective manner and of violating some of its provisions. Russia has also put forward some objections regarding the way the United States has been implementing the agreement. In 2017, Washington imposed some restrictions on Russian observation flights over its territory. Moscow came up with a tit-for-tat response some time later.


tass--2020-05-21--Russia to respond to US withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty, says senior legislator

MOSCOW , May 21./TASS/ .
Russia has a plan for responding to the US withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty , in making the decision Moscow will be guided by the interests of its national security , the chairman of the State Duma ( lower house ) Committee for International Affairs , Leonid Slutsky , told journalists on Thursday .
`` Of course , Russia has a plan for reacting to the US moves regarding the Open Skies Treaty , though the treaty is multilateral .
I am confident that we will take a balanced decision in full conformity with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the legislator said .
He called detrimental Washington ’ s decision to pull out of the treaty .
It `` may put at risk the system of military security on the European continent , '' Slutsky said .
`` This will come as yet another step by the US administration towards ruining key arms control agreements , following the destruction of the INF Treaty , '' he stressed .
`` The patterns are the same : unfounded accusations against Russia ( which we haven ’ t seen as of yet , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Open Skies Treaty with the simultaneous refusal to settle the same claims against them , '' the head of the international affairs committee said .
Russia `` has never violated the treaty '' unlike the US `` which is simply keeping mum on numerous problems with the implementation of the Open Skies Treaty , '' he added .
The real ‘ added value ’ of the treaty `` will depend also on the reaction from the European allies of the US in NATO to statements from the US administration '' as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the footsteps of Washington , '' the legislator stressed .
The Trump administration said on Thursday that it would withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty .
The Open Skies ’ main goals are to build transparency , render assistance in monitoring compliance with existing or future arms control agreements , broaden possibilities for preventing crises and managing crisis situations .
The accord establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants .
For the past several years , Washington has been accusing Moscow of carrying out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating some of its provisions .
Russia has also put forward some objections regarding the way the United States has been implementing the agreement .
In 2017 , Washington imposed some restrictions on Russian observation flights over its territory .
Moscow came up with a tit-for-tat response some time later .

MOSCOW, May 21./TASS/. Russia has a plan for responding to the US withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, in making the decision Moscow will be guided by the interests of its national security, the chairman of the State Duma (lower house) Committee for International Affairs, Leonid Slutsky, told journalists on Thursday.
"Of course, Russia has a plan for reacting to the US moves regarding the Open Skies Treaty, though the treaty is multilateral. I am confident that we will take a balanced decision in full conformity with the aims of defending national security," the legislator said.
He called detrimental Washington’s decision to pull out of the treaty. It "may put at risk the system of military security on the European continent," Slutsky said. "This will come as yet another step by the US administration towards ruining key arms control agreements, following the destruction of the INF Treaty," he stressed.
"The patterns are the same: unfounded accusations against Russia (which we haven’t seen as of yet, by the way) for violating provisions of the Open Skies Treaty with the simultaneous refusal to settle the same claims against them," the head of the international affairs committee said.
Russia "has never violated the treaty" unlike the US "which is simply keeping mum on numerous problems with the implementation of the Open Skies Treaty," he added. The real ‘added value’ of the treaty "will depend also on the reaction from the European allies of the US in NATO to statements from the US administration" as well as on whether they will follow in the footsteps of Washington," the legislator stressed.
The Trump administration said on Thursday that it would withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty.
The Open Skies’ main goals are to build transparency, render assistance in monitoring compliance with existing or future arms control agreements, broaden possibilities for preventing crises and managing crisis situations. The accord establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants.
For the past several years, Washington has been accusing Moscow of carrying out the accord in a selective manner and of violating some of its provisions. Russia has also put forward some objections regarding the way the United States has been implementing the agreement. In 2017, Washington imposed some restrictions on Russian observation flights over its territory. Moscow came up with a tit-for-tat response some time later.


tass--2020-05-21--Chechen leader Kadyrov transferred to Moscow with suspected coronavirus - source

MOSCOW , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
Head of the Russian region of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has been delivered to @ @ @ @ @ to have contracted coronavirus , a source in medical circles told TASS .
`` Ramzan @ @ @ @ @ Moscow with suspected coronavirus infection [ He ] is know placed under medical observation , @ @ @ @ @ According to him , the head of Chechnya is in stable condition .
TASS could @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier , Baza Telegram channel reported that Kadyrov could allegedly have contracted the virus @ @ @ @ @ Moscow hospital yesterday .
Kadyrov ’ s aide Ahmed Dudayev underlined that the Chechen leader @ @ @ @ @ of the regional anti-coronavirus crisis center .

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has been transported to Moscow because he is suspected of having contracted the novel coronavirus, a source in medical circles told TASS.
"Ramzan Kadyrov has been brought to Moscow with the suspected coronavirus infection. [He] is now under medical observation," the source noted. According to him, Chechnya’s leader is in stable condition. TASS could not officially verify this information.
Earlier, the Baza Telegram channel reported that Kadyrov could allegedly have come down with the virus and was transported to a Moscow hospital yesterday. Kadyrov’s aide Ahmed Dudayev emphasized that the Chechen leader was personally observing the work of the regional anti-coronavirus crisis center.


tass--2020-05-21--US' Open Skies Treaty withdrawal to deal a blow to security in Europe, says diplomat

MOSOW , May 21./TASS/ .
The US ’ pulling out of the Open Skies Treaty will damage the system of military security in Europe , Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS on Thursday .
`` Our position is absolutely clear and is invariable - the withdrawal of the US from this treaty will come as yet another blow to the system of military security in Europe , which is already weakened by the previous moves by the administration , in particular by the withdrawal from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces ( INF ) treaty , and prior to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ratify the Agreement on Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe , '' Grushko said .
This move will also damage the interests of its allies in Europe , he stressed .
`` This move will not only worsen the situation with strategic stability and military security in Europe , but apparently it will also harm the interests of the US allies that are parties to this European agreement , '' the diplomat added .
Russia has not received an official notification from the US about its pulling out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Grushko said .
On Thursday , Associated Press reported citing sources that the White House had already notified international partners that it was pulling out of the treaty .
Earlier , the New York Times said referring to its sources that President Donald Trump intended to notify Moscow about its decision on Friday .
The White House has made no official comments on this information .
The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in March 1992 in Helsinki by 23 member-nations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s active participation .
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry , the treaty is a major instrument of strengthening trust and security .
The Open Skies ’ main goals are to build transparency , render assistance in monitoring compliance with existing or future arms control agreements , broaden possibilities for preventing crises and managing crisis situations .
The accord establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants .
Now , the treaty has more than 30 signatory states .
Russia ratified the Treaty on Open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For the past several years , Washington has been accusing Moscow of carrying out the accord in a selective manner and of violating some of its provisions .
Russia has also put forward some objections regarding the way the United States has been implementing the agreement .
In 2017 , Washington imposed some restrictions on Russian observation flights over its territory .
Moscow came up with a tit-for-tat response some time later .

MOSOW, May 21./TASS/. The US’ pulling out of the Open Skies Treaty will damage the system of military security in Europe, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS on Thursday.
"Our position is absolutely clear and is invariable - the withdrawal of the US from this treaty will come as yet another blow to the system of military security in Europe, which is already weakened by the previous moves by the administration, in particular by the withdrawal from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, and prior to that - by NATO’s refusal to ratify the Agreement on Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe," Grushko said.
This move will also damage the interests of its allies in Europe, he stressed. "This move will not only worsen the situation with strategic stability and military security in Europe, but apparently it will also harm the interests of the US allies that are parties to this European agreement," the diplomat added.
Russia has not received an official notification from the US about its pulling out of the Open Skies Treaty as of yet, Grushko said.
On Thursday, Associated Press reported citing sources that the White House had already notified international partners that it was pulling out of the treaty. Earlier, the New York Times said referring to its sources that President Donald Trump intended to notify Moscow about its decision on Friday. The White House has made no official comments on this information.
About the treaty
The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in March 1992 in Helsinki by 23 member-nations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It was drafted with Moscow’s active participation. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the treaty is a major instrument of strengthening trust and security. The Open Skies’ main goals are to build transparency, render assistance in monitoring compliance with existing or future arms control agreements, broaden possibilities for preventing crises and managing crisis situations. The accord establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants. Now, the treaty has more than 30 signatory states. Russia ratified the Treaty on Open Skies on May 26, 2001.
For the past several years, Washington has been accusing Moscow of carrying out the accord in a selective manner and of violating some of its provisions. Russia has also put forward some objections regarding the way the United States has been implementing the agreement. In 2017, Washington imposed some restrictions on Russian observation flights over its territory. Moscow came up with a tit-for-tat response some time later.


tass--2020-05-21--Turkey expects flow of tourists from Russia to decline by 40% in 2020

`` This year we expect the number of Russian tourists to decrease by almost 40 % .
We will resume promotion ( of tourism - TASS ) by June and as part of it we will focus on the standards of hygiene and the health infrastructure of Turkey , '' the minister stressed .
ANKARA , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
The flow of Russian tourists to Turkey may decline by 40 % in 2020 due to the situation with the coronavirus , Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said in an interview with TASS on Thursday .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ periods of the pandemic , the occupancy rate of hospitals [ in Turkey ] was 65 % . ''
`` In particular , in the resort areas of Antalya and the Aegean Sea , the number of cases ( of coronavirus infection - TASS ) was small .
Turkey successfully coped with this situation .
It is important to remember that hotels in Turkey are quite new and meet higher standards compared to European ones , `` the minister added .
The first coronavirus case in Turkey was confirmed on March 10 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned from Europe .
To date , total number of people infected in the country has exceeded 152,000 , 4,222 people have died , 113,987 have recovered .

"This year we expect the number of Russian tourists to decrease by almost 40%. We will resume promotion (of tourism - TASS) by June and as part of it we will focus on the standards of hygiene and the health infrastructure of Turkey," the minister stressed.
ANKARA, May 21. /TASS/. The flow of Russian tourists to Turkey may decline by 40% in 2020 due to the situation with the coronavirus, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said in an interview with TASS on Thursday.
According to Ersoy, "even in peak periods of the pandemic, the occupancy rate of hospitals [in Turkey] was 65%."
"In particular, in the resort areas of Antalya and the Aegean Sea, the number of cases (of coronavirus infection - TASS) was small. Turkey successfully coped with this situation. It is important to remember that hotels in Turkey are quite new and meet higher standards compared to European ones, "the minister added.
The first coronavirus case in Turkey was confirmed on March 10. It was a local resident who had returned from Europe. To date, total number of people infected in the country has exceeded 152,000, 4,222 people have died, 113,987 have recovered.


tass--2020-05-21--Passengers arriving at Turkey airports to take test for coronavirus, says Culture Minister

ANKARA , May 21 .
/TASS/ .
Passengers arriving at busy tourist airports in Turkey will have to take tests for coronavirus if they don ’ t do such tests 72 hours before their arrival in the country , Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said in an interview with TASS on Thursday .
`` We have created diagnostic centers at the airports , which receive most tourists .
We will test guests who did not do tests in the past 72 hours ( before arriving in Turkey - TASS ) , '' the minister said .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare infrastructure .
`` We sent letters of intent , certification criteria , to the relevant ministries of the countries we intend to start air communication with .
We also sent them information about the number of hospital beds in intensive care units , the number of mechanical ventilation devices , ambulances , helicopters in our tourist provinces and counties .
Through letters and telephone diplomacy , we share our data with more than 70 countries , `` he added .
The first coronavirus case in Turkey was confirmed on March 10 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned from Europe .
To date , total number of people infected in the country has exceeded 152,000 ,

ANKARA, May 21. /TASS/. Passengers arriving at busy tourist airports in Turkey will have to take tests for coronavirus if they don’t do such tests 72 hours before their arrival in the country, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said in an interview with TASS on Thursday.
"We have created diagnostic centers at the airports , which receive most tourists. We will test guests who did not do tests in the past 72 hours (before arriving in Turkey - TASS)," the minister said.
According to Ersoy, Turkey has a very developed healthcare infrastructure.
"We sent letters of intent, certification criteria, to the relevant ministries of the countries we intend to start air communication with. We also sent them information about the number of hospital beds in intensive care units, the number of mechanical ventilation devices, ambulances, helicopters in our tourist provinces and counties. Through letters and telephone diplomacy, we share our data with more than 70 countries, "he added.
The first coronavirus case in Turkey was confirmed on March 10. It was a local resident who had returned from Europe. To date, total number of people infected in the country has exceeded 152,000,
4, 222 people have died, 113, 987 have recovered.