Russia

MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/: The newly appointed US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, who is arriving in Moscow on January 16, looks forward to enhancing the relationship between the two countries and strengthening cooperation between Moscow and Washington, US Embassy in Russia said in a statement on Saturday.

MOSCOW, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the situation in the Middle East with U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper during a phone conversation, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

"The situation in the Middle East region was discussed," the ministry said in a statement.

Tensions soared in the Middle East after a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport on Jan. 3 killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

ROSTOV-ON-DON, January 10. /TASS/: The crews of over 30 ships and vessels from the Caspian Flotilla have started preparations for their deployment to the sea in the new training year, the press office of the Southern Military District reported on Friday.

MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has tasked the Russian military with monitoring the deployment of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles by the US.

"We need to carry out a profound analysis of potential military threats and outline the measures on improving the armed forces. The results of these efforts will be taken into account when drafting the country’s defense plan for the years 2021-2025," he said on Friday, opening a teleconference on the main spheres of activity of the Russian Defense Ministry for the year 2020.

MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/: The Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) expects that a date to sign a peace agreement with the United States will be fixed in the near future, Spokesman for the Taliban’s Qatar office Mohammad Sohail Shaheen told TASS on Friday.

"A date to sign the agreement has not been fixed. We expect to fix it soon," he said in response to a question.

MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/: German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Moscow, scheduled for January 11, will be a one-day trip, a spokesperson for the German embassy in Russia told TASS on Friday.

"The chancellor will arrive in Moscow for a one-day visit," the spokesperson said in response to a question.

According to the embassy spokesperson, Merkel would be accompanied by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. The agenda of the German chancellor’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to cover the developments in Syria, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Ukraine.

SUKHUM, January 10. /TASS/: Protesters are gathering near the office of the Abkhaz president, keeping the rally that started in Sukhum on Thursday going, TASS reports.

Interior Ministry officers and state guards are also on standby, yet they do not seem to be carrying weapons. According to earlier reports, around 100 people spent the night on the site.

The demonstrators told TASS that around 300 people are now inside the administration’s office, while approximately the same number of people have gathered outside.

ASTRAKHAN, January 9. /TASS/: A short circuit ignited a fire on board an Iranian vessel, VAFA-2, in early December in the Astrakhan seaport, the press service of the emergencies department for the Astrakhan Region told TASS on Thursday.

The fire broke out on board the vessel in the Southern port of Astrakhan on December 2. The ship was loaded with timber, according to the emergencies department. No one was injured as a result of the fire, nor were any goods damaged.

MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/: The St. Petersburg police have detained seven people suspected of trafficking drugs online, having seized 30 kg of amphetamines during the raid, Russian Interior Ministry Spokeswoman Irina Volk informed TASS on Thursday.

MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/: Speculations about external causes for Wednesday’s Ukraine International Airlines flight crash outside Tehran may ramp up pressure on Iran, Valdai International Discussion Club Program Director Oleg Barabanov told TASS on Thursday.