Specialists of the international PR Company Edelman have organized one more annual research Trust Barometer. The results show that Russia is amongst the least trusted countries compared to many other states.

Making an agreement on cooperation of Russia and the EU may encounter a new problem – Lithuania threatens to join Poland and put veto on Russia-EU negotiations if the EU doesn’t make Russia resume functioning of the closed section of the oil pipeline Druzhba.

At the yesterday’s press-conference in Moscow the US Congress agreed to abolish the amendment considerably restricting trade with Russia. The Congress’s decision seems well-timed: at the end of 2006 the US agreed to accept Russia for WTO.

2007 was proclaimed the year of the Russian language in the world and in the RF. Festivals of the Russian language and philology are to be held all over the world. It is also planned to organize professional international forums, scientific-practical conferences, and methodical seminars.

Summarizing the results of 2006, the volume of Russian export of military-oriented production reached a record level throughout the whole period of existence of the national system of military-technical cooperation – $6.5 billion.

Moscow chemical Summit is a largest sectorial forum of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. A special guest of the Summit is president of CEFIC (European Chemical Industry Council) Alain Perroy.

Exhibition of educational services International Education Fair is to be held in the Moscow state exhibition hall New Manezh 16-17 February 2007. More than 100 educational establishments and organizations from Russia and overseas will let visitors get acquainted with educational programmes of studying in Moscow and abroad.

One of the oldest broadcasters in Europe the Voice of America (VOA) is increasing assignation on broadcasting in muslim countries but stops doing radio programmes in Russian on the post-Soviet territories, including Ukraine.

During the chairmanship in the Group of Eight the RF contributed $500 million to international programmes of fight with infection diseases in 2006.

On the 1st of February the Russian Federation became the 44th member of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO).