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Medvedev to visit Yak-42 plane crash site, attend Yaroslavl Political Forum

The plane that was carrying the top-rated Lokomotive ice hockey team in full force crashed seconds after the takeoff in Yaroslavl, killing 43 of 45 people aboard

MOSCOW, September 8 (Itar-Tass) —— President Dmitry Medvedev will travel to Yaroslavl on Thursday, September 8, to visit the site of Wednesday’s Yak-42 plane crash and then attend the World Political Forum in that city.

The plane that was carrying the top-rated Lokomotive ice hockey team in full force crashed seconds after the takeoff in Yaroslavl, killing 43 of 45 people aboard.

Presidential spokeswoman Natalia Timakova told Itar-Tass,”The head of state has decided to change the format of his participation in the Yaroslavl Political Forum… Before speaking at the forum the president plans to visit the crash site to pay tribute to those killed and then have a working meeting with the heads of agencies.”

Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu, Transport Minister Igor Levitin, Investigation Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin, presidential representative to the Central Federal District Oleg Govorun, and First Deputy Presidential Administration Chief of Staff Vladislav Surkov will attend the meeting.

Medvedev expressed condolences to the Lokomotiv team’s families and fans and ordered the government to make all the necessary arrangements and instructed the Investigation Committee to investigate the accident.

After the meeting, the president will attend the World Political Forum to be held in Yaroslavl for the third time. Politicians and experts are now discussing the topic “The Modern State in the Era of Social Diversity”. The head of state may make a speech and confer with some of the forum’s participants.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul will be the top guest of the forum. Medvedev is scheduled to have a separate meeting with him.

The Russian president will also meet with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, who was elected to this post in October 2009 and who will be visiting Russia in this capacity for the second time.

“It is planned that Medvedev and Bokova will discuss a wide range of issues regarding cooperation between Russia and UNESCO in various areas. Special attention will be paid to the use of achievements in the fields of education, science and culture for ensuring sustainable development of mankind, as well as to the holding of the 36th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in St. Petersburg in 29012,” the presidential press service said.

“Russia has been actively facilitating UNESCO programmes in the fields of education, science and information space”, regularly hosts conferences and congresses for the Organisation’s programmes, the Kremlin said.

On September 19-22, Astrakhan State University will host a joint meeting of Coordination Committee of UNESCO Chairs in Russia and UNESCO Associated School network activists from Russian regions.

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