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Putin to have several international phone calls, meet with Russian Security Council

In addition, the president plans to meet on Friday with head of the Republic of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will have on Friday a number of international phone conversations, hold a meeting with the permanent members of the country’s Security Council and met with President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Vladimir Fortov, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

He said that on Thursday Putin chaired a meeting of the Council for Science and Education during which he could talk to Fortov. "If the Council meeting focused on conceptual issues, then this (today's meeting) gives an opportunity to discuss what happened in the Academy of Sciences over the past year taking into account its ongoing reform," Peskov said.

The Kremlin spokesman added that on Saturday Academician Fortov will have his 70th birthday, although the head of will not congratulate the scientist on his jubilee in advance.

Earlier this week, Putin signed a decree by which awarded head of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the Order of For Services to the Fatherland II degree for his great contribution to the development of science, education and training of qualified specialists and many years of fruitful activity.

Peskov also said that on Friday "the president plans a number of international phone calls." He declined to specify exactly who will be Putin's interlocutors. The press secretary just said that the main issue of the telephone conversations will not be the Syrian problems. "Presumably, no," he said, answering a question whether the issue of the settlement of the region’s crisis will be discussed. "There are other subjects that are no less important," he added.

"Also, the president will hold a meeting with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council," the Kremlin spokesman said. Such meetings are held by the president weekly, usually on Fridays, to discuss the most topical issues of the state’s domestic and foreign policy.

In addition, the president plans to meet on Friday with head of the Republic of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov.