turkey's prime minister has arrived in tripoli as part of his arab world tour a day after the visit by the british and french leaders tell you burdwan strip comes as libya's new government continues to assert an increasing level of control over the country rebel fighters are reportedly advancing and one of get off these last bastions art is maria financial is following developments. we're hearing from the national transitional council here in the capital tripoli that its troops have apparently entered the city of sirte some five hundred kilometers east of tripoli to duffy's hometown and one of the colonels last strongholds the city was first attacked by nature airplanes on the second day of the matriculation here in libya in march the anti see reports that thousands of its fighters there have apparently advanced into the center of the city of save face and have the resistance from cut off is elite troops apparently armed with a cheery and long range. rockets and also snipers the m.t.c.

report also at least four of its fighters eleven and the other reports have been killed during these offensive seven others wounded and also there is information that forty could offer loyalists have been captured and since we're receiving reports that. information chief. would have been one of them but this information is very hard to verify you know of another cent openoffice support bani walid some two hundred kilometers south of the capital tripoli continues while concerns over security safety of civilians trapped in the cities and the areas where the clashes between the rebels and gadhafi loyalists opened meanwhile the u.n. is expected to ease sanctions against libya visiting the country on thursday british prime minister david cameron and a french president nicolas sarkozy have said that they would introduce a u.n. security council draft resolution which expects to abolish international arms embargo. unfreeze been asses that. had been frozen as part of

sanctions against gadhafi also stylish mission u.n. mission here in the country leaders of the two nato countries that played a prominent a key role in the libyan revolution have also said that nato mission here on the ground will continue for as long as it is necessary to protect civilians here in libya meanwhile some are skeptical about the real aims of this mission as it right now like backing the rabble and helping them take control over the rest of the country rather than protecting civilians so it's now a little bit far from its initial go. after british premier david cameron's trip to libya to celebrate the end of gadhafi forty two year rule over but have looks at how u.k. arms dealers are still working flat out. selling weapons could be a moral minefield but not here this is the world's biggest arms fair and

a massive earner for the british economy the government's putting its conscience aside as international delegates shop for tanks rocket launchers and missiles so long as business is being done here it doesn't seem to matter who's buying this is guest list includes countries like saudi arabia and bahrain both regimes that violently suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations earlier this year bahrain was accused of opening fire on its own armed citizens in february saudi arabia sent its national guard in to help driving armored vehicles made by be a systems the u.k.'s largest defense company its products on display here would be a home in any bond film this tank can alter its temperature to change its infrared appearance but like the british government the company can't change its spots it says there are countries it won't sell to but that doesn't include any here if

a country's been invited by the british government here it's it's probably going to be on your list of countries who are able to sell to. make sense of. these right to sell to say was regimes like bahrain that have rigorous democratic process. that will target all. these protesters from the stop the arms fair coalition they're angry it's going ahead despite the recent crackdowns in libya in egypt both former customers of britain using their purchases against their own people we're paying the price there in the mediterranean because we sold weapons deny all the countries that it out spirits in the arab spring i think is short sighted it's bad for this country it doesn't make money it makes walls. at this year's shoppers in. include fourteen countries branded all thora tarion by human rights groups a fact the government came clean on just one day before trade began five sure

they're very a barest because of the one china did february. david cameron was going to egypt walking around tahrir square trick leaving his belief in human rights and freedom and democracy and the next stop was kuwait and it turned out he was traveling with eight hours company executives but the whole purpose of the trip this trade one of the big trade to a trade to make was weapons straight to the middle east the government says it's tightening restrictions on who can buy weapons that could be used for oppression and it claims an invite here doesn't guarantee an export license but defense is big business for britain it generated twenty two billion pounds for the economy last year and the case now the second biggest weapons exporter in the world with money like that up for grabs turning customers away empty handed may prove difficult

either bennett r.t. london. well tensions running high in northern kossovo with the breakaway regions authorities planning to seize control of two border crossings later on friday nato troops have blocked off one of the checkpoints well cos of in-service use trucks to shut off the road to the other earlier a service call for an emergency un security council meeting to try and prevent violence from escalating artist but what do you know portnoy or followed their discussion. the united nations security council gathered behind closed doors for hours to debate and discuss growing tensions in northern kosovo serbian foreign minister vokey and his course of our counterpart flew into new york for this our merchant seen meeting that was called for by serbia and supported by russia serbia is urging the council to prevent kosovo's ethnic albanian authorities from using force in northern kosovo that is an area populated by ethnic serbs now

kosovo has announced plans to send its custom officials and security forces to the border to to take it over violence between ethnic serbs and albanians erupted there in july that violence killed one person and wounded several others russian ambassador vitaly churkin says kosovar albanians have threatened to use force ambassador churkin says that nato peacekeepers in the area he believes could be cooperating with the pair in the plans of the kosovar albanians rather than preventing danger from breaking out we have serious concerns about where we're all this is going and the ministry made it very clear that the. position of european union playing this mediating role in a dialogue between between priest and great is it may be put in question.

this sudden departure from the past of dialogue at the moment when it was beginning to show some promise promise in our view is completely unjustified unwarranted and that it dentures. now it was back in two thousand and eight when kosovo unilaterally declared its independence with the support of the united states and western european countries this is something that was not approved by the security council and russia was one of the security council members that warned there would be escalating tensions to follow for years this is an international issue that russia serbia and many other countries believe needs to be addressed now before violence escalates and then further. he's been hearing why increasingly isolated serbs in kosovo will be able to rely on belgrade's help serbian canadian documentary maker bot his mother says they were at the mercy of foreign papa tears

because serbia will jeopardize its chances to join the e.u. . it's very naive to think that you lex and k. four are actually helping the pristina government know it works and pay for it just continue their policies. under the banner of protecting peace and stability but with the establishment of course of the customs at this checkpoint the budget of kosovo is being filled up and the finances and economy in kosovo are controlled by international forces and international powers so touchy is merely fulfilling his tasks and it's very naive to think that his mentors will stop him i think the current government in serbia is unwilling to take any measures to protect the serbs other than to talk to international forces and hope that the united international forces work will protect the serbs there. we all know that serbia's main goal is to join the european union and they will not jeopardize that even if it means giving

up on the hundred thousand serbs hundred thousand plus serbs who live currently in the province of kosovo. european energy giants are gearing up to bring the long planned south stream gas pipeline a step closer to reality will be another method of pumping russian gas directly into europe just like the north stream network which is already being a prime supply well let's get the details from marcie's dmitri medvedev goebbels of the russian sort of sorts as matri well lots of insight about the south stream project lately what's all the noise about. well the fact that gazprom has signed the shareholder agreement with its european partners companies from france italy and germany means that russia isn't the one step closer to realizing the transportation of gas from russia underneath the black sea to bulgaria and then eventually two or three of its lead so directly to european consumers and this one step gives it an extreme advantage over rival of project in the bucco pipeline

which is outlined to deliver gas from central asia to europe and this has. heard concerns from europe from the european of dorothy's about the security of energy in europe and we have heard a comment from. european energy commissioner saying that this makes europe more reliant on russian gas and therefore this is jeopardizing energy security in europe on the other hand actually the fact that russia will be delivering gas starting from zero twenty fifteen directly to european consumers means that actually energy security will be notified as energy deliveries will be secured and russia won't have to deal with transit countries like ukraine which have created problems with deliveries to europe in the past also we have heard an offer of from kiev victory in the college the president has said suggested having

the south stream go not underneath the black sea but through ukraine's territory making it cheap but gazprom has said there's no point in doing that because the whole goal of the pipeline is to bypass transit countries thanks very much for that update dimitri medvedev reporting from saatchi thank you. ok well for more perspective on the deal and what it could mean for europe's energy landscape let's talk to julia lees a senior energy analyst at the center for global energy studies mr lee thanks very much for being on the program all right well given that the purpose of the south stream pipeline is to bypass transit nations such as ukraine to avoid conflicts they've had in the past and essentially provide more energy security for the european union why is there so much opposition to it then. i don't think there's a particularly opposition stream of it's clearly a project. so see interests of both gazprom and consumers in europe to perhaps provide greater certainty to to russian oil

supplies i think many in europe would have preferred. a solution to be found but it involves ukraine rather than seeks to bypass it i think there's a lot of misunderstanding about. attitudes to lines that are proposed to deliver gas into southeastern europe the reason to be. supportive of projects like. these the way they do two things they provide new gas gas from new sources to europe via a new route and this is part of a policy of energy diversification that the u.s. following russia or itself is following a policy of diversification quite rightly points the huge to. not asian

markets as well as european ones and it's based reason that europe is so supportive of now. in a way perhaps less supportive of that diversification has been a big word of the following the talks of they've had way before but it's also on the drug table and fortunately i think we may have lost of unfortunately for that we may try to bring him back so i can hear you are so yes or ok great so we're taught we were talking about diversification it's been a big argument put forward by the european union which is essentially why they're backing and pipeline as you were mentioning earlier but we have to let also look at the suppliers would be iraq chip azerbaijan and it certainly not a very stable region how can such a supply route be considered. a viable alternative to a nobody is talking about a car as an alternative nobody nobody in europe is suggesting that russia will not be a major and probably the major supplier of gas to europe now and in the future

that's not seen dispute. what europe is trying to do is to add. variety to its sources of gas supply it doesn't want to become overly dependent on russian gas in exactly the same way that it doesn't want to become overly dependent on north african gas or indeed on north sea gas what it's seeking to do is to find a balance between a variety of suppliers delivering gas through variety of routes and nobody's disputing that among that variety russian will ease and will continue to be the most important all right well it is understandable that the e.u. is concerned to be overreliant on one source however given the importance of energy exports for russia isn't it highly unlikely that the taps would be turned off anyway would it be like shooting itself in the foot. i agree i mean i don't think.

russia's long term interests to disrupt gas supplies to europe however i think you were was quite shocked seeing what happened at the beginning of two thousand and nine when a gas promo frantically did exactly that for a short period of time. and dispute the may you know may have been a problem cause play ukraine it may have been a problem caused by gas probably made have been a problem that both sides are allowed to escalate and the difficulty for europe was that they found some of the members particularly those in the the east of europe found themselves suddenly through fault no. and there are no dispute. with us in a very cold period of the winter in the sun several countries kerry has a very nasty show all right just very briefly now it's worth noting that ukraine's

just offered to buy route the south stream projects through its territory why now why do you what's so you've got to lose. well i think what ukraine wants to. continue to transition over russia. but important tools of revenue for ukraine. is quite understandably i think very concerned to see major pipelines being blue point crossing it both to the north and to example. it leads ukraine in a very difficult position i think right well thanks very much for your thoughts there is really only senior energy analyst at the center for global energy studies thanks very much. on america's anti missile shield plans for europe has picked up the pace over the last few days a string of agreements with turkey romania and poland saw the remaining major obstacles of the troubled project cleared warsaw and washington also gave a joint statement announcing which parts of nato shield would be deployed in poland

by twenty eighteen good education has the specifics the police the missile defense agreement signed between the u.s. and poland in two thousand and eight and its amending protocol of two thousand and ten has come into force in visions the deployment of a land based s.m. three system in poland and it's part of america's revamped plan to build a missile shield in europe with elements of it deployed in different countries in eastern europe just earlier this week an agreement was signed between romania and the u. way romania to will host america's land base there some three interceptors on wednesday turkey and the us signed a similar agreement but that one was about deployment of of an early warning radar in korea keep the shield will be unfolding fairly close to the russian borders needless to say that's always been an ear attending the relations between washington and moscow the war of words on missile defense has been going on for quite some time now with washington saying we need powerful missile interceptors

against a possible attack from some dangerous state but usually namely ran in north korea and moscow saying why would the interceptors for weapons at the. as ropes they just don't like what he does and russia view the americas missile defense plans as an attempt to breach that very precious parity principle that was said by the start treaty russians have been quite persistent for years you know saying it's ok if it's not against us this thing together and this being the missile shield in europe together and the response they get is always a no you know they say is this they will cooperate but not on equal terms so that russians say then give us a legally binding guarantees that the defense system will not be used against us now imagine a community where you want for nothing life is easy and work is plenty well one such place did exist in a remote russian outpost but not anymore it's not even a place with it russia's borders it's actually in a region archipelago called spitsbergen and it wants embody the soviet dream a system without money but where everyone's needs were provided for well in

a series for special reports for to avoid the visited what was meant to be communism's example of a bright future. it's one of the busiest seagull colonies in the arctic. restless as the northern sun the brits called the island to search of food for their young noisy and disorderly like old big families the seagulls are the last reminder of the one family atmosphere that once permeated the arctic island back in the eighty's sounds coming from this building were just as era splitting as they are today only instead of siegel cries there are children streaks and laughter this apartment block was built specifically to house families and while adults were out working kids were left to their own devices running down hallways and banging doors local residents usually referred to this building as the crazy house across the street was a female dormitory nicknamed various given russian women's undying infatuation with

everything french. i think further away was a male dormitory also known as london supposedly for the gentle manners of its inhabitants during its best years the settlement house more than a thousand people today it's a ghost town with a spirit of communism is lurking in that band and buildings. this settlement was called fire a myth because of the cube like mountains surrounding it thirty years ago it had the highest living standards soviet people could dream of salaries two to three times higher than in the mainland free food free around vibrant social life in many ways it was a task for the brighter future that soviet people were trying to build. the roads northernmost statue of land in a sealed peering into the nearby glacier. most of the parliament's residents worked at a coal mine it was never very profitable it maintained for the sake of keeping the

soviet presence at the strategically placed archipelago not only an outpost this westernmost soviet settlement was also an ideological show window for the capitalists rivals and no resources for spirit to cut a dash a concert hall a library a rock band and even this size olympic pool people here reliving the true salvi a dream you have the best hopes almost overnight when the soviet union fell apart all of a sudden people of realized the perfect life was just that a few political power amid based on faulty economy and shaky ideology and if you your is the former paradise turned into a desperate hole people who are used to eating caviar for breakfast have to turn to hunting to put food on the table. one of the families packed and laughed abandoning parra made in all its grandstanding glory this pillar was erected here

with much pomp on the settlements thirtieth or fortieth anniversary only to become with the gravestone decades later when the last batch of coal was extracted from the local line workers just laughed and here it was their way of raking over the coals for the lives that always seemed too good to be true a kind of work of art see pirated spitzbergen archipelago well let's get more now on the deals being struck in soft business. that's right russia's next olympic venues gunning for gold in the race to secure foreign funds the thames international investment forum is underway in sochi with thirty five countries looking to put money into russia arches which is a southern seaside resort joining me live.

hello to dmitry thanks for joining us so the centipedes deal of the form has been struck. absolutely right so we have seen the signing of one of the most important deals that this forum that's the shareholder agreement between gazprom was just getting a fifty percent plus one share stake in the south stream pipeline we are talking about south stream of course and its european partners that any of these entities getting twenty percent in the in the project fifteen percent will go to germany and france is so the contract has been in there for this fifteen and a half billion euro project is one step closer to coming to reality and we are expecting the first supplies of gas at the end of twenty fifteen according to the president of gazprom alexei miller work has already started so therefore russia will soon start well not soon of course and around three or four years start

delivering gas directly to european consumers not only through the north stream pipeline but also from the south stream underneath the black sea to bulgaria and then into branches to austria and. bypassing transit countries of course sent to retreat to putin has also been speaking what has he had to say. yes prime minister the prime minister is talking about the macroeconomic situation in russia and his comments are being rather upbeat at the moment he has said that russia's economy thing will go back to the pre-crisis level next year and twenty twelve that over the next three years russia will see an average on the growth of its gross domestic product of percent and that inflation this year will be no higher than seven percent for the upcoming years and twenty twelve according to the president of the central bank. is going to be at around six and a half percent then another half a percentage point lower in twenty thirty and around five percent in twenty

fourteen or so when it comes to the budget deficit which is of course a big concern for economists right now and in russia. but in a person says that it is most likely to be balanced by the end of this year that. expenditures will meet. profits and that next year it will be around one and a half percent but if the macroeconomic situation changes the external situation such as world prices then we might actually see a balanced budget next year this is what has been said so far but of course in our further bulletins we will bring you more on what's going on more expert opinions more guests so do join me. of course trail looking forward to hearing from you thank you very much this update and in other news the latest turmoil in the stock market sports concerns over russia's privatization plans the sale of seven point six percent expected to happen this year is in the balance central banks and assume

the kind of says it will all depend on the markets. we're currently waiting for a window of opportunity as recommended by all financial consultants the situation is very flexible and global markets have recovered give some positive indications but what's most important for us is a stable trend so privatization is possible this year if the situation is right. which i have time for now but just stay with us for another business update in less time. with. the be.

the best seller. the band . it's the booth. the be.

welcome back here's a brief look at the main stories we're covering today on r.t.e. the un's most powerful body is in stalemate over tensions at kossovo it served as northern border crossings the breakaway region is ignoring calls for talks but seems south toward cizik the checkpoints armed if necessary. as the british and french leaders hailed the democracy they bombed into libya tanks and weapons continued to strengthen other arab dictatorships. of the long planned south stream pipeline moves a step closer to reality as russia signed landmark deals with top european energy giants. and moscow is a pricey place to visit but you don't need to fork out for five stars places.