5,000 Questions Already Submitted for Igor Ivanov's BBC Internet Conference

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has started answering questions at a BBC Internet conference whose site has already received 5,000 questions on absolute diversity of themes. Most of them have a bearing on key international issues, such as the situation around Iraq and North Korea, Russia's position on this score and Chechnya, reports the BBC.

It was as late as Monday evening that the BBC site invited Internet users to place their questions to the foreign minister.

When the conference is over, Igor Ivanov is to conduct talks with his British counterpart Jack Straw. A coming rendezvous is likely to be joined by British Prime Minister Tony Blair because the event is planned to take place not in the Foreign Office as usual but in the British premier official residence in Downing Street.

Talks are to be followed by a press conference with the participation of the Russian foreign minister and British premier.