On February 16, Maskhadov dissolved Chechnya's old government and announced the creation of a commission to scrutinize the qualifications of the various candidates for posts in the new cabinet. Maskhadov, who will act as prime minister and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, eliminating the need... MORE

Voters in Chechnya went to the polls on February 15 to elect the members of the republic's new parliament. Only 5 of 63 parliamentary seats were filled in the first round on January 27. Turnout was low this weekend, arousing fear that the elections might... MORE

The Italian government yesterday offered U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright assurances of Italy's unqualified support for NATO enlargement, and also joined Washington in rejecting a recent French proposal for a five-nation NATO-Russia summit. Italy's stand on both points was important for Albright, who, among... MORE

President Yeltsin's address to the Russian parliament has been postponed by one day, from March 5 to 6. The Monitor has learned from reliable sources in Moscow that staff at Yegor Gaidar's institute are actively engaged in drafting the text of the presidential address, which... MORE

The Russian government is jubilant at the news that, for the first time since market reforms began in January 1992, Russia has posted a rise in economic growth. GDP grew in January 1997 by 0.1 percent over the same period last year. Industrial output grew... MORE

Russia has reportedly given categorical assurances to India that it will follow through on a deal to supply New Delhi with nuclear reactors, despite U.S. opposition to the sale. An Indian newspaper on February 12 quoted Foreign Minister Inder Kumar Gujral as saying in Moscow... MORE

Gujral also denied rumors that Russia and India are planning to form a defense alliance as a means of counter-balancing NATO. He emphasized India's status as a non-aligned country and also the extensive economic ties that have developed between India and both the U.S. and... MORE

The commander-in-chief of Russia’s air defense troops, Gen. Viktor Prudnikov, said on February 14 that it would be “unreasonable” to start merging his forces with the Air Force. Such a merger has been proposed in a number of military reform plans. He also said that... MORE

A bid to oust President Yeltsin from office failed on February 14 when the Russian Duma rejected a resolution calling for the early termination of his powers. Only 208 deputies backed the proposal, 18 short of the 226 required for adoption. Instead, the Duma told... MORE

The World Society for the Protection of Animals has lodged an official protest with the Russian Embassy in London over reports that Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin shot a mother bear and her two cubs during a recent hunting trip. The Russian media started the rumpus,... MORE